As long as you’ve got them in the right spot, winter heath (also known as snow heath) is actually a pretty low-maintenance guest in your garden. Whether you’re growing them in flower beds or keeping them in containers on the balcony, they’re fairly hands-off. However, once they finish blooming in April, you’ll want to set aside a little time for some pruning. Trust me, a quick trim goes a long way in rejuvenating the plant and keeping it healthy for years to come.
Pruning for Healthy Growth
If you leave them to their own devices, these plants usually top out at about 12 inches. But here’s the catch: over time, these perennials can start looking a bit gnarly and “leggy,” losing their lushness in the center.
Most of us want our garden or balcony plants to form a thick, even carpet of delicate blooms. That’s why a yearly haircut is a must. Plus, keeping the plants compact makes them much sturdier, meaning they’re less likely to get crushed or damaged under a heavy layer of winter snow.
Timing is Everything
The secret to success is pruning right after the flowers fade. This ensures your winter heath will put on a spectacular show again next year. Since the plant actually starts setting its new buds in the fall, pruning in late spring encourages those fresh shoots to develop and gives the buds plenty of room to grow.
How to Prevent “Bald Spots”
Snow heath is technically a subshrub, and like many plants in that family, they tend to get woody and bare in the middle if they aren’t maintained. By giving them a proper trim, you’re letting light reach the young, inner shoots, which keeps the whole plant looking vibrant. Even the best fertilizer won’t fix a leggy plant if you skip the annual pruning!
Here are a few pro-tips to keep in mind:
- Wait until the very last flowers have withered before you start.
- Always use sharp, clean shears. Dull blades can crush the stems and invite disease.
- Avoid cutting too deep into the old, woody growth.
- A good rule of thumb is to take off about one-third of the plant’s height.
Growing New Plants from Cuttings
Want more heath for free? You can propagate snow heath pretty easily through division or cuttings. If you’re planning on starting new plants from cuttings, you might want to be a little more conservative during your spring prune. This way, by summer, you’ll have plenty of 2-inch, semi-ripe stems to snip off. Just plant them in some starting soil and keep them consistently moist until they take root.
