Clivia - home care, growing and transplanting

2.06.2019 Flowers

Among representatives of the family Amaryllis clivia takes pride of place. She is distinguished not only by beautiful flowers, but also by ease of care. In a natural habitat, clivia can be found in southern Africa. The blossoming buds resemble lily flowers, due to which the plant received a second name - Kaffir lily.

Evergreen perennial is popular not only because of the bright flowering. Leaves of grassy culture also have decorative value. Long leaves of saturated green color, which are collected in an elegant rosette, decorate the room throughout the year. Clivia, whose beauty can be seen in the photo, is great for growing in an apartment, because at home it does not require complicated care.

Content

1 Characteristics of clivia and species diversity
2 Secrets and difficulties of caring for clivia at home
3 Growing and transplanting clivia at home
- 3.1 How to transplant
- 3.2 Breeding
4 Common Growing Questions

Characteristics of clivia and species diversity

A feature of the flower is the absence of a stem. Leaf plates are formed into a dense outlet directly from the root system, which is a cross between the bulb and the rhizome. Density of foliage at the base creates a false stem. The xiphoid leaves of a dark green color can grow up to 75 cm in height, and their width does not exceed 8 cm. The growth of the leafy part is rather slow, but the leaflet has a long life span.

Secrets and difficulties of caring for clivia at home

Growing clivia is a task that even a beginner will cope with. The unpretentiousness of the flower requires very little from the owner: regular watering, good lighting and lowering the temperature during the rest. To get a bright flowering, you should adhere to some rules for care.

Lighting

It is important for the plant to choose the right location, because the saturation of the color of foliage and the formation of buds depend on this. The room should be with bright diffused light. You can put a flowerpot on the western or eastern windowsill. If this is not possible, then the flower can dwell on the northern windows or in the back of the room on the south side.

Care — Direct rays of the sun are contraindicated, so the leafy part should be shaded.

Temperature and humidity

An unpretentious flower grows well at ordinary room temperature in the range of 20-25 ° C. In summer, it is worth ventilating the room more often, avoiding strong drafts. With the onset of autumn, clivia is prepared for the rest period. Stop feeding, reduce watering, and necessarily transfer the flower to a room with a temperature of 12-15 ° C.

Clivia does not need additional humidification. It adapts perfectly to the conditions of any home, so spraying can be eliminated. In the summer, it is advised to take the flowerpot out onto the balcony, loggia or garden. This helps to strengthen the immunity of the flower and improves its decorative qualities.

Watering and feeding

Water the flower with settled or boiled water at room temperature as the top layer of the soil dries. On hot days, watering should be plentiful and regular. It is impossible to prevent stagnation of the liquid in the pot, otherwise the fleshy rhizome can rot. Lowering the temperature in winter affects the frequency of watering, so the flower should be watered every 10 days.

Top dressing is applied only in the spring-summer period. Some gardeners advise feeding a flower in winter, during flowering. At rest, any feeding is excluded, otherwise the plant may die. As fertilizers, you can use complex for flowering crops or alternate the application of mineral and organic fertilizing.

Diseases and Pests

If the conditions of care are violated, the plant may be affected by gray rot and powdery mildew. These fungal diseases appear in moist soil with fluid stagnation and low air temperature. Treatment includes a mandatory transplant with a complete replacement of the soil. The flower and fresh soil are treated with fungicide.

Clivia can also be affected by pests. Most often, the plant is attacked by aphids, scale insects and mealybugs. To get rid of insects, dip a cotton swab in alcohol and use it to remove pests. Then, the aerial part is thoroughly washed with a soap solution and allowed to dry.

The final stage of the fight is the treatment of green mass with a special insecticide. The drug is diluted with water according to the instructions on the package, the leaves are sprayed and added to the water for irrigation. Insecticide, penetrating into the plant, makes the leaves poisonous to pests.

Priming

It is best to grow a flower in loose soil with a slightly acid reaction. When choosing a finished substrate, you should pay attention to the soil mixture for orchids, which is great for growing clivia.

You can independently prepare a nutrient substrate from the following components:

1 part of sand;
2 parts of sheet land;
2 parts of turf land.

