Clivia at home: care, planting and propagation. Clivia: home care, cultivation and propagation Clivia care
Clivia blooms every year if it is properly watered and not left in a warm room for the winter. It needs a lot of space, and in winter it needs to be given a rest period in a cool room with very limited watering. Clivia does not like to be disturbed - they touch her too much and move her from place to place. Clivia is a very long-lived plant; under appropriate conditions, it can live up to 40 years. Old plants growing in tubs are not replanted, but only fertilized with fertilizers. The best specimens from old plants form up to 40-50 peduncles.
The leaves of the plant, the decorative effect of which can decorate your interior even without flowering, are collected in a rosette and arranged in a kind of fan. The bright, cheerful orange inflorescences of clivia, set off by shiny dark green foliage, are extremely beautiful. Clivia flowers bloom in winter. Currently, various varieties of clivia have been bred: from light ocher to dark red flowers with a whole range of warm orange and yellow tones.
(Clivia) - a genus of perennial evergreen herbaceous plants of the amaryllis family ( Amaryllidaceae). Botanist John Lindley named the genus in honor of the Duchess of Northumberland Charlotte Clive, governess of the future Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Rod Clivia ( Clivia) includes approximately five species of plants in the Amaryllidaceae family.
Clivias are evergreen perennial herbaceous plants, stemless, multi-flowered. The leaves are vaginal, tightly covering each other, forming a false stem, linear or xiphoid. Under the ground, clivia develops a rhizome, to which thickened leaf bases and the leaves themselves are attached. Clivia is sort of in the middle between bulbous and rhizomatous plants. The flowers are bell-shaped, red or orange, collected in an umbrella.
One of the most common is Clivia cinnabar (Clivia miniata- lat. miniatus - painted with cinnabar, covered with red paint from armor. minium - cinnabar or red lead). In greenhouse and indoor culture it is used as a flower- and foliage-decorative potted plant. The plant's homeland is South Africa.
In the literature it is found under Russian names: orange clivia (matte red, meerkotsvetnaya, red lead), or kaffir (Cape).
Clivia. © Maja Dumat
Features of growing clivia at home
Temperature: Moderate. In winter there is a period of rest at a temperature not exceeding +15 °C.
Lighting: A bright place with shade from direct sunlight in summer. Clivia feels good in the summer outdoors in a shaded place.
Watering clivia: Quite abundant from spring to autumn. Moderate and careful from late autumn until the peduncle reaches a height of 10-15 cm. In winter, instead of a watering can, you can use a sprayer, which will provide the necessary moisture to the ground and moisten the leaves, but only if the clivia is kept in a cool room. If the room is about 20 °C, then water more.
Fertilizer for clivia: During the period of active growth, feed every two weeks with a special fertilizer for flowering indoor plants.
Air humidity: From time to time, wipe the leaves with a sponge and spray them periodically.
Clivia transplant: Soil - 2 parts turf, 1 part leaf, 1 part humus, 1 part peat soil and 1 part sand. If necessary, after flowering, only when the roots begin to emerge from the pot.
Clivia propagation: By division during transplantation or by seeds. The seeds are collected 2-3 months after flowering and sown fresh in the ground. Shoots appear in a month, but clivia will bloom when propagated by seed only after 4-5 years.
Clivia. © Maja Dumat Clivia care
Bright, diffused light is suitable for clivia; the plant is shaded from direct sun. Suitable for placement near windows with western and eastern exposure. Near southern exposure windows, the plant should be shaded from direct sunlight. On a north window, with insufficient lighting, clivia grows more slowly and may not bloom. The plant can spend the summer outdoors in partial shade.
The optimal temperature for clivia in the spring-summer period is around +20.. +25 °C, from October the temperature is reduced to +12.. +14 °C, when the plant begins to produce a peduncle, the temperature is increased to +18.. +20 °C. Clivia can tolerate high temperatures during the dormant period, but this does not have a very good effect on the well-being of the plant and its subsequent flowering.
The plant requires watering with soft, settled water. It is better to let the soil dry out slightly between waterings. Do not allow water to remain in the pan. During dormancy, the plant is not watered or watered only if the plant begins to shed its leaves. When the buds begin to form on the peduncle, water the clivia more abundantly, and only with warm water.
Air humidity does not play a significant role for clivia. In summer, from time to time, clivia leaves should be wiped with a damp sponge or cloth and sprayed.
Clivia responds positively to fertilization. From the first year of the crop, starting from the first picking, liquid organic and complete mineral fertilizer (2 g per 1 liter of water) is applied annually from spring to August, every 2 weeks, alternately.
Clivia. © Dallas Krentzel How to get clivia to bloom regularly?
To achieve regular flowering, it is necessary to provide clivia with a period of rest. For young plants it should last two months starting from October-November. The larger the plant, the longer the dormancy. From September, watering is stopped completely. However, make sure that the plants do not begin to shed their leaves. Then the clivia needs to be watered lightly.
With the appearance of the flower arrow, the clivia is transferred to a warm place, watering is increased and fertilized. But at the same time, we must remember that clivia can be transferred to a warm place and watered abundantly only when the arrow grows to 10-15 cm.
Clivia does not tolerate disturbance: do not move the pot during the period of bud setting or flowering. After any movement, the pot with the plant should be placed in the previous direction of growth, this can prevent the leaves from falling. During the growing season, the plant can form 5-10 new leaves.
