Heather: Planting, Soil, Pruning and How to Save a Dried-Out Plant

In brief: Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is an evergreen small shrub that flowers from August to October. It needs acidic, well-drained soil with a pH of 4.5–5.5, sun and, in the first year, regular watering with soft water. It is pruned in spring just below the spent flower spikes. The winter "heather" that flowers from January is winter heath (Erica carnea).

Common heather grows wild on heaths, in pine woods and on peat bogs, always on poor acidic soil. In the garden it suits heather beds with conifers, rock gardens, autumn bowls and window boxes. It is undemanding only if it gets the soil it is used to.

Heather or heath: what are you actually buying

In garden centres three different plants are sold as "heather". They differ in flowering time, frost hardiness and soil requirements, so it pays to look at the label.

Autumn heathers in containers are often bud-bloomer varieties. Their buds never open, and that is why they hold their colour from September until December. They are ideal for bowls and graves, but bees get nothing from them. For pollinators choose varieties with open flowers. Winter heath is a rare and protected species in the wild here, so for the garden always buy only plants from nursery propagation, never from the wild.

Planting and soil step by step

1. Position: sun to light partial shade. In shade heather thins out and flowers little.
2. Soil: measure the pH. If it is above 6, prepare a bed from acidic peat or ericaceous (rhododendron) substrate, pine bark and sand, to a depth of 25–30 cm. In heavy soil make a raised bed; heather does not tolerate standing water.
3. Timing: September to October, so the plants root before winter, or April.
4. Spacing: 25–35 cm, that is, 6–8 plants per m². Plant in groups of 5 or more of one variety; single plants get lost.
5. Depth: 1–2 cm deeper than it grew in the pot. Soak the root ball before planting until the bubbles stop rising.
6. Mulch: 3–5 cm of pine bark or needles. It retains moisture and acidity.

Do not plant heather next to concrete kerbs and walls with mortar; the calcium from them gradually raises the pH. General principles for dealing with garden soil and adjusting its pH are summarised in the article Garden soil, and tips for spring planting in general in Tips for spring planting.

Watering, feeding and pruning

Watering: in the first year after planting the root ball must not dry out; heather has fine shallow roots and a dried-out root ball will not soak up water again. Water with rainwater; hard water raises the pH. Rooted heather in a bed tolerates even a dry spell; in a container water whenever the surface dries out.

Feeding: heather is used to poor soil. A small dose of fertiliser for acid-loving plants once in spring is enough; over-fed heather becomes leggy and overwinters worse.

Pruning: prune common heather every year in March to April, just below last year's spent flower spikes. Do not cut into old bare wood; it will not shoot again from it. Without pruning, the plants age within 4–5 years, open up in the middle and become woody. Winter heath is pruned only lightly, straight after flowering in spring.

Dried-out heather: can it still be saved?

Heather most often dries out in the first year after planting, because it has fine, shallow roots concentrated just below the surface, and the root ball from the pot keeps a different structure from the surrounding garden soil for a long time. Once it dries out completely, it repels water and stops absorbing it again, even when it rains around it or you water.

You can tell by the colour and springiness of the shoots: if the twigs are still green or reddish and spring back when bent, the plant is usually alive and can be saved. Completely brown, brittle and snapping shoots all over the plant without a single living spot usually mean that the plant is dead.

With a plant that has a chance, moisten the root ball thoroughly: water the container or the plant in the ground, let the water soak in and repeat the watering after a few minutes; for a root ball in a pot, temporary immersion in a bucket of water until the bubbles stop rising helps too, similar to planting. Then mulch the surface with pine bark so that the moisture lasts longer, and watch the watering carefully for a few weeks. If within two to three weeks it does not produce new shoots even at the base, it has unfortunately been irreversibly damaged by drought.

Prevention is more reliable than cure: in the first year after planting check the moisture of the root ball at least once a week with a finger under the mulch, more often in hot and dry weather, and never let a young plant dry out completely.

Heather over winter and in containers

Common heather and winter heath are both frost-hardy. More dangerous to them than frost is winter drying out: evergreen leaves evaporate water even in winter, and when the soil is frozen they have nowhere to draw it from. So water heather thoroughly before the ground freezes and water again during a thaw. In a sunny and windy spot it helps to throw evergreen branches over the plants.

Heather in a bowl or window box freezes through faster than in the ground. Place the container against the wall of the house, wrap it in hessian or sink it into a bed, and water on frost-free days. Slender heath does not survive winter outdoors; treat it as an autumn decoration. What to plant in the garden as soon as spring comes is suggested by the article Garden for spring – what to plant?

Propagation

Cuttings are the simplest: in August cut 3–5 cm long non-flowering tips, strip the lower third of the foliage and push them into a mixture of acidic peat and sand. Under sheeting they root in 6–8 weeks. Heather is rarely grown from seed: the seeds are tiny, are sown on the surface, germinate in light and the plants grow slowly, and in addition the colour of the variety is not retained.

Frequently asked questions

When does heather flower?

Common heather from August to October. Bud-bloomer varieties hold their colour until December. The heather that flowers in winter and spring is winter heath.

What soil does heather need?

Acidic and well-drained, with a pH of 4.5–5.5, for example a mixture of acidic peat or rhododendron substrate with bark and sand. In ordinary calcareous soil it turns yellow and dies.

When and how should heather be pruned?

In spring, in March to April, just below last year's spent flowers. Do not cut into old bare wood; heather will not shoot again from it.

Can dried-out heather still be saved?

If the shoots are still green and springy, usually yes; it is enough to moisten them thoroughly and watch the watering for a few weeks. Completely brown and brittle shoots without a living spot usually mean the plant has not survived.

Why does heather turn brown?

Most often the root ball has dried out, even in winter, or it stands in wet or calcareous soil. Browning from inside the plant is usually a sign of ageing without pruning.

Sources

• RHS: Calluna growing guide
• Botany.cz: Calluna vulgaris, common heather
• Botany.cz: Erica carnea, winter heath

Updated: 10 October 2026