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What to do when a clivia has too many roots

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If the plant has never bloomed, do not cut the roots first, to prevent blooming from being affected because nutrients are not absorbed. If it has already bloomed, cut the very long or already old roots off at the base, let the wounds air-dry, then plant it back into the soil and water it appropriately. If the root system is too developed, you can also repot it into a larger pot or divide the offsets.

I. Not yet bloomed

Because the plant has not yet bloomed, if we cut off its roots, it is very easy for problems with absorption to arise, since the roots are the main thing that absorbs nutrients. So it is better to wait until it has finished blooming before dealing with the plant. The main reason it can still have so many roots before blooming is that we usually give it too much fertilizer.

II. Has already bloomed

If a plant that has already bloomed has especially many roots, it should be dealt with appropriately; there are two specific methods.

1. Cutting the roots

The plant is no longer satisfied with the size of the pot; too many roots make its space crowded, and the absorption of some nutrients becomes difficult. At this point, cut the rotten roots, long roots and old roots off at the base, then air-dry it. Be careful not to let it sit in the sun. If you want it to go faster, you can use a cigarette butt to scorch the cut areas dry; natural air-drying takes about half a day. The purpose of letting it dry is to prevent bacterial invasion. After that, we plant it back into the soil and water it with settling water, and that is fine. If there are some diseased roots and dead, withered roots, these need to be cut off, and so do roots that are still tangled together, otherwise the later growth of the roots will also be affected.

2. Dividing the offsets

If the plant has too many roots, you can consider dividing its roots, so that it can become several small pots. In this way it can go from a pot-bound state back to normal, and can also become several new plants. When dividing, you still need to cut off the diseased, dead roots, and the good roots need to be cared for well and must not be damaged.

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