Clivia blooms most often begin in February. Under normal conditions, the flowering period of an individual specimen can stretch up to 3-4 weeks, since the flowers in the inflorescence bloom gradually. There can be up to 30 flowers on one peduncle. If you use artificial pollination, you can get large fruits with seeds: first green, and then, after almost a year, orange-red. They also decorate the plant. However, fruiting greatly depletes clivia and it is not advisable to preserve the fruits on the plant without the need; it is better to cut off the ovaries. But if you still want to collect the seeds, the fruits must ripen and become soft.
Clivia transplant
If space allows, you can grow a very large specimen. To do this, you simply do not need to divide the plant, remove the shoots, and then it will develop into a huge bunch of foliage.
Clivia requiring transplantation. Maja Dumat 
Clivia is transplanted with a clod of earth. © Maja Dumat 
During transplantation, you can divide the plant. © Maja Dumat Clivia is replanted as rarely as possible: do not replant the plant until the roots begin to emerge from the pot. Typically, adult plants are transplanted after flowering once every 2-3 years, young plants - annually. Clivia roots do not tolerate transplantation well. They are juicy, fleshy, and serve as a reservoir of water and nutrients. Broken roots can easily rot, especially with excessive watering - when replanting, treat damaged roots with crushed coal or ash. In those years when clivias are not replanted, at the end of winter it is necessary to carefully remove the top layer of soil (approximately 5 cm) in the pot, replacing it with fresh earthen mixture.
The pots for clivia are small so that the plants barely fit, then they bloom more abundantly and longer. Clivia requires loose, slightly acidic (pH about 6) soil made from turf soil (2 parts), humus (1 part) and peat (1 part). Clivias will do well with any other loose, slightly acidic soil mixture. It is useful to add a little superphosphate or other slow-acting phosphorus fertilizers to the mixture (at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 3 liters of mixture). The bottom of the pot provides good drainage. Clivia is an excellent hydroponic crop.
Clivia propagation
Clivias are propagated by seeds and vegetatively.
Clivia seed propagation
The period from pollination of flowers to the ripening of clivia fruits lasts 9-10 months; Each fruit contains many seeds. Seeds are sown soon after ripening (usually in November-April). The composition of the earthen mixture is as follows: turf - 1 tsp, peat - 0.5 tsp, sand - 1 tsp. Clivia seeds are placed in a sowing container at a distance of 2x2 cm. Shoots appear in 4-6 weeks; After the formation of the first leaf, the plants are planted in 7-centimeter pots. In 5-6 months, plants form 4-5 leaves.
Clivia seeds. © Maja Dumat 
Clivia seeds soaked for germination. © Maja Dumat 
Sprouted Clivia seeds. © Maja Dumat In the second year, young plants are transferred to 9-10 cm pots, and in the third year - into 12-13 cm ones. Recommended substrate: turf - 2 hours, humus, peat and sand - 1 hour each.
Plants grow slowly - in the second year they form 3-4 pairs of leaves and subsequently produce 2 pairs of new ones. In the third year, starting in September, clivias are kept in a dry state (rest period) for about 2 months. After such care, about 30% of clivia seedlings bloom: unflowered plants continue to be kept in the same conditions as in the previous year, providing a dormant period from September, lasting 2 months. In the fourth year of cultivation in winter, the plants are kept at a temperature of 10-12 °C until the top of the peduncle appears. From this time on, begin abundant watering and spraying of plants, and the temperature is raised to 18-20 °C.
Vegetative propagation of clivia
In indoor conditions, it is better to propagate clivia by offspring, which are separated from adult plants during transplantation. It must be remembered that clivia has very fragile roots, so they should not be damaged during planting and replanting; they rot easily. The shoots must have at least 4 leaves. They are separated after flowering and planted for rooting in 7-centimeter pots in sand at a temperature of 16-18 °C. Watering should be moderate, as young plants can easily rot from excess moisture.
Clivia's offspring in different stages. © Maja Dumat Rooted clivia shoots are transplanted into a mixture of leaf, greenhouse, and turf soil (1:1:1).
Precautions: Clivia leaves are poisonous and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and collapse.
Types of clivia
Clivia cinnabar (Clivia miniata). Synonym: Vallota cinnabar ( Vallota miniata Lindl). It lives in shady places, from the coast rising into the mountains to an altitude of 600-800 m above sea level, in Natal (South Africa). Plants up to 50 cm tall. The leaves are xiphoid, widened at the base, tapering at the apex, 45-60 cm long and 3.5-6 cm wide. Peduncle 40-50 cm tall, with 10-20 flowers. The flowers are large, on pedicels 2.5-3 cm long, scarlet or red lead, funnel-shaped, with a yellow throat; petals are 4-5 cm long. It blooms in February-May, less often at other times of the year.
There are a number of varieties of Clivia cinnabar, differing in flower color, leaf size and plant height.
Clivia Gardena(Clivia gardenii). Grows in shady places in the foothills of the Transvaal, Natal (South Africa). Plants up to 50 cm tall. The leaves are xiphoid, 2.5-4 cm wide, tapering at the apex. Peduncle up to 45 cm tall, bears 10-16 flowers. The flowers are narrow, unevenly bell-shaped; petals oblanceolate, 3-3.2 cm long. Blooms in winter.
Clivia is beautiful(Clivia nobilis). The birthplace of the species is the Cape Province (South Africa). Plants 30 cm tall and above. The leaves are xiphoid, tapering at the apex, 4-6 cm wide, with sharp edges. Peduncle 30-50 cm tall, with 40-60 flowers; pedicels up to 3 cm long. Perianth curved; flowers are funnel-shaped, pale red; petals with a green pointed tip, about 2 cm long.
