How to Grow Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) Well? Latest Care Tips Explained
Bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) is a shrub in the genus Clerodendrum, family Verbenaceae. It prefers a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment with plenty of sunlight, and is not cold-tolerant. It is distributed in tropical West Africa and Mexico. Its flower shape is unusual and its blooming is abundant. It is mainly used for greenhouse cultivation and ornamental viewing, can be used on flower trellises, and is also grown as a potted plant to accent windowsills and small summer courtyards. Let's take a look below at how to grow bleeding heart vine well!
Growth and Distribution of Bleeding Heart Vine
Bleeding heart vine prefers a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment with plenty of sunlight, and is not cold-tolerant. The suitable growing temperature from February to October is 18-30°C, and from October to February of the following year it is 13-16°C. In winter the temperature should not be lower than 8°C; below 5°C the stems and leaves are prone to frost damage, with mild cases causing leaf drop and severe cases causing the tender stems to wither. During the vegetative growth period the temperature can be relatively high; at high temperatures above 30°C, as long as the water supply is sufficient, it can still grow normally. For reproductive growth, that is, the flowering period, the temperature should be relatively lower, around 17°C.
Propagation Methods for Bleeding Heart Vine
1. Cuttings: Bleeding heart vine is generally propagated by cuttings from May to June each year. You can choose the tender top shoots of healthy, disease-free branches, or cut the lower old branches into 8-10 cm stem sections to use as cuttings. The cutting bed can use substrates such as peat, perlite, leaf mold, river sand and vermiculite. Cutting in spring and autumn is best. The suitable temperature for cuttings is 21°C, and a cutting bed temperature of 26°C is very favorable for rooting. Roots can form 3 weeks after cutting.
2. Sowing: Bleeding heart vine seeds have a short lifespan, so sow them immediately after harvest. Sowing can be done from March to April each year by broadcasting in a shallow pot, keeping the temperature at 24°C; seedlings can emerge in 10 days. When the seedlings are 10 cm tall, repot and transplant them, and they can bloom the second year. The sowing method is not easy to succeed with, so the cutting method is recommended for propagation.
How to Grow Bleeding Heart Vine Well?
1. Repotting: Potted bleeding heart vine commonly uses 12-15 cm pots, and each pot can hold 3 plants. Generally repot once every 1-2 years, either in early spring or after the flowers fade. When repotting, first cover the drainage hole with broken tile pieces, then add a small amount of bone meal as a base fertilizer, then fill in new potting soil (4 parts leaf mold, 4 parts garden soil, 2 parts sand). Plant the plant well, leaving 2-3 cm of rim space for fertilizing and watering. After repotting, water thoroughly and place in a shaded spot to recover; after recovery, move it to a spot with plenty of sunlight for care.
2. Watering: Bleeding heart vine is relatively sensitive to moisture and needs sufficient water during the growing period. During the stem and leaf growth period, keep the soil moist, but do not overwater; too much water causes it to grow only vines without flowering, and even causes leaves to turn yellow and drop and roots to rot and die. If the branches wither, stop watering and let it recover and sprout new leaves. In the hot summer season, water fully and provide appropriate shade. In winter, reduce watering to let it go dormant so it can overwinter safely.
3. Light: Bleeding heart vine needs plenty of light in winter, and when the weather is too hot in summer it should be shaded, otherwise the leaves turn yellow. When light is insufficient, it causes vine-like growth and no flowering. Flower bud differentiation is not affected by photoperiod, but stronger light promotes flower bud differentiation and development. It should not be placed in darkness for too long; at temperatures above 21°C, more than 24 hours will cause flowers to drop.
4. Soil: For potted bleeding heart vine, use potting soil or a mixed soil of peat and coarse sand. Use fertile, loose, well-drained sandy loam soil.
5. Fertilizing: Bleeding heart vine should not be over-fertilized. Fertilize once every half month. During the flowering season, add 1-2 applications of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Apply once every 7-10 days with rotted, diluted cake fertilizer water; 3-4 consecutive applications are enough. In winter, reduce watering and stop fertilizing. If yellowing is found during cultivation of bleeding heart vine, apply 0.2% ferrous sulfate water together with topdressing, which will gradually turn the leaves from yellow to green.
6. Pruning: For bleeding heart vine, after cutting or seedling plants are potted and grow to 15 cm, cut the branch 10 cm above the pot rim to promote the sprouting of sturdy new branches. During the growing period, strictly control the height of the branches, and pay attention to pinching and tipping to achieve neat branching and dense flowering in the future. Half a month after pinching, apply daminozide or chlormequat to control plant height, achieving a short plant, lush leaves and many flowers.