Need Help with potted Calluna Heather plant

[heathergirl]

Hello, I need help... looking for any advice to help me with my plant. Note: I not an experienced gardener or plant person by any stretch. I love plants and gardens but never learned how to do gardening and a bit intimidated by it.

About 1.5 years ago, a neighbor gifted me a lovely Calluna heather plant. It was beautiful and I loved it. I have nowhere to plant it outside so have been keeping it indoors in a pot. I checked with the garden center where she got it and all I was told was to water it about once a week, making sure the soil is neither too wet or too dry, and to place it in a spot where it can get some sun but not too much. I did google-searches also but much of the articles I've seen offer similar advice. Since I have no idea what I'm doing, this is not helpful. My poor plant no longer looks the way it did when I got it.

Here is a BEFORE picture taken when I received the plant:

Sadly, here is the NOW picture:

I really love this plant and would like to save it and get it back to health but I don't know what to do. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations for this? Thank you so much to any responses... I really will appreciate the help.

 

[Anniekay]

More light, perhaps a grow light, and it surely needs a change of soil and fertilization

 

[heathergirl]

More light, perhaps a grow light, and it surely needs a change of soil and fertilization

Thank you for your reply! Can you tell me - do I need a certain type of soil or fertilizer? Thank you so much.
Also, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Anniekay]

Heathers prefer acidic soil, so, a fertilizer for acid loving plants such as hollies would be best. Take your plant out of the pot and gently rub off the old soil on top and along the sides of the rootball, dispose of the old soil, then add new acidic potting soil to the bottom of the pot, insert your plant, and new soil to the sides of the pot, push the soil down into the gap firmly but gently. Now, water until the water runs out the bottom drain holes. This thorough watering settles the soil and fills in any air pockets with soil. You may need to add a bit more soil as the watering settles the soil down.

Don't fertilize when you repot, the new soil has fertilizer in it. Wait until you see new healthy growth then add acidic fertilizer and water that in well. Good luck with it.

 

[heathergirl]

Thank you so much for that information!! I really appreciate it! I can do that! Thank you!!