Clivia. © Maja Dumat Diseases and pests of clivia
Shields- the most common pests of clivia are brown plaques on the surface of leaves and stems that suck out cell sap. The leaves lose color, dry out and fall off.
Control measures. To mechanically clean pests, the leaves are wiped with a soapy sponge. Then the plant should be sprayed with a 0.15% Actellik solution (1-2 ml per liter of water).
Mealybugs: Leaves, shoots, and, if present, flowers are affected. The leaves become bent, dry out and fall off, and the plant dies.
Control measures. Wipe the plant with a soapy sponge and wash in a warm shower. In case of very severe damage, the plant can be sprayed with a 0.15% Actellik solution (1-2 ml per liter of water).
Due to overwatering of plants, it can occur browning of leaf tips and even rotting of the base of stems and roots.
Due to low temperature or lack of moisture during the growth period peduncle may be short.
Plants can get sunburn from direct sunlight, causing white spots on leaves.
Lack of peduncle shoots and faded leaves plants may indicate insufficient feeding.
If the dormancy period is too short, the room temperature is high or the light level on the plant is low flowers may not appear.
We look forward to your advice and comments on growing clivia!
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Clivia is popular among floriculture lovers. It is easy to grow even for novice gardeners. But in order to achieve flowering, you need to know the intricacies of caring for Clivia at home and putting it into a dormant state.
Clivia belongs to the amaryllis family. But it differs from the usual lilies in that instead of bulbs it has a rhizome. The leaves growing from the ground form a basket-like pseudostem. Long, dense leaves of a dark green color are located on both sides, tightly adjacent to each other at the bottom and resemble a pigtail. The height of the flower and the length of the leaves depend on the variety.
Even without flowers, a well-groomed plant decorates the room. Children are formed by shoots from the main root. In order to separate them, it is necessary to separate the rhizome by cutting off the baby. During flowering, an inflorescence of buds is formed on the peduncle, the number of which can reach 60 pieces. The flowers look like large bells of red or bright orange. The plant blooms for a month, when dying buds are replaced by new ones. Flowering usually occurs in February, after a dormant period.
Origin and distribution in nature
The plant appeared in Europe in the nineteenth century in England, when it was brought from South Africa. And the flower, according to legend, received its name “Clivia” after it bloomed at the home of Duchess Charlotte Clive. Because before that the flower was grown as a beautiful foliage plant.
It has another name - Cape lily. After all, the habitat is the Cape region, Natal in the south of the African continent. Among the natives, it is used to treat snake bites, which is explained by the presence of toxic substances in the rhizomes and stems.
When growing indoors, care should be taken when transplanting.
After flowering, the popularity of the flower began to expand, and it reached Russia under the name meerkat flower lily, which determines its color.
Clivia varieties
Several species of clivia are found in the wild, growing from marshy lowlands to rocky highlands. New species were brought to Europe by military personnel serving in southern Africa.
Clivia Nobilis (nobilis)
Appeared on the European continent in 1828. It is distinguished by its small height, rarely exceeding thirty centimeters. The dark green leaves taper towards the ends, reaching forty centimeters in length and up to six in width. A peduncle up to 50 centimeters high ends in an inflorescence on which about fifty slightly curved flowers bloom, drooping downwards. The predominant color is orange with a carrot tint or pale red.
Photo of Clivia Vermilion (Miniata)
It has a second name - Clivia 'Miniata'. It was brought to Europe in 1850 from the province of Natal, where it has a wide habitat. The variety grows in the lowlands of coastal areas, in the mountains, where it was found among rocks at an altitude of 800 meters. The leaves are shaped like the noble clivia, tapering towards the edge. The plant reaches half a meter in height. The flowers are arranged in an umbellate inflorescence, spreading radially in all directions. Large flowers of red or orange color, which smoothly turns into the yellow color of the throat, grow up to three centimeters. The number of flowers in an inflorescence ranges from ten to twenty.
Clivia Gardena (Gardenii)
It also appeared in Europe in the mid-nineteenth century. It was brought by Major Robert Garden, so it received his name. At home it grows in the province of Natal, in shady mountain forests. It is distinguished from other species by its lighter, bright green leaves. A notable difference is the tuft at the bottom of the leaves, which forms a false stem. Leaves can grow from thirty-five to ninety centimeters. The height of the plant does not exceed half a meter. Narrow flowers bloom on a tall peduncle, which usually appears in February. Their number ranges from ten to sixteen flowers. It differs from other plant species in its shade tolerance.
It is a variety of Clivia miniata. It was found in the forests of South Africa at the end of the 19th century. The plant received its name for its unusual yellow flowers with a creamy tint and yellow berries-seeds.
It was discovered quite recently, at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It differs from other species both in appearance and in its habitat. It grows in the arid regions of southern Africa and is characterized by increased resistance to lack of moisture, scorching sun and light frosts. Its leaves have a white stripe in the center, and closer to the base the leaves have a dark burgundy tint. The plant has not yet become as widespread as other species, but it has already attracted the attention of flower growers.
Many new cultivated varieties of clivia have been developed from wild plants. They are distinguished by their unusual color, which in cultivars varies from snow-white, pastel color to lemon, yellow tint.
Transplanting a plant
Clivia is one of the plants that does not like unnecessary disturbance. Therefore, its transplantation is carried out only when necessary. Adult plants are transplanted when the roots protrude strongly from the surface. This is approximately once every two to three years. Young flowers can be replanted annually. Plants older than ten years are not recommended to be replanted, only to renew the top layer of soil.
