By Mountagar
United Kingdom 
Last year my heathers were a lovely deep rose colour. this year they look very pale and insipid and are almost white. The soil is ericaceous and we can grow camellias and azaleas etc. Any idea why?
8 Dec, 2013
Answers
That would be my thought too...
8 Dec, 2013
if not painted then it could be that they were given a feed to enhance the colour. have you given them a high ericaceous feed this year? if not then perhaps that is why they are pale.
had they been sprayed then the foliage surely would have been sprayed too. they are not overly careful.
8 Dec, 2013
Weird looking things.
8 Dec, 2013
It's like putting make-up on plants :-(
8 Dec, 2013
It is totally daft Andrew and I have not got a clue why it is done… Can't do the plant any good at all!
8 Dec, 2013
It's the bright blue ones I hate!
9 Dec, 2013
I bought a pink one some years ago before I knew about them being painted, but it died, and who can blame it?
I hate the blue ones as well Melchi.
10 Dec, 2013
Very often they spray the heather flowers with different coloured paints. They are really white, but they do it in order to sell them.
After the 'painted' flowers fade, the next ones that open will show their real colour ... and that's what I suspect is the case with your plants.
8 Dec, 2013