A Detailed Guide to Growing the Clivia
Clivia is a plant of the genus Clivia in the Amaryllidaceae family, distributed in southern Africa as well as in Hubei Province and other places in mainland China. It has been introduced and cultivated by humans. Its leaves are narrow and long, and its flower stems are slightly shorter than the leaves. Its orange-yellow flowers hang downward in a bucket shape when they open. It is a potted flower used to decorate venues during the Spring Festival, adorn hotels, and beautify the home environment. Let's take a look below at how to grow Clivia!
Growing Habits of Clivia
Clivia is native to southern Africa and has been introduced and cultivated in China for ornamental purposes. It likes a warm and cool environment, needs plenty of sunlight in winter, and slight shade in summer. It requires loose, fertile leaf mold soil. When the indoor temperature drops below 5°C in winter, growth stops, or when it is above 30°C in summer, the flowering period is short and the color is pale. It requires air humidity of 70-80% and soil moisture content of 20-30%. Excessive soil moisture easily causes root rot.
Propagation Methods of Clivia
1. Division: For propagation by division of Clivia, after the mother plant blooms each spring, remove the offsets beside the mother plant and plant them separately. If the offset has no fleshy roots, it can first be inserted into sand, and after rooting, potted.
2. Sowing: For propagation by sowing of Clivia, sow indoors in pots in winter, and the room temperature must be above 20°C, otherwise the seeds easily rot. After sowing, they germinate in 20-25 days, and seedlings grown from seed need 4-5 years of cultivation before they can bloom.
How to Grow Clivia
1. Soil: Clivia is suitable for soil rich in humus. This kind of soil has good air permeability, good water permeability, and is fertile, with a slightly acidic pH of 6.5. Mixing about 20% sand grains into leaf mold soil is beneficial for root growth. When cultivating, use pots that gradually increase in size as the plant grows. When cultivating one-year-old seedlings, a 3-inch pot is suitable. In the second year, switch to a 5-inch pot, and afterward repot into a pot one size larger every 1-2 years. Repotting can be done in spring and autumn.
2. Fertilizing: Clivia likes fertilizer, but too much fertilizer can cause root rot. In addition to applying base fertilizer, topdressing should adopt the method of "light fertilizer applied frequently." Apply base fertilizer when repotting. In spring and autumn, apply fermented solid fertilizer once a month, and then apply liquid fertilizer once a week. It is best not to topdress, and the whole plant can rely on the nutrients accumulated in spring and autumn to grow slowly.
3. Light: During the entire cultivation process of Clivia, try not to let the plant receive direct sunlight. About four hours a day in diffused sunlight is enough. Too strong light will make the leaves narrower. In summer, avoid high temperatures and scorching sun exposure, and place it in a cool environment with higher air humidity, paying attention to ventilation. It is afraid of cold, so it should be moved indoors and placed in a position with ample light. It can overwinter safely at a room temperature of about 5°C.
4. Temperature: The suitable temperature for Clivia is 15-20°C. When it is above 25°C, the plant grows poorly, and leaf etiolation often occurs, affecting flower bud differentiation. At this time, pay attention to ventilation and cooling. When it is below 10°C, growth is slow. When it drops below 0°C, the plant will freeze to death. In summer, pay attention to cooling, which can promote flower bud differentiation. A large temperature difference between day and night is beneficial to the growth of Clivia, generally 6-10°C is suitable.
5. Watering: Potted Clivia should not be watered too much; keeping it moist is enough. In the plum rain season from May to June, prevent rain from washing over it, so as to avoid root and leaf diseases and rot. During high-temperature periods in summer, pay attention to spraying water to cool it down. In autumn, appropriately apply topdressing to promote leaf growth. In winter, increasing temperature and keeping the soil moist are beneficial for flowering.
Pest and Disease Control of Clivia
1. Leaf blight: Leaf blight of Clivia mainly harms the leaves. Initially, light reddish-brown, elliptical elongated spots appear, with a clear boundary between diseased and healthy tissue, and the surrounding tissue turns yellow. Remove diseased leaves promptly, appropriately increase potassium fertilizer, avoid excessive watering that leaves water on the leaves, and in the early stage of the disease, spray a 1000-fold solution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder.
2. Root rot: During the cultivation of Clivia, tools and substrate must be strictly sterilized. In the early stage of the disease, irrigate the roots with 400-600 mcg/L penicillin and streptomycin. In severe cases, cut off all the rotten parts, soak the remaining parts in potassium permanganate solution for 1 hour, then wash them clean with water and replant.
3. Scale insects: For damage by scale insects on Clivia, manual control can be used. With a bamboo stick, small wooden stick, small soft brush, etc., gently brush off the insects and sooty mold, then wash clean with water. During the nymph stage, spray a 40-100-fold emulsion of Jiemanling.