Content
The brightly saturated range of spectacular leaves of the perennial herbaceous plant - heuchera - can decorate any flower garden or mix border. It gives flower bed arrangements an extraordinary lightness and delicacy, for which it is valued by landscape designers. Hybrid heuchera Caramel retains its picturesque quality throughout the growing season and looks great in group plantings and in amazingly beautiful landscape compositions.
Description Heuchera Caramel
Heuchera variety Caramel is a low-growing, about 20 - 30 cm in height, dome-shaped bush, completely covered with large, attractive leaves of a golden-copper hue. Appearing in the spring, the basal leaves of the crop have a reddish tint, but gradually, by summer, they lighten and become intensely golden on top, and matte carmine on the inside. At the same time, they become pubescent, and by autumn they gradually change color to a more intense one. Heuchera blooms in June-July with small, pale pink flowers, which are collected in paniculate inflorescences and located on long, erect peduncles.However, it is valued not so much for its modest flowering, but for the decorative appearance of the bush, abundantly covered with caramel, brightly colored leaves.
The new hybrid variety of heuchera Mega Caramel amazes with its large dimensions. It reaches a height of 50 cm, the leaves are twice the size of standard ones, as are the giant flower stalks with numerous bell flowers.
Heuchera Caramel in landscape design
Among plants widely used in landscape design, heuchera occupies a leading position. Specifically, the Caramel and Mega Caramel varieties are used as decorations:
- flower beds and mix borders;
- rock gardens, rockeries;
- edges of paths, terraces, alleys;
- coastal strips of water bodies;
- curbs;
- garden plots;
- city flower beds.
Heuchera Caramel will become a bright accent in any combined planting of a group of plants of the same or different species. Heuchera looks incredibly harmonious with ornamental grasses, bergenia, geranium and will effectively highlight the trunk circles of tall trees and shrubs.
Caramel goes well with early flowering bulbous crops, as it begins to please early with its exquisite leaf rosette. Daylilies, irises, hosts and roses will be excellent neighbors for the crop. Due to its unpretentiousness, the perennial is planted with Heuchera Caramel in city flower beds. It can also be used for cutting.
Growing hybrid Heuchera Caramel from seeds
It will not be difficult to grow a hybrid of heuchera Caramel and a hybrid Mega Caramel from seeds. For this:
- Take loose soil from a mixture of turf soil, humus and river sand in equal quantities and fill the container with it.
- Small seeds do not need to be buried: just carefully place them on the substrate and sprinkle with a small amount of wet sand.
- The container is covered with film and kept until germination at a temperature not lower than 22 - 3 degrees Celsius.
- Periodically, the soil is moistened with water and the planting is ventilated.
- Shoots appear in 15 - 20 days, so the film is removed immediately.
- When 2 true leaves develop, the seedlings are planted in separate containers. If weather conditions permit, you can immediately plant them in open ground.
Planting is carried out from the end of May to the beginning of June. Flowering of the heuchera varieties Caramel and Mega Caramel, grown from seeds, as shown in the photo and in the description, will begin in the 3rd year after planting.
Planting and caring for Heuchera Caramel in open ground
The main features of Heuchera Caramel are unpretentiousness, good winter hardiness and ease of care. It comes from rocky shores, so it does not tolerate waterlogging or stagnation of moisture. To eliminate the risk of root rot, before planting, gardeners sprinkle the rhizome with a mixture of fine expanded clay or coarse sand and soil. In its homeland, Heuchera Caramel is adapted to grow on poor soils, so overfeeding with fertilizers can negatively affect development. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that three main factors can provoke root rot in a plant:
- excessive moisture;
- acidic soil;
- large doses of organic matter.
A mandatory agrotechnical practice is to hill up the bushes before winter, since the protruding rosettes of the plant may freeze.
Preparing the landing site
Heuchera Caramel is a heat-loving plant that prefers sunny places. However, the midday active rays of the sun can harm it. Therefore, the planting site should be sunny, but shaded at midday, so that the bushes do not burn under the scorching rays. The Caramel variety actively develops on neutral soils. Therefore, the acidic environment before planting heuchera should be fertilized with chalk, lime or wood ash.
