To increase your stock of heathers, they must be propagated vegetatively to remain true to the parent plant. Heathers produced from seed, even from foliage cultivars, will vary considerably, from ones indistinguishable from moorland plants to perhaps a new find unlike any available commercially. Propagation from seed is often used where heather is needed for restoration work or for such areas as golf courses. Recently it has been discovered that in addition to the more obvious effect of heat, the smoke from fires is responsible for stimulating the germination of seed of many Erica species in South Africa. It is thought that this effect would hold true for hardy heather species as well.
Seed is sown in conventional plastic trays and is covered by a thin layer of soil.
The trays are placed in a polythene tent and smoke is pumped into the tent by means of a plastic pipe from a large metal drum. The smoke is generated in the drum by burning a mixture of dry and green leaf and stem material which should resemble as closely as possible the vegetation found on heathland. The trays are left in the smoke for 1 to 2 hours. The seed trays are then placed under cover in the shade until the seeds have germinated. Germination can take as long as six months.