Hello friends! Today I’ll tell you how my Coral Bells overwinter and give you tips for improving their wintering.
1. Water well
The first thing you want to do is water Coral Bells well before winter. This is to ensure that the plant stores enough water for the winter because it uses its internal reserves at this time.
From September onwards, keep an eye on the soil around the bush. And as soon as it is 2 inches dry, water the heuchera. Use about 1 gallon of water for each plant.
Avoid watering in wet weather. Also, don’t use too much water to keep the soil from turning into a swamp.
As soon as it gets colder, stop watering completely.
Read also: Coral Bells Care Guide
2. Clean the bush
Next, you need to clean Coral Bells of all dead parts. This way, you will protect the plant from possible rotting during the winter thaw.
First of all, this applies to the flower petioles. There is no need to leave them in for the winter. The flower stalks are usually very strongly attached to the stem, so cut them off very carefully. Do this in early fall so that the wounds have time to heal by winter.
The same goes for dry leaves. Cut them off at a small distance from the stem. Take care not to damage the stem. Otherwise, the wounds may begin to rot.
Also, remove all plant debris from under the shrub. This is to prevent them from rotting.
3. Mulch the plant
There are many benefits to mulching plants. One of them is more comfortable overwintering.
If you mulch Coral Bells, the heat that will come from under the ground will be retained near the roots. As a result, the plant will lose less energy during hard frosts.
Use only organic materials as mulch. Pine bark or compost work best. Avoid artificially made mulch, such as shredded car tires.
A layer of mulch should be at least 2 inches. Don’t cover the stem too much; it should remain slightly above the mulch. Mulch the surface around the bush twice its diameter.
4. Don’t prune heuchera
What you don’t want to do is prune Coral Bells on the eve of winter. The plant absolutely does not need fresh wounds when it is dormant.
If you cut the heuchera in late fall or early winter, the wounds will not heal. They will rot, and then the rot will spread throughout the whole plant. If you have to cut it back, do it in late spring but never over the winter.
5. Avoid fertilizing
You should avoid fertilizing Coral Bells for the winter. At this time, the internal processes slow down and the plant hibernates. If you give it fertilizer in the fall, it can start growing vigorously. As a result, the plant will not survive the winter.
Coral Bells is best fertilized with a slow-release fertilizer in early spring. Also, during the season, you can water it with liquid fertilizer several times with an interval of 1 month. Starting in August, you should stop any fertilization.
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