How to grow Clivia? 30 excellent tips to help you grow it well
1. What kind of flower pot is best for cultivating Clivia?
Clivia has fleshy roots and strong drought resistance, but it fears waterlogging, so it not only requires loose soil with good water permeability and air permeability, but also requires flower pots with excellent water permeability and air permeability. 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?
According to the physiological characteristics of Clivia, the soil is required to be loose and breathable, with good water retention and fertilizer retention, and relatively fertile, so as to adapt to the root growth of Clivia. Leaf mold has these characteristics. Therefore, leaf mold is the best choice. Leaf mold 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 particle sizes. Use small particles for planting seedlings, and larger particles for mature Clivia.
3. What issues should be noted when watering Clivia?
Water is the source of all things and also a necessary condition for growing Clivia well. First, choose good water quality, requiring neutral to slightly acidic pH. If using tap water to water flowers, it must be aged, that is, leave the water 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 preferably be left for one or two days in the greenhouse or where the flowers are placed, so that the water temperature is consistent with the soil temperature before watering, to avoid harm to the flowers caused by too large 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 according to the dryness and wetness of the potting soil, and cannot be formulaic. You can water directly onto the stems and leaves of the plant. For large flowers, especially those with emerging flower stems or large flowers in bloom, do not water directly onto the leaves, as this will cause the flower stem to rot or affect pollination results. In summer, when the temperature is high and the weather is hot, the leaf temperature is very high, so do not water the leaves at noon, to prevent Clivia from catching a "cold" and to prevent leaf damage.
4. What kind of fertilizer is best for Clivia?
Clivia is a fertilizer-loving flower. Fertilizer is crucial to the growth of Clivia. Organic fertilizer is best for Clivia. Organic fertilizer is made by composting and fermenting raw materials and applying them after decomposition. Those with higher nitrogen content include soybean cake, castor seeds, soybeans, hemp seeds, forest and other oil crops. Those with higher phosphorus content include bone meal, fish scales, rice bran, and poultry manure, etc. Those with higher 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 to compost fertilizer for Clivia?
Organic fertilizer must undergo a composting and fermentation process, so that the raw materials can be turned into fertilizer. Unfermented raw materials cannot be used directly as fertilizer. Before composting fertilizer, the raw materials should be crushed and subjected to high-temperature treatment such as steaming and boiling. This can not only sterilize but also shorten the fermentation time. It is best to place the composted nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers in different containers. Add 1/3 raw materials and 1/3 water, and do not fill it full, to avoid overflow from the container during fermentation. Do not cover the lid too tightly, so that gas can escape from the container during fermentation. It is best to use wide-mouth plastic buckets as 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 composted in a certain proportion. The fermentation time depends on the temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the fermentation. Summer is a good time to ferment fertilizer. To judge whether the fertilizer has fermented well, check whether it smells bad, and for materials such as soybeans that have not been crushed, check 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 to add base fertilizer for Clivia?
Adding base fertilizer means adding some fried or cooked 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 pots and soil. It is commonly called solid fertilizer. The method of adding base fertilizer is to first put a layer of soil at the bottom of the pot, evenly sprinkle a layer of raw materials on the soil, then cover with another layer of soil, and then plant the flower directly on top, thus 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 adding 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. Generally, the method of adding base fertilizer is mostly used when changing soil in autumn.
7. How to add side fertilizer for Clivia?
The so-called side fertilizer uses the same raw materials as base fertilizer, except that side fertilizer is added after the flower is planted in the pot by scraping open a ring of soil at the edge of the pot and evenly sprinkling shelled oil crops around the edge of the pot, but not directly touching the flower pot. Leave a layer of soil between them, and do not place it right next to the pseudobulb of the flower, nor bury it too deep, and do not let it directly touch the roots, then cover with another layer of soil on top. The characteristic of side fertilizer is that the solid fertilizer does not directly contact the roots and slowly penetrates from top to bottom. It can be used when changing soil in both spring and autumn. Family Clivia growers can use the method of adding base fertilizer or side fertilizer to prevent the bad smell of water fertilizer from polluting the home environment.
8. How to apply liquid fertilizer as a top dressing for Clivia?
Clivia is a fertilizer-loving flower, especially in the peak growing seasons of spring, autumn, and winter, when water fertilizer must be applied as a top dressing. The top dressing method is to dilute the composted fertilizer stock solution with 10-25 times water. Top dressing methods: one is to directly pour the diluted fertilizer water into the pot. The steps are to first dilute the fertilizer stock solution 10-15 times, moisten the soil in the flower pot once with a watering can, then directly pour the diluted water into the pot, and then sprinkle water over the pot once more, thus 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, directly immerse the flower pot in the fertilizer water, and repeatedly pour the fertilizer water into the pot with a spoon until thoroughly watered, 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 large-area water fertilizer top dressing, 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 greenhouse cultivation of some high-grade key varieties.
