Key Points for Winter Care of Potted Clivia and Methods for Cultivating Edible Mushrooms
Clivia (Clivia miniata) likes warmth and light and is not cold-tolerant, so special attention should be paid to strengthening the following management in winter.
Fertilizer and water management: Apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Eggshell powder and fermented fishy water are excellent phosphorus fertilizers, while chaff ash and tobacco ash are readily available potassium fertilizers. A nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer can also be applied to encourage the growth of more new shoots and leaves. Fertilization must be moderate; never apply concentrated fertilizer or raw, unfermented manure, otherwise the leaf tips may scorch or rot. In winter, if spots appear on new leaves and the roots turn yellow, it indicates over-fertilization; while narrow, thin new leaves with a particularly pale color indicate a fertilizer deficiency.
The soil should not be too dry or too wet. Each watering must soak through, and after flower buds form, a little more water should be given. About every 20 days, combine watering with an application of fermented soybean cake water, diluted fishy water or water from soaking water chestnuts, combining watering and fertilizing. When room temperature is low, watering should be controlled to prevent the potting soil from becoming too wet and causing root rot and death.
Temperature management: The suitable temperature for Clivia in winter is 15°C to 20°C, and it is best not to let it drop below 10°C. After the flower stalk shoots up, the temperature should be kept at around 18°C, and the day-night temperature difference should preferably be about 10°C; otherwise, the flower stalk will bloom before reaching the proper height, easily resulting in a stuck stalk. Therefore, when the outdoor temperature at night drops below 10°C, it should be moved indoors. When the indoor temperature falls below 10°C, in addition to covering the surface of the potting soil with a 1 cm thick layer of charcoal powder for insulation, it should also be placed in a sunny, warm spot indoors. When the indoor temperature is particularly low, a plastic film can be draped over the flowerpot to raise the temperature, but the temperature under the cover must not exceed 25°C; if it does, ventilate to cool it down.
Regulating light: After Clivia is brought indoors, light is limited, so the flowerpot must be moved manually to adjust it. Usually, during the day it should be placed in a sunny spot indoors so that it receives sunlight. Before flowering, it should also be placed under a fluorescent lamp at night for supplementary indoor lighting. Since the two rows of leaves of Clivia are opposite each other, if the light stays in one position for a long time, the leaves will grow unevenly, affecting the ornamental effect. For this reason, when adjusting the light, attention should be paid to the direction of the leaves, and the side facing the light should be rotated about every 10 days.