Pot suitable for Clivia
When choosing a pot, you need to remember a couple of nuances:
- Do not take a pot with a much larger diameter, otherwise you will have to wait several years for flowering until the roots fill the space of the pot. The pot is selected two to three centimeters larger than the previous one (in diameter).
- The pot should be in the shape of a cylinder, without narrowing downwards. This is due to the characteristics of the rhizome, which grows downwards and not outwards.
The plant can be replanted only after the end of the flowering period. When transplanting, the transshipment method is used to minimize trauma to the rhizome. If the transplant is carried out with the separation of children, then the incision sites must be sprinkled with powdered activated carbon and dried in air.
Be sure to add about two centimeters of drainage to the bottom of the new pot. For drainage, you can use expanded clay, pebbles, and small pieces of brick. A small layer of earth is poured onto the drainage. Clivia roots are carefully placed on top and gently sprinkled with soil. Care must be taken not to cover the growing point from which the leaves emerge. It is better if it rises slightly above the soil.
As a soil, you need to choose a light, loose mixture with a slightly acidic reaction. When making your own soil, it is recommended to take soil from the garden, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. To loosen the soil, you can add charcoal, vermiculite, and crushed tree bark. You can purchase a ready-made mixture at flower shops. For clivia, ready-made soil for orchids is suitable, in which the plant feels great.
How to care for clivia at home
Although the flower is not a capricious plant, when caring for clivia, a number of conditions must be observed. In terms of illumination, windows on the east and west sides are most suitable for it. There is not enough light on the north side, but there is a lot of sun on the south window in summer. You can place the flower on the south side, but be sure to provide shading from direct sunlight. Clivia feels good on the balcony.
In summer, a comfortable temperature for it is considered to be in the range of 20-25 degrees. But in hot summers it has to withstand higher air temperatures.
Watering and fertilizing
The Cape lily does not like excessive moisture, so excess water in the pot can lead to rotting of the roots. You can water the clivia after the soil in the pot has completely dried. The remaining water is poured out of the pan. The water must be settled, without chlorine. The temperature of the water for irrigation should be several degrees higher than the surrounding air. In winter, watering is reduced to twice a month.
Clivia leaves respond well to spraying, but it is necessary to ensure that water does not remain in the rosette of leaves, otherwise rotting may begin. Spraying can be replaced by wiping the leaves with a damp sponge.
The plant needs to be fed with fertilizers. It is better to take ready-made complex fertilizers, which are fertilized once every two weeks during the growth period. Mineral fertilizers can be alternated with organic ones. During the dormant period, stop feeding with fertilizers.
Important! Please note that nitrogen fertilizers promote the growth of green mass, and potassium fertilizers promote flowering. Therefore, in summer, fertilizing is chosen with a predominance of nitrogen fertilizers. After the flower stalk appears, feed the clivia with potassium fertilizers until the end of flowering.
Rest period
Clivia belongs to plants that need to be created during a dormant period. This refers to the intricacies of growing clivia at home. In September, stop feeding the plant and significantly reduce watering. The duration of the dormant period depends on the age of the flower. Young plants need rest for two months. The older the flower, the longer the dormancy should be.
In order for the plant to thank you with abundant flowering, it needs to provide temperature conditions during the dormant period. The temperature should be between 12-14 degrees Celsius. A short-term decrease to seven degrees is allowed. The dormant period ends with the appearance of the peduncle. Watering during the dormant period is reduced, watering only when wilting of the leaves is noticed.
Flowering period
After the peduncle appears, the pot is placed in a warm room with a temperature of about twenty degrees.
Important! The peduncle must grow to 10 cm before entering the heat.
To make clivia bloom at home, during the flowering period, increase watering and fertilize with potassium fertilizers.
Clivia flowering continues for a month, when faded buds are replaced by blossoming ones. After transferring to a warm place until the end of flowering, the pot must not be turned, much less rearranged. After flowering ends, watering is again reduced until active growth begins. The peduncle is cut off after complete drying.
Care errors
Even an experienced gardener can make mistakes in care, especially those related to watering and lighting. Externally, this is manifested by drying, rotting of the leaves and darkening of the tips. Also, flower growers often wonder why clivia does not bloom. We present the main causes and measures to eliminate the problems of growing clivia in the table.
| Signs | Causes | Corrective Action |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves turn yellow and die | Natural process | - |
| Excessive moisture | - Transplant the plant into new soil, removing rotten roots; - water in moderation. |
|
| Lack of fertilizers | During flowering, it is necessary to feed with fertilizers twice a month. | |
| When growing seeds, the leaves turn yellow due to lack of nutrients, which are spent on seed ripening. | Remove fruit | |
| Disturbing the dormancy of a flower - replanting, moving or drafts | Move the pot only as a last resort | |
| Brown spots on leaves | Sunburns | Remove the plant from direct sunlight, shade it with a curtain |
| Pale leaf color | Mineral deficiency | Fertilize with fertilizers |
| Leaves rot | Excessive watering. When spraying, stagnation of water formed in the rosette of leaves. | Stop watering until the soil dries |
| Brown tips of leaves | Excess moisture | Reduce watering, remove water from the pan |
Diseases and pests
Clivia is disease resistant and is sometimes attacked by scale insects and mealybugs.
| View | Signs | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Scale insect (shield aphid) | Dark spots-growths on leaves | Wash the leaves with soap, soap and tobacco solution, then spray with insecticide. A 0.15% Actellik solution is recommended (dilute 1-2 ml of the product in a liter of water). |
| Mealybug | Resembles white cotton wool on leaves | Wipe the leaves with a damp soapy pad. If this method does not help, then it is necessary to treat the flower with an insecticide. Treat every week until cured. |
| Rot | The leaves turn yellow, the plant begins to die | The reason is rotting roots. Damaged roots are removed, and the sections must be sprinkled with activated carbon. The plant is transplanted into new soil. |
| Fungal diseases | Rusty stripes along the length of the sheet | Treat with fungicide according to instructions. |
Reproduction
Propagation of Clivia at home is done in two ways - by children or seeds. It is easier to separate the children when transplanting an adult plant. With this method of propagation, you can get a flowering plant in the second or third year, if you do not make a mistake with the size of the pot. Otherwise, you will have to wait until the roots fill the pot.
