Five key steps for winter care of clivia, and methods for preventing and controlling edible fungus pests and diseases

To grow clivia well in winter, you should put extra effort into 5 aspects:

Soil and fertilizer: Clivia prefers loose, fertile neutral or slightly acidic humus soil. The growing medium can be mixed from 65% humus soil, 20% clean sand, and 15% fine furnace ash. Clivia should be given one application of solid fertilizer in winter, with less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Eggshell powder and thoroughly decomposed fishy water are very good phosphorus fertilizers, while bran ash and tobacco ash are readily available potassium fertilizers. A compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can also be applied to encourage it to sprout more new plants and leaves. Fertilization must be done in the right amount, and it is essential to avoid applying concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer that has not been fermented and thoroughly decomposed, otherwise it can easily cause leaf tip scorch or rot. In winter, if new leaves show spots and the root system turns yellow, it indicates over-fertilization, while new leaves that are narrow, thin, and especially pale in color are a sign of fertilizer deficiency.

Watering: The soil should not be too dry or too wet, and each watering must soak through; after flower buds appear, a little more water should be given. About every 20 days, in combination with watering, apply once fermented soybean cake water, diluted fishy water, or water from water chestnuts, combining watering with fertilization. When room temperature is low, watering should be controlled to prevent the potting soil from becoming too wet; overly wet potting soil can cause root rot and plant death, but the potting soil also must not be allowed to become too dry.

Temperature retention: The suitable growing temperature for clivia in winter is 15-20°C, and it is best not to let it fall below 10°C. After the flower scape emerges, the temperature should be kept at around 18°C, and the day-night temperature difference is best around 10°C; otherwise, the flower scape will bloom before reaching the proper height, easily forming "clamped scape." When the outdoor temperature at night is below 10°C, clivia should be moved indoors. When the indoor temperature is below 10°C, in addition to covering the surface of the potting soil with a 1 cm thick layer of charcoal powder for warmth, the flowerpot should also be placed in a sunny, warm spot indoors. When the indoor temperature is especially low, a plastic film can be placed over the flowerpot to raise the temperature, but the temperature under the cover must not exceed 25°C; if it does, ventilate promptly to cool it down.

Light: Although clivia likes a semi-shaded environment, in winter the longer the sunlight exposure, the better. Strong light during blooming will shorten the flowering period, while weak light can extend it. It likes warmth and coolness, and dislikes severe cold and intense heat. It generally grows well at 18-20°C and stops growing below 5°C. After clivia is brought indoors, light is restricted, so the flowerpot needs to be moved manually for adjustment. Under normal circumstances, during the day the flowerpot should be placed in a sunny spot indoors so that sunlight can reach the plant. Before flowering, at night the flowerpot should also be placed under a fluorescent lamp to supplement light. Because the two rows of clivia leaves are opposite, if light remains in one position for a long time, the leaves will grow unevenly and affect the ornamental effect. Therefore, when adjusting light, attention should be paid to the direction of the leaves, and the side facing the sun should be changed about every 10 days. There are two ways to place the flowerpot indoors: one is to place the leaves parallel to the sunny window, and the other is to place the leaves perpendicular to the sunny window; the latter works better than the former.

Extending the flowering period: The flowering period of clivia is mostly from December to March of the following year. The method to extend the flowering period is to place it in a dark place when the flowers are about to open, appropriately control watering, and keep the temperature at 8-12°C. In this way, the flowering period can be extended by 10-20 days.