How to Grow Clivia? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Techniques and Care Essentials

Clivia has always been a much-loved flowering plant, and many people grow a pot of it at home. So what are the cultivation techniques for Clivia?

1. Soil

Clivia does well in loose, fertile neutral or slightly acidic humus soil. The growing medium can be mixed from 65% humus soil, 20% clean sand and 15% fine furnace ash. The relative humidity of the soil should be around 40%. If the soil is compacted and drains poorly, it will cause root rot. When repotting in spring, it is best to buy special Clivia soil for planting. Special Clivia soil is leaf mold, which is extremely suitable for the growth of Clivia.

2. Fertilizing

For Clivia, apply a solid fertilizer once in winter, use less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Eggshell powder and rotted fishy water are very good phosphorus fertilizers, while bran ash and tobacco ash are easily obtained potassium fertilizers. A compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can also be applied to encourage more new shoots and leaves to emerge. Fertilizing must be done in the right amount; never apply concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer that has not been fermented and decomposed, otherwise it will easily cause the leaf tips to scorch or rot. In winter, if spots appear on new leaves and the root system turns yellow, it means too much fertilizer has been applied, while new leaves that are narrow, thin and especially pale in color are a sign of fertilizer deficiency.

3. Watering

The soil should not be too dry or too wet. Each watering must soak through, and after buds appear, water a little more. About every 20 days, combine watering with a fertilizing application of fermented soybean cake water, diluted fishy water or water from cooking water chestnuts, combining watering and fertilizing. When the room temperature is low, watering should be controlled to prevent the potting soil from becoming too wet; overly wet potting soil will cause the plant's roots to rot and the plant to die, but the potting soil must not be allowed to become too dry either.

4. Temperature

The suitable temperature for Clivia's growth in winter is 15-20°C, and it is best not to let it drop below 10°C. After the flower scape shoots up, the temperature should be kept at around 18°C, and the day-night temperature difference is best around 10°C, otherwise the flower scape will bloom before reaching the proper height, easily resulting in “stuck scape”. When the outdoor temperature at night falls below 10°C, Clivia should be moved indoors. When the indoor temperature is below 10°C, besides covering the surface of the potting soil with a 1 cm thick layer of charcoal powder for insulation, the flower pot should also be placed in a sunny, warm spot indoors. When the indoor temperature is especially low, a plastic film can be placed over the flower pot to raise the temperature, but the temperature under the cover must not exceed 25°C; if it does, ventilate promptly to cool it down.

5. Light

Clivia tends to bloom under short-day conditions. Exposure to fierce sun and direct summer sunlight will cause sunscald and inhibit growth. From May to September each year, it should be grown under a shade frame or in a semi-shaded environment without direct sunlight. But in winter, the longer the sunlight exposure, the better. When in bloom, weak light can extend the flowering period. It likes warmth and coolness, and dislikes severe cold and extreme heat; it generally grows well at 18-20°C and stops growing below 5°C. After Clivia is brought indoors, light is restricted, so the flower pot needs to be moved manually to adjust it. Under normal circumstances, during the day the flower pot should be placed in a sunny spot indoors so that sunlight can reach the plant. Before flowering, at night the flower pot should also be placed under a fluorescent lamp to supplement light. Because Clivia's two rows of leaves are opposite each other, if the light stays in one position for a long time, the leaves will grow unevenly and affect the ornamental effect. Therefore, when adjusting the light, pay attention to the direction of the leaves, and change the side facing the sun about every 10 days.

Clivia blooms in winter, so planting and care must be very careful to avoid poor growth. During the flowering period, it is best to place it in a shaded spot, which can appropriately extend the flowering period.