Clivia Blooming Season Care Methods and Key Maintenance Points
The clivia, just like its name suggests, is like a modest gentleman, and it is especially appealing as it grows. Whether in bloom or not, it is an excellent ornamental plant, and many people like to keep a pot of it. Its leaves are emerald green, and its flowers bloom in clusters, making it very appealing. However, when growing clivia, you may also run into many unsatisfactory situations, for example, yellowing clivia leaves, which is quite common...
The clivia has a dignified plant shape, neatly arranged leaves, and glossy, rich green foliage. It is often said that its flowers are surpassed by its leaves in beauty, and it is a type of flower that people very much like to grow. So do you know how to select a clivia? Below, let's take a look with the editor at the techniques for selecting clivia. In judging whether a clivia variety is good or bad, its leaves account for a very large proportion. So what characteristics do the leaves of a top-grade clivia have? 1. The leaves of a top-grade clivia should be short and wide, with a length between 9 cm and 12 cm, and a length-to-width ratio within 4:1. Some varieties can reach 2:1, or even 1:1, such as Henglan.
The blooming season of clivia is mostly from December to March of the following year. The flowering period is the peak ornamental period. During this period, corresponding measures should be taken to ensure normal blooming, large and brightly colored flowers, and greater ornamental value. So what are the techniques? How should clivia be managed during the blooming season? Below, the editor will introduce this for everyone.
1. Watering correctly
1. Water quality issues
We generally use tap water to water flowers, but because tap water contains a small amount of substances harmful to clivia, it is unfavorable for clivia growth. In addition, there is a relatively large temperature difference between tap water and the potting soil. Using tap water directly to water flowers stimulates the roots and is not conducive to clivia growth. Therefore, if tap water is used to water clivia, it should generally be left to sit indoors for two days. In this way, harmful substances in the water such as bleaching powder are removed by evaporation or precipitation, and the water temperature can also reach or narrow the gap with the potting soil.
2. Pay attention to the amount and frequency of watering
When watering clivia in winter, if the indoor temperature is high and the humidity is low, water once every 2 days to 3 days. If the indoor temperature is very low, it can be extended to once a week. Each watering should soak through, but do not let it leak out, to prevent nutrient loss. The watering time should preferably be in the morning, because the winter room temperature is low, and the morning water temperature is closer to room temperature and potting soil temperature. Watering at this time does not stimulate the roots and can keep the clivia growing and developing at a suitable temperature for a longer time.
3. Generally do not use a spray bottle for watering
Because in winter before flowering, clivia is in the stage of shooting out its scape and emerging its stem. Using a spray bottle to spray water at this time can easily cause the flower scape and flower core to remain wet for a long time and rot.
2. How to fertilize
The timely supply of fertilizer is the key to clivia shooting out its scape and blooming. Clivia likes fertilizer, and especially before flowering, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers are indispensable. Nitrogen and potassium fertilizers can make the flower scape sturdy and emerge in time, while phosphorus fertilizer can make the flower color bright and also promote flowering and seed setting. Before flowering, base fertilizer can be applied 1 time to 2 times, with an interval of 45 days to 60 days between applications.
The type of fertilizer applied is mainly oil-bearing plant fertilizer, such as sesame and castor beans. After frying them cooked, add an appropriate amount of monopotassium phosphate or bone meal, make a small trench 2 cm to 4 cm deep around the flower pot, spread the fertilizer evenly along the trench, and cover it with soil. Do not let the roots touch the fertilizer, so as to avoid the flower roots rotting.
On the basis of applying base fertilizer, topdressing should also be done once every 7 days to 15 days. For topdressing, you can use soybean cake water, fish fertilizer water, or soak the fertilizer used for base fertilizer in a container. After it is decomposed, take one tablespoon each time, add 2 liang of water, and pour it around the soil surface. Be careful not to pour it in the center of the pot or on the leaves.
3. Pay attention to regulating indoor temperature
The suitable growth temperature for clivia before flowering is 18°C to 24°C. Below 4°C, growth stops; above 25°C, the flower arrow often opens prematurely before it has emerged, so the room temperature should be adjusted to.
4. Prevent arrow clamping before flowering
The phenomenon of arrow clamping in clivia is relatively common. "Arrow clamping" affects the beauty of the flower shape and may even cause the flower buds to rot. There are mainly three reasons for arrow clamping.
1. Root problems: The roots that supply the nutrients needed for arrow growth become rotten or shrunken, causing a serious imbalance in the nutrients supplied for arrow growth, and therefore arrow clamping occurs. The causes of this phenomenon include: too much water; dehydration and drying out; improper fertilization causing root burn; root aging.
The solution is to immediately change to new soil and stimulate new root growth. Before changing the soil, clean the rotten parts, apply charcoal powder, and then plant them in new soil. For the new soil, use 40% humus soil mixed with 70% boiled sand. After new roots grow out, they can supply sufficient nutrients to the arrow and push the arrow out.
2. Lack of fertilizer: If the soil lacks nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other trace elements, or is extremely lacking in a certain element, it can also cause arrow clamping. The solution is to promptly and appropriately apply liquid fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements. Watering with snow water or beer also works well.
3. Unsuitable temperature: A temperature below 10°C will cause slow arrow emergence or stopped growth, and above 25°C will cause premature flowering. Therefore, the indoor temperature should be adjusted to 18°C to 24°C to facilitate normal arrow emergence and flowering in clivia.