Clivia should be classified as a member of the amaryllis family. With proper care, this unusual plant can please your owners long flowering . Inflorescences are formed on this plant not only in spring and summer, but also in winter period year.
Under natural conditions the plant found in southern Africa. In nature, there are three types of clivia, all additional varieties were obtained through selective breeding.
Can I keep it at home?
The plant in question has been pleasing visitors for a long time abundant flowering and lush greenery, Its main disadvantage is considered toxicity. In this regard, the pot with the culture must be installed higher so that small children cannot reach it.
Clivia brings joy to the household for a long time beautiful flowers(the flowering period of this crop exceeds 1 month). There are some signs and superstitions about this plant. So, feng shui experts believe that this flower is on the windowsill neutralizes negative energy entering the room from the street.
Popular types of clivia
The most popular types of clivia are the following:
Clivia cinnabar orange
Known to breeders since 1850. This plant has found wide application in floriculture. Natural habitat countries are considered this culture South Africa. She grows in the mountains terrain at high altitudes.
The height of the plant does not exceed 50 centimeters. It has wide sword-shaped leaves, beautiful tubular flowers with red petals and yellow or orange pharynx. The inflorescence is spherical, consists of 15-20 flowers, which are located on long peduncles.
Like the previous species, it has sword-shaped leaves up to 60 centimeters long. The peduncle is tall, 40-50 centimeters in size, with lush inflorescences matte red with a yellow eye. The petals are quite large, their length reaches 5 centimeters.
Clivia stem
It was found by botanists in the middle of the last century in southern Africa. This culture is good grows on rocky soil, likes moderate humidity and diffused sunlight. The plant is quite large, its height reaches 3 meters.
It has long aerial roots. The leaves are long, up to 70 centimeters, belt-shaped, their width ranges from 3-7 centimeters. Inflorescences large, of 10-20 bell-shaped flowers, drooping, with orange-red petals.
It grows up to 55 centimeters in height, has belt-shaped leaves with a smooth dark green surface and white stripe in the central part. The inflorescences are red with an orange tint and resemble a bell. Flowers are formed on tall peduncles.
Clivia beautiful noble
This is a miniature variety of the crop, its height does not exceed 30 centimeters. Leaves are sword-shaped, dark green in color, have sharp edges. Peduncles are long and thick, the inflorescences are large, consisting of 50-60 flowers. This species blooms in mid-winter.
Named in honor of the discoverer R. Garden, who first discovered this culture near the city of Quasar. Natural habitat of a flower the shady African foothills are considered. The height of the plant does not exceed 50 centimeters.
The leaves are shaped like a sword, the surface is bright green, and the length does not exceed 90 centimeters. Inflorescences are red with an orange tint, resemble bells. Flowering occurs in autumn.
Clivia citrina
It was obtained in 1899 through selection. This crop grows up to 60 centimeters in height and has long, dark green, belt-shaped leaves. The inflorescences are fragrant, creamy with yellow tint . The flowering period lasts from late February to mid-March.
Clivia is amazing
It was opened relatively recently, in 2002. This is a low plant (up to 60 centimeters) with sword-shaped leaves of standard green color. A white stripe stands out in the central part of the plate.
Medium-sized inflorescences, drooping, shaped like bells. The petals are red with an orange tint.
Pay attention! A description of popular varieties of flowers will help you make right choice for growing crops.
How to care
Earlier we described what clivia is, home care for this plant It’s quite simple, but you need to know some nuances.
Temperature
The flower develops well in normal conditions at a temperature between 18-22 degrees. Best temperature performance during the period of intensive growth they are 20-25 degrees.
The plant's dormant period begins at the end of October, at which time it is necessary to move the flowerpot to a cool room with a temperature of 12-14 degrees.
Lighting
Culture reacts poorly to direct hits sun rays. It is recommended to place a flowerpot with a flower on window sills located in the eastern or western part private house or city apartment.
Humidity
The flower needs moderate watering. When moistening the nutrient substrate, water should not accumulate on the tray. The crop does not need additional spraying.
