How to Care for an Erica Christmas Plant
The Erica Christmas plant, or "bell heather," is a shrub native to South Africa. It has brown, fibrous stems and scrubby green foliage. When in bloom, it produces bright fuchsia bell-shaped flowers that droop charmingly in clusters. Erica Christmas flowers are popular in greenhouses and milder climates because of their picky nature. Their growing conditions must be perfect and carefully maintained. However, for anyone willing to put in the work, these flowers add brightness and beauty to the landscape. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Place Erica Christmas bells in a temperate climate. They will not tolerate temperatures below 35 degrees Fahrenheit or above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not live in a temperate zone, plant them in a greenhouse.
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Mix sand and peat fertilizer with soil before planting Erica Christmas bells. These plants require acidic, very well-drained soil.
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Mulch around each plant with peat fertilizer about every month to maintain the soil while the plant is dormant. Stop mulching when buds appear; too much acid can burn new root growth.
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Make sure your Erica Christmas bells have full sun. Shade will kill these plants. In warmer climates, light shade is tolerated.
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Soak the soil and roots with warm water. The water should feel warm to the touch, not hot. Wait a day or two until the topsoil becomes damp, not quite dry, and water again, soaking the roots.
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Snip off dead blooms when the plant becomes dormant, leaving the leaves in place. Water and mulch with peat in the spring when the ground thaws.
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