Soil quality: Humus soil meets the above four requirements and is the first choice for orchid cultivation. The best humus soil is oak leaves (oak leaves). Other leaves such as larch, hazelnut, pear, apple, etc. can also be used, but pay attention to pesticide factors. Walnut leaves are toxic and cannot be used. High-quality humus soil should be moderately rotten leaves, with a rotten degree of about 50%. A high rotten degree is not good, and the water permeability and air permeability are poor. Clivia is suitable for soil rich in humus. This soil has good air permeability and water permeability, and the soil is fertile and slightly acidic (pH6.5). The general configuration of Clivia soil is 6 parts of leaf humus, 2 parts of pine needles, 1 part of river sand or furnace ash, and 1 part of base fertilizer (hemp seeds, etc.). Leaf humus mainly refers to oak leaves, also called oak. This kind of leaves has a thick texture and is a good humus. It is nutritious and permeable. Other leaves are too thin, and they will disappear after decomposition, and cannot be mixed with other media to make soil. When planting, the pot should be gradually enlarged as the plant grows. When planting one-year-old seedlings, a 3-inch pot is suitable. Change to a 5-inch pot in the second year, and then change to a larger pot every 1 to 2 years. Repotting can be done in spring and autumn.

To further improve the structure of humus soil and increase water permeability and air permeability, you can also add some larch needles, carbon (not ash) from burned rice husks, clean river sand, and furnace ash slag, accounting for 10% to 20%. Hardened and poor ordinary soil is not suitable for growing orchids and will seriously affect the normal growth of Clivia.

In addition, the pH value of soil in different regions is different, so neutral or slightly acidic soil should be selected, with a pH value between 6.5-7.
 

 

Clivia cultivation is relatively simple. First of all, you need to choose a good potting soil. It can be placed near the window indoors, and the fertilizer and water should be controlled according to the temperature characteristics of each place. The potting soil must be kept moist during the growing season. The potting soil should be relatively dry during the high temperature semi-dormant period, and water should be sprayed on the leaves more often to achieve the purpose of cooling. Clivia likes fertilizer. Every 2 to 3 years, repot once in spring and autumn, and add decomposed cake fertilizer to the potting soil. Every year before the growing season, 5 to 40 grams of decomposed cake fertilizer should be applied under the soil on the surface of the pot, and liquid fertilizer should be applied once during growth. During management, the pot should be turned frequently to prevent the leaves from leaning to one side. If there is a leaning, it should be straightened in time. When the temperature is 25 to 30 degrees, it is easy to cause the leaves to grow too long, making the leaves narrow and long and affecting the ornamental effect. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to adjusting the room temperature when cultivating Clivia.

① Suitable soil
 

Clivia is suitable for soil rich in humus, which has good air permeability, good water permeability, fertile soil, and slightly acidic (pH 6.5). The general configuration of Clivia soil is 6 parts of leaf humus, 2 parts of pine needles, 1 part of river sand or furnace ash slag, and 1 part of base fertilizer (hemp seeds, etc.). Leaf humus mainly refers to oak leaves, also known as oak trees. This kind of leaves has a thick texture and is a good humus. It is nutritious and permeable. Other leaves are too thin and will disappear after decomposition, and cannot be mixed with other media to make soil. When cultivating, the pot is gradually enlarged as the plant grows. When cultivating one-year-old seedlings, a 3-inch pot is suitable. Change to a 5-inch pot in the second year, and then change to a larger pot every 1 to 2 years. Repotting can be done in spring and autumn.

Clivia has well-developed fleshy roots, which store a certain amount of water, so this flower is relatively drought-resistant. However, drought-resistant flowers cannot be seriously lacking in water, especially in the summer when the temperature is high and the air is dry. Don't forget to water them in time, otherwise the roots and leaves of the flowers will be damaged, resulting in the failure of new leaves to sprout and the original leaves to burn, which will not only affect flowering but even cause the death of the plant. However, excessive watering will cause root rot. Therefore, you must master it well and pay attention to the dryness and wetness of the pot soil. Water it once it is half dry, but the amount of watering should not be too much. Keeping the pot soil moist but not damp is just right.