During the dormant period it is watered rarely, during the formation of buds - intensively. For irrigation, settled water at room temperature is used.
This video shows a beautiful clivia and tells you how to care for the flower at home.
Transfer
Moving Old Plants transfer to a new container only as a last resort, when the roots are strongly intertwined with each other or begin to look out of the drainage holes.
During such operations, the sensitive root system can be damaged, which will lead to death of a flower. Transplanting young clivias carried out annually during the first three years of life.
The plants are moved to a new larger pot along with a lump of earth. The flowerpot must have drainage holes, it disinfect with a solution of potassium permanganate and pour a small layer drainage of small stones or pebbles.
After this, the earthen ball is sprinkled with a new nutrient substrate and the flower is watered. Old crops older than 10 years are not replanted. In the flowerpot, only the top layer of the nutrient substrate is replaced.
This video shows how to properly transplant a beautiful clivia.
How to make it bloom
Many housewives are trying to understand why clivia does not bloom. This is mainly due to transplantation plants in a large flowerpot. In this case, the culture will actively form roots.
Only after the earthen coma is filled will the first inflorescences begin to form. No flowering also associated with nutritional deficiencies in the soil or lack of proper lighting.
You can make a plant bloom as follows:
- To form flower buds, increase the dormant period.
- During flowering, install indoor air temperature within +13…+16 degrees. The plant should receive diffused color in the required quantity.
- Feed the plant with liquid solutions of organic matter or potassium fertilizer.
Important! At proper care behind the crop, you will never have to wonder how to make clivia bloom.
What to do after the petals have withered
At the end of flowering, withered inflorescences remain on the crop, which adhere well to the stems. Flowers you just need to cut it with scissors. Such operations are carried out with special care so as not to damage the peduncle.
Damage to the strain can lead to many undesirable consequences, such as disease. Completely dried stem neatly removed from the rosette of leaves, it is easily pulled out.
When the clivia fades, the care rules change as follows:
- reduce watering;
- protect the plant from cold air flows (drafts);
- spray the crop, wipe the leaves with a damp soft cloth.
Advice! During the dormant period, it is not recommended to feed the flower - excess nutrients only deplete the crop.
Reproduction
Get extra clivia plants Can vegetative way or using seeds. Let's take a look at each method in more detail.
Vegetative method
Reproduction by children is considered the best way obtaining additional copies of the flower. The vegetative parts are separated from the crop after the appearance of 4-5 leaves.
Children must be separated with special care. to avoid damaging the clivia root system. After this, the divisions are planted in small pots. Such plants will form the first flower stalks 2-3 years after transplantation.
Carefully! Do not separate the babies from the mother plant during flowering.
Seeds
This is a rather complicated way to obtain additional clivia plants. To obtain seeds you need pollinate the inflorescences and wait for the fruits to ripen. Fresh seeds are used for planting.
The grains are planted in a special container at a distance of 2 centimeters from each other. A mixture is used as a nutrient substrate from peat turf and sand in equal proportions. The first shoots will appear 6 months after planting.
When the sprouts have 2-3 true leaves, they are moved to small flowerpots (7 centimeters in diameter). Further transplantation is carried out as the crops develop.
Diseases
Clivia diseases are associated with improper care. For example, waterlogging of the nutrient substrate may cause the appearance of gray rot in crops. Signs of this disease are determined by a dirty coating on the surface of the leaves.
In this case, the flower is removed from the flowerpot, the damaged parts are removed, the rest vegetative organs must be sprayed with fungicides, for example, the drug "Fundazol".
Of the pests, Clivia is affected by mealybugs and scale insects. The result of their vital activity can be seen by the deformation or drying of the leaf plates. The way out of the situation is to treat the leaves alcohol swab or soap solution . After such operations, the flower is bathed in the shower. If this does not help, use the insecticides “Biotlin” or “Aktara”.
Yellowed leaves often appear on the crop after replanting. An additive to the irrigation water will help correct the situation. small amount liquid (a couple of drops) of growth stimulator. The same problem arises as a result of improper watering - the earthen ball should not dry out.
