Clivia

GROWING GUIDE FOR CLIVIA MINIATA

This carefree house plant has large and beautiful flowers in shades of orange, yellow, pastel, peach, pink and green blooming in late winter to early spring.

Care

Clivia plants are tough plants that can adapt well to indoor environments. The plants prefer a bright and filtered light location, out of direct sunlight. Plant leaves will scorch easily if placed in full direct sun. Your plant will do best if it is allowed to spend the summer outdoors. If so, it should be placed in a protected and shaded area in late spring until the end of summer.

Watering

Clivia plants can be susceptible to root rot. Excess watering can cause plant roots to rot easily. The potting medium in a clivia container should be allowed to dry out lightly between each watering. As a general rule of thumb, the top inch of the potting mix should be dry between each watering. Remember to water the container thoroughly each time and avoid wetting the foliage. Deep watering will promote deep root growth and at the same time remove salt buildups in the soil and around the surface of the container. If possible, water the plant in the morning so that the foliage has time to dry. It is very important to use a porous potting mix that will drain quickly, since clivia plants do not like having wet feet.

Fertilizing

Proper feeding will reward you with a healthy plant that produces spectacular flowers for you to enjoy for years to come. In general, clivia plants are a heavy feeding plant. We recommend that you feed your plant with every watering from January to September. We have had great success with our feeding regimen. All of our clivia plants receive an organic fertilizer at half the manufacturer’s recommended rate every watering. If you are unable to find a good source for an organic fertilizer, any balanced plant food will be sufficient. In the fall, we stop feeding and watering the plants, and only when they appear to be wilting do we give them a light drink of water. Clivia plants should be given a period of rest during this time to induce flowering in late winter and early spring. A cool spot such as an unheated sunroom would be a perfect location for the plants. Please make sure that the temperature in the location where your plant is resting does not fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. We resume our feeding program around the first week of January or shortly afterwards.

Diseases and Maintenance

While clivia plants are generally a carefree house plant with relatively few problems inside the house, it is nonetheless prone to be attacked by mealy bugs and other common houseplant pests. We use an organic insecticidal soap to control light infestations. For infected plants and pots that are of manageable sizes, the entire plant can be washed with water and a little bit of dish detergent soap. Be sure to cover the base of the plants, so that the potting medium will not fall out of the pots. For plants that have heavy insect infestations, we suggest that you manually clean the plants with a Q-tip dipped in equal parts of water and rubbing alcohol, then spray the plant with an organic product such as Neem oil. Upon finishing cleaning the plants, you should either spray and/or apply a systemic insect control product. Please follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully when using chemical products.

Repotting

Unlike most houseplants, clivia plants do not have to be repotted at the same frequency rate as other houseplants. There is a common belief that the plant likes to be pot bound in order to induce better blooms. We do not know nor do we claim that this is the case. Having made the disclaimer, we only repot our plants every five or six years.