A Complete Guide to the Latest Clivia Propagation Methods

Clivia is native to the subtropical mountain forests of southern Africa and is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant. It is commonly propagated by seed sowing and division, and can also be propagated from old roots. Below, the editor introduces these Clivia propagation methods one by one!

Clivia seed propagation method

Clivia prefers slightly acidic soil, with a pH of 6-6.5 being suitable. The timing for propagating Clivia by seed is not strict; it can be sown in spring, autumn and winter, but temperature is an important factor. It is best to sow at 20-25°C, which meets the temperature requirements for germinating the embryo.

1. Propagation substrate: Use wood shavings, or rice husk, or fine sand; some also use leaf mold, but wood shavings or rice husk are best. Then find a plastic basket, or a breathable clay pot can also be used. Taking wood shavings as the substrate soil as an example, first disinfect it, then soak the disinfected wood shavings thoroughly with water, put them in the basket, press down a little, and level them.

2. Seed treatment: Put the seeds in warm water at about 20-30 degrees, soak for 30 minutes, or one hour, then place the seeds one by one with the small eye facing down, spaced apart, in neat rows. After arranging them, cover the seeds with 2-3 cm of wood shavings and gently press flat and even. After these steps are completed, spray with water until thoroughly wet, and place the basket in a breathable, ventilated place and it is done.

3. Daily management: Propagation should follow the principles of ventilation, breathability and maintaining moisture. If it is your first time propagating, you will generally open the wood shavings to look at the seeds, so be careful to wash your hands, or use a clean small wooden stick to check. The substrate must not be contaminated by anything oily. If there is oil, the seeds will be infected.

4. Moisture retention: Normally, it is enough that the wood shavings look moist; there is no need to water every day. Too much water will cause the seeds to take in too much moisture and rot. If it is too dry before watering again, there will be no moisture, and seeds that are too dry cannot sprout.

5. Heat retention: Generally between 15-30 degrees, do not place the seeds somewhere above 10 degrees; in the north it is best to keep them above 10 degrees and below 32 degrees. If it is too cold, generally use a lamp for warmth; orchid growers in the south can move them to a sunny balcony at noon to raise the temperature.

6. Water quality: Tap water needs to be left to stand for a day before watering. Do not use tap water directly, because tap water contains chlorine, which affects seed germination.

7. Germination: Generally, under normal conditions and with good care, they sprout in half a month, and some even earlier. After germination, it is best not to check them all day, because after germination the sprouts hold the wood shavings into a ball, which benefits growth.

After about forty-five days, the germinated seeds become longer and longer, the roots grow downward, and tender green small sheath leaves emerge beside the seeds, growing naturally upward. For daily care, just water well.

Clivia division propagation method

The asexual propagation of flowers includes cuttings, division, layering, grafting and other methods, but the asexual propagation of Clivia generally uses only the division method. This method is even more common for Clivia nobilis. To propagate by division, first do a few preparatory tasks:

1. Preparatory work for division propagation

① For home potted plants, prepare flower pots. Clay pots are best; do not buy porcelain or ceramic ones just for the sake of an attractive pot surface, because they have poor breathability, which is not good for the plant's development and growth.

② Prepare the medium soil and preferably disinfect it. If using humus soil mixed with fine sand, the humus soil should be sprayed and disinfected with a 1000-2000 times aqueous solution of potassium permanganate. Fine river sand should also be scalded and disinfected with boiling water to prevent the seedlings from being infected by pathogens and rotting.

③ Prepare a small amount of charcoal powder to apply to the wounds to absorb moisture and prevent rot.

④ Sharpen the cutting knife, and finally quickly dry-grind it (without water) on the whetstone several dozen times, making the blade very hot, in order to kill pathogens.

2. Operation method for division propagation

1. First take the mother Clivia plant out of the pot, remove the old soil, and find the axillary buds that can be divided. If the offset grows on the outer edge of the mother plant and is small, you can hold the bulb part with one hand and pinch the base of the offset with the other hand, give it a tear and twist, and the offset can be separated from the mother. If the offset is thick and strong and not easy to pull off, use the prepared sharp knife to cut it off. Never force it off, to avoid damaging the young plant. After the offset is cut off, immediately apply dry charcoal powder to the wound to absorb the flowing sap and prevent rot. Then, plant the offset in a pot.

2. The planting depth should be just enough to bury the base pseudobulb of the offset; the part near the seedling should be slightly higher, and cover with disinfected sandy soil. After planting, water thoroughly once, and after 2 weeks when the wound has healed, add another layer of potting soil. Generally it takes 1-2 months to grow new roots, and 1-2 years to bloom. Clivia propagated by division has relatively stable heredity and can maintain the various characteristics of the original species.

Clivia old root propagation method

The fleshy roots of Clivia have a strong regenerative ability. Based on this characteristic, for Clivia plants that are older, you can break off the old roots during spring repotting and soil changing, and after treatment force them to regenerate new roots; in the same year they can become a new Clivia plant. The specific method is as follows:

1. Choose old Clivia roots of suitable thickness, with a diameter of 1.2 cm to 1.5 cm being good. If too thin, the seedlings produced grow slowly; if too short, it affects the plant's growth. Insert a pin in the middle of the root, or use a blade to cut a 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm slit at the part where the old root is attached, and apply B12 liquid to the wound to stimulate growth and promote sprouting.

2. Bury the treated old root in disinfected fine river sand or leaf mold, with a depth of 0.5 cm being suitable. Place it in an environment of 20°C to 25°C. After 3 months, at the cut or pin insertion point, a green spherical small nodule forms. After about 25 more days of care, the spherical small nodule gradually sprouts new buds and becomes a new Clivia plant.