What to Do When a Clivia miniata Gets Stuck Arrow? A Few Practical Solutions
Clivia miniata, also known as sword-leaf lycoris and large-leaf lycoris, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Clivia in the Amaryllidaceae family, native to southern South Africa, with very high ornamental value. In China it is often grown in pots in greenhouses for ornamental purposes. The so-called "stuck arrow" refers to the phenomenon in which, when the Clivia miniata sends up its arrow, the arrow stalk cannot emerge and is trapped inside the tower base while blooming. Now let us take a look at what to do when a Clivia miniata gets stuck arrow!
Causes of Stuck Arrow in Clivia miniata
1. Temperature too low: The temperature for Clivia miniata to send up its scape is around 20°C. If the temperature stays below 15°C for a long time, its scape is very difficult to grow out.
2. Insufficient nutrients: When Clivia miniata forms buds and blooms, its demand for phosphorus and potassium fertilizer is relatively large. A deficiency will lead to insufficient strength for sending up the scape and cause stuck arrow.
3. Lack of oxygen in the potting soil: During the bud stage, the root system of Clivia miniata has a large oxygen demand. If the potting soil has poor permeability, oxygen deficiency will occur and cause the stuck arrow phenomenon.
4. Constant-temperature cultivation: Clivia miniata needs a day-night temperature difference of 5-8°C to bloom. Constant-temperature cultivation will affect the accumulation of nutrients and very easily cause stuck arrow.
5. Damaged or rotted roots: If the root system of Clivia miniata is damaged or rotted, the channels for nutrient absorption will be blocked, affecting the plant's scape emergence and flowering.
6. Poor variety: Some varieties of Clivia miniata are naturally prone to the stuck arrow phenomenon.
What to Do When a Clivia miniata Gets Stuck Arrow?
1. Adjust the temperature: The suitable growth temperature for Clivia miniata is 15-25°C. Below 15°C it grows poorly. In particular, if the temperature cannot reach above 15°C before scape emergence, the scape will be difficult to send out. Therefore, adjust the temperature in time to facilitate scape emergence.
2. Adjust the temperature difference: Clivia miniata's growth habit favors a large day-night temperature difference. If the temperature difference is small, scape emergence becomes difficult. After flower bud differentiation and before arrow shooting, the temperature should be controlled at around 10°C, which makes arrow shooting easier; otherwise the stuck arrow phenomenon will occur.
3. Fertilize reasonably: After Clivia miniata has been grown for 3 years, the number of fertilizer applications must be increased once autumn arrives. It is best to apply liquid fertilizer with a relatively high phosphorus content, and alternating applications of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are preferable. When necessary, a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer can be added to promote flower bud formation and earlier flowering.
4. Water at the right time: If Clivia miniata lacks water when the arrow emerges, the growth of the scape will also be hindered and cause stuck arrow. Therefore, when the arrow is being sent up, increase the amount of watering and keep the potting soil moist. Otherwise, the bulb and leaves will suffer from water shortage, which will block the plant's physiological activities and cause stuck arrow that affects flowering.
5. Cut open the arrow scape: When Clivia miniata shifts to reproductive growth, pay frequent attention to changes in the bulb. If stuck arrow is caused by excessive pressure from the bulb, use a sharp knife to cut open the leaf sheath clamping the arrow scape by 1.5 cm to reduce the pressure of the leaf sheath base on the arrow scape and promote scape emergence.
How Should Clivia miniata Be Grown Well?
1. Soil: Clivia miniata is suited to acidic soil rich in decaying organic matter, and it must have good permeability, with sufficient moisture but not overly saturated. It can be mixed from 65% humus soil, 20% clean sand, and 15% fine furnace ash, and the soil needs to be changed continuously during growth.
2. Fertilizing: In winter, Clivia miniata should be given one application of solid fertilizer, with less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. A nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer can also be applied to promote the sprouting of more new plants and leaves, but fertilization must be moderate. Never apply concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer that has not been fermented and decomposed.
3. Watering: About every 20 days, Clivia miniata can be watered together with one application of fermented soybean cake water, diluted fishy water, and water from soaked water chestnuts, etc. When the room temperature is low, watering should be controlled to prevent the potting soil from becoming too wet. Overly wet potting soil will cause root rot and plant death, but the potting soil must not be allowed to become too dry either.
4. Temperature: The suitable growth temperature for Clivia miniata in winter is 15-20°C, and it is best not to go below 10°C. After arrow shooting, the temperature should be kept at around 18°C, and the day-night temperature difference is best at around 10°C. Otherwise, the flower arrow will bloom before reaching the proper height, easily forming "stuck arrow."
5. Light: Clivia miniata is a moderately light-loving plant, and scattered light is best. During growth it does not need strong light, and especially in summer direct sunlight must be avoided. In winter, strong light during the flowering period will shorten the flowering period, while moderate light can prolong it. If earlier flowering is desired, short-day treatment can be used.