30 summaries on caring for clivia (Clivia miniata), plus methods for preventing and treating edible mushroom diseases
1. What kind of flower pot is best for cultivating clivia?
Answer: Clivia has fleshy roots and strong drought resistance, but it fears waterlogging, so it demands not only loose soil with good water permeability and aeration, but also a flower pot with excellent water permeability and aeration. Clay pots, also called unglazed pots, fully meet these two conditions. Therefore, clay pots are the best choice for planting clivia.
2. What kind of soil is best for cultivating clivia?
Answer: According to the physiological characteristics of clivia, the soil must be loose and breathable, with good water retention and fertilizer retention, and be fairly fertile, to suit the root growth of clivia. Leaf mold soil has these characteristics. Therefore, leaf mold soil is the best choice. Leaf mold soil includes oak leaf soil, oak leaf soil, hazel leaf soil and larch needle soil, etc. Naturally decomposed leaf soil must be used, and it must not contain other impurities. Different screens can be used according to different needs to sift out suitable granules. Small granules are used for planting seedlings, while larger granules are used for mature clivia.
3. What should be noted when watering clivia?
Answer: Water is the source of all things, and it is also a necessary condition for growing clivia well. First, choose good water quality, requiring a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Tap water used for watering flowers must be aged, that is, left in a container for two or three days before use. It is even better to put it in sunlight. Well water or other water should also be left for one or two days in the greenhouse or where the flowers are placed, so that the water temperature matches the soil temperature before watering, to avoid harm to the flowers caused by too great a temperature difference between water and soil. The best time to water is in the morning or evening, and the interval between waterings should be determined by how dry or moist the potting soil is, and cannot be formulaic. Water can be poured directly on the stems and leaves of the plant, but for large flowers, especially those that have bolted or are blooming, do not water directly on the leaves, as this will cause the flower scape to rot or affect pollination results. In summer, when temperatures are high and the weather is hot, the leaf temperature of the flowers is very high, so do not water the leaves at noon, to prevent clivia from catching a "cold" and leaves from being damaged.
4. What kind of fertilizer is best for clivia?
Answer: Clivia is a flowering plant that likes fertilizer, and fertilizer is crucial to the growth of clivia. Organic fertilizer is best for clivia. Organic fertilizer is made by fermenting raw materials and applying them after decomposition. Those with a high nitrogen content include soybean cake, castor seeds, soybeans, hemp seeds, forest materials and other oil crops. Those with a relatively high phosphorus content include bone meal, fish scales, rice bran and poultry manure, etc. Those with a relatively high potassium content include plant ash, charcoal, rice straw ash, etc. The growth of clivia cannot do without the three elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Some fine furnace slag, river sand, eggshells, etc. can also be mixed into the soil to increase the content of trace elements.
5. How should fertilizer be fermented for clivia?
Answer: Organic fertilizer must go through a fermentation process, so that the raw materials can be turned into fertilizer. Unfermented raw materials cannot be used directly as fertilizer. Before fermenting fertilizer, the raw materials should be crushed and subjected to high-temperature treatment such as steaming and boiling. This can not only sterilize them but also shorten the fermentation time. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should preferably be fermented in separate containers. Add 1/3 raw materials and 1/3 water, and do not fill the container completely, to prevent overflow during fermentation. Do not close the lid too tightly, so that gas can escape from the container during fermentation. Wide-mouth plastic buckets are best for the containers, because plastic buckets do not rust and are convenient to use because of the wide mouth. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer can also be fermented in a certain proportion. The fermentation time depends on the temperature: high temperatures make fermentation fast, and summer is a good time to ferment fertilizer. To judge whether the fertilizer has fermented well, see whether it smells bad, and for uncrushed materials such as soybeans, see whether there is still a hard core. Well-fermented fertilizer smells bad and is sticky, smooth and fine. Such fertilizer is ready to use.
6. How should base fertilizer be added for clivia?
Answer: Adding base fertilizer means adding some fried or boiled oil crops with shells, such as hemp seeds, perilla seeds, sunflower seeds, castor seeds and bone meal granules, to the bottom of the flower pot when changing the pot and soil. This is commonly called solid fertilizer. The method of adding base fertilizer is to first put a layer of soil in the bottom of the pot, evenly scatter a layer of raw materials on the soil, cover with another layer of soil on top, and then plant the flower directly on top, completing the whole process of adding base fertilizer. Remember not to let the raw materials come into direct contact with the roots. The characteristic of base fertilizer is that the fertilizer effect is long-lasting and uniform, and the fertility slowly seeps out from the cracks in the shells of the oil crops and is absorbed by the flower roots. The method of adding base fertilizer is generally used when changing soil in autumn.