Important! yellow leaves on clivia they often appear when there is a deficiency of nutrients in the soil, so the grower must follow the feeding regime.
Does not form buds
Lack of flowering is due with a short rest period, high temperature indoors, excess nitrogen in the soil and improper lighting. Eliminate all these problems, and clivia will begin to bloom in due time.
Toxicity and beneficial properties
Despite the external beauty of clivia it is considered poisonous plant. If the root part and leaves are damaged, you can detect yellowish discharge - these are alkaloids, hazardous and toxic substances.
Their entry into the human body causes paralysis and even death. Due to this the crop should be placed on windowsills or in other places so that small children or pets cannot reach it.
Important! After flower care procedures, you must wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
In addition to alkaloids, clivia juice contains contains substances such as lycorin and clivatin, which allows the culture to be used in pharmacology. Raw materials from this plant are used to make various medicines which improve blood circulation.
The flower is a member of the amaryllis family and includes five varieties of evergreen herbaceous plants.
Clivia differs from other representatives of this family in that does not enter a dormant period on its own.
Another difference is that it root system It is not a bulb, but a rhizome.
The birthplace of the above-mentioned plant is the west of the Republic of South Africa. In the middle of the 19th century, this plant was brought to Europe and began to be cultivated as an indoor plant.
The Clivia leaf is leathery, belt-shaped and large in size. The leaves embrace each other so tenaciously that they create a pseudostem. They have a glossy surface and dark green color. Slightly curved leaves originate in a basal rosette and resemble an elegant fan.
The length of the leaves can reach 50 centimeters. Every year appears up to six fresh leaves, and several old ones dry up and fall off. Thus, this plant undergoes natural renewal of foliage.
Seeds may appear in Clivia, which has crossed the threshold of eight years of age, as a result of artificial pollination. The fruits of this plant are berries, each of which can contain from one to six round-shaped seeds. At first the fruit is bright green in color, but after ripening it turns red. The maturity of a fruit can be determined by its softness.
Photo of the plant
See the photo below to see what the seeds look like: 
Species
Let's look at some types of indoor plant Clivia.
Cinnabar
This species can be found in the shaded forests of Natal in South Africa. It is characterized by a height of up to 50 centimeters, and its sword-shaped leaves are up to 60 centimeters long. The flowering period of this plant starts in February and ends in May.
They are characterized by bright red flowers, in the center of which there may sometimes be a bright yellow spot. One umbrella inflorescence contains up to 20 flowers. 
Noble
This species differs from others in its small height, which is no more than 30 centimeters. The belt-shaped leaves are characterized by the presence of sharp edges. The strong peduncle grows up to 50 centimeters and forms from 50 to 60 tubular buds, the diameter of which is about 2 centimeters. Inside, the flowers are light yellow in color with a greenish throat, and with outside– orange.
The plant is common in the Cape Province of South Africa. Its flowering period usually occurs in winter.
Citrina
It is a variety of Clivia that is characterized by creamy yellow flowers and yellow berries. In shape and size it is completely identical to its predecessor. 
Gardena
This variety originates in the Transvaal and Natal. This plant reaches a height of 50 centimeters, and the width of its sword-shaped leaves is about 4 centimeters. In winter or autumn, from 10 to 16 tubular narrow flowers, red in color with greenish edges, bloom on the peduncle. 
Stem
This plant was discovered in 1943 in the damp foothills of the northern and eastern South African provinces. For him characterized by the presence of a stem with aerial roots, formed from dried leaves, the length of which can reach 2 meters. The length of the belt-shaped leaves is from 30 to 60 centimeters, and the width is from 3 to 7 centimeters.
The flowering period of this variety occurs in summer. It blooms about 20 flowers that are orange in color with green tips on the petals. 
Amazing
This new look Clivia, which was discovered in 2002. It is characterized by the unusual color of the leaves, which have a whitish stripe in the middle and dark burgundy tones near the base. Clivia is a plant that is extremely hardy. 
