What to Do When a Clivia Gets Stuck Arrow? Detailed Guide to the Latest Solutions

Speaking of Clivia, everyone is certainly familiar with it. Although this flower has only been cultivated by ordinary people in our country for a short forty years, it has won people's affection with its dazzling flowers and emerald-green leaves. But when it comes to Clivia "stuck arrow," presumably only friends who truly understand Clivia will get it, because the term "stuck arrow" is unique to Clivia. It refers to when a Clivia is blooming and the scape cannot push out, trapped among the leaves, unable to grow upward and with nowhere to go downward. If not dealt with in time, the flower scape will wither and die among the leaves!

If you still do not understand what a Clivia stuck arrow is, you can refer to the picture below

As you can see from the picture, the Clivia flower buds are firmly trapped between the leaves. This is caused by the scape failing to push out in time, which is the typical "Clivia stuck arrow."

So why does Clivia have this stuck arrow phenomenon? There are congenital causes and acquired causes. The congenital ones are mainly caused by the plant's own unhealthy growth, while the acquired ones are due to a lack of care by people. Let's take a specific look at why Clivia gets a stuck arrow.

1. Poor quality

Quality refers to the growth condition of the Clivia. You can tell whether it will get a stuck arrow just from the Clivia you bought and brought home. Clivia prone to stuck arrow mainly show the following: leaves are rather pointed, leaf veins are irregular, with more than 5 vertical veins; leaves are rather thin, with a large difference in thickness between the leaf edge and the middle; leaves are messy, and when light is uneven, upper leaves lean east and lower leaves lean west.

2. Unsuitable temperature

The optimal temperature for a Clivia to push out its scape is 20°C. When the temperature is below 15°C, the flower scape is very hard to grow out. In addition, the size of the temperature difference also has a certain effect on the growth of the flower scape. If it is at one temperature both day and night, the Clivia accumulates insufficient nutrients, and the flower scape does not have enough strength to grow out.

3. Insufficient nutrition

When blooming, Clivia needs a certain amount of nutrients——phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which is a problem many flower lovers overlook. Plants cannot be left to bloom on their own; they should be given appropriate help.

4. Lack of oxygen in the potting soil

There are many causes of lack of oxygen in the potting soil: soil compaction, overwatering…… This phenomenon directly or otherwise causes poor root growth in Clivia, and the leaves and flower stem lack a source of nutrient supply, so a stuck arrow is inevitable.

Now that you know the specific causes of stuck arrow, next comes the topic everyone cares about most——what to do after a stuck arrow? The quickest and also most effective treatment for Clivia after a stuck arrow is to move the Clivia to a completely dark place, ensure the temperature is 18~20°C, then use a plastic bag or a softer rope, as shown in the picture, to separate the leaves. After about 3~5 days of this treatment, the flower scape can push out.

In addition, quite a few flower lovers have concluded from experience after practice that after a Clivia gets a stuck arrow, watering the Clivia with lukewarm water at around 25°C and pouring in a small amount of beer can also solve the stuck arrow problem.

Since a Clivia has developed a stuck arrow, it shows there is a problem with its care, and adjustments must be made in time:

1. Apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Even after the Clivia flower scape has pushed out, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer is still essential, especially during the autumn and winter flowering season, when nutrients should be supplemented early.

2. Replace with new soil. Do not replace the soil while it is blooming; wait until the flowers fade. According to the plant's growth condition, replace half of it with new soil. After replacing the soil, note that it must not be watered within 5 days.

3. Deal with rotten roots. The cause of a stuck arrow in some Clivias is root rot, so it must be dealt with in time. This means the Clivia will be very unlikely to bloom that year. Take the Clivia with the stuck arrow out of its pot, clean away the rotten roots and stems, disinfect them, and replant. If the Clivia's root rot is not serious, there is still hope that the flower scape will push out.

A Clivia stuck arrow is a very common problem, and the methods introduced in this article can also solve it quite easily, so there is no need to worry excessively. But if a Clivia develops a stuck arrow for several years in a row, then you must carefully analyze whether there is a problem with your cultivation and whether your care methods are correct! Finally, here are some pictures of Clivia blooming normally. They look really beautiful, don't they!