Reproduction by children
Clivia babies at different stages of growth
Clivia propagation by children is carried out in the following order:
- When transplanting, the extracted roots are carefully separated with a sharp knife.
- All sections are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon and left to dry for half an hour.
- In the meantime, new pots are being prepared for the children and the adult plant.
- After planting, the pots with the children are placed in a warm, bright place, watered little by little
The procedure for growing clivia from seeds
Propagation by seeds will not give quick results. But if you wish, you can try to grow a clivia plantation. Seeds can be bought in specialized stores or obtained from your own specimen. To do this, pollinate the flowering plant with a brush. It is worth warning that growing seeds exhausts the plant, because the ripening of the pilaf lasts nine months until the fruits become red and soft.
- The collected seeds are sown immediately before they lose their viability.
- Dry seeds are soaked in water on a damp cloth for a day until they swell
- Prepare a container with an earthen mixture composed of:
- peat and perlite with equal shares;
- peat, sand and turf soil.
- Prepared seeds are planted at a distance of about two centimeters, slightly deepening into the ground.
- The box with seeds is covered with film or jars
- Ventilate the greenhouse daily for 10 minutes, moistening as necessary.
- After the leaves have formed, they are transplanted (picked) into small pots with a mixture of humus, deciduous and clay soil in a ratio of 1:1:1
- Young seedlings need annual replanting
Seedlings from seeds begin to bloom after 4-6 years.
Conclusion
If you follow simple rules for caring for clivia, it will thank you with abundant annual flowering. Watching a flowering plant on winter days brings great joy and lifts your spirits.
There are 5 types of clivia in total. The most popular species grown at home is clivia cinnabar (Clivia miniata). Its other names: orange clivia (matte red, red lead, red lead), or kaffir (Cape).
A huge number of clivia varieties have been developed that have a rich range of colors. The plant comes in almost all shades of orange, red and yellow.
Caring for clivia at home
This section describes in detail how to care for clivia cinnabar at home.
Temperature. When caring for clivia, the temperature should vary depending on the time of year. In summer the recommended temperature is from 20 to 25 °C, in winter - no higher than 15 °C.
Lighting. Indoor clivia likes fairly sunny places, but can get burned from direct sunlight. With a lack of sun, flowering will not be complete, the flowers will become small and the flower stalks will be short.
Watering clivia. Clivia should be watered sparingly at home. A decrease in temperature affects the demand for moisture. It is preferable to use soft, boiled or settled water. By the way, you need to pay attention to the water temperature; if there is no flowering for too long, it should be warm. When flower stalks 10 cm tall appear, you need to water more often.
Air humidity does not play a role in cultivation, so it makes no sense to spray the leaves for the purpose of moisturizing.
Top dressing. In the spring and summer, fertilizers can be applied every half month. These can be either complex fertilizers or alternating organic and mineral ones. Feeding should be stopped when clivia enters a dormant period, as this will exhaust its strength and the flower may die.
Soil and drainage. Growing works best in loose, slightly acidic soil containing peat, humus (25% each) and turf soil (50% in composition). Drainage for cultivation is a must.
Clivia transplant
This flower tolerates transplantation quite painfully. Damaged roots will rot after replanting. Therefore, it is often better to only transship the plant.
Transshipment of clivia should be done after flowering, but not more often than once every two years. For young clivia, you can do it once a year. It is also recommended to simply update the top 5 cm of the substrate once a year.
It is definitely worth remembering that clivia loves a cramped pot. And once again she shouldn’t be bothered with transplants. And if you have already started replanting, then you need to do this very carefully so as not to damage the roots of the plant.
Reproduction
The plant is propagated at home by seeds or suckers.
Sow to a depth of 1 cm in a mixture of sand and peat, cover with film or glass to retain heat. After about 40 days, shoots appear from the seeds, and after another 60 days they can be replanted. Interestingly, young plants love the same small pots.
Seeds in substrate
Vegetative method of propagation of clivia includes dividing the bush during transplantation. It should be separated carefully, because the root system is very delicate. Children must have at least 4 leaves. Interestingly, this member of the amaryllis family lacks the usual bulb. It is replaced by leaves that wrap around each other and form a fairly strong stem.
The toxicity of clivia
Clivia contains the alkaloid lycorine. Therefore, the plant is a poisonous flower, this should be taken into account by those who have children in the house.
Diseases and problems with flowers
This beautiful plant can get sick from,. Follow the links to see photos of damaged plants and pests, and how to deal with them.
Why doesn't clivia bloom? If there is no flowering at all, then you need to check whether the air temperature is high, whether there is enough light, and whether the clivia is given a rest period in full volume.
Why do clivia leaves become covered with white spots? If white spots appear on the leaves, it means the flower has received a sunburn.
Why did the tips of the leaves turn brown? The tips of the leaves have turned brown, which means that the soil is too moist.
