Hi: I have an eight year old clivia that didn't bloom this year but has in the past. It has a pup growing in the pot with it and is outside on a porch facing North West. I've noticed two leaves are turning yellow and they aren't at the bottom of the plant. I water it when it is dry and am wondering if this could be a pest, a disease or something that I'm doing wrong. Hope someone has an answer for me Norma
Hi Norma, Clivias loathe even the slightest hint of full sun. northwest aspect in your hemisphere leads me to think it may be getting a mid summers afternoon blast of full sun. They can tolerate it occassionally but if they hapeen to be dry then they will go yellow and develop crispy leaf tips. The less sun the more chlorophyll they produce and as such the deeper green they become. I hope this helps. If not post a piccy and I'll have another shot cheers
Hi Jonathan: I think you solved the problem. We've had an extremly hot summer here this year with very little rain. The clivia does get the setting sun from the west. I'll move it to a shadey area and see what happens. I'd also like to know how big the pup should be before removing it from the Mother and what time of year is best to do it. Thanks Jonathan for answering my question and I'll let you know if any more leaves start to turn yellow. Norma
Happy to help Norma. as the saying goes, "Some things are best left alone" This is apt for Clivia. They are painfully slow to recover/flower from division . Next spring (month before growing season, no earlier) I would be removing from the pot and thoroughly wash the 8 year old potting mix from the roots. This will provide you the oportunity of determining the presence of meally bug and if so, flushing the critters away. Repotting is quite challenging. Place it back in pot add few handfuls of media, gently shke it into rootzone or wash it in then repeat the process. It will grow away with gusto providing you have backfilled the roots sufficiently. I wait till theres 15 or so pups or points of growth to divide them. Then again, we are spoilt rotten here with the qty of clivia growing outdoors. Enjoy
Hi Jonathan: I'm glad you said that some things are better left alone. I've been a little nervous thinking about removing the pup and since both are doing well, other then the yellow leaves, for which I thank you for solving the problem. I will certainly keep your instructions and when the time comes that I'm sure I want to separate the two I'll beable to follow them and it will be much less stressful for me, not the mention the clivia. You are fortunate to have such an abundance of them growing there Jonathan, I only have the two and guard them with my life. Thanks again for all your help regarding the yellow leaves and the method for removing the pup. I'll keep you posted on my clivia's progress. Norma
Just a few added thoughts to this nice discussion. Norma, when you repot your Clivia be extra careful with the roots as it does not take much for the roots to break apart and fall off. Just be glad you do not have a butter yellow like I have that came in the mid to late 80's from South Africa, pre Solomone hybrids. The first time I took divisionals I was practically in tears as even the slightest shake of the plant would cause the roots to fall off. Mine was the only one still alive from the 10 plants we had come in (lost due to the cold) so I had even more trepidation with this plant than I would have had otherwise and have had since. I am assuming yours is the orange flower with the yellow center. These can take morning sun but will not like hot, direct morning sun. They do best in filtered shade. If I were to see some all yellow colored leaves on the ones we have growing in containers I would want to change the soil, add new soil rather soon. Yes, too much sunlight can burn the tips of the leaves but here it is more of a lack of water and warm wind factor. Oddly enough these plants seem to do well being grown on the dryside. We have to guard against overwatering these when grown in containers and we should have good drainage as well. Slow drainage and overwatering will yield a root rot fungus to rear its ugly head. The whole plant usually will not die but a good part of the plant will die out on us. As far as taking divisionals for plants grown in containers, I wait until I have three to four nice sized babies (pups some people call them). It will be a while before these will bloom as the "old" nursery standard Clivia like to be root bound before they will bloom almost every year for us. The old stock plants after they have been blooming for a while, without new soil every 3-5 years, will quit blooming for us if we are not careful. Just a precaution to keep in mind. Below is a link to the American Clivia Society web page. http://www.americancliviasociety.org Best regards, Jim
Not to change the subject but I always wanted to try a Clivia -- where can they be purchased and at what time during the year? Allan - Alberta
I saw potted blooming clivias in a local garden center this spring/summer. But I guess the timing depends on where you live. Perhaps check your garden center?
Hi Jim: Thanks for all the information on clivia's and the website. Mine is the good old orange kind, I've had it for sometime now and would hate to loose it. I can only imagine what you went through with your very special yellow one. Even when my orange one gets a yellow leaf I start to panic because they aren't that plentiful around here in cold Canada. I really think that it's time to change the soil. It hasn't been done since I got the plant and must be in need of it since there are 4 pups growing along with the Mother. I will do this, keep it on the dry side in dappled shade, keep my fingers crossed and let you know how I make out. Thanks again for your help. Norma
I have another clivia question. I bought one about 10 years ago. It has smaller leaves, say 12 - 14 inches long, and is a beautiful plant. I am not able to give it a cool hibernation like so many say they need (although my house gets very cool at night), but do reduce watering to practically nil through the winter and into the new year. The darn plant always blooms either in the leaves or slightly above it (orange with yellow throat). Very frustrating. Last year I bought another at the urging of the man selling them. It is a larger plant (leaves 16 to 18 inches), and is not as nice a plant (leaves kind of scraggly). Well I take care of it the same way, and it is blooming as we speak. With the largest dang flower head I've ever seen. Same bog standard orange color, but truly impressive. I know I'm answering my own question which is that it is just a slightly different species/cultivar and that would account for the differences. Still just when I was ready to give up altogether, the scrappy stranger produces a monster of a bloom that is at least 6 inches above the green leaves. Well that's my story/question. Anyone with anything to add, well I'd love to hear from you.
Clivia Lovers unite!! lol, I also have two 20 yr. old plants,that most years reward me with flowers,pups, and sometimes seed pods [they are multi talented!] Also, they have bloomed right in the leaf appex or just slightly above,very frustrating for sure! This year, right after their summer vacay outside, I plopped them under grow lights. The plant that flowered,had a wonderful, tall flower stalk,but I don't know if this will happen every year! Good luck, everyone, with these beautiful plants! ps have attached pics of the baby from last years pod and this years flowers.
