26th March 2015 Heather clipping masterclass

Today we had a masterclass on heather clipping. Stewart gave a brief talk - there are three main types - Ericas (20 species), Daboiecias (Irish) and Calluna (1 species - Calluna vulgaris), and according to the RHS website some Bruckenthalia, though I this wasn't mentioned and I didn't see any. Some of them are tree Ericas, for e.g. Erica arborea. Other compatible/ complementary plants have also been planted in this area like Cystisus.  

Identification aid:

Calluna - scaly, hairs rather than leaves.
Erica - finer leaves
Daboieicia - bigger, more pronounced leaves (flowers around May).

Photo 1: Daboiecia cantabrica 'Lilac Osmond'

Photo 2: Daboiecia cantabrica 'Lilac Osmond' flowering later in the year. Photo from The Heather Society website.

(With additional info researched personally).
This collection has existed since the 1920s, it was given National Collection status in 1987. Each year new cultivars are added, mainly from the Netherlands, Germany and the US. There are around 100 cultivars They have been notoriously hard to propagate, hence making it tricky to rejuvenate the collection. This is one instance where they have to use peat in the media mix. They have sometimes found it more effective to layer them by mounding up earth on branches. Putting cuttings/ propagated material in a heeling in area, then transferring them when they're more established and at the right time seems more effective.

It provides interest all year round and there is almost always a type of heather flowering throughout the year. At this time of year the Ericas are very prominent. They don't all need acidic soil either, some like Erica x darleyensis are suitable for different types of soil. The majority of them are trimmed this time of year, except for the ones that are flowering. This is done by shears and is very straightforward, it is cutting off the dead flowers to quite a tight defined shape where possible, following it's natural lines. Things like Daboiecia are quite loose, so just a general trim of flowers and taking down a bit of their height is suffice. Cutting into old wood/ stems with new growth is generally avoided.

Photo 3: Year 1 trainees mass clipping the heathers. At the front to the left (after the chicken wire), I am trimming Calluna vulgaris 'Kiran' - one that turns very red, to a tighter ball - like cloud pruning.

They are shallow rooted, so keeping on top of mulching helps them grow well (retaining moisture etc which they like). Sometimes sulphur chips are added to acidify the soil if the PH creeps up.

Heathers for easily dismissive have been very underrated of their potential. I think it is the Heather Society website that apparently has a chart where you can design by colour and time of flowering to maximise what you can get from a good heather planting.