Why do clivia leaves turn yellow? If the leaves turn yellow in small quantities and are periodically renewed, then everything is in order with the flower. This is a normal process. But if most of the foliage has turned yellow, then this is the first alarm signal. There may be several reasons. Leaves may turn yellow if watered too little or too much. If the second is true, then the clivia must be immediately removed from the pot and checked for root rot. If rotting occurs, bad roots are carefully removed and the cut sites are disinfected. After this, the clivia must be transplanted into a new substrate.
Also, the leaves may turn yellow after a change in environmental conditions (for example, the flower was moved to another place in the room). Lack of feeding can also lead to yellowing of the foliage.
Videos of clivia
The clivia plant (better known as the kaffir lily) belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. A herbaceous evergreen perennial native to South Africa. Clivia flowers come in three types. It is especially popular among flower growers due to its ease of cultivation and special decorative effect. The plant retains its amazing shape not only during the flowering period. At the dormant stage, the crop retains graceful dark green leaves. Unlike traditional representatives of the family (hippeastrum, amaryllis, hemanthus), the plant does not form a classic bulb. In place of the vegetative organ, closely woven leaves appear, which form a massive stem. The stem in its natural habitat can reach gigantic sizes. At home, Clivia cinnabar, Clivia miniata and Clivia orange are most often cultivated.
Direct sunlight will destroy clivia.
Lighting
Kaffir lily needs diffused sunlight. It is advisable to grow the crop on window sills on the south side of the building. Direct sunlight can damage the plant.
You can protect clivia from excessive exposure to radiation using blinds, roller shutters, curtains or a mosquito net.
Watering
Clivia should be watered as the top layer of the substrate dries. It is recommended to use only boiled water.
Excessive moisture of the substrate can cause rotting of the root system and the base of the leaves. It is quite easy to recognize excessive soil moisture by the brown tips of the foliage.
During the dormant stage, watering the plant should be stopped. After the first flower shoots appear, you can gradually return to the standard watering scheme.
You can move the flowerpot to a warm room after winter rest and completely restore soil moisture only after the flower stalks reach a size of more than ten centimeters. A premature change in climatic conditions will harm clivia.
The nuances of transplantation
Clivia should be replanted once every 2 years. The procedure must be carried out as the container is filled with the root system. If the roots come out, the plant should be replanted immediately. It is important to protect the fragile plant while changing the pot and soil. Damage to the earthen coma can destroy clivia.
It is necessary to thoroughly moisten the substrate. Then carefully remove the flower from the container. Carefully place the plant in a prepared container with moist soil. It is necessary to preserve the integrity of the earth.
The purchased plant can be replanted as needed.
After purchasing a small Kaffir lily, you can change the transport substrate to a suitable soil mixture. A transplanted young plant does not need a rest period in the first two years of its life cycle. For accelerated development and the beginning of flowering, the crop will need timely watering, constant lighting and periodic feeding.
Trimming Features
The clivia flower does not tolerate unnecessary interference. Constantly changing locations or removing sites will stop development. It is strictly not recommended to transfer the crop during bud setting or during the flowering period. To prevent leaves from falling off, it is necessary to place the flowerpot in a new place, while maintaining the direction of growth.
The clivia flower reacts especially hard to pruning. It is necessary to collect fallen areas to prevent infection by fungal and bacterial diseases. Violating the integrity of vegetative organs is not recommended. For the same reason, it is undesirable to keep the plant in a draft.
Clivia flower in an open area
Growing clivia in open ground is possible only in regions with warm winters. Clivia is often used in its homeland for urban landscaping.
The plant can withstand a slight drop in temperature. If exposed to frost for a long time, the root system of clivia will suffer.
In a temperate continental climate, a Kaffir lily planted in a container can be taken out onto a terrace or balcony in the summer.
Growing technology
For the rapid development of massive clivia, you just need to prepare the substrate yourself.
soil mixture
Clivia orange develops well in a soil mixture for flowering indoor plants. You can also prepare the substrate at home. To do this, it is recommended to mix leaf, turf soil and clean river sand. The plant responds well to a mixture of leaf humus, peat, turf soil and sand.
The root system of the Kaffir lily in its natural habitat is located in the top fertile layer of soil. For accelerated development, gardeners use soil mixture for orchids. The substrate stimulates the growth of massive rhizomes. A flowering arrow may appear on a young plant.
Fertilizer
To feed clivia, it is advisable to use complex fertilizers.
Container options
Clivia cinnabar will form inflorescences only in a properly selected container. To grow the crop, you should purchase a pot according to the size of the root system. Unlike other representatives of the flora, successful planting of the Kaffir lily directly depends on tight space.
You can learn how to successfully grow clivia from the video:
Main pests, diseases and typical problems
Excessive watering or stagnation of water causes rotting of the root system. It is recommended to lay out a layer of expanded clay, pebbles or polystyrene foam during planting.
The production of a short flower stalk indicates a dry substrate and a cool environment. It is necessary to regulate the frequency of watering and ensure warm microclimatic conditions.
Reddish and white spots indicate sunburn of the vegetative organs. It is necessary to create semi-shaded conditions for the plant.
The appearance of faded areas on the leaves indicates a lack of nitrogen. You will need a gram of saltpeter and a liter of water. The resulting solution should be treated with the plant. Excessive use of nitrogen-containing components can reduce the number of inflorescences.
Clivia affected by pests.
If Clivia cinnabar does not form a flower arrow in a timely manner, the plant continues to be in the dormant stage. Heat treatment will help awaken the culture. It is necessary to prepare hot water for the plant (no more than + 40 degrees).
Yellowing and wilting of leaves in winter is associated with the natural process of changing vegetative organs. There is no need to worry if the lower areas die off first.