7. How should edge fertilizer be added for clivia?
Answer: The raw materials for so-called edge fertilizer are the same as those for base fertilizer, except that edge fertilizer is added after the flower is planted in the pot: pull aside a ring of soil at the edge of the pot, evenly scatter the oil crops with shells around the edge of the pot, but do not let them come into direct contact with the flower pot. Leave a layer of soil between them, and do not place them right against the false bulb of the flower, nor bury them too deep, and do not let them directly touch the roots, then cover with another layer of soil on top. The characteristic of edge fertilizer is that the solid fertilizer does not directly contact the roots, and it slowly penetrates from top to bottom. It can be used when changing soil in both spring and autumn. For family clivia growing, the method of adding base fertilizer or edge fertilizer can be used to prevent the bad smell of water fertilizer from polluting the home environment.
8. How should liquid fertilizer be applied as a top dressing for clivia?
Answer: Clivia is a flowering plant that likes fertilizer, especially in the three vigorous growing seasons of spring, autumn and winter, when water fertilizer must be applied as a top dressing. The method of top dressing is to dilute the fermented fertilizer stock solution with water by 10-25 times. Top dressing methods: one is to pour the diluted fertilizer water directly into the pot. The steps are to first dilute the fertilizer stock solution 10-15 times, water the soil in the flower pot once with a spray pot to moisten it, then pour the diluted water directly into the pot, and then sprinkle water over the pot once more, completing the whole process of top dressing. The other is fertilizer soaking, also called sitting fertilizer. The steps are: dilute the fertilizer stock solution 20-25 times, place it in a large container, immerse the flower pot directly in the fertilizer water, use a ladle to repeatedly pour the fertilizer water into the pot until it is thoroughly soaked, then take it out and sprinkle water over the flower pot once, and after draining, the whole process of sitting fertilizer is completed. The former method is suitable for top dressing with water fertilizer over a large area, while the latter method adds fertilizer water more evenly but is more time-consuming and troublesome, and is suitable for small areas or household cultivation and for greenhouse cultivation of some high-grade, specially cultivated varieties.
9. What are the reasons why mature clivia does not bloom?
Answer: There are many reasons why mature clivia does not bloom. First, the soil is not changed for a long time, and the soil is seriously lacking in phosphorus fertilizer and other elements. Second, root rot causes poor nutrient absorption, leading to failure to bloom. Third, long-term drought and lack of water lead to failure to bloom. The improvement methods are: mature clivia must be repotted with soil changed and more phosphorus-containing fertilizers such as bone meal and fish scales added. For mature clivia with root rot, focus on nourishing the roots, and mix more sand or fine furnace slag into the soil so that the root system recovers as quickly as possible. For those suffering long-term drought and lack of water, the whole pot must be soaked, to prevent the false appearance that large amounts of water are poured but all flow out through drought cracks while the soil is still dry rather than thoroughly watered. As long as the above methods are adopted, mature clivia will surely open beautiful flowers.
10. What causes flower scape binding in clivia, and what should be done?
Answer: Flower scape binding in mature clivia is a common problem encountered by growers. So-called scape binding means the scape has not emerged but the flowers have already opened. There are many causes of scape binding, and different measures should be taken to improve each cause. First, a small temperature difference, especially for clivia grown indoors at home, where day and night temperatures are similar and the temperature difference is only 2-3 degrees, which is not conducive to scape emergence. The improvement method is to place it on a windowsill during the day and in a place 5-10 degrees lower than the windowsill temperature at night. This creates an artificial small temperature difference environment, and the scape can then emerge. Second, too much water and fertilizer, which puts the root system in an oxygen-deficient state, and too much fertilizer easily damages the roots. The improvement method is to change the soil, wash the roots and dry them, washing the root system with clean water and then drying it in a cool place for 4-5 hours, then replacing it with new nutrient soil, and after a few days the scape can shoot out. Third, root rot and withered roots, caused by long-term failure to water thoroughly. The improvement method is to replace with new soil, water thoroughly, and cultivate new roots; after the new roots grow, the scape will emerge accordingly. Other causes such as excessively high temperature or excessively low temperature can be improved by prescribing the right remedy for the symptoms. Varieties such as Quelan and Huanglan have a shared physiological defect that produces scape binding, and there is currently no good way to solve it. This is a new topic in clivia cultivation research.
