General signs and types of erica, agricultural conditions during cultivation, advice on transplantation, fertilization and reproduction, cultivation difficulties, interesting facts. Ethics (Erica) is included in the extensive family of Heathers (Ericaceae) and is its type genus. Moreover, this family has about 120 genera, and more than 4000 species. Representatives of this flora inhabit almost all areas of the globe, excluding only steppe and desert regions. They are dicotyledonous plants - their seed embryo is usually divided into two halves (opposite lobes), and the ovule itself is distinguished by a closed container. This genus Eric includes about 800 species of representatives with a shrub, semi-shrub (rarely tree-like) form of growth. They are distributed in the territories of Africa, the lands of the Mediterranean, on the island regions of the Atlantic Ocean, and are also found in the Caucasus, and from the east, their growing area follows to Iran.
Most of the Erik species have found refuge in South African lands, but the species that can grow in Europe are recognized as rare and it is almost impossible to see them in the areas of their natural natural range. But together with heather, they form heaths (wastelands completely filled with these overgrown plants).
As mentioned above, eriks are mainly shrubs or semi-shrubs, reaching a height of 20 cm to two meters. Treelike, except for the varieties Erica arborea and Erica scoparia - these plants can reach up to 7-meter marks. The bark on the trunk is shaded with a brown or dark gray color scheme. Bushes differ in small leaf plates, which are arranged whorled or sometimes alternately. They reach 2–15 mm in length, have elongated outlines (linear or needle-shaped), the plate is oval, the edge of the edge has a downward bend. Therefore, on the back of the leaf (it is also called abaxial), a hollow is formed, which protects the stomata from the wind. These formations are pores through which the plant exchanges gas with the environment and moisture evaporates. A leaf that differs in such a structure in botany is usually called ericoid. And such a structure in representatives of the flora can be seen not only in the heather family, but also in plants far from them. Stems and branches are thin, but rather tough.
Flowering occurs in buds, somewhere reminiscent of elongated bells. Their sizes vary from one to several centimeters in length. Moreover, in European species, the size of flowers is smaller than that of African relatives. The color of flower buds can vary from whitish to dark red, lilac or almost black, yellow color is extremely rare.
After flowering, the fruit ripens in the form of a box with four valves, which contains numerous small seeds. Eriks are ancient relict plants that began their life path from the Neogene period (it began more than 23 million years ago), therefore they are usually studied in the courses of biological faculties. Often this plant is used to create stone slides (recreational facilities - complexes for health-improving activities related to improving the normal well-being and working capacity of a person), it is grown in park and backyard areas and flower beds.
Agricultural conditions for growing Erica, care
- Lighting and location. In order for Erica to please with the beauty of flowers, it is necessary to choose a place in the garden with bright, but diffused light. If the plant grows in the shade or partial shade, then the color of the buds will turn pale, and their number will immediately decrease. The place in the garden should be protected from drafts and wind. For outdoor protection, plant hedges such as Mahonia, cotoneaster, or conifers nearby. If Erica grows indoors, then the sill of the south, east or west window is suitable for her. On the north, additional lighting will be required using fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps.
- Content temperature. Naturally, this only applies to indoor plants. Heat indicators should not exceed 18 degrees, and during the flowering period should drop to 7-8. If the temperature rises, then the humidity will have to be increased.
- Air humidity. If the heat indicators have become more than 20-22 degrees, then you will need to put humidifiers or place the pot on moistened expanded clay, at the bottom of a deep container. You can spray the deciduous crown.
- Watering. It is required to use only soft water free of impurities, hard water will kill Erica. Watering in the summer is carried out frequently, but overmoistening of the soil should be avoided. If the substrate is too dry, then the pot with Erica is placed in a bucket of water and kept there for 40-50 minutes.
- Pruning Erica bush and general care. In the first 2 years after the plant has been transplanted, the branches are not pruned. In the future, Erica can carefully trim the shoots in order to form the crown. It is required to carry out this operation after the end of flowering, somewhere in late November or early March, before the plant begins to bloom. When pruning, the branch must be shortened below the inflorescences. It is important to try not to grab old wood. When the flowering is over, the pot is turned on its side and the withered buds are shaken off.
