How do you judge when to water a Clivia? Master the method and it is easy to grow a healthy potted plant
Many households now grow Clivia (Clivia miniata), but conditions such as indoor temperature, humidity, pot size, soil permeability (air permeability) and season all differ, so the watering interval should not be fixed at just one value. The length of the interval should be considered according to changes in the environment. So what methods are there for judging whether a Clivia should be watered? Next, let the editor of Together Decoration Network briefly introduce them to everyone!
There are ways to judge when to water a Clivia, making it easy to grow a healthy potted plant
To judge whether it is time to water, I will tell everyone a few little tricks
1. Tap
Lightly tap the pot at the 1/2 to 1/3 point; a crisp sound means the soil moisture is already insufficient and it needs watering. A dull sound means there is plenty of moisture and no watering is needed.
2. Weigh by hand
Before watering, lift the pot and feel its weight. Water it. After watering, lift the pot again and feel the weight. Over time, once you have gained some experience, you will know whether it is time to water just by weighing the pot in your hand.
3. Probe
This is the most direct method. Insert a finger about 1/3 of the way into the soil and feel the moisture. If it is moist, no watering is needed. If it is damp, get ready to water. If there is only a slight trace of moisture, it is time to water.
How do you grow a potted Clivia? Clivia growing methods and precautions / water must not be too much
For Clivia, I believe every flower lover is familiar with it. Although it does not have the beauty of a peony, nor the emerald green of Dieffenbachia seguine, its broad thick green leaves and fiery red flowers, with red and green setting each other off, make it an ideal potted flower for beautifying the environment. In daily life, many people choose to grow Clivia, so how do you grow a potted Clivia? The following are the Clivia growing methods and precautions carefully compiled by the editor; if you want to grow it, you must not miss them~
I. How do you grow a potted Clivia? Watering is the key
Growing Clivia at home is the first choice of many flower lovers, but some people report that their Clivia died while they were growing it. What is going on? In fact, this may be because it was watered too much, because among the Clivia growing methods and precautions, watering is very critical. How do you grow a potted Clivia? Let us continue reading for the specific methods and precautions.
II. Clivia growing methods and precautions
1. Potting soil
How do you grow Clivia? Potting soil is the first thing to consider. Although many friends just buy it directly from a flower shop, you will always need to repot and change the soil, so the requirements for Clivia potting soil are also something we need to understand.
Regarding the pot: Clivia is a famous flower, but the pot is not better the more delicate it is; air permeability is the most important thing.
Regarding the soil: it is best to line the bottom of the chosen pot with tiles to help drain excess water. For the soil, you can use leaf mold, garden soil plus a small amount of river sand mixed evenly; a reference soil mix: leaf mold 50%, coarse sand 15%, charcoal and rubble 20%, rotted fertilizer 15%.
Precautions: Flower pot: old flower pots used for many years have poor air permeability, so they should be soaked and cleaned, then exposed to sunlight before use; Soil: avoid sticky soil and alkaline soil, otherwise it will lead to poor growth and yellowing leaves.
2. Watering, do not let water accumulate too much
No matter what kind of flower you grow, watering is essential, and this is exactly what needs the most attention among the Clivia growing methods and precautions. Clivia roots are fleshy, and standing water in the pot easily causes root rot, so watering must not be excessive. Grasp the principle: do not water until it has dried through, and when you water, water thoroughly.
Precautions: When watering Clivia, be sure not to pour water on the leaves, to prevent the leaves from rotting. When you find dust on the leaves, gently wipe the leaf surface with a soft cloth; do not use large amounts of water to wash it. During the flowering period, use the method of watering the roots, but the flower pot must never retain water.
3. Fertilizing, apply thin fertilizer frequently
Among the Clivia growing methods, fertilizing is also very important. Clivia likes fertilizer, but too much fertilizer will also cause trouble for Clivia, so watering and fertilizing are best done at the same time; during the vigorous growth period, this can be done every 15 to 20 days. There are mainly three types of fertilizer: dry fertilizer, liquid fertilizer and solid fertilizer.
Precautions: Clivia fertilizing should be done in spring and autumn with fermented solid fertilizer once a month, and liquid fertilizer once a week, mainly nitrogen fertilizer; in winter and summer it is best not to apply additional fertilizer, or in winter apply solid fertilizer once to Clivia, with less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Just remember one principle: apply thin fertilizer frequently.
4. Light, must not be too strong
Among the Clivia growing methods and precautions, although light is indispensable, the requirements are not strict. It is understood that Clivia likes semi-shade and fears direct light. If it receives strong light, transpiration will be greatly increased; if watering is improper at this time, the leaves will turn old and scorched yellow, or even wilt.
Precautions: Because summer air temperature and soil temperature are relatively high, it is easy for the root system to become disordered, leading to unbalanced nutrient absorption and phenomena such as neck stretching and leaf bolting. So when the light is strong, Clivia should be moved to a shaded place, along with a little more watering.
5. Temperature, must not be too high
How do you grow a potted Clivia? Suitable temperature is very key. Clivia avoids high temperatures in summer; if the temperature exceeds 30°C, or there is scorching sun exposure, cooling measures should be taken by placing the Clivia in a cool, low-temperature, ventilated semi-shaded place.
