Bell-like inflorescences and pink-red foliage – the Japanese lavender heather (Pieris Japonica) impresses above all with its brightly colored plant parts, which come into their own especially in summer and autumn. The decorative plant is an evergreen shrub that is quite robust and can reach a height of up to four meters; however, smaller varieties are also available that can be planted in a tub or in a flower pot. The lavender heather can also be used as a privacy hedge. But be careful: All parts of the plant are poisonous, so gardening must be done with gloves.
Table of Contents
The right location
Japanese lavender heather does best in a sunny or partially shaded spot. There the plant is able to develop numerous flowers. If, on the other hand, the shrub is moved to a location that is too dark, flower formation will be sparse. However, if you place more value on particularly lush foliage, you should try such a location once; very shady places stimulate the development of the foliage. The lavender heather thrives particularly well if the chosen location offers a certain protection. Sufficient protection from the hot midday heat in summer and from damage caused by drought in winter is particularly important. Due to the relatively early flowering time of the shrub, adequate protection from late frost should also be ensured. The lavender heather feels particularly comfortable close to a wall, because here it is also protected from the influences of strong winds. In addition to the optimal location, when cultivating the lavender heather, attention should also be paid to a suitable substrate. Above all, the earth should not be too rich in nutrients; if the nutrient content is high, there is a slight risk that the hair roots will burn. If the existing substrate contains too many nutrients, the soil can be prepared accordingly. Peat, for example, is suitable for this; For the production of an optimal substrate mixture, garden soil and peat are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. Alternatively, sand mixtures can be used to prepare conventional garden soil. So that the plant can thrive optimally, the substrate used should have other properties: In addition to the optimal location, when cultivating the lavender heather, attention should also be paid to a suitable substrate. Above all, the earth should not be too rich in nutrients; if the nutrient content is high, there is a slight risk that the hair roots will burn. If the existing substrate contains too many nutrients, the soil can be prepared accordingly. Peat, for example, is suitable for this; For the production of an optimal substrate mixture, garden soil and peat are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. Alternatively, sand mixtures can be used to prepare conventional garden soil. So that the plant can thrive optimally, the substrate used should have other properties: In addition to the optimal location, when cultivating the lavender heather, attention should also be paid to a suitable substrate. Above all, the earth should not be too rich in nutrients; if the nutrient content is high, there is a slight risk that the hair roots will burn. If the existing substrate contains too many nutrients, the soil can be prepared accordingly. Peat, for example, is suitable for this; For the production of an optimal substrate mixture, garden soil and peat are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. Alternatively, sand mixtures can be used to prepare conventional garden soil. So that the plant can thrive optimally, the substrate used should have other properties: if the nutrient content is high, there is a slight risk that the hair roots will burn. If the existing substrate contains too many nutrients, the soil can be prepared accordingly. Peat, for example, is suitable for this; For the production of an optimal substrate mixture, garden soil and peat are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. Alternatively, sand mixtures can be used to prepare conventional garden soil. So that the plant can thrive optimally, the substrate used should have other properties: if the nutrient content is high, there is a slight risk that the hair roots will burn. If the existing substrate contains too many nutrients, the soil can be prepared accordingly. Peat, for example, is suitable for this; For the production of an optimal substrate mixture, garden soil and peat are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. Alternatively, sand mixtures can be used to prepare conventional garden soil. So that the plant can thrive optimally, the substrate used should have other properties: For the production of an optimal substrate mixture, garden soil and peat are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. Alternatively, sand mixtures can be used to prepare conventional garden soil. So that the plant can thrive optimally, the substrate used should have other properties:
- acidic pH (pH 5)
- well permeable to water
- fumes
- slightly damp
- not too hard
- Substrate with a low calcium content
Proper care – watering, fertilizing and wintering
So that the lavender heather can develop well, the shrub should be watered regularly during the flowering period. Watering well into autumn prepares the plant for winter. Although the plant should be kept moist at all times, waterlogging must be avoided at all costs. In addition to optimal irrigation, targeted fertilization can ensure a particularly lush development of leaves and flowers. A top-up fertilization with a special fertilizer also stimulates overall plant growth. Only organic fertilizers should be used; mineral fertilizers are to be avoided. Products that are also used for rhododendrons are best. In addition to targeted fertilization, it has also proven useful to add peat and bark humus to the soil in spring.
The evergreen shrub can be overwintered without any problems; the perennial plant is very hardy in our latitudes. Therefore, additional winter protection is usually not necessary. However, if the plant proves to be sensitive to winter sun and simultaneous frost, it is better to create partially shaded conditions. Container plants need additional winter protection; these are well packed and taken to a protected location, for example on a house wall. Watering takes place exclusively on frost-free days.
Proper shrub pruning
Overall, the lavender heather only needs to be pruned moderately, as it is a slow-growing plant. The pruning should be carried out during the flowering period so that all parts of the shrub always receive sufficient light. If withered inflorescences are removed directly in early summer, the shoots are richer afterwards. Dead and crossing branches should be completely removed immediately after flowering. Shoots that are too close together should be derived from more favorably growing ones. Here, the disturbing shoot is withdrawn to a more favorable or younger branch. Older shoots are cut out just above the ground. When cutting, it is particularly important to adhere to certain cutting rules.
Basically, the scissors are placed over an outward-facing bud, if possible, with an oblique position. The cut surface must not point towards the bud and must be at the correct distance from the bud; a distance of half a centimeter to one centimeter is optimal. There shouldn’t be any major stubs left behind. The removal of thicker branches is best done with a small handsaw. First, the branch is sawed in from below near the trunk up to the middle. Then the saw is set about 10 cm to the tip of the branch from above and the branch is completely sawed off. Finally, the stub that was left on the branch is removed.
