Clivia

Clivia is a direct relative of the Amaryllis family. In its natural habitat, clivia is found in southern Africa. Such a plant prefers high air humidity in subtropical forests. This culture is perennial, it is a herbaceous plant. The sheet plates are elongated, they are grouped into a rosette.

The flowers are also grouped in inflorescences and have a very decorative appearance. There are flowers of different colors. There are red, orange, yellow specimens. The flower resembles a bell in shape, one inflorescence can contain from ten to twenty flowers. The buds bloom smoothly, while the flowers do not crumble for a sufficiently long period and are kept on the plant. One clivia shoots, as a rule, not one, but several arrows with flowers.

Full characterization of clivia

When growing clivia at home, flowering usually occurs in February - March. If the plant is large enough, and the basic recommendations for caring for it are followed, then flowering can occur twice a year.

The leaf plates are quite elongated, the surface shines beautifully, have a deep green color. At the very base, the leaf is thicker, the leaves are very close to each other, so they can resemble bulbs in their shape. The leaves are located at the very root system. This culture does not have a bulb, this distinguishes the clivia from the rest of the representatives of this family. The root system is quite fleshy, the roots contain a lot of juice. In such a rhizome, nutrients and moisture necessary for growth and development are well accumulated.

Clivia does not show high demands in its departure. For this culture, the illumination and humidity of the environment are not too important. It shows itself best on windows that have a western, eastern or northern exposure.

For home cultivation, flower lovers prefer certain varieties. Most often, cinnabar clivia is planted at home. Clivia noble is also in great demand for these purposes.

Cinnabar clivia has become popular not only for its decorative appearance, but also for its medicinal properties. To prepare a medicine, almost all parts of the plant are used. Medicines are made on the basis of rhizomes, leaves. For example, the inhabitants of the Zulu country use the roots of this plant to treat fever, in addition to this, a clivia-based remedy can help cope with the pain caused by a snake bite.

At the same time, this plant must be used carefully for medical purposes. This is due to the fact that clivia contains toxic elements. For this reason, it is not worthwhile to independently engage in treatment with this plant.

How to care for clivia indoors

In care, this culture is not as whimsical as it might seem. An important condition for successful cultivation is the absence of unnecessary manipulations with regard to clivia. Do not rearrange, loosen or transplant again. In addition, trimming should only be done as a last resort.

Light mode for clivia

For clivia, the presence of direct sunlight is completely undesirable. For this reason, it is best to locate the plant in a shaded area.It is best to place the plant on a window sill with a western or eastern exposure. Clivia, which will be located in the northern part, will show good results, but there is a possibility that the clivia will grow rather slowly. Also, the north side is bad in that it can negatively affect flowering.

In the summer and warm spring, it is best to move the containers with plants to fresh air. It is best to choose a shaded place for this.

Favorable temperature for clivia

This plant gives the best results at room temperature. During the growing season, the temperature level should vary from +20 to +25 degrees. When the plant comes to rest, the ambient temperature must be lowered to +12 +14 degrees. This period begins in October. After the plant has a peduncle, the clivia should be placed in a room where the temperature will vary from +18 to +20 degrees.

How to properly water the clivia

As for the level of humidity in the environment, this is not very important for clivia.

Watering clivia should be done in moderation. In the pallet where the container with the plant is located, water should not stagnate. When the plant is at rest, it does not need to be watered at all, or it is done very rarely. During the formation of buds on peduncles, watering should be made more frequent and abundant. In this case, the water must be warm without fail.

Nutritional features for clivia

Fertilization is done when the plant is in bloom. Also, additional nutrition is required when the plant is actively gaining growth. During the flowering period, fertilizing is applied to the soil twice a month. It is worth paying attention to the composition of the dressings used, they should not contain too much nitrogen. A large amount of this element will have a beneficial effect on the growth of green mass with clivia. But the plant, most likely, will not be able to bloom a second time.

Dormant period of clivia

Without fail, a dormant period is required for the lush flowering of clivia. This time usually begins in October - November and lasts from two to three months. To make the clivia feel most comfortable at this stage of life, you need to move the containers with plants to a place with a cool temperature. At the same time, watering the plant should be very rare, or not at all.

Fertilizing plants at this time is not worth it. It is best to keep the plants in the period while at a temperature of +10 to +12 degrees. But if there is no such room, and it is not possible to lower the temperature, then you can leave the plant in room conditions, this is not so scary for this culture. If you see that the clivia has begun to shed its foliage, then it is imperative to water the plant. In this case, the amount of water should be very small.

How clivia blooms

When the clivia is still young, it blooms only once a year. After reaching an older age, flowering occurs twice. The plant blooms twice only if all growing recommendations are followed. By the end of the dormant period, the plant forms an arrow. When the flower arrow grows ten to fifteen centimeters, the clivia must be transferred to room temperature conditions. In this case, you need to water the plant abundantly enough. After this procedure, it is better not to carry out unnecessary manipulations with the plant. Further watering should not be carried out too often, and the amount of water should be small. If the temperature difference is too sharp, the buds may stop developing. If the dormant period for your plant took place indoors, then you just need to start watering it more often. The water must be warm without fail, so the peduncle will grow more actively. In no case should you move containers with plants when buds are being formed.

When your plant stops blooming, continue fertilizing as well as watering. At the end of summer, clivia can bloom again. If the formation of the peduncle does not occur, then it is necessary to create artificial conditions for the rest period. To this end, you need to move the plant to a dark place where the temperature is cool. It is not recommended to apply fertilizers, it is necessary to water the plants very rarely. When a few weeks have passed, the peduncle will most likely form.

Clivia can bloom even in the absence of a dormant period, since this culture is not too whimsical. Clivia can adapt to many growing conditions. At least one bloom per year can be expected. At the same time, there is no specific flowering time, it can come at any time.

Clivia can give seeds, for this you need to artificially pollinate the plants. Fruits of green color turn red with an orange tint only after a year. When the plant bears fruit, you need to periodically add nutrients. The collection of seeds is carried out only when the fruits acquire a soft structure.

How to transplant clivia

Clivia will thrive best if you use soil that includes leafy soil (two parts), turf soil (two parts), and sand (one part). You can use another mixture, for example, humus (one part), turf (two parts) and peat (one part). A small amount of sand should be added to this mixture. A drainage layer must be present.

Transplanting clivia is only possible in extreme cases. It is best to use the transshipment method so that the root system does not receive mechanical damage, as this can lead to putrefactive processes. There is especially such a risk if the soil is waterlogged. When transplanting, you need to choose a slightly larger volume than the previous one.

What problems can you face

As for harmful insects, clivia can be affected, as a rule, by a scabbard or mealybug. In order not to know these problems, it is recommended to use soapy water, as well as Aktelik.

• If the peduncle grows too slowly, then this indicates a too low level of humidity in the environment. The same symptom says that the temperature of the clivia is too low.

• If the leaf plates are pale in color, then this means that there is a nutritional deficiency. To eliminate this problem, you need to add the necessary nutrients.
• If the peduncle has stopped growing, then, most likely, the dormant period is too long in time. For this problem, you need to water the clivia more often. The water should only be warm.
• If spots of a red or white hue appear on the leaves, then most likely the plant has received sunburn. Without fail, it is tedious to transfer the clivia to partial shade.
• If the plant does not bloom for too long, then this means a lack of light. The same symptom occurs if the ambient temperature is too high. To solve this problem, it is necessary to organize the conditions of a dormant period for the clivia.