Clivia miniata once sold for tens of millions per pot, so why does it now cost only a few hundred yuan?

Clivia miniata is, by nature, an ordinary flowering plant. Even though its blooms are vibrant, elegant and highly ornamental, it should not have been hyped up to an "astronomical price." Yet just a few years ago, about seven or eight years back, Clivia miniata was not something an average flower enthusiast could afford to grow. Back then, the Clivia miniata market was simply insane. We could admire the flowers, but as for growing them, forget it!

I still remember that at the Changchun Clivia miniata Festival back then, one pot of Clivia miniata was listed at an astronomical price. You would never guess that a small Clivia miniata, just because its variety was a bit special, was priced at 99.99 million yuan. That is nearly 100 million yuan!

It was this pot, "Tianjiao No. 1." Even its pollen sold for 10,000 yuan per grain. Well, let us just say us flower enthusiasts had seen too little of the world. One flower enthusiast commented, "How is this Clivia miniata? This is a national treasure!" Speaking of the hype back then, one enthusiast joked: Grandpa sells the plant to his son! The son sells the plant to his uncle! The uncle sells the plant to his own dad to play with in his own pot!

Why was Clivia miniata hyped to such a high price back then?

First, there were vendors in the market driven by profit. Second, Clivia miniata grows slowly and has a long production cycle. Some superior varieties with short, wide and thick leaves take at least three years to cultivate. In addition, cultivating Clivia miniata mainly relies on manual cross-pollination, which also invisibly pushed the entire market upward.

Once Clivia miniata was over-hyped, what followed was a downward slope.

Today's Clivia miniata, no matter the variety, no longer commands an "astronomical price." Even the Clivia miniata that was so valuable back then now costs only a few hundred yuan per pot.

The market has returned to reason, which has also allowed more flower enthusiasts to grow Clivia miniata. After all, this flower is simply too beautiful. Moreover, Clivia miniata blooms twice a year, and with good care it can even bloom three times. In addition, it has a very long lifespan. Some of my old flower enthusiast friends have been growing Clivia miniata for twenty or thirty years.

To grow Clivia miniata well is actually not as difficult as people say. As long as you understand its growth habits, it is quite easy to grow. For example, give Clivia miniata bright indirect light and a well-ventilated position. When watering, follow the principle of "water when dry, stop when wet." It is best to mix the potting soil yourself, using leaf mold, pine needles and garden soil to create a loose, fertile, acidic soil rich in humus.

In addition, there are some small tricks for growing Clivia miniata. For example, diluting beer with water and watering it can prevent "clip arrows" (flower stalks getting stuck). Watering Clivia miniata with fermented rice-washing water can make the roots and stems more developed. Dissolving monopotassium phosphate powder in water and spraying it on Clivia miniata can make the leaves more dark green and avoid yellow leaves and spots. There are too many small tricks to share them all one by one; we will talk about them next time.

That is all for the knowledge about Clivia miniata. Thank you for reading!

Remember to like and share~