What fertilizer is best for Clivia? A scientific guide to fertilizing methods
May is almost here, and that means Clivia has reached its critical period. Why is it a critical period for Clivia? Because summer is just around the corner, and in summer Clivia enters a dormant state, growing slowly. If you do not manage it well in summer, it can develop root rot and die.
What fertilizer is best to give it now? Right now you can bury some well-fermented sheep manure in its potting soil. Sheep manure is a multi-element fertilizer. Once it is fully fermented, bury it in the potting soil, cover it with 1 to 2 cm of soil, and each time you water, the nutrients in the sheep manure will gradually seep along with the water into the entire potting soil. Then the whole potting soil will lack no nutrients, the roots will be able to absorb enough multi-element nutrients, the plant will grow vigorously, and the leaves will be thick and glossy green. When summer comes and it enters its dormant period, as long as you keep the potting soil slightly moist, it will make it safely through summer.
So, now that May has arrived, this is the critical period for Clivia. In summer you should water less and stop fertilizing. Right now, hurry and give it a nutrient boost. You can bury some sheep manure in the potting soil, and then also apply a multi-element fertilizer to provide balanced nutrient supplementation, so that none of its elements are lacking, the plant is vigorous, and the root system is well developed. Only then can it make it safely through summer.
When autumn comes, we need to supplement its fertilizer again. For the first supplemental feeding, just choose a multi-element fertilizer. So-called multi-element fertilizer means one with balanced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. After that, once it enters its growth stage, give it a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer 3 to 4 times a month, a fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium. We can directly use monopotassium phosphate. Why give it that? To effectively promote flower bud differentiation, so it produces buds and blooms. Sprinkle some multi-element slow-release fertilizer on the surface of the potting soil, and you can also bury some sheep manure in it. With this balanced supplementation, continue until its flower buds have fully emerged, the flower scape has grown tall, and it is about to bloom, then stop fertilizing.
Winter is its flowering season. After the flowers finish blooming, cut the flowers off promptly. When spring comes and the temperature rises again, we supplement its fertilizer, choosing a fertilizer mainly of nitrogen to promote rapid growth of more leaves, so the leaves grow in greater number and become large and thick. Give it 3 to 4 times a month as well, until May arrives, and then fertilize again according to Xiao Qi's method.
If you want your Clivia to grow leaves that are large, thick, and deep in color, with a well-developed root system, just fertilize the way Xiao Qi says and you will be fine. I guarantee you will have no problems at all growing Clivia. It grows leaves in the growth season, and sends up flower scapes and blooms in the flowering season, with no difficulty at all.