Clivia flower - home care and cultivation
Content:
Many gardeners include clivia in their collection of indoor plants, an evergreen herbaceous perennial belonging to the Amaryllis family.
Origin and appearance
Clivia flower comes from South Africa.
Clivia in a pot
This plant reaches a height of 60 cm, has leathery belt-like leaves growing from a root rosette, a real stem is absent (some varieties have a short false stem). The main feature of clivia is considered to be its root system: it is a transitional form from rhizome to bulb.
During the flowering period, it releases a peduncle, on which up to 50 funnel-shaped flowers are placed in the form of an umbrella. 6-7 varieties of this plant are known, breeders are working to create new varieties.
The most famous varieties of clivia
Clivia gardena
Lat. Cliviagardenii in its natural environment is distributed in the Transvaal (South Africa). Indoors, it usually grows up to 50 cm in height, the leaves are long, up to 4 cm wide. In winter, it produces a peduncle up to half a meter long, on which 10-15 bell-shaped flowers are located.
Clivia the lovely
Lat. Clivianobilis comes from the Cape of South Africa. It differs from other varieties in small height (up to 30 cm), xiphoid leaves up to 6 cm wide. Peduncle up to 50 cm with fifty funnel-shaped flowers of orange or light pink hue.
Clivia cinnabar
Lat. Cliviaminiata, other names - Cinnabar Vallota and Clivia Miniata, place of birth - Natal province (South Africa). Reaches half a meter in height, the leaves are belt-like from 3 to 6 cm in width.
Clivia miniata
From February to May, a 50-centimeter peduncle is crowned with 15-20 large funnel-shaped red flowers.
Home care
Clivia home care does not require any special skills from the owner.
Top dressing
To look good, especially during flowering, clivias need regular feeding. They begin to be applied already in the first year of life, once every two weeks (organic and mineral fertilizers alternate).
An adult plant is fed only during the flowering period.
Location and lighting
It is better to place the pot with clivia on the east or west windows of the house and provide it with enough space. On the north side, the plant needs to be backlit; on the south windows, the clivia needs to be shaded a little.
Watering
Waterlogging of the soil has a detrimental effect on the plant. Therefore, it is watered only after the soil in the pot dries up; excess moisture from the pan is removed immediately. A constant excess of moisture can lead to root rot.
Clivia does not need high humidity (40-50% is enough), but dust accumulated on the leaves negatively affects the flower.
Dormant period
Clivia should bloom, then the peduncle is cut off and the plant is left alone for 80-90 days. During this period, feeding is stopped, watering is carried out 1 time in 10-12 days, the air temperature is reduced and the intensity of illumination is reduced.
At the end of the "hibernation" period, the plant is returned to its usual place, having arranged for it a warm shower before this, fed and watered enough.
Possible growing difficulties
Clivia is an unpretentious flower, caring for it is simple, it is attacked by various diseases and pests.
Diseases
The reason for the brown spots on the leaves is sunburn, it is necessary to better shade the plant.
Decaying or brown formations at the tips of the leaves indicate damage to the roots during transplantation or excess moisture.
Diseased plant
In such cases, stop watering until the soil in the pot is completely dry.
Pests
On clivia, the appearance of scale insects or mealybugs is possible.
Signs of damage with a scabbard:
- sticky bloom on the leaves,
- the appearance of dark spots of growths (adult parasites).
The shield is removed mechanically (the pests are washed off with a soap swab) and the plant is treated with insecticidal preparations of systemic action.
The mealybug is characterized by the appearance of a white, cotton-like bloom on the leaves. A small colony of parasites is removed mechanically using a damp gauze pad.
Shield
Numerous colonies are destroyed by weekly insecticide spraying.
Leaf problems
Leaves may turn yellow when:
- the natural process of replacing old leaves with new ones;
- insufficient or too abundant watering;
- lack of nutrition.
Why does clivia not bloom
Some growers, a few years after planting, ask themselves: clivia does not bloom, what to do in this case.
The flowering of an adult plant is prevented by a lack of nutrition or the absence of a dormant period, which must be arranged in autumn-winter.
Transplanting a plant into a very large pot is also the answer to the question of why clivia does not bloom, since all the energy goes into filling the pot with roots.
Sometimes the question arises: Clivia, having good care at home, why does not it bloom by 2-3 years of age. In this case, an unscheduled rest period is arranged for her: the plant is kept for 20-30 days in a dimly lit place at a temperature of 15-16 0 C.
Reproduction methods
Not everyone knows clivia and how it reproduces. Reproduction is possible both by seeds and by lateral shoots (children).
When transplanting an adult plant, lateral shoots with several roots are carefully cut off from it. Sections are sprinkled with crushed coal powder. The roots are dried for 30 minutes, then transplanted into a small pot. They take care of them, like an adult plant, but the air temperature is maintained 1-2 degrees higher and watered less intensively. Young clivias are placed in a well-lit place where there is no direct sunlight.
Growing from seeds
Clivia seeds are purchased or grown independently.
Seed sowing procedure:
- 1) Soak the collected seeds for 24 hours until they swell.
- 2) Sow the swollen seed at a distance of 2 cm into the peat-perlite mixture. Perlite can be replaced with sand or turf.
- 3) The container is covered with a film or glass jar to create a greenhouse effect.
- 4) The mini-greenhouse is ventilated daily for at least 10 minutes, the soil is watered as it dries.
- 5) After the appearance of a real leaf, the seedlings need to be planted in small pots.
- 6) Make them an annual transfer into large containers.
Sowing clivia seeds
It is possible to propagate by seeds, but such plants bloom only for 4-6 years of life.
Boarding and transfer rules
Clivia prefers fertile soil rich in humus.
The soil is purchased ready-made or compiled independently. To do this, mix:
- 1 part peat
- 1 part humus
- 2 parts of turf land.
The soil is diluted with perlite, vermiculite or washed sand. The finished soil is not moistened, since the dry mixture penetrates better into the voids between the roots.
Some growers plant clivia in orchid soil. According to their observations, this promotes good ventilation of the root system and stimulates growth and flowering.
Transplanting adult plants can be approached at the beginning of the dormant period.
Clivia transplants
How to transplant clivia:
- Pick up a plastic or ceramic pot with a conical shape and sufficient size.
- A drainage layer of small pebbles, expanded clay or broken brick is poured into the bottom of the container. The height of the layer depends on the size of the container (usually 1-3 cm). Pour in a small layer of ready-made soil.
- Moisten the soil under the plant and carefully remove the roots along with the old soil.
- If a transshipment is done, then the earthen lump is placed in a new container and fresh soil is poured.
- When transplanting, the old soil is shaken off, the roots are carefully examined, if necessary, the damaged ones are removed. You can separate the children if they are strong enough (they have 4-5 permanent leaves). The cuts on the roots are sprinkled with crushed coal powder, then they must dry for 30 minutes.
- Place the roots in a pot and cover with soil so that the soil does not cover the base of the leaves.
- Water the plant, remove excess moisture from the pan and leave in a place suitable for experiencing a dormant period.
Experienced flower growers recommend replanting adult clivias once every 2-4 years.
Clivia is an unpretentious flower, caring for her is simple.
