Reasons Why Clivia Doesn't Bloom and How to Fix It

Recently, many gardening friends have left messages asking about the reasons why Clivia doesn't bloom. Some have grown Clivia for 7 or 8 years without it ever flowering. Since the word limit for replies in the backend is limited, the editor will explain in detail here the reasons why Clivia doesn't bloom.

1. Not yet old enough to bloom

From sowing to blooming, Clivia generally needs about 4 years. So if it's a new seedling, not blooming is normal. No need to worry, just be patient with care. Under normal conditions, it can bloom once the leaves reach 14 (7 on each side).

2. Failure to bloom caused by phosphorus deficiency

During its growth, Clivia consumes a lot of nutrients, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen. When differentiating flower buds, part of the nutrients needs to be supplied to promote flower bud differentiation. At this time, if too much nitrogen fertilizer is used and phosphorus fertilizer is lacking, it will cause the plant to grow leggy and prevent normal flower bud differentiation, thereby affecting normal blooming. Therefore, before flower bud differentiation, add 1-2 applications of fertilizer rich in phosphorus to promote the Clivia's flower stalk emergence and blooming.

In addition, not changing the soil for a long time will also cause nutrient deficiency, so it is generally recommended to repot Clivia with fresh soil about every 2 years. Usually, you can add more phosphorus-containing fertilizers such as bone meal and fish scales. Phosphorus fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer can both be made at home. See: Making Nitrogen Fertilizer, Phosphorus Fertilizer, and Potassium Fertilizer at Home.

3. Light issues

Nowadays many families grow flowers indoors, but Clivia is a semi-sunlight flower. Indoors at night we generally keep the lights on until quite late. Combined with daytime sunlight, Clivia ends up in a lit environment for as long as 16 hours. In its place of origin (South Africa), the light duration generally does not exceed 10 hours. Therefore, under long-day conditions, they can only grow and cannot undergo flower bud differentiation, so they are slow to bloom.

Therefore, to make them bloom, you must move them to a room with no lights on at night, or cover them with a black plastic bag. Once the flower stalk has emerged, it doesn't matter anymore.

4. Temperature issues

During flower bud differentiation, the suitable growth temperature for Clivia is 12-20°C. If the temperature is too high or too low, it will affect flower bud differentiation. Without flower buds, naturally it cannot bloom. Therefore, during the flower bud differentiation period of Clivia, pay attention to maintaining the temperature - it should not be too high (25°C), and definitely not lower than 10°C.

Once you find the cause, it's easy to solve. According to the editor's understanding, in general, problems 2 and 3 are the most common. Finally, wishing everyone's Clivia abundant blooms.