Landing rules
The basic rules for planting heuchera Caramel are similar for all varieties of this decorative flower crop. Among them:
- organization of deep drainage;
- the presence of fertile, light, cultivated soil, with a layer of at least 20 cm of soil;
- hilling up once a year;
- mulching in the first year of life with sawdust for the winter;
- annual spring deepening of roots, which tend to become exposed during the winter;
- removing old, wilted leaves.
Heuchera Caramel is planted in fertile soil in small planting holes with a drainage layer of pebbles and river sand. The ground must be warmed up, so planting is timed for the end of April or the beginning of May, depending on the region and weather conditions. When planting in groups, the distance between heucheras is maintained at 25 - 30 cm.
Watering and fertilizing
Undemanding to conditions, heuchera varieties Caramel and Mega Caramel do not require additional moisture. Even during drought, watering is carried out no more than once a week. If the summer is rainy, then there is no need to water the heuchera, as its root system can quickly rot. However, ordinary watering should be regular and moderate, but without swamping the land and waterlogging it. Apply water directly under the root, making sure that it does not get on the leaves, which can cause them to burn in the summer heat.
Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out 3 times per season - in early spring, in summer and before the onset of cold weather. If the soil was initially well fertilized, then caramel heuchera does not need fertilizers. From the heuchera soil, Caramel is able to take all the substances necessary for active growth. Especially do not overfeed with organic compounds.
Trimming
Pruning Heuchera Caramel involves removing old, wilted leaves in the spring. If necessary, the procedure is carried out in the fall. After each removal of leaves, the soil around the bush is mulched with peat mixed with humus.
Preparing for winter
Heuchera Caramel must be prepared for winter dormancy. To do this, hilling and subsequent mulching are carried out from a mixture of river sand, peat and tree bark. The plant is able to easily survive winters with temperatures up to 20 degrees below zero, which are typical for the middle, central zone. However, in the conditions of Siberia, Heuchera variety Caramel needs shelter. To do this, you can use spruce branches, cardboard or special covering material. Young seedlings must be hidden under spruce branches for the winter. In spring, the near-ground part of the soil near the plant is cleared of fallen leaves.
You can additionally familiarize yourself with the rules of agricultural technology in the video:
Reproduction
Heuchera is propagated using one of the standard methods:
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush.
Growing from seeds has already been mentioned above. For cuttings from heuchera Caramel, which is at least 3 years old, take one-year-old rosettes. Cuttings are harvested in early spring - in March, and planted in late spring. The optimal time for planting under film cover is late May - early June. After the formation of a strong root system, the plants are planted in a permanent place.
The propagation method by dividing the bush is suitable for Caramel heuchera, at least 3 and no more than 4 years old. Suitable dates are May or August. To do this, the bush is watered generously several hours before planting. Carefully dig up and use a sharp knife to divide the rhizome into several parts. The delenki are immediately planted in a permanent place.
Pests and diseases
Heuchera variety Caramel is resistant to diseases and pests. However, if not properly cared for, the crop faces:
- damage by snails or slugs - if the plant is in a shaded place;
- spotting or downy mildew;
- rotting of the root system.
Chemical preparations such as Intavir, reducing watering and transplanting heuchera to a more illuminated place will help get rid of pests. Special means are also used to combat downy mildew and spotting, which are characterized by the appearance of spots on the leaves.Excess moisture and regular fertilizing with organic fertilizers leads to rotting of the roots. In this case, the plant is dug up, all rotten, diseased root shoots are removed and replanted in fresh soil with the addition of sand and peat.
Conclusion
Heuchera Caramel and its hybrid form Mega Caramel are not difficult to grow and care for, which has long been noticed by landscape designers and amateur gardeners. Compliance with all agrotechnical practices will allow you to enjoy the fabulous decorativeness of a spectacular beauty every year, capable of completely transforming the garden’s appearance with her original outfits.