Precautions: Although Clivia avoids high temperatures, it is also not cold-tolerant; if the temperature is too low, it will stop growing or even die. So in winter, when sunlight is soft, it should be placed indoors in a spot with ample light. A room temperature above 10°C is enough for it to overwinter safely.
III. Clivia growing precautions
Although there are already quite a few precautions in the Clivia growing methods above, if you want to grow Clivia well, there are still a few points we need to pay attention to, such as repotting and pruning. The Clivia growing precautions are specifically as follows:
1. Pruning
In summer, be sure to cut off excess flower scapes of Clivia. The normal flowering period of Clivia is from New Year's Day to Spring Festival; in summer, if it bolts it cannot produce good flowers, and if not cut off in time, it will consume nutrients and affect normal growth and flowering in winter and spring.
2. Repotting
Among the Clivia growing precautions, repotting is also very key. In the second year, flower lovers should change to a 15 cm clay pot, and afterward change to a clay pot one size larger every 2 years. Repotting is best done in spring and autumn, with a temperature of around 20°C being most suitable.
How do you water a potted Clivia? The correct method of watering Clivia / when you water, water thoroughly
In the Clivia growing methods and precautions, we have already introduced that watering is very critical. Once Clivia is watered too much and standing water forms in the pot, it will cause root rot and yellow leaves. So we need to grasp the principle: do not water until it has dried through, and when you water, water thoroughly. But how exactly should this be done? The following is the correct method of watering Clivia; follow the editor to learn about it.
I. How do you water Clivia? Not too much and not too little
Watering is a skill, especially watering Clivia, which cannot be done carelessly. In daily life, not knowing how to water can be said to be one of the important reasons why many orchid growers fail to grow Clivia well. Overwatering causes root rot and yellow leaves, while too little causes yellow tips and lethargy in Clivia. So mastering the correct method of watering Clivia is crucial.
II. How to judge whether Clivia should be watered, 3 clever tricks
Before understanding the correct method of watering Clivia, the editor will first introduce how to judge whether Clivia should be watered. In different environments, the frequency and amount of watering are all different. This requires us to judge for ourselves. The following are 3 methods for judging whether Clivia should be watered, with specific operations as follows:
1. Tap the pot
The simplest way to tell whether Clivia should be watered is to tap the pot. Specific method: lightly tap the pot at the 1/3 point with your finger; a relatively crisp sound means there is plenty of moisture in the soil, while a dull sound means the pot is dry, and at this time it needs watering.
2. Weigh by hand
If you are very sensitive to weight, before watering Clivia you can lift the pot and feel its weight. If it feels lighter, then it should be watered at this time. Of course, this weighing by hand also requires a process, otherwise it is easy to make mistakes.
3. Probe the soil
How do you judge whether Clivia should be watered? Besides the two methods above, the simplest and most direct is to probe the soil. Specific method: flower lovers can insert a finger about 1/3 of the way into the potting soil to feel it. If it is moist, do not water; if it is dry, or even so dry that a finger cannot be inserted, then it is time to water!
III. The correct method of watering Clivia, watering through the four seasons
Now that we know how to judge whether Clivia should be watered, let us look at the correct method of watering Clivia. Simply put, watering Clivia should be "thorough" but not "leaking", to prevent nutrient loss. The following are the four-season watering methods for Clivia; keep reading.
(1) Watering Clivia in spring, once every 2-3 days
In spring, the earth warms up and the temperature gradually rises, so Clivia should be watered more at this time. Generally speaking, water Clivia once every 2-3 days in spring, with watering time at 9 to 10 a.m.; if the weather is dry, you may also spray water on the leaf surface.
(2) Watering Clivia in summer, once a day
In summer, the temperature continues to rise, and at this time the amount of water evaporation is large, so the frequency of watering Clivia should be increased; it is best to water once every morning, though of course this also depends on the weather and the dryness or moisture of the potting soil.
Summer watering principle for Clivia: do not water until it has dried through, and when you water, water thoroughly. Do not let the potting soil stay neither wet nor dry, otherwise the leaves will grow thin and weak.
Precautions: For watering Clivia, it is best to use stored rainwater; tap water should be left to settle for 24 hours before use, to prevent the soil from deteriorating. If there are continuous showers, the pot should be tilted in time to pour out water or moved indoors; if the potting soil drains poorly and water accumulates for a long time, its fleshy roots are prone to rotting.
(3) Watering Clivia in autumn, once every 2-3 days
In autumn the weather gradually turns cooler. At this time, watering Clivia is basically the same as in spring, about once every 2 to 3 days, and watering should preferably be done at 9 to 10 a.m.; the potting soil should still be kept slightly on the dry side. Water for watering: rainwater is better, river water and tap water are next, and well water is best not used.
(4) How to water Clivia in winter, once every 7 days
Among the correct methods of watering Clivia, winter watering is what flower lovers need to pay the most attention to. In winter, when the temperature drops, if the room temperature is below 10°C, Clivia will enter a dormant state. At this time it does not need much water, so watering Clivia can be extended to about once every 7 days, and watering should be done when the weather is good.
Precautions: In winter, Clivia should not be watered with cold water. The water temperature should be close to room temperature. No heating is needed; just leave the water indoors for a while. In winter, if Clivia is already in the scape-bolting period, do not use a spray bottle to spray water, because the sprayed water droplets are hard to control, in case the flower stamens remain moist for a long time and rot.