Losbaum, Clerodendrum trichotomum – care and propagation

The genus of loose trees is equipped with about 150 species, of which only a few have prevailed as ornamental trees in German home gardens. The Clerodendrum trichotomum has so far been the most commonly seen in tree nurseries.

substrate and soil composition

The Losbaum owes its robust winter hardiness a wide range of cultivation variants in the garden, conservatory and living room. As a small ornamental tree, it is just as decorative as a shrub with several shoots. Both varieties thrive in beds and tubs alike.

• High-quality potting soil from specialist retailers is suitable as a substrate in the planter.
• Alternatively, you can use your own mixture of loam, bark compost, horn shavings, sand or grit.
• In the bed, the Losbaum thrives in any good garden soil without waterlogging.

To what extent the soil is acidic or alkaline is of little concern to the ornamental tree. It is advantageous if it is as permeable, humus-rich, fresh and slightly damp as possible.

lighting conditions and temperature

In its natural range, the Clerodendrum trichotomum thrives in the shelter of sparse forests. The more the location in the ornamental garden or living room corresponds to the lighting conditions there, the more luxuriant the flowers and fruit will be.

• Sunny to semi-shady location without blazing midday sun in summer.
• In the living room on the west or east window with morning and evening sun.
• Warm and protected, in temperatures of 20° Celsius and higher.
• In the bed, neither in a wind-exposed place, nor in the sweltering heat in front of a southern wall.

It is therefore clear that a lot tree cannot cope with only extreme swings in one direction or the other.

watering and fertilizing

The lighter the location, the more frequently a loose tree is watered. The substrate should not dry out at any time, but should have constant moisture. On the other hand, if you mean too well, you will unintentionally cause waterlogging, which inevitably leads to root rot in the exotic ornamental tree.

• Keep substrate constantly moist.
• Allow the surface of the soil to dry between waterings (thumb test).
• If possible, do not water over flowers and leaves.
• Empty a bucket coaster after half an hour.
• Apply liquid fertilizer every 14 days from April to September.

Cultivation in hydroponics under glass has proven itself for the Clerodendrum trichotomum . In this case, there is no need for uncertain guesswork regarding the appropriate time for the next dose of water. Rather, the Losbaum takes water and nutrients from the reservoir exactly when it is needed.

If the air in the room gets too dry, the lottery tree will immediately drop its blossoms. This is prevented by a coaster filled with pebbles and water. Commercially available humidifiers also do the job. Repeated spraying with lime-free water during the growing season is also considered a viable option.

hibernate

A loose tree has no problems with frosty temperatures down to -15° Celsius. After the first night of sub-zero temperatures, it sheds its green foliage and sinks into a winter rest period. In temperate regions, winter protection in the bed can therefore be dispensed with without hesitation. Under certain circumstances, a young shrub freezes back to the ground in order to sprout again from the root ball next spring. In bucket culture, this statement does not apply without further ado. While frost and snow cannot harm the plant parts above ground, the root ball threatens to freeze through. A Clerodendrum trichotomum recovers only with difficulty from such damage.

• Provide winter protection in the bed at temperatures below -15° Celsius.
• Pile up the root area with leaves and soil and cover the shoots with a hood.
• Relocate a loose tree in a tub to a frost-free, not too dark winter quarters.
• Water only so much that the root ball does not dry out and do not fertilize.

Where there is not enough space to set up winter quarters, the bucket remains on the balcony or terrace. Set up in front of a protective south wall on a piece of wood or styrofoam, the prudent gardener wraps the vessel with insulating foil. He pulls a jute sack over the branches.

Under glass, the plant lover is free to choose whether to care for the ornamental tree under the same conditions all year round or give it a break. The latter has the advantage that a regenerated loose tree has the best chance of a longer lifespan. Then he does not spend the cold season in a heated room, but at 10° to 12° Celsius with minimal water supply.

To cut

A loose tree is in a particularly good position if it undergoes a shape and maintenance cut every year. As a reward for the effort, the hobby gardener gets a profusely flowering ornamental shrub in unity with a compact habit. Towards the end of the winter dormancy, the experienced gardener carries out the pruning. A pruning immediately after flowering is also conceivable.

• Completely remove dried, old and stunted branches.
• Prune inward or rubbing shoots.
• Tear off vertically growing water shoots at the base.
• Shorten branches that are too long, leaving at least 2 leaf nodes.
• It is better to cut the growth of the previous year by half.

