Clerodendrum - home care, reproduction, species photo

Clerodendrum Thompson. A photo

Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum) perennial, flowering, tree-like or shrubby representative of the Verbenaceae family, common in home floriculture. The homeland of clerodendrum is the South American, Asian and African tropics.

The lianoid, grassy stalk acquires a woody structure with age and reaches a length of 2.5-5 m without pruning. Has an average growth rate. The leaves are simple, oval or heart-shaped with smooth or serrated edges and long petioles. The surface of the leaf blades is not even, slightly crumpled. Numerous species differ in their diverse structure, color, shape and smell of the original colors. Subtle smell emit not only flowers but also leaves.

Be sure to also see Chinese hibiscus flowers and heliconia.

	Average growth rate.
	It blooms from summer to summer.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	Perennial.

Useful properties of clerodendrum

A flower is considered a tree of fate, bringing happiness. The delicate aroma of flowers and leaves creates a peaceful atmosphere in any room. Spectacular, long flowering uplifting. The flower is not toxic. It looks original in vertical landscaping.

Clerodendrum: home care

In order to rationally use all the advantages of clerodendrum, you need to provide him with proper care and a microclimate:

Temperature mode	Clerodendrum at home needs moderate heat in the summer and a cool winter.
Air humidity	Humidity within 60% is optimal.
Lighting	Bright light without prolonged exposure to open sunlight.
Watering	Moderate watering with warm, settled water as the topsoil dries up.
Priming	A fertile mixture with a neutral level of acidity and good permeable properties.
Fertilizer and fertilizer	During the active growing season, top dressing is recommended at least 1 time in 10 days.
Clerodendrum transplant	It is carried out in the spring or after flowering in a year or less.
Breeding	Two methods are practiced: sowing seeds and rooting cuttings.
Features of growing clerodendrum	Trimming and good lighting are required year round.

Home care for carrodendrum

Bloom

Traditionally, the plant clerodendrum blooms at home from spring to autumn, but a longer period is also possible. The flowering is spectacular. Species differ in the original structure of flowers in the form of butterflies, bouquets, roses from terry and simple petals, with short and long stamens.

Varied and color: white, blue, red, orange.

Why does not clerodendrum bloom?

There may be several reasons for this:

• a large amount of nutrient soil stimulates the growth of vegetative mass;
• violation of the microclimate during winter dormancy;
• excess nitrogen nutrition;
• insufficient lighting;
• excess moisture;
• cropping tightening;
• prolonged exposure to high air temperature.

Temperature mode

Clerodendrum plant is thermophilic, but it is preferable to maintain a temperature from +18 to 25 ° С during the flowering period. In the autumn-winter period, it is necessary to provide a cool content (not higher than + 13-15 ° C). Lowering the temperature contributes to the passage of physiological processes that stimulate the laying of flower buds.

Spraying

Caring for clerodendrum at home involves the creation of optimal air humidity (at least 60%). One of the effective methods of saturating a plant with moisture is spraying with a small droplet spray. In summer, it is carried out once a day - twice, in winter - up to three times a week.

Attention! In cloudy, cold weather, spraying is less common.

Lighting

Bright lighting is required for clerodendrum at any time of the year. Clerodendrum at home placed at any well-lit windows, except the north. In the summer heat on the southern window sills, the plant is shaded to prevent sunburn.

Watering Clerodendrum

The plant is hygrophilous, but does not respond well to excessive moisture and acidification of the soil. The amount of water and the frequency of irrigation depend on the time of year. The moisture indicator is the top layer of the soil, as it dries up, the next watering is carried out. To moisturize, use warm (+ 25-27 ° C), settled or filtered water.

In spring and summer, watered abundantly 2-3 times a week, in the fall, the amount of moisture is reduced. In winter, the frequency can be once every 10-15 days.

Clerodendrum Pot

The capacity for the flower should not be too voluminous, otherwise the energy will be directed to growth, and flowering will be sparse. With an annual transplant, the size of the pot is increased by 1-2 cm.

Priming

Home clerodendrum prefers fertile, loose soil with good drainage properties and a moderate level of acidity. It is better to buy ready-made, balanced soil. Or mix sheet land with peat and sand. Earth can be replaced by humus. To improve water and air permeability, perlite, vermiculite or moss is mixed with the mixture.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Clerodendrum needs increased nutrition in the spring-summer period. The frequency of feeding is 7-10 days. Fertilizer complexes for flowering plants are used with watering in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. During the flowering period, increased doses of phosphorus are required.

Caution! The transplanted plant is not fed for two weeks.

Transfer

After breeding, transplantation of clerodendrum is carried out once a year. It is often not necessary to change the size of the pot, but when the size of the root system occupies the entire volume, nutrition worsens. Adult bushes are transplanted every 2-3 years in the early spring or after flowering in the fall.

The root system of the flower is very fragile, so work is carried out with extreme care, carefully transferring the root ball into a new pot. Fill the empty seats with new soil and compact. You can improve nutrition without transplantation by changing the topsoil.