- Fertilization. For Erica, it is not recommended to use fresh manure. When feeding, you should use complex mineral fertilizers (for example, "Kemira universal" at the rate of 20-30 grams per 1 square meter). You can buy fertilizers for azaleas or rhododendrons, they are sold in specialized flower shops. The dosage is slightly reduced from that indicated by the manufacturer. It is necessary to try to prevent the solution from getting on the leaves, so as not to cause burns. Regular feeding once a year in the spring (you can choose the time in mid-spring). Fertilizers are added to the water during irrigation.
- Transplant and soil selection. All members of the heather family prefer to grow on acidic or highly acidic soils. These can be both dry and sandy natural substrates, and wetlands. There must be a drainage layer in the pot or hole in the garden. Stagnation of moisture is also harmful, therefore holes are made in the bottom of the pot for water drainage, and in the garden it is necessary to avoid planting in hollows or full shade, where the snow melts late. If Erica is planted in the air, then the distance between the bushes should be 0.4–0.5 m in groups, that is, there are only 5–6 copies of Erica on 1 square meter. Planting depth 20–25 cm, without deepening the root collar. The plant should be in a permanent place for 2-3 years. The time for planting is selected before flowering in early spring or immediately after the flowering process stops.
The substrate is used with good air and water permeability. The soil mixture should include:
- peat, coarse sand and sod soil (in proportions 3: 1: 1: 1), if the soil is selected more neutral, then part of the peat in the substrate decreases;
- sandy forest soil, rotted needles, peat and river sand (in a ratio of 3: 1: 2).
Home propagation tips
In order to get a new bush, the "sisters of heather" plant seeds, cuttings or propagate by layering.
Cuttings are cut at the end of summer. They need to be planted in a sand-peat mixture (in a ratio of 1: 2, respectively). Then the twigs are wrapped in plastic wrap to create greenhouse conditions with high humidity and warmth. Cuttings are required to periodically ventilate and moisten the substrate. Heat indicators should vary between 18-20 degrees. During rooting, cuttings are protected from direct sunlight. After 3-5 weeks, the roots of the seedlings should appear.
If reproduction proceeds with the help of layering, then in the spring it is required to select a healthy shoot, then dig it into the ground and press it with a wire or hairpin. The layer of soil with which the shoot is sprinkled must be regularly moistened and the soil must not dry out. As soon as the shoot develops roots, it is necessary to carefully separate the new plant from the mother bush and transplant it separately.
With the help of seeds, it is better to propagate natural varieties of Erica. The substrate for this is compiled on the basis of coniferous soil, heather soil and river sand (in a ratio of 1: 2: 1). Seeds are sown on its surface, the seedlings should be covered with a piece of glass or wrapped in plastic wrap. Heat indicators should not fall below 18 degrees. It is required to moisten the soil in the container with a spray bottle daily with soft warm water. Seed germination can take up to a month. As soon as the seedlings grow up, they need to dive into separate containers and gradually accustom them to the solar streams of light. In order for the seedlings to get stronger, they wait about 2 more months.
Problems with growing Erica
The plant is practically not susceptible to pests and diseases, all difficulties arise when the conditions of maintenance and care are violated. Most often, there is a defeat by fungal diseases.
The most common problem is gray rot, which occurs when the air or soil is humid. This happens either in the case of flooding the substrate in Erica's pot or when there is a large mass of snow in the garden and there is no melt water runoff, as well as if the shrub was improperly covered for the winter or the shelter was removed too late.
As soon as the first symptoms of the disease appear: a gray bloom on the branches, partial death of branches and the discharge of deciduous mass, it is required to use antifungal fungicidal drugs (for example, "Topaz", "Fundazol"). If the defeat has affected most of the Erica, then a 1% solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid is used. The bush is processed in 2-3 passes with a regularity of 5-10 days.
For prevention, it is required to carry out a similar treatment in late autumn or March, as soon as the winter shelter is removed. If the leaf plates turn brown, and the tops of young shoots begin to fade, then this is the reason for excessive watering or abundant feeding.
