I know about keeping the clivia dry from Nov - Jan, but I don't know when I should start fertilizing again. I have no blooms or prospects showing right now. Thanks for any help.....
Sorry about cross posting, but the forums are so specialized, I don't know whether to post under lilies, or container gardening. Hopefully there isn't any other!
Clivia - Do I fertilize now?
I have wanted a Clivia for many years, but the prices are too steep for me. From what I remember about them, I think you go light on watering/fertilizing in December & January cause it begins to bloom in February.
Here's a link to White Flower Farm with some good info on Clivia care. It talks about fertilizer.
http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/growing-clivia-plants.html
I just re-read that article from White Flower Farms and I am not sure about the 1-2 cups of water it talks about when watering. That seems like a lot of water for one plant, even a large plant!
It would take that much water to barely moisten a clivia. They are large.
Thanks for the link plantladylin! My concern is that I am getting two messages: one is to not fertilize until after bloom, the other is to begin fertilizing when you begin watering again - before bloom. White Flower Farms says wait until after bloom.
Does anyone have any personal experience with this?
CJ, I wouldn't keep your clivia too dry at any time of year. I think that any plant that dries out to the point of wilting is going to be stressed. I don't know of any plant that benefits from stress. Some plants tolerate stress better than others (like cactus), but, that doesn't mean they benefit.
I always try and think through what conditions the plant has in a natural setting. A plant that is in the ground has a large root system to hold water to use during dry times. Your plant has a small root system, it is in a very dry environment (houses have very dry air in winter). I think it will always need extra water. During it's 'dormant' period it will use less water, but, it still needs some. I would guess you could cut back on watering.
I agree with the flowerfarm on not using fertilizer in winter, but, I would feed the plant more often than once a month during the growing season. I use the weekly weakly method on my potted plants. I always thought is was strange that people would only feed once a month. Plants are alive and all forms of life 'eat' lightly and frequently.
Clivia is widely grown in CA and it rains there in the winter only. The SF area has some of the largest and showiest clumps of clivia I have ever seen in the US. In that climate clivia can bloom twice a year, heavy bloom in spring and then a few more in the fall on well grown clumps. I worked at a small college south of SF and there was a clump of plants that was very old, over 50 years and 10' across, they hardly ever bloomed. Started fertilizing and watering through the summer. That next spring the clump had a hundred flowers, the sisters said they had never seen it bloom so well.
This is a photo I found online.
ceejay,
I hardly water mine in winter months (maybe once a month or every six weeks and then that is a trickle) but then they are in a very cool garage. I don't give them much fertilizer either through the summer months and they always bloom. The cool period seems to encourage blooms and the summer heat and humidity seems to encourage good growth (although they are very root bound).
I am so glad I saw this thread ... I learned so much about Clivia's just reading these posts! I still hope to someday own one of these Beauties! Wish I knew someone in San Francisco and could talk them into sending me one ... :)
Thanks for the education!
plantladylin, I've lost count how many clivia's I have. I startted them from seed. Surprisingly easy, but takes one heck of a long time till flowering.
The first year I bought seeds from parks ... how silly that was, super expensive. I did have 2 of those germinate and are big now. They are 4 or 5 years old now. I still haven't gotten them to bloom for me. The next year I found the American Clivia society site and just by luck some one was selling old seeds for cents on the dollar. I bought a ton of those, 18 I think. Clivia seeds need to be fresh for good germination. I had pretty good germination, about 70%, but I believe I ended up with about 50% plants from the seeds.
This year I bought 'poorly varigated' seeds from a great seller on ebay. I bought 12 seeds, hoping for at least one with decent varigation. I had great germination with those seeds, 90%. One or 2 have since died.
Then the seller made a mistake and sent me another 12. It was cold here by then and the seeds had brown edges. She said keep them, I did, buy only about 3 have germinated ... they do not like the cold!
If you buy seeds, make sure they are fresh! DO NOT play in the soil to see if the roots are starting. I think that is how I've killed several of mine, and I have been told since, not to do this. They are slow to pop above the soil, but they will have put out their roots. I planted mine about 3 months ago and the tallest is maybe 2 inches.
I really hope to get mine to bloom this year, but we keep our house at 60 F. Is this a problem?
toofew
Thanks toofewanimals: I will have to see about trying to grow Clivia from seed. I know someone once told me they won't bloom for a few years, maybe 5 or 6 if I remember correctly... but the wait is well worth it, isn't it? They are such beautiful flowers!
I would think 60F for an already established plant would be okay, but for seeds and seedlings, I think they would like it a bit warmer. Hopefully someone else will chime in here, cause I don't know a thing about Clivia's ... have just always loved the look and wanted one!
Back when I collected seeds from the plants in Golden Gate Park (almost 20 yrs) I remember reading that the seeds sprout at temps above 55*. Your should be okay.
Not my plant.
Thanks Dale .... by the way ..... the seeds you sent me of Pride Of Barbado's are sprouting!! I am so excited, I can't wait for them to grow up! I'm hoping to have a couple in container's and maybe have one in the yard to see how it does.