What foliar fertilizer is good for Clivia? Choosing the right fertilizer is key
Clivia is a noble and elegant ornamental flower; its Latin name carries the meaning of wealth, nobility, beauty and magnificence. Its thick, smooth, upright sword-like leaves symbolize a noble character of strength, firmness and unyielding dignity, while its full blooms and brilliant colors symbolize wealth and good fortune, prosperity and happiness. Let us take a look below at what foliar fertilizer to use for Clivia.
What foliar fertilizer should be used for Clivia?
In a warm and humid environment, spraying foliar fertilizer on Clivia can have a good effect on growth, but it must be mixed strictly according to the ratio, otherwise it can easily damage the leaves. Moreover, not just any fertilizer can be used for foliar feeding of Clivia; only fertilizers with relatively high solubility, such as urea, ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate, monopotassium phosphate, superphosphate and decomposed human urine, can be used for foliar application, and the principle of small amounts applied frequently should be followed, so as not to harm the leaves due to excessive concentration.
How should foliar fertilizer be used on Clivia?
The concentration of foliar fertilizer for Clivia is best as a water-diluted solution of 0.2-0.5%, and it should be applied when the temperature is relatively low and the humidity is relatively high, preferably in the morning. The fertilizer solution should remain on the leaf surface for more than 1 hour; young leaves absorb it relatively quickly. When spraying, make sure to spray the top, bottom, left and right thoroughly. The fertilizer used should be soaked well beforehand so that it dissolves fully, and undissolved substances should be filtered out. It can also be mixed with fungicides and insecticides for application, which gives even better results.
How should Clivia be grown to do well?
1. Soil: Clivia is suited to acidic soil rich in decomposed organic matter, and it should have good air permeability and sufficient but not overly saturated moisture. 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: Clivia should be given one application of solid fertilizer in winter, with less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. A compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can also be applied to encourage it to sprout more new plants and leaves, but fertilization must be moderate, and concentrated fertilizer and untreated raw fertilizer that has not been fermented and decomposed must never be applied.
3. Watering: About every 20 days, Clivia can be given fermented soybean cake water, diluted fishy water and water from soaking water chestnuts along with watering. When the room temperature is low, watering should be controlled to prevent the potting soil from becoming too wet; overly wet potting soil can cause root rot and death of the plant, but the potting soil should not be allowed to become too dry either.
4. Temperature: The suitable temperature for Clivia growth in winter is 15-20°C, and it is best not to let it fall below 10°C. After the flower spike emerges, the temperature should be kept at around 18°C, and the day-night temperature difference is best at around 10°C, otherwise the flower spike will bloom before reaching the proper height, which easily leads to "stuck spikes."
5. Light: Clivia is a medium-light plant and does best with scattered light. It does not need strong light during growth, and especially in summer, direct sunlight must be avoided. During the winter flowering period, strong light will shorten the flowering period, while moderate light can extend it. If earlier flowering is desired, short-day treatment can be used.