Sometimes the plant can infect powdery mildew, the symptoms are the drying of young twigs, the leaves are completely covered with a white-gray bloom. Fungicides are also used here. If a red-brown spot appears on the leaves of Erica, then these are symptoms of rust. The means of struggle are the same.
If shoots and flowers begin to deform on the plant, and a strange unusual color of the leaf mass and buds appears, then these are signs of a viral disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure! The plant needs to be dug up and destroyed - burned.
Mealybugs and spider mites are isolated from pests that can harm the bush. Erika begins to appear a cotton-like bloom on the leaves or in internodes, a thin cobweb on the back of the leaf, and deformation and yellowing of the foliage also occurs. In this case, insecticide treatment is carried out.
Interesting facts about Eric
The plant is a good remedy for the treatment of gout - in which uric acid crystals are deposited in parts of the human body, and erica tinctures are used as diuretics - means that reduce the water content in the body (in the kidneys, liver or cardiovascular system). Basically, they use Erica crucifix or Erica gray for this.
At the same time, you can remember how many times representatives of heathers are mentioned in the literature - from honey, which is produced, for example, by Erica, which is an excellent honey plant, intoxicated drinks were brewed in ancient times.
The excellent wood of this "sister of heather" is also used to make high quality pipes for smoking tobacco.
Erika species
- Erica herbal (Erica carnea). Often this plant can be found under the name of erika ruddy. It is an evergreen shrub with a spreading crown, reaching 30-50 cm in height. It is also popularly called "winter heather". If this variety is planted in the southern regions, then flowering can begin in the winter months, so many growers prefer to grow it in central Russia because of its winter hardiness. Up to 200 varieties have been created on the basis of this plant. It can be grown almost like a ground cover, as the shoots grow and form a living carpet. Used for the construction of alpine slides or heather gardens. The branches of the shrub are open, and the shoots are bare, covered with dark gray bark. The color of the leaves is bright green, they have a linear elongated shape, are arranged whorly in 4 pieces. Their size reaches one centimeter. The leaves that are at the bottom of the bush and are quite old with the arrival of autumn turn reddish. It blooms with pink-red buds, sometimes whitish colors are found. Their shape is bell-shaped, drooping. The arrangement of flowers in the axils of the leaf plates. There are collected 2–4 pieces, of which the terminal inflorescences-brushes, one-sided, are formed. The flowering process stretches from mid-late spring (directly depends on the place of growth) to July. In areas further south, it begins to open flowers in March.
- Erica four-dimensional (Erica tetralix). She is sometimes called Erika crucifix. This species is also able to endure winters in central Russia. The plant has a shrub growth with compact size. The stems are pulled straight up to a height of 50–70 cm in their natural environment, in indoor conditions from 15 cm to half a meter in height with a diameter of 50 cm. The leaves are painted in a gray-green color, a very decorative variety. The leaf plates are collected in whorls of 4 units, and have felt pubescence. The flowering process stretches from summer to autumn months. The flowers can be white, pale pink or red in color.
- Erica darleyensis. The plant is a hybrid of Erica herbal and Erica Erigena, which has been cultivated in England since the beginning of the 20th century. The first variety gave her the duration of flowering (from November to May), and the second an abundance of buds. This Erica is often sold in Western Europe as a Christmas plant. The height of the bush is approaching the meter mark in natural nature, the variety is not as winter-hardy as the previous species. The crown is spherical and dense, the height starts from 40 cm with a diameter of up to half a meter. Higher growth rate than erika ruddy. The color of the buds varies from white to deep crimson tones.
- Erica arborea. The plant has the shape of a tree, unlike other varieties, and prefers to settle on dry and rocky surfaces in the wastelands of the Mediterranean lands. The flowers of the variety are whitish, with anthers of a red-brown color, their shape is bell-shaped, drooping, racemose inflorescences are collected from them. They have a strong fragrant aroma.
- Erica spiculifolia. A semi-shrub with a spreading crown up to 25 cm in height. The color of the deciduous mass is dark green. The flowering process occurs in the months of June and July. The color of the buds is pale pink.
- Erica gray (Erica cinerea). A sprawling plant with a shrubby form of growth, reaching 20-50 cm in height. The color of the leaves is gray-green. The color of the buds is pinkish or whitish.
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