So, how often should we water the plants? In general, water once a day in spring; in summer, water the leaves and the surrounding ground with a fine spray bottle, water twice a day on sunny days; water once every other day in autumn; water once every other day in winter; water once a week or less in winter. But it must be noted that this refers to "general circumstances". It must be flexibly controlled according to various specific circumstances. For example, water more on sunny days; water less on cloudy days, water once every few days on consecutive cloudy days; and do not water on rainy days. Water several times a day when the temperature is high and the air is dry; water less for large flower pots because the soil has a large amount of water and is not easy to dry; water more for small flower pots because the water evaporates easily. Place the flower pot in a place with good ventilation and easy evaporation, and water more appropriately; water less in places with poor ventilation, slow evaporation, and high air humidity. Water less during the seedling stage; water more during the flowering stage. In short, it depends on the specific situation, and the principle is to ensure that the pot soil is soft and moist, and not too dry or too damp.

If conditions permit, magnetized water is the best; the second best is rainwater, snow water or running water from rivers, the third is water from ponds, and the worst is tap water. For flower growers living in big cities, only tap water is available. In this case, you can use a small water tank or bucket, put tap water in it, and water it after 2 to 3 days. This will allow some harmful impurities in the water to settle. In addition, the substances contained in the water can be oxidized and purified, and the water temperature can be close to the temperature of the pot soil, so that it will not be too cold or too hot, causing damage to the plants.

③ Reasonable fertilization
 

Many flowers like fertilizer, but there is a limit to fertilizing them. Excessive fertilization is not conducive to growth and may even cause the roots of the plants to rot or burn. Clivia is also one of these plants, and it is necessary to fertilize it in moderation. Flowers have different nutrient requirements at different stages of growth and development. Therefore, different fertilization methods suitable for the needs of the plants should be adopted at different times, such as base fertilizer, topdressing, foliar fertilization, etc.

(1) Apply base fertilizer (or basal fertilizer). The purpose is to create conditions for the plant's growth and development and meet its nutrient needs. Clivia should be fertilized every two years when it is repotted. Commonly used manure (i.e. livestock manure), compost, green manure, bean cake fertilizer, etc. can be applied to the soil.

(2) Topdressing. It is mainly used to promote the growth of the plant. Clivia can be fertilized with cake fertilizer, fish meal, bone meal and other fertilizers. Apply less fertilizer when it is first planted. As the plant grows and the number of leaves increases, the amount of fertilizer should be gradually increased. When applying fertilizer, dig up the pot soil and apply it to a depth of 2-3 cm. However, be careful not to apply the fertilizer too close to the root system to avoid burning the root system. It is generally sufficient to apply this solid fertilizer once a month and it should not be applied more frequently.

(3) Topdressing with liquid fertilizer. Topdressing with liquid fertilizer is to mix the supernatant of plants and animals that have been soaked and fermented with 30-40% clean water and then pour it on the potting soil. Small seedlings should be poured with 40 times the amount of water, medium seedlings should be poured with 30 times the amount of water, and large seedlings can be poured with only 20 times the amount of water. After pouring the liquid fertilizer, pour it with clean water (not too much water) 1-2 days later to allow the fertilizer to penetrate into the roots in the potting soil and give full play to the fertilizer effect. Do not water 1-2 days before pouring the liquid fertilizer. Let the potting soil dry before applying the liquid fertilizer, which is more effective. The best time to apply fertilizer is in the early morning. When pouring, pour the fertilizer along the edge of the pot, and be careful to avoid applying it on the plants and leaves.

In addition, different fertilizers should be applied according to different seasons. For example, in spring and winter, it is appropriate to apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, such as fish meal, bone meal, sesame cake, etc., which are conducive to the formation of leaf veins and improve the glossiness of leaves; in autumn, it is appropriate to apply some leachate of decomposed animal hair, horns, hooves or bean cakes, diluted with 30 to 40 times clean water, and then applied to promote leaf growth.

(4) Foliar fertilization. This method of fertilization is mainly used to make up for the lack of nutrients in the soil, so as to solve the problem of lack of fertilizer in the plant body, so that the seedlings grow faster and the flowers and fruits grow larger. Foliar fertilization is to spray the diluted fertilizer solution directly on the leaves of the plant with a sprayer, so that the nutrients can penetrate into the leaf tissue through the leaf epidermal cells and stomata and then be transported to the whole plant. Commonly used fertilizers include urea, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, superphosphate, etc. When spraying, spray evenly on both sides of the leaves. Spray once every 4 to 6 days during the growing season and once every 2 weeks during semi-dormancy. Generally, spray after sunrise and stop spraying after the plant blooms. It must be noted that this method can only be used when it is found that the plant lacks fertilizer. If the plant has sufficient nutrition and grows vigorously, it should not be used.