The Japanese version of the lavender heather is easy to cut; therefore the plant is well suited as a privacy hedge or as a cut hedge. If the plant is to be used in this way, it has proven useful to slightly shorten all shoots immediately after flowering.
This is how propagation and sowing work
The propagation of the lavender heather works best with the help of sinkers or cuttings. When propagating with the help of sinkers, annual or biennial shoots should preferably be used. In early spring, these are bent down and anchored below the surface of the ground so that the tip of the shoot protrudes around 30cm from the ground. Often the shoots already show small injuries when they are bent down; However, the bend will take root more securely if it is incised in the direction of the tip of the shoot. A particularly sharp knife must be used for this. The curved part of the drive is sunk into a 10 to 20 cm deep hole and fixed there with a hook. The hole is filled with soil mixed with compost and sand, which must always be kept moist. The tip of the shoot is best tied to a stick. After the rooting has taken place, the sinkers are separated and transplanted in autumn.
When propagating with cuttings, the following aspects must be taken into account:
- Separating the cuttings directly below a knot
- Clean cut only with healthy and vigorous mother plants
- Remove the lower leaves
- Place in pots with potting soil
- After sticking in the ground, at least one eye should look out
- Repotting is possible after new leaves have unfolded
Young plants are moved to a shady location as they are very sensitive to burns from solar radiation. Adult plants are best placed in the ground in August or September. The lavender heather is then set at a distance of half a growth width from each other. The plants thrive particularly well in the vicinity of ferns, rhododendrons, hostas, lilies of the valley or Solomon’s seals.
Cultivation in pots, pots and flower boxes
While particularly tall species of Japanese lavender heather are suitable as a privacy screen, small varieties can also be planted in a tub or in a flower box. The “Passion” variety, for example, reaches a height of up to 200cm and is therefore well suited as a container plant, which unfolds a particularly rich bloom and forms decorative, lush green leaves in winter. Container plants also prefer a sunny to partially shaded location. The bottom of the planter should be provided with holes so that excess irrigation water can drain off and no waterlogging occurs. It has also been tried and tested to cover the ground with hydro granules or potsherds on which a layer of fresh potting soil is placed. The plant is then planted and filled with soil. The lavender heather needs sufficient water so that it can thrive optimally. It is important to ensure that the ball of the pot does not dry out completely. To prevent this, porous planters can be lined with plastic film on the inside. Alternatively, vessels with an inner plastic coating are also available. The plastic layer prevents evaporation so that the root ball cannot dry out. Container plants should be protected from severe frost. The bucket is well packed for this and moved to a sheltered, shady location. Partially roofed locations on the north side of the house wall are particularly suitable. The plant must be watered on frost-free days. It is not absolutely necessary to cut the short Japanese lavender heather;
Targeted treatment of pests and diseases
Japanese lavender heather is particularly susceptible to root rot – a disease that usually results from poor care. For example, soil that is too heavy or too wet causes the fungus to spread. If the plant is infested, the plant tends to grow stunted, with the leaves turning yellow and hanging limply on the plant. As a preventive measure, it has been proven to work in additional layers of sand or gravel in endangered soils. Through this measure, the soil becomes more permeable and is optimally protected even in the event of waterlogging. The treatment of an acute infestation is difficult, but can be achieved with the help of specific measures
- Cutting back infected parts of the plant
- Move the plant to a dry location
- Application of special fungicides
- in the case of severe infestation, disinfect the soil with sulfur preparations
Very badly infested plants can often no longer be saved and have to be burned. Infested plants must never be put on the compost!
In addition to root rot, the lavender heather is also very susceptible to the Andromeda net bug. This pest sucks the leaves from May and lays its eggs in them in August. Speckled lightening of the leaves, which consist of the puncture sites of the bedbugs, present themselves as damage. With increasing infestation, the leaves turn pale yellow and next to the 3mm large animals themselves, the black and lacquer-like droppings can be seen. The leaves of the plant should therefore be carefully inspected when buying to rule out any infestation. As a countermeasure, the infected plants should be severely cut back at the end of April – just before the larvae hatch. Otherwise, a chemical pesticide for sucking insects is recommended, which must be applied particularly thoroughly to the underside of the leaf. Preference should be given to products that are gentle on beneficial insects.
Toxicity of the lavender heather
As decorative and colorful as the lavender heather may be, caution is always advised when working with the plant. All parts of the plant are poisonous. This is the substance Acetylandromedol, which can cause irritation and irritation when it comes into contact with the skin or with the mucous membranes. Burning and itching are particularly common in this context, which is why gloves should be worn while gardening. Consumption of the plant parts can lead to vomiting or nausea and cause severe intestinal cramps and diarrhea. Due to the paralyzing effect, shortness of breath can also occur. Consumption of the plant in high doses can also be fatal, which is why children in particular should be kept away from the shrub.
Conclusion
The Japanese lavender heather enriches every green area with its colorful leaves and flowers. Once properly planted and watered regularly, the evergreen shrub requires little care. Since the plant grows slowly, only moderate pruning is necessary. However, the plant should be well protected from root rot and net bugs, which can cause considerable damage. Since the lavender heather is poisonous, special protective measures should be taken when gardening. Overall, however, the lavender heather is easy to cultivate and is a great pleasure even for gardening enthusiasts with little experience.