9. Why does mature Clivia not bloom?
There are many reasons why mature Clivia does not bloom. First, the soil has not been changed for a long time, and the soil is seriously lacking in phosphate fertilizer and other elements. Second, root rot causes poor nutrient absorption and thus no blooming. Third, long-term drought and lack of water lead to no blooming. The improvement methods are as follows: mature Clivia must have its soil changed and the pot turned, with 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 soon as possible. For those suffering from long-term drought and lack of water, the whole pot must be soaked to prevent the illusion of thorough watering caused by a large amount of water flowing out from drought cracks while the soil is still dry. As long as the above methods are adopted, mature Clivia will surely open beautiful flowers.
10. What causes flower stem clamping in Clivia, and what should be done?
Flower stem clamping when mature Clivia blooms is a common problem encountered by growers. So-called flower stem clamping means that the flower stem has not emerged but the flowers have already opened. There are many causes of flower stem clamping, and different measures should be taken to improve each cause. First, the temperature difference is small, especially for Clivia cultivated indoors in the family, where the daytime and nighttime temperatures are similar, with a temperature difference of only 2-3 degrees, which is not conducive to stem 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 stem can then emerge. Second, too much water and too much fertilizer put 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. After washing the roots with clean water, dry them in a cool place for 4-5 hours, then replace with new nutrient soil, and after a few days the stem can emerge. Third, root rot and root withering are caused by long-term failure to water thoroughly. The improvement method is to replace with new soil, water thoroughly, and cultivate new roots. After new roots grow, the stem will emerge accordingly. Other causes, such as too high temperature or too low temperature, can be improved by prescribing the right remedy. The phenomenon of flower stem clamping caused by physiological defects shared by varieties such as Quelan and Huanglan currently has no good solution, and this is a new topic in Clivia cultivation research.
11. What causes root rot in Clivia, and what should be done?
Root rot in Clivia is a common phenomenon. What causes it? First, a high-temperature environment with too much water, and 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 burns the roots. If the concentration of water fertilizer is too high or solid fertilizer is applied excessively, the roots are burned and root rot occurs. Third, long-term failure to change the potting soil causes the soil to compact and become non-breathable, leading to root rot. Fourth, after long-term drought withers the roots, excessive watering causes root rot. Fifth, using raw soil or undecomposed leaves, which ferment in the pot and generate heat that burns the root system, or poor soil selection causes root rot. No matter what cause leads to root rot, corresponding measures must be taken promptly. (1) Remove the rotten roots; (2) Wash the roots and disinfect and sterilize them with potassium permanganate. Gentian violet, charcoal ash, rice straw ash, etc. can also be used to apply to the wounds, replace with new soil, control the amount of watering, do not add fertilizer, and new roots can grow after half a month.
12. Is it good to spray water on Clivia leaves?
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 leaf surface and maintain leaf moisture. Especially in summer, water should be sprayed on Clivia leaves every day. The sprayed water is best in a fine mist form with a certain pressure, causing dew-like droplets to form on the leaves. Spraying water on the leaf surface can reduce leaf water evaporation, lower leaf temperature, and help prevent excessive leaf growth. However, when Clivia is emerging its stem and blooming, do not spray water on the stem and flowers, to prevent stem rot and washing away pollen, which would prevent fruit set. For household Clivia cultivation, water can be sprayed on the leaves multiple times a day to help create a humid micro-environment conducive to the vigorous growth of Clivia.
13. What should be done if Clivia leaves are not neat?
Clivia leaves are strongly phototropic. If poorly managed, leaf skewing easily occurs, affecting the ornamental value of Clivia. One way to correct skewed leaves is to use plastic clothespins padded with soft paper to directly clip the skewed leaf together with a properly shaped leaf, and after a period of time it can be corrected. The second is to use opaque black tin foil paper, or thin cardboard, cut according to leaf length, fold it to 1/2 the leaf width, and fix it 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 will return to normal. Be careful to observe at all times to prevent overcorrection. Third, when viewed from the front, some Clivia 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. Through 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?
Collected pollen, that is, the cluster of anthers at the top of the stamen after the pollen has burst open, is picked for artificial pollination of the pistil of one's own flower. So how should collected pollen be stored? First prepare a medicine bottle used for penicillin, open the rubber cap, wash it clean, and dry it. Roll toilet paper into a roll-shaped bottle stopper. Use tweezers or a hemostat to clip off the base of the stamen, roll it into the middle of the paper roll stopper, leaving a section of the stamen stalk exposed, then face the pollen toward the inside of the bottle and insert the stopper tightly. Place it in the refrigerator crisper 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, absolutely avoid high temperature and sunlight. If you want to preserve precious pollen for the next year, the outside of the bottle stopper can be soaked thoroughly with melted paraffin to prevent air permeability. 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 to choose the best time for pollination? How to pollinate Clivia?
Three to four days after the female bud opens, the top of the three-pronged stigma begins to secrete mucus, which easily adheres to pollen. This is the best time for pollination. Pollination is generally carried out at 9-10 a.m. and 2-3 p.m., because at these times the temperature in the greenhouse and indoors rises, sunlight is sufficient, and the climate is dry, which is beneficial to the pollination effect. Use tweezers or the pollen rolled in the paper roll to place the collected pollen onto the pistil, that is, the three-pronged stigma, of the plant to be pollinated. It is enough to see pollen adhering to the three-pronged stigma. To be safe, pollinate again the next day.