How to care for a Clivia after root rot so it can recover

Root rot in Clivia is a common problem we encounter when caring for these plants. When you notice that the tips of your Clivia's leaves are turning yellow, or that the leaves' glossiness has clearly declined, or when you touch the Clivia's bulb and feel it wobbling quite noticeably, these all indicate signs of root rot in the Clivia.

When you sense that your Clivia has root rot, you should take it out of the potting soil. First, all the rotten roots should be removed. After removing the rotten roots, rinse the Clivia's roots clean under running water. Then soak the Clivia's root system in a 1‰ concentration potassium permanganate solution for five minutes. At this point, the old soil that previously held the Clivia can no longer be used. When replanting the Clivia, use new soil that has been sterilized and disinfected against pests; be sure not to add any fertilizer to the new soil, because fertilizer hinders the healing of root wounds and will cause the roots to continue rotting. If the root rot is relatively severe, or there are too many wounds on the roots, then we can plant the Clivia in coarse sand or coarse sawdust. During the care and management process, watering must be especially controlled; just keep the coarse sand or coarse sawdust moist. With this kind of management, after about half a month, new roots will begin to emerge. After a month, generally four or five new roots will have grown out. Once the new roots have grown to four or five cm long, the Clivia can be planted in leaf mold soil, and at this point a small amount of fertilizer can be added.

This kind of granular coarse sand is quite suitable for encouraging root growth

For a Clivia that needs root encouragement after root rot, it can also be planted in coconut husk for care. Because coconut husk particles are relatively large and have good water absorption and air permeability, coconut husk is an excellent rooting medium for Clivia. I once used coconut husk to encourage rooting in several Clivias after root rot, and found the results to be very good.

Let me explain here a few points that need attention during the Clivia rooting process.

First, the soil must be treated for sterilization and pest elimination. Only when there are no pathogens or insect eggs in the soil will the wounds on the Clivia's roots heal easily and no further rotting occur.

Also, do not apply fertilizer to the new soil. Because fertilizer contains relatively many pathogens and insect eggs, and these pathogens and insect eggs will accelerate the rotting of the Clivia's root wounds. Even organic fertilizers that have been sterilized and disinfected against pests will, through secondary fermentation, once again produce pathogens and insect eggs, so organic fertilizer must absolutely not be used. Furthermore, after root rot, a Clivia's ability to absorb water and nutrients declines markedly, and it basically cannot make use of the organic fertilizer in the soil. So do not apply organic fertilizer during the rooting period. Of course, inorganic fertilizers will also damage the roots and cannot be used either.

Using soil with relatively good permeability is very helpful for the Clivia to grow new roots. If the new soil's particles are relatively coarse and the soil's permeability is good, then the oxygen content in the soil will be relatively high, and even after we water, there will still be plenty of oxygen in the soil. An increase in the soil's oxygen content is a primary condition for the Clivia to grow new roots. Furthermore, if the new soil has good permeability, then we can increase the amount of watering and can keep the soil moist for a long time, and the moisture of the soil will also prompt the Clivia to root faster.

When the Clivia's root rot is relatively severe, the roots' ability to absorb water and nutrients is greatly reduced, and at this point the Clivia does not need too much light. So during the rooting period, the Clivia can just be kept indoors in a spot with good light, and must not receive direct sunlight.

Temperature is also a necessary condition for the Clivia to root. During the rooting period, the temperature should be kept at around 20 degrees. If there can be a temperature difference of about ten degrees between day and night, the effect will be even better.

As long as you care for it according to the methods above, no matter how severe your Clivia's root rot is, after about a month of care, your Clivia will grow a batch of healthy, sturdy new roots, restoring your Clivia to vigorous vitality once again.