Care
Requires special. The plant will feel most comfortable near the east or west window. It should be protected from direct sunlight.
IMPORTANT! On a northern windowsill, the plant will not bloom due to lack of lighting.
During spring and summer, Clivia should be kept at air temperature from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, and with the onset of October it needs to be reduced until 12-14 degrees above zero. When the plant releases a peduncle, the air temperature should be increased up to 18-20 degrees Celsius.
Clivia requires moderate watering with settled soft water, but during the flowering period it should be plentiful. In summer, it is recommended to wipe the leaves of the plant with a wet sponge. The flower responds remarkably to the application of organic or complex mineral fertilizers.
Bloom
Some varieties of the plant described above are capable of blooming twice throughout the year.
IMPORTANT! Clivia should be provided with a period of rest.
The duration of this period for young plants should be at least two months, and it should begin in October or November. From September it is necessary to completely stop watering and resume it only if it begins to shed its leaves.
With the appearance of flower shoots, the plant must be placed in a warm place, watered more often and fed with fertilizers.
During the period of bud setting and flowering, you should not move the pot with the plant. The flowering period often begins in February and lasts about four weeks.
Growing from seeds
The seeds are quite large in size and easy to germinate. When growing a plant from seeds, its flowering will begin no earlier than after 3-4 years.
Since the seeds of this flower do not have a dense shell, you need to monitor their storage conditions; the slightest damage can lead to rotting. It is better to plant the material immediately after purchase, but if it is impossible to the right way Storage will be to keep the seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To prevent them from drying out, wrap them in a damp cloth.
Clivia seeds germinate quickly when the necessary conditions are created.:
- Temperature 23-25°C.
- Humidity 60 - 70%.
- Sterility.
Before sowing, seeds must be disinfected. To do this, take 1 part of a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and 2 parts of water. The seeds are dipped in this solution for 10-20 minutes.
Germination in soil
Use soil with good drainage from vermiculite, sand and granite chips. Before sowing, the soil is moistened and the seeds are pressed into the soil. The container is covered with transparent glass or film and placed in a warm and bright place. When the leaves grow, remove the lid and begin to feed the clivias with a weak solution of special fertilizers. Do not let the plants flood; the soil should dry out between waterings.
Sprouted clivia seeds look very unusual - they produce a sprout and root from one point. Therefore, when planting a seed in the ground, we leave it on the surface, pointing the root down. Over time, the seed will dry out and fall off. The duration of seed germination is 1-6 weeks.
Useful video
You can learn more about the features of home care in the video below:
Clivia refers to evergreens family Amaryllis. This herbaceous indoor plant is a favorite of gardeners. It is unpretentious, blooms annually with bright, sunny inflorescences surrounded by a lush, green basal rosette of leaves spread out like a fan. Flowering occurs in the winter, which increases the value of clivia: flowers from orange to dark red shades lift your spirits when there is a snowstorm or frost “crackling” outside the window.
General characteristics of the flower
Clivia stands apart in its large family. The fact is that, unlike other Amaryllis, it does not form a bulb. This is a rhizomatous plant, to the base of which the leaves are attached, collected in a dense rosette, which forms a false stem. The roots are fleshy and juicy, capable of accumulating nutritional elements from the soil “in reserve”.
The leaves are linear or xiphoid in shape and have the characteristic shine of dense leaves. Bell-shaped flowers are collected in an umbrella inflorescence. There are several types of home culture, which differ in the color of the inflorescence: from orange to bright red.
The inflorescence is formed by 2-3 dozen flowers, which bloom gradually and do not bloom immediately, delighting their owners with prolonged flowering, which lasts up to 2-3 weeks.
Clivia is capable of simultaneously releasing several flower arrows, due to which it decorative qualities increase significantly. It blooms once a year, in some cases it forms flower shoots twice, but suitable conditions must be created for this.
Important to know: Clivia owes its name to the floriculture lover Charlotte Clive, Queen Victoria's governess. And Clivia Gardena received the name of Major Robert Gardena, who discovered unusual look and delivered it to Europe.