Attention! На pot is filled with drainage material.

How to crop clerodendrum

In late February - early March, pruning and bush formation are carried out. The procedure stimulates lateral branching and flowering. The stems are lignified with age, and it is easy to give the young shoots the desired shape:

• Ampel type. Do not limit the growth of the main stem and pinch lateral shoots on it. Attach to a support or freely hang down.
• Shrub with several shoots. Several shoots are planted in one container or the stem is shortened, constantly stimulating the growth of side shoots, directing the growth in width.
• The stem tree. Lateral shoots are carefully removed from the stem as they grow. When the stem reaches the desired height, it is pruned. Young shoots are left only in the upper part of the stem and form a crown from them.

They remove as the stems, strongly thickening the bush. The stem can be cut to one third of the length, this will not harm the plant. With all types of formation, they monitor the young processes and pinch them as necessary.

Advice! In addition to the formation, sanitary pruning is periodically carried out, removing completely dry, damaged and weakened shoots, young shoots at the roots.

Rest period

At the end of flowering, reduce the amount and volume of water during irrigation, and in winter reduce it to a minimum. The plant is moved to a cool (+ 13-15 ° C), but well-lit place. Such conditions imitate the change of seasons and contribute to subsequent abundant flowering.

Growing carrodendrum from seeds

For reproduction, you can use both purchased seeds and collected from a home plant. The process is quite long, troublesome and does not always allow preserving the species features. Seeds are sown at the end of winter in a micro-plate. The mixture is prepared from peat and sand.

Seeds are pressed to the soil, practically without deepening. Germination tank is installed in a warm, well-lit place. Constantly monitor the soil moisture and conduct airing. Seeds germinate long enough, at least 6-8 weeks. If necessary, the seedlings are thinned after germination.

Propagation of clerodendrum by cuttings

When propagating, preference is given to semi-lignified shoots, which will give roots faster, unlike green ones. Root them in water or moist soil, in a warm and bright place. In order to preserve moisture, shelter from a plastic bottle or polyethylene is used. Clerodendrum is transplanted to a permanent place after the appearance of roots and new leaves.

Diseases and Pests

For successful flowering and good appearance, the clrodendrum needs to provide a certain microclimate and care, otherwise it will immediately respond to errors:

• Carrodendrum leaves turn pale, dry at the tips when using hard, not settled water from a water supply system for watering. If, at the same time, the shoots become thin and elongated, the plant needs top dressing.
• With a lack of iron carrodendrum leaves turn yellow.
• Leaves fall with excessively dry air.
• Buds grow smaller, shoots are pulled in low light conditions, lack of sun or lack of nutrients.
• Delays in watering and drying out of the soil lead to withering, yellowing and falling of the lower leaves.
• Clerodendrum is not blooming that means he was warm without interruption.
• Carrodendrum flowers fall at unacceptably low temperature, insufficient humidity of air and soil.
• Brown spots on the leaves formed with excess moisture, hypothermia, as well as irrigation with cold water.

May be attacked by ticks and whiteflies.

Types of home clerodendrum with photos and names

The types of clerodendrum found in home culture have many distinctive features:

Clerodendrum Thomson (C. thomsoniae)

Liana-shaped, lignified stem with age can reach a length of 5m. Leaves are most often bright green, shiny, large up to (10-12cm), oval. In some forms, the color of the leaves is yellow-green. Medium-sized flowers are particularly decorative: from a snow-white, heart-shaped, swollen cups, a blood-red corolla with a diameter of about 2.5 cm flows down like a drop. Flower brushes from 4-10 flowers are collected on the tops and sinuses of young shoots. Long flowering.

Clerodendrum Uganda (C. ugandense)

A distinctive feature of the species is loose inflorescences of flowers similar to butterflies of white-blue color with long, blue stamen filaments. One of the petals has the shape of a boat and the color is blue or violet-purple. In moderate sunlight, it blooms almost without interruption.

Clerodendrum Philippine (C. philippinum)

Another name for the species is fragrant. It is associated with a strong, pleasant aroma of a mixture of citrus and violets. Vegetative organs are covered with soft villi. Stem length up to 2m. White petals on the outside have a pinkish tint and are collected in rich terry inflorescences. Flowering lasts almost all year round.

Clerodendrum the Most Beautiful (C. speciosissimum)

It grows in the form of an evergreen shrub with tetrahedral stems reaching 3m. Leaf blades slightly pubescent, heart-shaped, located opposite. On long pale red petioles, flowers are collected in apical inflorescences. The flower consists of a purple cup and a dark red corolla. Active flowering begins in June and lasts until the end of September.

Clerodendrum Wallich (C. wallichii)

The variety has an exotic look, resembling a veil or veil of bunches of snow-white flowers, collected on one long peduncle. There are many inflorescences, each of them looks like a big bouquet.

Watch the video: How to propagate Bleeding Heart plant - Clerodendrum thomsoniae (May 2024).