Clove Tree: Cultivation, Care And Use

Do you want to grow cloves in the garden yourself? You will find helpful tips on using, planting, and caring for the extraordinary clove tree with us.

Everyone knows the taste of cloves at Christmas time. But how can you cultivate a clove tree yourself in the garden? We introduce the special plant and reveal the best tips for planting and care.

Clove tree: flowering, origin, and characteristics

The dried flower buds of the clove tree ( Syzygium aromaticum ) are indispensable for the most important spices in the Christmas bakery. The clove tree belongs to the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) and originally comes from the famous Moluccas, the Indonesian archipelago in western New Guinea, also known as the Spice Islands.

Dried cloves have been used in Europe since the early Middle Ages, but due to the climatic conditions, cultivation is only possible to a very limited extent. Nowadays the clove tree is cultivated in the tropical warm regions of the world, whereby mostly oceanic climate ensures good cultivation conditions. There is no relationship to the flower genus of the carnation (Dianthus ), which belongs to the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae).

The evergreen tree can reach heights of over 10 meters in good conditions. If the clove tree grows in the bucket, it remains much smaller because of the limited space available for the roots. The leaves of the clove tree are leathery and lush green. They are also egg-shaped and have oil glands through which essential oil is released. When the clove tree is in bloom, a multitude of small flowers can be admired along the panicles.

They have four short, fleshy petals and are hermaphroditic. The white stamens form a typical myrtle growth contrast to the strong red petals. As they ripen, the fruits take on a dark purple to dark red color. Inside the approximately 2 cm large drupes there is a core through which the clove tree can be propagated. If the flower buds are harvested and dried before they bloom, the famous cloves are obtained. Their strong scent and pungent taste are an indispensable part of many kitchens around the world.

Tip: In the growing countries, economically used clove trees are usually kept small by regular pruning. This is an advantage because of the high manual harvesting effort required to obtain the flower buds: The valuable carnations can therefore be reached without a ladder.

Grow cloves yourself

Due to their tropical origin and the high demands on their location, it is very difficult for us to grow clove trees. High temperatures and constant high humidity can only rarely be guaranteed throughout the year. Most of the year, in our latitudes, it is possible to grow in a tub in a heated winter garden, a heated greenhouse, or a bright living room. So the plant can grow up to 2 meters high and blooms occasionally develop.

During the warm summer months from May or June to the end of August or the beginning of September, the clove tree can also move outdoors – a protected location is very important here. Unfortunately, the clove tree does not tolerate large fluctuations in temperature very well. Comparable to the oceanic climate of Southeast Asia, it should therefore remain as constant as possible throughout the vegetation.

In addition to the external demands, it is also very important to provide the clove plant with a constant supply of water without causing waterlogging. Too wet or too dry soil would damage the fine roots of the clove tree.

Tip: For a high level of humidity, it is best to spray the plant with a little water every day. That way, she feels comfortable and thrives. Small tricks can also help to give the plant high humidity: Fill the saucer of the pot with expanded clay balls or gravel, place the pot on it and fill the saucer with water – this creates a constant supply of moist air around the plant Plant. Or you can choose a bright bathroom as a location where the humidity is often high.

Nutrient-rich, water-permeable soil is ideal as a substrate, but at the same time, it has a high water storage capacity. It is best to mix high-quality potting soil with plenty of clay powder (bentonite) to increase the water storage capacity. Our Gardender organic universal soil, for example, is suitable for this, as it already has a high water storage capacity thanks to the clay content – but another addition can benefit the clove tree.

In addition, thanks to its high proportion of compost, our Gardender organic universal soil continually supplies nutrients and thus provides your plant with long-term care. An additional layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the bucket creates drainage that prevents waterlogging and protects the fine roots of the plant.

Care: One should pay attention to this

For a clove tree to be successfully cultivated, it is very important to meet its temperature requirements. The ideal temperature during the vegetation is between 20 and 25 ° C, temperatures below 10 ° C are only tolerated for a short time. Under no circumstances should the temperature fall below the limit of 5 ° C, otherwise damage will occur.

A constant supply of water to the plant is essential for healthy growth, the root area must neither get too wet nor too dry. Due to its tropical origin, the clove tree is used for heavy rain showers, which is why it can withstand heavy watering without problems.

During the vegetation phase between April and September, the clove tree should occasionally be fertilized gently. A complete fertilizer is suitable for this. When used as granules, the nutrients required by the plant are only released slowly into the soil solution, thus preventing the roots from becoming salinized and having a longer-term effect than liquid fertilizers.

One to a maximum of two fertilizations per year is completely sufficient. The best time for fertilization is at the beginning of the vegetation period in spring. The ideal amount of fertilizer varies between 80 and 120 grams, depending on the size of the tub and the plant. The fertilizer can be applied directly to the roughened surface of the earth. The soil surface should then be covered with some mulch material, ornamental gravel, or expanded clay before the plant is abundantly watered.

The clove tree grows slowly in the bucket but should be repotted every two to three years to give the roots more space. The best time for this is in April, before the start of vegetation. The new bucket should only be about 2 to 3 cm larger than the old one. The plant can be taken out of the old bucket and excess soil removed. A layer of expanded clay should be placed in the bottom of the bucket to avoid waterlogging. Then the clove tree can be placed in the new bucket and covered with soil. As with planting, high-quality potting soil is ideal for this, preferably enriched with a few handfuls of clay flour (bentonite).

Is the clove tree hardy?

The clove tree is not hardy. This is mainly due to its tropical origins and the consistently high temperatures that prevail there all year round. In our latitudes, it is important to overwinter the clove tree at around 20 ° C so that the plant does not suffer any damage from the cold.

If the clove tree is grown indoors, there is no need to move during the cold winter months. If he is outside during the summer, he should move to winter quarters by mid-September at the latest. A heated winter garden, a heated greenhouse, or bright living rooms are suitable for this – as with the location in the house. If the temperatures are warm again in summer, the clove tree can move outside again. This is usually possible after the last frost in May.

Cloves: effects and uses

The buds of the clove tree were said to have a healing effect as early as the Middle Ages. They were considered healthy for the brain, liver, and stomach. Above all, the numbing effect when you chew them made cloves the drug of choice for toothache. The fact that they also have a positive effect on the bad breath was a nice side effect at the time. Today we also know that cloves are rich in antioxidants and promote fat digestion.

The flower buds are picked before they bloom as soon as their color changes from green to light pink. They are then dried, which turns them brown and hard. Their shape is reminiscent of nails, which has led to countless trivial names such as Kramernagel, Nelchen, or Nalen in all parts of Germany.

Tip: You can recognize high-quality cloves by their slightly oily surface if you squeeze them lightly. Another indication is their swimming behavior: if the cloves are in the water or even sink and do not swim on the surface, they are oily and therefore of high quality.

The uses of cloves are diverse. Your head has a very fine, intense taste, while the stem usually tastes bitter. As a spice, they are used to refine fish, meat, cabbage, soups, or sauces or in Christmas bakery as an important component of gingerbread or mulled wine. Clove oil is mainly used for cosmetics and perfumes, but it is also often an aromatic component of alcoholic beverages.

The most unusual is probably the use in clove cigarettes, whereby up to 25% of the dried and ground clove buds are mixed with the usual tobacco. Clove cigarettes are particularly popular in Indonesia but are consumed all over the world. Around half of the world’s clove production is now used for production.