Caring for indoor crops
Despite its beauty and decorativeness, clivia does not require special conditions. She is quite happy with the usual routine of our apartments. In addition, she does not tolerate unnecessary care. There is no need to disturb the plant once again: loosen, trim, polish leaves or replant without special need.
Mode that is suitable for Clivia:
- Placement should be light, but not in direct sunlight. East and west windows that provide diffused light are suitable. On northern windows, growth slows down, leaves turn yellow, and flowering stops. In summer, the flower can be placed on a balcony with slight shading, and in winter it can be placed on a bright window.
Do not move the pot with the “green pet” from place to place and do not change its position during the period of budding and flowering: clivia does not tolerate such treatment.
- Room temperature suits the plant (+20-+25C), and from October it needs to be gradually reduced (+12-+14C), moving on to the dormant period. At the moment when the flower crop throws out a peduncle, gradually increase the temperature to room temperature. Humidity is not of fundamental importance for this representative of the Amaryllidaceae, but if the days are very hot, then spraying is recommended. You can wash and wipe the leaves as a hygiene procedure.
If you leave the temperature regime the same during the dormant period, the flowering will not be particularly luxuriant: the flower stalks will grow short and the flowers will be small.
- Moderate watering is important soft water at room temperature. If there is an excess of moisture, the water from the trays must be poured out. During the dormant period, stop watering, and increase during budding. Do not allow the earthen ball to dry out; the top layer of soil should always be kept moist.
- When the plant grows after dormancy and prepares to flower useful to feed with its ready-made complex mineral fertilizer once every 2 weeks (based on the instructions). You can use fertilizer for flower plants with a balanced composition of components.
It is better to combine organic and mineral supplements. Organics based on vermicompost are useful: Ideal, Giant, Breadwinner and others. From mineral compositions It's better to use Kemira.
Do not overfeed your “green pet” with excess nitrogen. This element promotes the growth of green mass and can slow down the progress of flowering or stop it altogether.
Flowering occurs on early winter or the beginning of spring. As soon as the clivia has a flower shoot, it is transferred to a more warm conditions and a bright place, increasing the number of waterings. Having created suitable conditions, you cannot move the pot or turn it, otherwise the “green pet” will begin to shed its leaves. Flowering under suitable conditions for the plant can last almost a month.
For regular flowering, Clivia requires a dormant period of 2 months (usually October-November). For larger specimens this period is longer. At this time, the following conditions must be created:
- lower the temperature to +12-+14C, moving the indoor culture to a cool room (for example, on a loggia);
- reduce the number of waterings;
- provide moderate lighting;
- cancel feeding.
Usually, when the question arises why a representative of Amaryllis refuses to bloom, there are three answers: non-compliance with the temperature regime, frequent watering, fertilizing and the use of nitrogen fertilizers. The reason may be too big pot: because of free location Clivia rhizomes refuse to flower.
With artificial pollination, large fruits with seeds are formed, which initially have green, but over time they become red-orange. They also give the plant a decorative appearance, but greatly deplete it, so it is advisable to cut off the ovaries.
When the “overseas beauty” has faded, it is transferred to fresh air into the garden, in a shady and windless place. If you want clivia to bloom again, then after relaxing in nature, transfer it to the shade and do not fertilize it, reducing watering to once a month. Sometimes at this time the leaves of the plant turn yellow, but this is not a problem. In a month, the indoor culture should produce a new flower shoot. Only healthy and mature specimens can bloom twice a year.
This genus belongs to plants that do not like much “disturbance”, so Clivia should be replanted as rarely as possible. She is sensitive to the procedure, since succulent roots can break and rot during subsequent growth.
A sign that it’s time to start replanting into a larger pot is the roots crawling out of the container. Due to their rapid growth, young seedlings require annual replanting, while older domestic crops require replanting once every 2-3 years.