Why does Clivia cinnabar turn yellow during the period of active vegetation development? Often yellowness on the leaves appears due to replanting. The plant will need a long recovery period. Helping clivia is quite simple. It is recommended to add “Kornevin” or other root formation stimulants to the water during watering.
The main problems of the kaffir lily are related to improper watering. Clivia can be damaged by insufficient or excessive soil moisture, as well as premature watering. Drying out can be corrected by adjusting watering. Stagnation of water leads to rotting. It is necessary to immediately change the soil and remove all damaged roots. The cut areas should be treated with crushed charcoal.
Yellowness can also be a consequence of insufficient nutrition or depleted substrate. It is recommended to change the soil and regularly feed the crop.
If the leaves of a clivia have dried out, you need to inspect the soil and the plant. Drying ends of vegetative organs along with brown spots and stagnation of water indicate excessive waterlogging.
The rhizome of clivia is very fragile. The development of the crop depends on the condition of the underground areas of the plant. Excess moisture limits the flower's access to beneficial substances.
Response to flowering
Clivia forms buds in the middle or end of the winter season. Observing the dormant period guarantees abundant flowering. An allergic reaction to inflorescences can manifest itself in the form of lacrimation, conjunctivitis, inflammation of the eye membrane, increased salivation, and difficulty breathing.
You should beware of clivia leaves. The sap of the plant contains a poisonous component. Accidental use may cause gastrointestinal pain and vomiting. It is necessary to rinse the stomach, take the sorbent and seek medical help.
Clivia leaves are especially dangerous.
Clivia propagation
Kaffir lily can be propagated vegetatively and using seeds.
Clivia from seeds
The period from pollination to the maturation of the primordia can last more than ten months. Many seeds are formed in the seed pods. It is advisable to use seed material immediately after collection - at the end of November or beginning of April.
For planting, prepare a shallow container. As a filler for the pot, you need to mix equal parts of clean medium-grain sand, peat soil and turf soil. When planting, it is necessary to maintain a distance between the buds - at least two centimeters.
Clivia sprouts.
The soil must be kept evenly moist. The container should be placed in a semi-shaded area. To create a greenhouse effect, it is advisable to use transparent glass or a plastic bag. The seeds need to be ventilated daily.
Under favorable conditions, the first shoots will appear in a month and a half. It is necessary to remove the cover. After the first leaves form, you need to pick the plant. For transplantation, use a seven-centimeter container. Next year, the young plant needs to be transplanted by transferring it into a 10-centimeter pot. In the third year of the life cycle - in a container (13 cm). For the development of a young crop, a mixture of peat, sand and humus is suitable.
A flower from seeds is characterized by slow growth. In the second year, the plant will form only four pairs of leaves. In the future, the annual increase will be two pairs.
A three-year-old flower at the beginning of September must be prepared for the rest period. Watering should be reduced. It will take about sixty days to keep the culture dry.
Rest stimulates bud production in about thirty percent of seedlings. Plants without inflorescences must be cared for according to last year's scheme - in September, the Kaffir lily must again be gradually prepared for the dormant period.
In the fourth year of the life cycle, the crop must be moved during the cold season to a room with an ambient temperature of about + 10 - + 12 degrees. It is necessary to expose the flower to low temperatures until the apical part of the peduncle appears. Then you should gradually restore watering and abundant spraying of the crop. The temperature can be increased to + 20 degrees.
Vegetative propagation
To spread clivia, you can use offspring. The technique is much more effective and simpler than the seed propagation method. It is enough to separate the formed areas from the mother plant. The culture has very fragile roots. Therefore, the procedure should be carried out very carefully.
Reproduction by offspring.
Divisions that have at least four full leaves are suitable for planting. It is necessary to prepare pots measuring seven centimeters in advance. The offspring should be placed in a moist substrate. The temperature for rooting should be about + 16 - + 18 degrees. Moderation of watering must be observed. Fragile pieces can easily rot from stagnation of water.
After rooting, the flower should be transplanted into the soil mixture. At home, you can prepare greenhouse, leaf and turf soil.
Why doesn't clivia bloom?
To form inflorescences, the culture needs to create the most comfortable conditions. The plant is able to maintain decorative properties in winter. Subsequently, inflorescences will not appear on the crop.
Exhausted clivia needs rest. Therefore, in the cold season, it is necessary to provide an adult plant with about three months of rest. During the entire period, you need to keep the flower in a dried substrate. The ambient temperature should not rise above + 12 degrees.
For optimal “wintering” the plant can be placed:
- on the window in the southern part of the building;
- Under the bed;
- in the corner of a cool room.
In order for clivia to form buds, at the end of January you need to move the plant to a lighted windowsill. At this time, you need to gradually return to watering. Sprinkling should be done regularly. Decorative culture responds well to “tropical downpours”.
For abundant flowering of clivia, you need to provide rest.
Under favorable conditions, the plant can bloom twice a year. After the inflorescences wither, in the second stage it is necessary to provide the Kaffir lily with rest.
On forums you can often find complaints from flower growers. Clivia has not bloomed for several seasons. The cause should be sought in improper care or unfavorable microclimatic conditions.
A slight deviation can slow down the development of the flower. Typical mistakes of gardeners:
- Keeping the plant in a darkened room.
- Increased air temperature more than + 26 degrees.
- Complete absence or insufficient period of rest for three months in a cool room.
The plant can decorate the interior even without inflorescences. A culture in offices without proper maintenance is common. Clivia adapts to different climatic conditions. For abundant flowering at home, you will need to make every effort.
