What conditions must be met for a clivia to bloom?

1. More than 16 leaves. Only after a clivia has accumulated nutrients through photosynthesis to a certain level does it have the basic conditions for blooming, and the area available for photosynthesis in a clivia is related to the number of leaves. If there are too few leaves, the nutrients accumulated through photosynthesis will not be enough to form flower buds and bloom. Therefore, it is not advisable to tear off the poorly shaped lower leaves just for the sake of a neat plant shape.

2. Many and strong roots. Practice has shown that if the roots are thin and weak, or if more than nearly half of the roots have rotted, the plant will find it very difficult to bloom that year. Only when there are more than 20 strong roots does the plant have the foundation to bloom.

3. The pseudobulb becomes thicker. After a clivia has formed flowers, its flower buds will grow rapidly after autumn. Because the clivia's flower scape is thick and sturdy and the flower buds are numerous and large, the pseudobulb can be seen to thicken noticeably after autumn. If the pseudobulb does not thicken after autumn, it means the clivia has not yet formed flowers.

4. Large leaves appear. The two groups of leaves around the clivia's flower scape are noticeably different from the other leaves, appearing broad and with thick, sturdy veins; this is what is usually called large leaves. The reason a clivia forms large leaves is that once the plant has formed flowers, its nutrients are supplied mainly to the flower buds, which benefits the leaves closest to the flower buds, thus producing large leaves that differ from the other leaves. Therefore, as long as large leaves appear, the plant can generally bloom normally.

Under suitable climatic conditions, a clivia inflorescence can bloom for about 45 days. If you want to extend the flowering period, you can place the plant at a temperature of around 15°C and appropriately reduce the light duration.