Clivia Root Rot: Prevention, Treatment and Root Pruning Methods

The clivia plant contains a very special kind of alkaloid, and this alkaloid can be made into many kinds of medicines. Researchers studying medicines often use plants that contain these chemical compounds for their research, and products used to treat cancer and other conditions have already appeared on the market. Beyond this, clivia also has very high ornamental value, so people have begun growing it in large numbers. However, clivia is prone to root rot. Let's take a look at the correct way to handle it.

How to prevent and treat clivia root rot

1. The way to rescue a rotting root is to tip the plant out, pick off and cut away the rotten roots, then coat the wounds with charcoal powder or fine stove ash. You can also rinse the roots with potassium permanganate water, then leave them in the sun for about ten minutes to sterilise them with ultraviolet light. If more than half the roots have rotted, trim and clean away the rotten roots, disinfect them, then place the plant in fine sand to encourage new roots. If only a few roots have rotted, you can replant it in nutrition soil that has been replaced and treated, control watering for half a month, and it can recover in one to two months.

2. If the fleshy roots have all rotted away, cut off all the rotten roots, wash the root crown clean, coat it with charcoal powder or fine stove ash, then put it in a pot of fine sand to encourage rooting. After two to three months, it can also grow new roots and leaves again.

3. In addition, using rotted leaf mould as the growing medium to rescue a clivia with root rot also works well. The specific method is: wash the fleshy roots twice with clean water, then pinch off the rotten roots, coat the wounds with cigarette ash, let them dry in the shade for two hours, then plant them in a pot of coniferous leaf mould soil, place it in half shade, water at the right times, keep the potting soil moist, and new roots will grow after half a month.

4. Adjust the amount of fertiliser and water moderately. Do not fertilise clivia too much, otherwise it generates heat that burns the root system and causes rot. Watering must also be moderate; too much makes the water content of the nutrition soil too high, reduces permeability, makes it hard for the roots to breathe, and causes root rot. Be careful not to water into the heart of the clivia.

How to prune clivia roots

1. Remove the soil

When pruning its roots, you need to dig it out, and you should first withhold water for about seven days. When digging it out, you can tap lightly on the outside of the pot so that the soil separates from the pot more easily, making it convenient to take the plant out together with the soil. Clean most of the soil off the roots, then wash away the soil that cannot be cleaned off with water until it is clean.

2. Prune the rotten roots

Because its roots are fleshy, although they look thick and sturdy they are very soft and break easily. It often grows some rotten roots, and if these are not cleaned away in time they can even affect its life. When pruning its roots, first clean away the rotten roots. If the whole root has rotted, you need to cut it all off. If only part has rotted, you can cut it off with a sterilised tool.

3. Prune the hollow roots

If the plant has lived for a very long time, after growing for many years its roots easily become hollow, with nothing but a shell left. Some old roots are darker in colour but very thin and weak, and cannot bring nutrients to the leaves well; instead they consume nutrients and turn into rotten roots, so hollow roots must also be cleaned away entirely.

4. Root pruning tips

No matter what kind of root it is, if you can clean it away directly by hand, do not use a tool, because its roots are very delicate and tools easily cause it large wounds. Using your hands can make the wounds relatively smaller and cause it less damage. If the wound area is too large, it is very easy for it to become infected with pathogens.

How to care for clivia after repotting

1. Watering: after repotting, you need to water it thoroughly, and water it thoroughly every day for three days in a row. This is to prevent stale air from harming the roots. After three days, you can return to normal care. Because of its fleshy roots, it must never be left with standing water. You can observe the state of the soil and water when the soil is dry or half dry.

2. Light: right after repotting, the plant needs to be placed in a shaded spot. This is to reduce water evaporation and let it slowly recover its strength, which is what is called "adjusting to the pot". After about ten days, you can slowly increase the light to promote healthy growth of the plant.

3. Temperature: this needs to be kept within a suitable range at all times. However, day and night are different. During the day, it is best at 15 to 20 degrees; at night, it is best adjusted to 10 to 15 degrees. Temperature has a great influence on the plant's recovery and its entry into a normal growth state, so it needs careful management.

How to make clivia bloom quickly

1. Pruning

Sometimes some of the basic leaves are too large and too old and absorb a lot of fertiliser and nutrients from the soil, so the differentiation of flower buds is

2. Temperature

This plant needs a suitable temperature when it blooms. If it is too cold, its growth rate will be inhibited, so we must ensure its environmental temperature is suitable. What we can do is move the pot to a warmer place, and make sure this place has light and appropriate temperature conditions, so that the plant can carry out biological processes to form buds and bloom. Also pay attention to ventilation in the environment.

3. Water

This plant needs a large amount of water during the bud formation and blooming period, but you must not water too much either. Once it is excessive, the plant's roots will undergo anaerobic fermentation and may even rot and break down.

4. Fertiliser

This plant needs us to apply additional fertiliser when it is forming buds. You can choose bone meal, or already fermented fish innards, or soybean cake water.

It is not frightening for a plant you are growing to develop a disease; what is frightening is when people do not notice it. So there is no need to worry when clivia develops conditions like root rot. After handling it correctly, you must not go on growing it blindly; you must care for it according to its growth habits.