Cultivation methods of Clivia Miniata
For many girls, the content of Clivia Miniata cultivation at home, the cultivation methods of Clivia Miniata, the following editor will introduce.
I. Clivia Miniata and Temperature, Temperature Difference
The most suitable growth temperature for Clivia Miniata is 15-25℃, and the suitable temperature for seedlings is 20-30℃. During the vigorous growth period, it can produce 8-16 new leaves per year. When the temperature exceeds 30℃, it enters a semi-dormant state, and above 32℃, it enters a dormant state. Clivia Miniata can tolerate a short-term low-temperature environment of about 5℃ (thick-leaved Clivia Miniata has relatively poor tolerance to low temperatures) and is in a semi-dormant state at about 12℃, and stops growing below 10℃. The ideal day and night temperature difference during the growth period of Clivia Miniata is 10-15℃ (i.e., 25-28℃ during the day and 15-18℃ at night).
Applying a series of "vernalization treatments" such as timely low temperature, avoiding light, stopping water, and stopping fertilizer, and then increasing the temperature to about 30℃, increasing the amount of light time, controlling water, and increasing fertilizer can make the mature Clivia Miniata grow normally and bloom relatively concentratedly, with an flowering rate of over 80%, without the need for excessive growth hormone stimulation. (Involving others' patented technology, no detailed introduction can be provided). Paying attention to temperature changes and effectively grasping the growth cycle of Clivia Miniata prepares it for vigorous growth and flowering.
II. Clivia Miniata and Water
The roots of Clivia Miniata are typical succulent roots rich in water, and some say this indicates that Clivia Miniata is relatively drought-resistant. In its native habitat, Clivia Miniata grows in rainy and dry seasons, and in order to cope with the dry season, Clivia Miniata is "forced" to evolve to store water in its roots. Relatively speaking, Clivia Miniata is fond of water and requires a large amount of water during the period of vigorous growth. During that period, my Clivia Miniata needs to be watered thoroughly every 2-3 days.
For Clivia Miniata kept at home, it is basically watered thoroughly once a week (after watering, the potting soil contains 100% water), and a semi-watering (after watering, the potting soil contains about 70-75% water) with a thin fertilizer (organic fertilizer solution diluted 1:10 with water; inorganic fertilizer concentration not exceeding 0.5%) is given with the semi-watering. When watering mature Clivia Miniata, care should be taken not to let water enter the leaf core, and in summer, attention should also be paid to avoid excessive water accumulation in the leaf axils.
Never let the bottom of the Clivia Miniata pot accumulate water for a long time. Some friends say that Clivia Miniata rots due to excessive watering, but in fact, the cause of root rot is not too much water, but the lack of oxygen in the potting soil, which causes the roots to suffocate and rot (over-concentrated fertilizer water, long-term water accumulation at the bottom of the pot, and poor water permeability and aeration of the potting soil are all causes of soil oxygen deficiency, not the length of the watering cycle). With such management, Clivia Miniata grows better, faster, and blooms earlier. It is difficult to achieve Clivia Miniata's most suitable environmental humidity of over 75% in a natural home environment, and low environmental humidity can lead to a decrease in the luster and fineness of the leaves. However, I believe that raising flowers is a joy, not a burden, and the focus should be on people, not turning people into flower slaves.
In actual observations, Clivia Miniata with oil painter, technician, and bridge components does not show significant decreases in luster and fineness under normal environmental humidity, while Clivia Miniata with short leaves, monks, round heads, and other components shows very significant changes between professional greenhouse environments and normal environments. Flower friends with high requirements for Clivia Miniata leaf appreciation should pay attention when choosing Clivia Miniata.
III. Clivia Miniata and Light
Clivia Miniata loves light but requires appropriate shading, with a shading rate of over 80% in summer and over 70% in winter. During the artificial physical flowering period, the shading rate is 100%. It is best to place Clivia Miniata in a place where direct sunlight does not reach in a home environment. In the same sunlight conditions, thick-leaved Clivia Miniata is less likely to be sunburned, and the possibility of sunburn is smaller when there is sufficient water. The leaves of Clivia Miniata should be parallel to the light source (north-south window Clivia Miniata leaves face north-south, east-west window Clivia Miniata faces east-west) and rotate the pot 180 degrees every 3-6 days. This can effectively prevent the leaves from growing歪 due to chasing the light source (excluding Clivia Miniata leaves with higher dye factory, round head components that grow歪 for no reason). If leaves are growing歪,遮光 paper (tin foil from cigarette packets, tin foil sold in supermarkets, etc.) can be used to correct the leaf orientation, i.e., block the side to which it is歪, and remove the shading material after correction. For old leaves that have grown歪, clothes clips can be used to secure the歪 leaf together with a more normal leaf to correct the leaf orientation with "external force". Under conditions of high humidity and sufficient sunlight, Clivia Miniata leaves are prone to "flower face" and leaf color becomes lighter.
IV. Clivia Miniata and Planting Materials
Currently, there is no planting material that can replace the role of decomposed leaf soil for Clivia Miniata. The most ideal planting materials that can provide significant assistance are "Ai*Si" granular soil and coarse coconut bran. Some friends have also used coarse coconut bran as the main ingredient, supplemented by "Ogreen slow-release fertilizer" as a nutrient source, and have achieved relatively ideal results. However, compared with Clivia Miniata grown in traditional decomposed leaf soil, there are still obvious differences such as slow growth, narrow leaves, and lack of brightness. The decomposed leaf soil I use for Clivia Miniata has been tested in various ways, and the best results are obtained with decomposed leaf soil made from properly fermented oak leaves, while other tree species leaf materials have the major defect of being not resistant to corrosion. At the beginning of fermentation, the leaves are hard, but they quickly crumble and lose water permeability and aeration after fermentation.
I have also experimented with a compressed granular decomposed leaf soil. Its shape is similar to "Ai*Si" granular soil but lacks the latter's good water absorption and is prone to flying insects, with growth significantly slower than that of Clivia Miniata grown in traditional decomposed leaf soil. Currently, I use traditional oak leaf decomposed leaf soil as the main material, supplemented by coconut bran and "Ai*Si" granular soil, in a ratio of 3:1:1. I have experimented with over 2000 Clivia Miniata plants, and the growth is vigorous, with many new roots and ideal water retention and drainage aeration. This planting material has increased the anti-powdering property of the decomposed leaf soil compared to traditional planting materials mixed with pine needles and sand, making it more practical for 2-3 months. It effectively mitigates the phenomenon of plant lodging caused by soil powdering. The ideal size of the decomposed leaf soil for Clivia Miniata planting should be no less than 0.5 square centimeters, as too fine is not conducive to ensuring the water permeability and aeration of the planting material.
The above introduces the specific cultivation methods of Clivia Miniata (experienced flower friends' cultivation experience), hoping that everyone will like it!