How to choose planting material
A Dutch copy of the Kaffir lily can be purchased at the flower growers forum for 250 rubles. In online stores, the average cost of Bronze Copper clivia is 420 rubles.
Once a fan sees the winter flowering of clivia in a photo, home care of any complexity will not stop him from acquiring a miracle. A relative of the hippeastrum, it does not have a bulb and does not need a rest period. The herbaceous plant does not require special care and blooms in winter. In the home interior, beautiful clivias and cinnabar clivias are grown.
Features of keeping and caring for clivia at home
The large leaves are oblong and resemble skin. They emerge from the root, tightly grasping each other, forming a rosette. The crowning feature is a flower arrow with many flowers, similar to lilies, collected in a single bouquet. Clivia blooms in winter, some varieties throw out a secondary arrow in the summer.
With sufficient care at home, the flower is beautiful and fragrant. Flowering duration is 20-25 days.
The plant's milky sap contains the poison lycorine! Accidental ingestion of the juice can cause severe paralysis in children and pets. The lower the body weight, the greater the consequences of poisoning.
Clivia agricultural technology
With good care of the clivia, it will create a rosette of leaves and throw out a peduncle with a large number of bells. For this to happen, you need to groom and undead the flower.
The clivia should be placed so that nothing but light openwork shading blocks the light. For this, a stand is made near the windows. If there is not enough light, the leaves are crushed and the clivia will refuse to bloom. The height and number of bells in the bouquet directly depend on the conditions under which the flower is kept.
In summer, it is not advisable to keep the plant on the windowsill because it needs a temperature of 17-20 degrees for the flower stalk to appear. 19-25 degrees is considered comfortable for a flower.
The rest period for clivia begins after flowering; care at this time is special. Artificial restriction will allow the plant to mobilize strength to produce a new peduncle. Each time you need to reduce watering and temperature for several weeks, and do not apply fertilizer until a new arrow appears on the plant. After this, create comfortable conditions for development. When the arrow length is 15-17 cm, the plant is watered with warm water, but watering is increased gradually. It is from the arrow that the peduncle will subsequently emerge.
When caring for clivia at home, it is very important to organize proper watering and fertilization of the plant. Water for irrigation settles for several days, during the rest period the moisture is scanty, and later during the month the consumption is increased gradually, using only warm water. The root is fleshy, the likelihood of rotting is high. Therefore, watering is moderate, only when the top layer of soil dries. Drainage should work well, preventing stagnation of water in the pot.
Fertilizing is applied twice a month, during the period of intensive growing season, in the summer. In this case, a balance should be maintained between fertilizing that stimulates flowering and leaf mass.
If the foliage grows wildly, the flowering will be weak and short-lived. You need to find a middle ground for the clivia flower when caring for it at home. Usually alternate organic liquid fertilizers and compositions for flowering indoor plants. For each flower, the dosage is selected according to the appearance of the plant.
They also enter the dormant period gradually, reducing watering throughout the month.
Transplantation, propagation of clivia
First of all, you need to choose suitable soil. It is simple, turf soil and leaf humus are mixed in equal proportions and sand is added with a fifth of the composition. Clivia should be replanted by carefully transferring it to a prepared bed in a larger container. In this case, the drainage layer should be at least 4 cm, the soil should be poured onto the sides carefully and compacted by light shaking. If the roots are damaged during transplantation, they begin to rot in the soil.
Most often, clivia is propagated by children from the mother plant during transplantation. They grow from the sides. Those plants that have already formed 4-6 leaves are ready for independent life. They are carefully separated and placed in a small container containing sand and leaf humus. In two years the plant should bloom.
When caring at home, clivia is planted with children, as in the photo.
You can obtain young seedlings from seeds obtained at home or purchased. For propagation, seeds are taken from soft, ripe berries. Sowing is carried out to school. Shoots appear after a month and a half. Seedlings are planted in separate cups after the appearance of true leaves.
Diseases and pests of clivia and their control
Any plant disease is caused by deviations in maintenance conditions. Therefore, at the first signs, you need to conduct an analysis and compare the life of the plant with the recommended care for clivia.
Thus, the gradual yellowing of the lower leaves is a physiologically inevitable factor. Aging leaves need to be removed. But if there is massive yellowing, it could be:
- improper watering;
- irregular feeding;
- depletion of the plant whose fruits are ripening;
- moving a flower to a new location.
If overwatered, root rot may occur and the plant must be replanted immediately. Trim the roots to healthy tissue and disinfect the plant, and change the soil. The dried tips of the leaves indicate this.
The plant does not bloom most often due to warm conditions during the dormant period. And underdeveloped flower stalks are obtained for the same reason. Another reason for the lack of color on a recently transplanted plant may be excess pot space. Therefore, replanting is done only when the roots crawl out into the drainage hole and are visible from above.
The leaf plate becomes covered with dry spots from the rays of the sun directly falling on the leaf.
But it’s much worse if red stripes appear on the leaves. This is the work of the fungus, the causative agent of the disease stagonosporosis. A disease of amaryllis bulbs, but occurs in clivia. The fungus reproduces with planting material. Control measures - treatment with copper fungicides.
Fungicides must also be treated when the leaf blade begins to dry out along the entire length at the edge.
Usually scale insects or mealybugs can colonize a weakened plant. Wiping with a soap-alcohol solution will save you from scale insects. The smell of kerosene is harmful to scale insects. And if there are a lot of pests, you will have to use Actellik.
These simple techniques for caring for clivia will help preserve the beauty of the plant.
Caring for clivia at home - video