The main techniques for transplantation are as follows:
- the plant is transferred to new pot with a clod of earth, trying not to damage the root system;
- in young specimens, the roots are washed from old soil;
- the pot is not very large, since clivia blooms better in small containers (blooming is possible if the volume of the pot is completely filled with roots);
- if the roots break off, then they need to be treated with crushed coal or ash;
- for large dimensions, divide into 2-3 parts;
- Do not deepen the root collar too much, otherwise bottom part the leaves will rot;
- slightly acidic soil for planting consists of turf land, humus and peat (2:1:1);
- It will not hurt to add additional superphosphate at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. for 3 l. mixtures;
- A drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the pot.
When replanting, you don’t have to divide the plant and, if the capacity allows, a large specimen will gradually form. Periodically (once a year) you need to remove the top layer of soil, replacing it with fresh one.
Clivia propagation
For those who want to give a young, bright plant to friends or acquaintances, the only propagation method is recommended - vegetative (by children). You can propagate clivia by seeds, but this is a rather long and labor-intensive process. The vegetative route is easier to implement and therefore common.
Division mother bush on daughter plants occurs during the transplantation period, so as not to further injure the flower crop. On the side of the main bush, daughter shoots (babies) are formed, which are carefully separated from the main part. They must have at least 4 leaves and several strong, intact roots.
The children are planted in a mixture of leaf soil and sand in pots with a diameter of 7 cm. They take root in cooler conditions (+16-+18C) and with moderate watering. When it becomes clear that the young seedling is feeling well and begins to grow, it is replanted for the second time in the composition of leaf, greenhouse and turf soil (1: 1: 1). The grown-up baby will begin to bloom after 2-3 years.
Types of clivia
There are several species that have taken a strong position in indoor floriculture and in the hearts of flower lovers. Breeders based on them developed various varieties, so the plant can “boast” of an abundance of shapes and colors.
Clivia cinnabar or miniata
This species is the most popular in culture. The leaves are shaped like a belt (wide at the base and narrow at the top), have a bright green color, reaching 70 cm in length. The half-meter peduncle is strewn with 20 large flowers. They are red-orange in color with a yellowish color at the base.
Clivia Gardena
This is a half-meter plant with long leaves, pointed at the ends. Throws out the same large peduncle with 15 flowers in an umbrella. The flowers are narrow, bell-shaped and red. Flowering occurs in winter. It also grows wild in South Africa, in humid subtropical forests.
Clivia is beautiful
It has smaller dimensions - up to 30 cm in height. The sword-shaped leaves can grow up to 40 cm, and the peduncle - up to 50. It is abundantly covered with flowers, the number of which reaches 40-60 pieces in an inflorescence. The flowers are light red, with a green border in this large quantities look festive and unusual. This species originates from the Cape Province of South Africa.
Clivia variegata
Refers to a variety of cinnabar clivia. It is found as the delicately colored "Japanese pastels" of white and cream color, the European favorite variety "Striata" with orange-hued flowers and leaves with white stripes, the yellow representative of the clivia "Solomon yellow". Snowball and Milk White have snow-white flowers.
In specialized garden center or through amateur flower growers you can purchase the variety you are interested in or create a mini-collection of 3-4 plants so that the flowering time falls on different times(varieties differ in flowering time).
Possible problems when growing clivia
Sometimes appearance the plant is suspicious: it seems unhealthy. The reasons for this may be yellowing of the leaves, which change color for a number of reasons:
- dying off of old leaves and replacing them with new ones;
- lack of moisture or its excess;
- malnutrition;
- change of “place of residence”, drafts or transplants.
The causes of brown or white spots can be sunburn, and a change in the color of the leaf blade to pale green indicates a lack of some nutrient element.
Brown ends of leaves are an indicator of excess moisture, and their rotting indicates that the roots were damaged during replanting. The peduncle grows short at low temperatures and lack of water. All these problems are easy to fix if you know their causes.
Amateur flower growers should definitely add the beautiful clivia to their flower collection. Choose a plant with red, yellow or orange flowers to suit your taste and interior. This is a modest flower that does not require constant care. On the contrary, she loves not to have any further trouble caused to her. It is only important to ensure a period of rest and then the new inhabitant of the apartment will delight every year with sunny flowers in the winter cold.
