INTRODUCTION:
Last weekend, I promised my mum to drop by and sort and tend her garden.
As I would say, taming the jungle into a garden. It had been eating an elephant
(clearing one small portion at a time) but even then, it takes more than few hours just to clear one small part.
This time, it was the right side corner where my mum placed her bleeding heart and jasmine. Together in the mess was few other plants which I really can't remember. It was like a treasure, discovering this plant & that plant all hidden in the overgrown spot.
Nevertheless, all was cleared, cleaning, trimmed, pruned and made neat. Pruning bleeding heart is really a messy work. Firstly the vine had trailed all over the fence and found its way to all the nook & crook of the garden. Getting it out is quite a feat.
Then sorting it nicely was another challenge. I didn't want to trim brutally until I see the whole plant and then decide what to trim. You must be very careful with the vines, as they are very flexible. I was sorting it out and the next thing I can remember is getting a slap from this vine right at my face as one of the vine made the swing while I was sorting the overgrown.
So, advice - do be very careful with this one. After all the fuss and much trimming, The bleeding heart look very tame in my mum's garden. I didn't want to waste any of the vines and took them to my place and planted them. Hopefully they survive as I have not planted these before.
The lower pictures are not very clear, probably will take the pic. later with better view.
Technical part:
Bleeding Heart Vine (clerodendrum thomsoniae) is different from another bleeding heart
(dicentra spectabilis) which is also known as Dutchman breeches or lady locket flower - which is very much cultivated and grown in temperate regions.
Mum's plant after proper pruning and keeping the vine in a nice growing, climbing plant portion.
However this very much my trial and error basis, most of the vines died due to overwhelmed portion tied together and it is truly not an easy feat to propagate so many of them in a bundle form.
I must say that most of them died due to overwatering and wrong style of propagation. However one of two of these vines survived and had become the part of my garden ever-since. Almost like 12 years to update (year 2009 - year 2021)
Do check out my other updates on this plant in the main page on Clerodendrum species list.
Also more detailed information on the other Clerodendrum Plants and Posts:
Different Types of Clerodendrum Plant
Different Types of Clerodendrum Plant
This is a real beauty if it can be contained which is almost impossible as it's such a vigorous climber. We no longer grow this vine as we found it unmanageable. Hope that's not the case with you, James, and it'll bring you much joy.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, looking at how stem cuttings are planted as seen in the pictures, I'd be much amazed if they will root at all. Stem-cuttings should be short, about 5-6 inches with a set of 2 leaf nodes (cut away the leaf-size to half to prevent water loss), healthy and soft-wood, not the hard and old leafless ones. Try taking a few like I mentioned from your mum's plant again, if available and propagate them, not bunched together but one apart from the other. Just my one cent's worth.
Thanks for your thoughts - I'm sorry to note that there is no progress yet from my bleeding hearts. (I guess you are right)
ReplyDeleteWill observe and see within a month. If they don't survive, I think I will leave this vine in my mum's hse.