If an annual cut is missed, the loose tree will bare from the inside because not enough light can reach it. If this damage occurs, the experienced gardener decides on a rejuvenation cut. It shortens a shrub up to 15 cm above the ground. As an ornamental tree, the crown is trimmed by two thirds. Each cut is made 3-5mm above a bud that faces outward. It is advisable to hold the tool at a slight angle so that rainwater and irrigation water run off better.

multiply

As a fragrant all-rounder with a wonderful sea of ​​flowers in late summer and decorative spherical fruits in autumn, the Losbaum evokes the desire for more specimens in the gardener. There are three propagation techniques to choose from with equally good chances of success, but with different degrees of difficulty.

head cuttings

This uncomplicated method also paves the way for beginners to successful propagation, because there are no botanical stumbling blocks. In spring or summer, 10 cm to 15 cm long shoot tips are cut off and the lower part is defoliated. In order to give the desired rooting a helping hand, experienced gardeners advocate dabbing the cut surface with a rooting hormone, such as seaweed extract. Prepared in this way, the actual propagation begins:

• Fill small pots with moist growing soil and plant 3 to 4 cuttings in each.
• If the goal of propagation is a single-trunk tree, only one cutting is placed in the container.
• Put a plastic bag over each pot and place in a bright, warm window seat.
• Ideally place in a heatable mini greenhouse at a constant 21° Celsius.

Within 4 to 6 weeks, a first shoot signals that underground rooting is beginning. Now it is time to remove the plastic bag or the pots from the greenhouse. In the following 4 to 5 months the substrate is kept permanently slightly moist. From time to time the gardener sprays the plants with lukewarm, lime-free water. When the growing pots are fully rooted, the loose trees are repotted in compost-based potting soil. In the following spring, Clerodendrum trichotomum can be planted outdoors from mid-May.

sowing

If the stone fruits turn an intense blue-black colour, they are ready for harvest. A drupe usually has 4 stone pits, each containing a seed. The hard shell serves to protect the seed and has the task of preventing premature germination in the wild. Consequently, the first step in the program is to pre-treat the seed in order to improve its germination mood. To do this, the cover is roughened or filed with sandpaper. The seeds are then placed in warm water to swell over the next 24 hours. Since these are cold germs, the next step is stratification.

• Fill small pots with seed compost and plant a seed 2 cm deep in each.
• Place on the balcony or in a cold house during the winter.
• A 3-month stay at 0° to 4° Celsius provides the desired cold stimulus.

Alternatively, the gardener fills the pre-treated seeds with moist sand in a plastic bag, which he deposits in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for 3 months. From time to time he checks the sand for a sufficient moisture content. When the cotyledons emerge from the seeds, the cold spell is over.

• Fill the seed pots with a peat-sand mixture and plant the germinating seeds.
• Moisten with water from the spray bottle and set it up for about 10 days at 12° Celsius.
• After this transition phase, the gardener places the pots in a bright place, at around 23° Celsius.

Since a single seed was placed in each culture vessel, there is no need for tricky pricking. Instead, the seedlings are allowed to develop in peace and quiet over the following months. During this time, they must always be kept moist. From a height of approx. 15 cm, they receive heavily diluted liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks.

root cuttings

The Losbaum tends to spread widely in the garden by means of runners. The elongated roots provide sufficient material for propagation by root cuttings. With the digging fork, the gardener lifts a root end out of the ground and cuts off pieces approx. 5 cm long. More than a third of a root must not be used in order not to endanger the mother plant.

• Fill the pots with growing substrate and place a root cutting flat in each.
• Sieve thinly with soil and moisten moderately.
• Store in the cold box during the winter months.
• Strictly ensure that the substrate and cuttings do not dry out.

If the process is successful, 2-3 pairs of leaves can be seen above the cotyledons in early spring as an indication of successful rooting. If the plants in the container get sick, the gardener repots them in a mix of potting soil and sand and gradually acclimates the mini loose trees to outdoor conditions. The young plants are mature by autumn, ready to find their final home in beds or pots.

Conclusion
The exotic Losbaum comes as a fragrance wonder for the garden, conservatory and living room. Enchanting white flowers emerging from a red calyx exude an aroma reminiscent of fine perfume in late summer. As if that were not enough, blue-black, spherical fruits join in autumn, provided that at least two specimens are cultivated. A Clerodendrum trichotomum leaves the garden lover to decide whether to go through life as a bushy shrub or an elegant little tree. In winter, protection against frost and snow is only required in rough regions in the bed. As a container plant, the ornamental tree spends the cold season better in frost-free quarters. The pleasant flexibility continues with propagation, whether through cuttings, sowing or root cuttings.