All parts of clivia are used in pharmacology, but it should be remembered that the roots and leaves of clivia are toxic because they contain lycorin, which causes increased salivation, vomiting, and even paralysis in large doses, so be careful when replanting the plant and warn your family about these properties of clivia.
One of the most amazing indoor plants capable of doing pleasant surprise for the gardener in the season when the eye lacks the colorful variety of spring and summer flowers, this is clivia. Home care based on competent scheme, leads to a phenomenon rarely found in other plants - flowering in winter.
Clivia belongs to the amaryllis family. It comes from the subtropical climate zone of the South African coast. It has long, fleshy leaves that are folded so tightly at the base that they form a false stem. And from the center of the rosette in the middle of winter, with proper care, shoots out a peduncle with beautiful bell-shaped flowers, collected in a neat umbrella.
To enjoy this natural phenomenon, you will have to make some effort. How to care for clivia? What soils does she like? How to properly maintain it in winter? Is it possible to achieve re-blooming in summer? We talk about everything in order in this review.
Flower varieties differ from each other only in the color of the petals, which can be red, orange, yellow, orange-yellow.
- Clivia cinnabar- the most common variety. The inflorescence contains from 10 to 20 orange-red flowers.
- Clivia Gardena differs from cinnabar in a slightly smaller number of flowers in the umbrella - usually up to 15, and also in a slightly higher peduncle.
- Clivia noble has pale red petals and a curved perianth. The height of the peduncle ranges from 30 to 50 cm. The number of flowers in an inflorescence can exceed 20 pieces.
Clivia: nuances of cultivation
The most important thing that clivia requires from its owner is a cool winter, so as not to deplete the bulb and give it the opportunity to lay a peduncle. During the flowering period, the temperature can be increased to room values. Another important point– send the plant to “overwinter” after flowering.
IN warm time likes to relax in open ground. During the period from late May to early August, it can grow noticeably and become stronger. Just be sure to place it in the shade, as direct sunlight causes burns on the leaves! With the onset of the first cold August nights, she is brought indoors.
Home care
Most of all, clivia is demanding on temperature conditions. Also, do not overwater it, as bulbs in excessively wet soil easily rot.
Temperature features, lighting, humidity
- In the warm season, clivia needs temperatures of about 20-25 degrees, and in winter it likes coolness. At the end of autumn, if possible, it should be moved to a bright place with an air temperature of 14-17 degrees.
- The clivia flower loves bright, diffused light, but prolonged exposure to direct sunlight is strictly unacceptable for it. Therefore, it is placed on western, eastern, northwestern and northeastern windows. If necessary, it can be shaded using mesh material.
- The flower is not as demanding of air humidity as some others. Strictly speaking, subject to temperature conditions There is no need to additionally humidify the air. In dry summer days can be sprayed in the mornings and evenings.
Soil requirements
Soil for clivia is prepared from equal parts of turf soil and leaf soil with the addition of a small amount of sand, preferably coarse-grained. It is important that the pot has a drainage hole, and at the bottom, before planting the plant, there is a layer of drainage made of pebbles, expanded clay, stones, or at least coarse sand.
Can also be used purchased soil for bulbous plants, which, however, is best mixed with fertile garden or forest soil in a one to one ratio.
Watering and fertilizing
- The soil should be moistened moderately, avoiding flooding. This flower is at risk for the development of root and basal rot due to overwatering.
- The plant is fed only during the period of active growth, that is, in spring and summer, at intervals of 1-2 times a month. Universal complex ones are suitable for this purpose. organic fertilizers: “Giant”, “Ideal”, “Breadwinner”. Can also be used mineral fertilizers: dissolve superphosphate, potassium nitrate and urea in approximately equal proportions (slightly less urea) according to the instructions on the package. Nitrogen fertilizers It is better not to overfeed, as this will lead to rapid growth of green mass without flowering.
You can feed it once with potassium fertilizers in winter at the time of flower stalk formation. In general, fertilizing cannot be done from autumn to early spring.
