Mushroom Preservation Methods and Clivia Soil-Change Tips

Uncle Dong from Tianjin introduces how to change the soil for Clivia. Dong Ye grew award-winning clivias on his balcony, and his experience is worth learning from and sharing among clivia enthusiasts. As spring passes and autumn arrives, it is once again time to repot and change the soil for clivias. For the vast majority of growers, this task is as natural as changing clothes with the seasons. But a few enthusiasts disagree. Online, we often see growers asking (and many have also sent me text messages): Why repot clivias? Why can't small seedlings use large pots? Why can't large plants use small pots? How many times a year is best to change the soil, and is it OK to skip it if it's too troublesome? Should you water immediately after changing the soil or wait? How should you water? ... and so on. In response to these questions, I will share my personal views for everyone's reference and discussion.

I. Why repot clivias?

1. As everyone knows, a clivia goes from seed and seedling to mature plant through a physiological process of continuous growth and change. A seedling with one leaf generally has only one root, so a 3-cun pot can hold 3 to 5 seedlings. As time goes on, especially after planting out, the roots and leaves keep increasing, so clivias must be repotted periodically or as needed to suit their growth requirements.

2. Small seedlings must not use large pots. After watering a small seedling in a large pot, the water evaporates too slowly, causing the potting soil to stay waterlogged for a long time, resulting in severe oxygen deficiency, or the water may not penetrate thoroughly or evenly, all of which are unfavorable to the growth of small seedlings (small plants).

3. Large plants must not use small pots either. Using a small pot for a large plant hinders the roots from spreading out and growing, provides too little nutrient soil and thus insufficient nutrients, and after watering the water evaporates too quickly, all of which are unfavorable to clivia growth. At this point we can sum up the above questions: clivias must be repotted according to their growth needs, meaning neither small plants in large pots nor large plants in small pots. In one sentence: use a pot sized to the plant (and also according to how many roots it has).

II. Why should clivias have their soil changed twice a year?

1. The soil used for clivias is a nutrient soil made mainly of decayed leaves and pine needles plus a small amount of river sand and charcoal residue. The nutrients in such nutrient soil last at most half a year before being used up by the clivia. When you change the soil, you can see that after half a year the old potting soil has turned to mud, not only devoid of nutrients but also extremely poor in air permeability. Therefore, changing the soil twice a year is essential. Of course, if you insist on not changing the soil, it is not impossible. Clivias are highly resistant to stress, and bare-rooted plants can survive for dozens of days. Without watering or changing the soil they will not die any time soon, but growing well becomes difficult. I have seen clivias that were grown for twenty or thirty years with only a few leaves, which is related to not repotting, not changing the soil and inadequate care.

2. How to change the soil for clivias?

(1) Prepare materials before changing the soil: mix decayed leaves, pine needles, river sand and charcoal residue well (in autumn use a 5:2:2:1 ratio; in spring it can be adjusted) and set aside. Also prepare solid fertilizers such as large and small hemp seeds and sunflower seeds, roasted and set aside (note that the amount must not be too large), and at the same time choose some special pots suitable for the size of the clivia and set them aside.

(2) Stop watering the clivia for 5 to 15 days (depending on pot size) so that the moisture in the potting soil is close to zero. The purpose is to avoid damaging the roots when changing the soil and to speed recovery.

(3) Turn the pot over and tap off the soil to check the root growth, remove rotten roots and hollow roots, then begin filling soil and potting up:

Step one: Cover the drainage hole with two pieces of tile, covering but not tightly, blocking but not "dead", so as to allow water and air through without losing soil or exposing roots.

Step two: Spread a base layer of soil in the bottom of the pot (you can also combine this with a base fertilizer). After spreading it, hold the clivia roots upward with the root crown exposed and fill with plain soil, then use the roots to wrap the soil in the root crown, and place it into the pot with the root wrap facing down. Do not let the soil in the root crown scatter.

Step three: With one hand holding the root crown, use the other hand to fill soil around the inside of the pot wall (in autumn you can mix in solid fertilizer or use it as a waist fertilizer). Fill the soil evenly, and as you fill, straighten the plant with your hand and firm the soil. Note here that filling soil means using the soil inside the pot wall and around the outside of the root crown, together with the soil in the root crown, to squeeze or "lock" the roots in place rather than pressing them down. The purpose is to let the root system spread out and grow smoothly.

III. When and how should you water after repotting and changing the soil?

After repotting and changing the soil, you should water immediately, and water heavily and thoroughly, for three consecutive days, to prevent turbid air from damaging the roots, then return to normal care. Some people do not advocate watering immediately after repotting and changing the soil, claiming it lets the clivia adapt to the pot and that watering less lets the roots gradually adjust, but the author believes this lacks scientific and practical basis and is not advisable.