The second version of the soil mixture consists of peat, sand, humus and sod land, which is mixed in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 2. The bottom of the pot is lined with a layer of drainage material, and the pot itself must have drainage holes.

Hygiene

Care for clivia should include regular airing of the room and wet cleaning of the room. She does not need additional hydration, but do not forget about the hygiene of leaves, which are wiped with a damp cloth from dust. Periodically, you can spray the green mass.

On a note!

Good lighting is the key to beautiful flowering, so window panes should be clean and pass the rays of the sun well.

Growing and transplanting clivia at home

Clivia is an unpretentious plant, but a transplant for her is a huge stress. Often after the procedure, the plant simply dies. To avoid this, you should carefully read the basic rules of transplantation.

How to transplant

A plant transplant is carried out only if necessary, because even one damaged root can cause death. The procedure is carried out no more than once every three years after flowering or with the onset of spring. Before starting the transplant, a new pot is selected. Its diameter should be only a few centimeters larger than the previous one, because the flower is comfortable in a tight container.

Transfer — If the flowerpot is too spacious, the plant will begin to actively grow the leaf and root parts, forgetting about the formation of the peduncle.

The transplant is as follows:

30-40 minutes before the start of the procedure, the soil is well watered to make it easier to extract the plant.
The pot is tilted to one side, holding the flower by the rosette of leaves, and take out the roots along with an earthen lump.
The rhizome is carefully inspected, dry and damaged parts are removed. Places of cuts and damage must be sprinkled with activated carbon.
Drainage is poured into a new pot, a little soil and a flower is placed in the center.
The resulting voids are filled with fresh soil, and then slightly compacted.

Note!

Before transplanting, it is important to remember which side of the plant was directed to the light, so that after the procedure, put it in the same way.

When performing all the manipulations, care must be taken, because the roots can be easily damaged.

Breeding

Culture propagates in two ways: offspring and seeds. An adult plant that is 5 years old or more, with proper care, forms processes. But do not immediately separate them. This can only be done after the baby has grown at least 4 leaves.

Vegetative propagation is best done during transplantation to reduce the risk of maternal flower death. To separate the lateral shoot, a sharp knife is prepared, which is pre-sterilized. Carefully cut the rhizome, separate the shoot and sprinkle the sections with activated charcoal.

The rooting of a young plant should occur at a temperature of 18 ° C and high humidity. Separated parts are planted in small containers and are not fed for the first month. Seed propagation is less popular, but it is quite possible to grow a plant from seeds at home.

Sand, peat and turf ground are poured into the container in equal parts and mix well.Planting material is laid out on the surface and buried by about half. If the room is too dry, the seed pot is covered with foil and the soil is kept moderately moist.

Sprouts — At a temperature not lower than 22 ° C, after 7 weeks young sprouts will appear.

Common Growing Questions

Which pot is suitable for clivia?

If the reason for the transplant is a strong growth of the roots, then the flowerpot is picked up 3-4 cm more in diameter than the previous one. It's okay if the flower is a little crowded, but too capacious flowerpot can cause a lack of flowering. If the transplant is carried out for other reasons, you can leave the same flowerpot, having previously treated it with a disinfectant. The pot for the plant must have drainage holes.

How to choose a healthy plant when buying?

Before buying, you should carefully examine the leaves, which can tell about the presence of diseases. A healthy flower has elastic long leaves of a deep green color. On the surface there should not be suspicious spots, damage and white coating. They also examine the inside of the leaf, because insects can hide there.

Is it true that the plant is poisonous?

Clivia is a poisonous houseplant. It contains alkaloid lycorin, which makes the plant dangerous to others. Therefore, the flowerpot should be placed in places where children and animals can not get it.

Why do leaves turn yellow?

The leaf plate may turn yellow due to sunburn, and dry brown spots may appear on it. Yellowing of the aboveground part may indicate an improper irrigation regime or a lack of nutrients. After the purchase or transplant of the plant, a period of adaptation begins, during which the foliage can acquire a yellowish color.

Due to its unpretentiousness, clivia occupies an honorable place in the collections of flower growers. This feature allows you to grow a flower even for beginners. With proper care, lush inflorescences will be an excellent decoration for any interior.