Flowering plant
A distinctive feature of clivia is its winter flowering. It’s so nice to admire beautiful flowers on gray winter evenings. From a rosette of elongated leaves, between January and March, it shoots out an arrow, on which flowers are formed, resembling bells in shape. Their number can vary from a couple of pieces to several dozen. The color of the petals is usually red, red-pink, less often yellow. You can admire this beauty for 20-30 days while flowering continues.
Clivia enters a dormant period soon after flowering, that is, in the second half of winter or early March.
Peculiarity! A plant with a peduncle that has appeared should not be moved to a new place, otherwise the buds will fall off.
Flower transplant
This bulbous plant should only be replanted if absolutely necessary, as damaged roots easily rot. The exception is young specimens, which can be transshipped every year in the first 2-3 years of life. The main criterion indicating the occurrence of an extreme case: the roots fall out of the drainage hole or are entwined in the earthen ball so tightly that they do not fit into the pot.
When transplanting, try not to destroy the earthen lump. The new container should be slightly larger than the previous one and not inferior to it in terms of drainage quality.
Very old plants, especially those older than 10 years, do not need to be replanted until the end of their lives, but only annually replace the top layer of soil with new, fertile soil.
Winter care
In winter, if kept cool, clivia does not need frequent watering. You can moisten the soil only 1-2 times a month as it dries out.
We must not forget that at temperatures below +12 Clivia dies! It is advisable that it winter at temperatures of +14 ... +17 degrees.
When a peduncle appears, the temperature is increased to 18-20 degrees. A cool window sill is good for this, but without drafts! After the flowers wither, the plant is returned to cool conditions until March.
Clivia propagation
Clivia reproduces in two main ways:
- The most common practice is to propagate clivia by baby bulbs, which form in large numbers around adult plants. They should be dug up as carefully as possible in order to damage as little as possible the roots of the mother plant.
- Planting seeds. True, seed plants bloom only after 2-3 years, but this does not stop amateurs. One more nuance: only adult specimens over eight years old can produce seeds! It should also be taken into account that the formation of ovaries is possible only with cross-pollination. But if you manage to grow planting material, then propagating the flower will not be difficult.
The main thing is to remember that seeds quickly lose their viability after collection, so they should be sown immediately.
The sowing and growing procedure is standard for most ornamental plants:
- Prepare standard soil and pour it into shallow containers with drainage holes.
- The seeds are distributed over the surface of the soil mixture, pressed lightly, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle and the containers are covered with polyethylene or a mini-greenhouse and left in a bright room with room temperature air.
- The first shoots will appear in 3-4 weeks. When they grow a little, you can plant them in small pots.
Pests and diseases - how to treat them?
Among the pests that like to feed on clivia are scale insects and mealybugs.
- Shields resemble strange dark brown immobile growths with a diameter of several millimeters to a centimeter.
- Mealybugs- These are small white insects that love to settle in the axils of leaves.
Both pests are well removed by Aktara and Aktellik. Aktara not only sprays the affected plants, but also waters the soil. Active ingredients This drug is harmless to plants, but toxic to pests.
Of the fungal diseases, the plant most often suffers from root rot and bulb rot. When the root system rots, the leaves turn brown and wither. Unfortunately, the process can only be stopped at an early stage, when symptoms are just beginning to appear. To do this, the flower is removed from the pot, its roots are washed in warm water and treated with Fitosporin. Rotten areas are mercilessly removed, and the cuts are sprinkled with charcoal (wood or activated).
Why doesn’t clivia bloom, why do the leaves turn yellow and dry?
Why clivia does not bloom depends on several factors.
- The plant needs winter coolness to set buds.
- The consequences of flooding or, conversely, drying out of the land may affect.
- Baby bulbs can take a lot of effort, but it makes sense to plant them when they grow 3-4 leaves.
Important! If the leaves turn brown when overwatered, then when there is a lack of water their tips turn yellow and dry out. Therefore, in winter you need to regularly visit and check the condition of the flower: suddenly it’s time to water.