Colorful blossoms, an enticing fragrance and relatively easy to care for: it is not for nothing that the vanilla flower is one of the most popular balcony and garden flowers. In this article we have summarized many valuable care tips for you so that you can enjoy the plant throughout the summer and maybe even beyond.

The vanilla flower needs a lot of water

Sufficient watering

The vanilla flower evaporates a lot of moisture via the leaf surface and the large umbels of flowers. It is therefore important to water the flowering plant regularly, because heliotrope does not tolerate drought well. On hot days it may be necessary to water even twice a day. You can recognize a lack of water by the limp hanging down of the leaves. However, avoid waterlogging, as this quickly leads to root rot. Excess liquid in the coaster should be tipped away after a short time.

Is a pruning necessary?

Generally, no pruning is necessary during the growing season. Faded flowers, on the other hand, should be removed regularly to stimulate the formation of new flowers.

When and how is repotted?

If you have not planted the vanilla flower too closely, a planting distance of twenty centimeters must not be undercut, repotting in the summer season is not necessary. Although heliotrope is usually cultivated as an annual in our latitudes, overwintering indoors is quite possible. When there is a risk of frost in autumn, bedding plants are placed in pots with conventional potting soil and brought indoors.

Overwinter the vanilla flower

The solstice is very sensitive to frost. It is therefore essential to bring specimens that you want to hibernate into the house before the first night frosts. A bright room in which the temperature does not fall below five degrees, even at night, is ideal. During the winter, the plant sheds some of the foliage. This is normal and not a cause for concern.

diseases and pests

The vanilla flower is very robust. Most often, plant diseases appear only when there are errors in care or when the solstice does not feel comfortable in its place.

Occasionally, heliotrope is visited by aphids or spider mites. Common household remedies such as rinsing off with a strong jet or soap solution, natural predators and, in extreme cases, chemical sprays quickly remedy the situation.

tips

The flowers of the vanilla flower turn with the sun, which has earned the attractive plant the German name Sonnenwende. But beware if you want to show this natural phenomenon to children: heliotrope is one of the poisonous plants.

Category:

Indoor plants