Clivia Is Hard to Grow and Hard to Bloom? Mastering the Watering Method Is Key

Clivia is one of the more commonly grown flowers at home. As a flowering plant, its blooms are bright and elegant, and keeping a pot indoors also carries a “gentleman's character,” so its ornamental value can be said to be very high. But many people feel Clivia is hard to grow and hard to bloom, and in fact this has an inseparable relationship with the Clivia watering method, so how should Clivia be watered appropriately?

1. Clivia watering methods

1. Combine thorough and non-thorough watering

When watering, you can press the flower pot with your hand to check. When only the surface layer is short of water, just replenish the surface water; when the water content of the lower layer is insufficient, then water thoroughly.

2. Combine dry and wet

Keep the potting soil often in a state of half dry and half wet to wet. Note that when dry, the water content must not be lower than 30%, which is beneficial to the survival of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms in the potting soil and beneficial to the growth of Clivia.

3. Combine water and fertilizer

When watering, a certain amount of liquid fertilizer can be added. Clivia likes fertilizer fairly well, and combining water with fertilizer allows the plant to better absorb nutrients, which is beneficial to growth and flowering.

4. Combine spraying

When the plant does not need to be watered thoroughly, you can use a pressurized spray bottle to moisten and spray through the surface of the potting soil. When thorough watering is needed, pour water evenly over every part of the potting soil, thereby achieving the best watering effect.

5. Distinguish external conditions

Under conditions of high temperature, good ventilation, and good air permeability and drainage, you can water more; otherwise, water less.

6. Distinguish seasons

During the growing period, the water demand is high, so it is suitable to water more. When the temperature drops in autumn and winter, water less. In summer, when the air temperature is high, you can spray water on the leaves and the ground to increase air humidity and prevent dry leaves.

7. Distinguish flowering period and seedling period

During the seedling period, flowering period, and the period when the flower stalk emerges, the water demand is relatively high, so you can water appropriately more.

8. Choice of water

Remember that Clivia cannot be watered with hard water containing large amounts of calcium and magnesium mineral salts for a long time. Otherwise, it will make the Clivia potting soil alkalized and compacted, with poorer permeability, causing brown spots on Clivia leaves and affecting the ornamental effect, so it is best not to use hard water for watering Clivia. Better choices are natural rainwater, river water, or tap water.

2. Other reasons Clivia does not bloom

Besides improper watering, another reason Clivia does not bloom is insufficient fertilizer effect.

Those who grow vegetables, melons, fruits, and fruit trees at home should know that there is a kind of fertilizer specifically for promoting flowers and fruits, and using it to grow Clivia is also more than suitable. It is the king of flower fertilizers, “potassium dihydrogen phosphate.” Because it contains phosphorus and potassium, it is beneficial to Clivia's stalk emergence and flowering. The method of use is also very simple. Everyone can dissolve potassium dihydrogen phosphate powder in water and pour it into the Clivia flower pot. Water it once a month, and it is guaranteed to emerge stalks and bloom that same year.

When fertilizing, apply as little nitrogen fertilizer as possible, otherwise the leaves will grow excessively, and you can apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which is beneficial to secondary flowering.