11. What causes root rot in clivia, and what should be done?
Answer: Root rot in clivia is a common phenomenon. What causes it? First, a high-temperature environment with too much water: long-term heavy watering keeps the roots soaked in water for a long time, causing oxygen deficiency and leading to root rot. Second, too much fertilizer burning the roots: excessively high water-fertilizer concentration or excessive application of solid fertilizer burns the roots and leads to root rot. Third, failure to change the potting soil for a long time, causing the soil to harden and become impermeable, leading to root rot. Fourth, long-term drought withering the roots followed by excessive watering, causing root rot. Fifth, using raw soil or undecomposed leaves, which ferment in the pot, generate heat and burn the root system, or poor soil selection causing root rot. No matter what cause produces root rot, corresponding measures must be taken promptly. (1) Remove the rotted roots; (2) Wash the roots and disinfect and sterilize them with potassium permanganate. Gentian violet, charcoal ash, rice straw ash, etc. can also be applied to the wounds, then replace with new soil, control the amount of watering, do not add fertilizer, and after half a month new roots can grow.
12. Is spraying water on clivia leaves good?
Answer: The leaves of clivia are important organs for photosynthesis. If there is dust or dirt on the leaf surface, it is not conducive to photosynthesis. Spraying water on the leaf surface regularly can clean dust and dirt from the leaves and maintain leaf moisture. Especially in summer, water should be sprayed on clivia leaves every day, and the sprayed water is best in a fine mist form with a certain pressure, so that dew-like droplets form on the leaves. Spraying water on the leaf surface can reduce water evaporation from the leaves, lower leaf temperature, and help prevent excessive leaf growth. However, when clivia is bolting and blooming, do not spray water on the scape or flowers, to prevent scape rot and washing away pollen so that fruit does not set. For household clivia growing, water can be sprayed on the leaves multiple times a day to help create a moist micro-environment, which is beneficial to the robust growth of clivia.
13. What should be done if clivia leaves are not neat?
Answer: Clivia leaves are strongly phototropic. If management is poor, leaf skewing easily occurs, affecting the ornamental value of clivia. One method to correct skewed leaves is to use plastic clothespins padded with soft paper and directly clip the skewed leaf together with a well-shaped leaf; after a period of time it can be corrected. The second method is to use opaque black tin foil paper, or thin cardboard, cut to the length of the leaf, folded to 1/2 the leaf width, and fixed on the leaf with a hairpin or paper clip. Whichever side the leaf skews toward, fix it on that side, and after a few days the leaf returns to normal. Be careful to observe at all times to prevent over-correction. Third, when clivia is viewed from the front, some leaves have a large gap between two leaves, while some two leaves are close together. A thick cardboard can be used to make a sleeve board, with slots of appropriate spacing cut according to the number of leaves, and the leaves inserted into them. After the above various methods of treatment and shaping, clivia can achieve the ideal flower shape of forming a line when viewed from the side and opening like a fan when viewed from the front.
14. How should collected pollen be stored?
Answer: Collected pollen, that is, the cluster of anthers at the tip of the stamen after the anther opens and sheds pollen, is picked for preparing to artificially pollinate the pistil of one's own flower. So how should collected pollen be kept and stored? First prepare a penicillin vial, open the rubber cap, wash it clean, dry it, roll toilet paper into a roll-shaped bottle stopper, use tweezers or a hemostat to clip off near the base of the stamen, roll it to the middle of the paper roll stopper, leaving a section of stamen stalk exposed, then face the pollen toward the inside of the bottle and insert the stopper tightly, and place it in the refrigerator compartment or in a cool, dry place, with the temperature controlled within the range of 3°C to 10°C above zero. Take it out when needed and put it back immediately after use. When storing pollen, avoid high temperatures and sunlight. If you want to store precious pollen across years, soak the outside of the stopper thoroughly with melted paraffin to prevent air permeation. Then place it in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, where it can be stored frozen for one year, and still be used the next year, and can also set fruit.
15. How should the best time for pollination be chosen? How should clivia be pollinated?
Answer: On the 3rd-4th day after the female bud opens, the top of the three-pronged stigma begins to secrete sticky fluid and easily adheres to pollen. This is the best time for pollination. The time for pollination is generally chosen at 9-10 o'clock in the morning and 2-3 o'clock in the afternoon. This is because at these times the temperature in the greenhouse and indoors rises, sunlight is abundant, and the climate is dry, which is beneficial to the pollination effect. Use tweezers or the pollen rolled in a paper roll to place the collected pollen onto the pistil, that is, the three-pronged stigma, of the plant to be pollinated, and pollination is complete when the three-pronged stigma is seen to have pollen adhering to it. To be safe, pollinate again the next day.