Edible Fungi Pest and Disease Control and Clivia Care Tips
Clivia can not only decorate halls and beautify the environment, but also purify the air. Growing a few pots of clivia indoors allows them, through photosynthesis, to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, acting as a "purifier" in their own metabolic process.
Clivia likes a cool and warm climate and is suited to scattered light; direct sunlight should be avoided in summer, and it is not tolerant of severe cold in winter. The optimum growing temperature is 15-25°C, and in high-temperature environments above 30°C the leaves tend to turn yellow. It grows quickly in spring and autumn, and is in a semi-dormant state in summer. It requires fertile, loose forest humus soil and is suited to growing in slightly acidic or neutral soil with a pH of 6.7.
1. Division and planting
After sowing, when the seedlings have grown 1-2 leaves, divide and plant them. The potting soil can be a mixture of 7 parts horse manure soil and 3 parts river sand, or 7 parts forest humus soil and 3 parts river sand. When planting the small seedlings into small pots, gently fill in the growing medium so as not to damage the roots. After planting, water thoroughly and place in a ventilated spot indoors, keeping the temperature at 15-20°C. During the seedling stage, when summer temperatures are high, water once a day. When winter temperatures are low, let the potting soil dry out completely before watering thoroughly; no fertiliser is needed, as the nutrients contained in the new growing medium are already enough to meet the seedlings' growth needs.
When the seedlings have grown into large plants at 2 years old, a dilute cake fertiliser solution can be applied as a top dressing every spring and autumn, but do not let the fertiliser liquid splash onto the leaves, to avoid leaf rot. For 2-year-old clivia, keep the soil moist and maintain the temperature at 15-25°C. When it turns warmer in summer, place the clivia in a semi-shaded spot outdoors to avoid exposure to the sun; when it turns colder in winter, place it in a spot indoors with plenty of sunlight to prevent frost damage. If managed well during this period, the plant will grow robustly and can bloom after 3 years; otherwise it takes 4-5 years or longer. During growth, if the temperature is too low and the soil is dry, flower growth will be affected and "arrow clamping" will occur. If this happens, first make sure the soil contains sufficient moisture, keep the room temperature at 17-20°C, and apply a top dressing of a mixed solution of 0.1% urea and 0.5% monopotassium phosphate, or use clivia flower-stalk-promoting agent; either can promote the emergence of the flower scape.
In addition, yellowing leaves often occur during growth. There are 4 main causes of yellow leaves: first, sunscald. Second, excessive water and fertiliser. Third, soil that is too alkaline or too acidic. Fourth, nitrogen deficiency. Solutions: (1) Place the clivia indoors or under a shade shed in a spot with scattered light, avoid direct sunlight, and keep the temperature at 15-25°C. (2) Replace the growing medium, cut away rotten roots, and control water and fertiliser use. (3) Change the pH of the growing medium so that it becomes neutral or slightly acidic; pH 6.7-7 is suitable, so clivia should not be watered with ferrous sulfate fertiliser solution. (4) Apply more fermented cake fertiliser solution. If attention is paid to cultivation, the yellowing of leaves will be eliminated.
2. Repotting
As the plant grows, the root system gradually increases, and at this point repotting is needed. When repotting, trim away old roots and rotten roots and add new growing medium, as only this can promote growth. Generally, repotting is needed once every 2-3 years, and it can be done in spring or autumn. Do not water immediately after repotting, to avoid infection and rotting of the root wounds.
The above is the cultivation technique for clivia. As long as we are a little more patient in normal times and carry out care according to scientific methods, I believe that growing clivia is not a very difficult thing!