④ Summer vacation
 

In midsummer, the temperature is often above 30℃, which is extremely unfavorable for the growth of Clivia. For this reason, a shed is usually used to cool down. You can also bury the Clivia and the pot in the sand (bury the pot), and then sprinkle water on the sand once in the morning and evening every day. In this way, the pot soil can be kept moist, and more importantly, the heat absorption effect of the evaporation of water in the sand can be used to achieve the purpose of cooling.

⑤Post-management
 

The flowering period of Clivia is generally from February to April. After flowering, the flowering period can be prolonged by appropriate cooling, ventilation and reducing light. The length of the flowering period of Clivia can be controlled by people's cultivation technology.

[The following measures should be taken in cultivation and management before and after the flowering period of Clivia miniata]
 

Fertilization: Bone meal, fermented fish viscera, and bean cake water should be applied once to make the flowers brighter, larger, and thicker. Otherwise, the flowers will be small, fewer, and lighter in color. At the same time, care should be taken to avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer and insufficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which will lead to weak growth or excessive leaf growth, affecting budding and flowering.

Lighting: Certain lighting conditions must be provided to meet the requirements of photosynthesis and flowering. Under strong light, the flowering period is short and the flowers are bright; under weak light, the flowers are pale. Too long or too strong light or long-term shade and insufficient light will affect the accumulation of nutrients and prevent buds from blooming.

Temperature: Suitable temperature has a significant impact on the quality of flowering. If the temperature is too high, the root hair will exist for a very short time, and the function of absorbing water and fertilizer will be greatly reduced, making the Clivia semi-dormant; the temperature below 10℃ will also inhibit growth; the growth period should be controlled at 15-25℃, and the flowering period should be 15-20℃. The root hair exists for a long time, the water and fertilizer absorption function is good, the leaves will grow short and wide, and the flowers will be lush. It should also be noted that the temperature difference between day and night of Clivia should be maintained at about 8℃, because the organic matter produced by it under the higher temperature conditions during the day needs to be stored and digested under the lower temperature conditions at night.

Water: Clivia cannot lack water during the entire growth period of the plant. It requires more water when entering the flowering period, and the growth humidity should not be lower than 60%.

To hydroponically cultivate Clivia, you must first choose a good container. Generally speaking, a transparent glass container is better. If you want to grow a seedling, you only need a glass canning jar. If you want to hydroponically cultivate a large number of plants, you can use fine iron wire to weave a metal mesh with a hole diameter of one centimeter, and then make a glass hydroponic box slightly smaller than the metal mesh; or you can use a goldfish tank instead. Then cover the metal mesh on the hydroponic box, and insert the Clivia seedlings into the nutrient solution through the mesh. The depth of the flower roots in the culture solution should not exceed the pseudobulb at the root.

Nutrient solution preparation
 

There are two types of nutrient solutions: inorganic and organic. Inorganic nutrient solution can be prepared in the following proportions: 1.5 grams of calcium, 0.01 grams of ferrous sulfate, grams of urea, 1 gram of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and 0.5 grams of magnesium sulfate. After the above 5 inorganic salts are prepared, they can be dissolved in 1000 grams of water for use. Organic nutrient solution is prepared as follows: 100 grams of fried sesame seed flour, 100 grams of bone meal (made from salt-free fresh bones), 150 grams of bean cake powder, and 50 grams of cooked sesame powder, and then dissolved in 1000 grams of water. Compared with the above two nutrient solutions, organic fertilizer ingredients are rich, but the nutritional content is not high, and inorganic fertilizer ingredients are relatively simple, but the fertilizer effect is large and the effect is fast. In order to complement each other, the two can be used in combination. If used alone, inorganic fertilizer is applied once a week and organic fertilizer is applied once every 5 days.

Water use
 

When hydroponically cultivating Clivia, you cannot use tap water directly. You must use "trapped" water. The so-called "trapped" water means putting tap water in a container and drying it in the sun for 3 to 5 days to precipitate chlorides such as bleaching powder that are harmful to the roots of Clivia. From the appearance of "trapped" water, the sediment changes from strips to clumps, and the water color is preferably green. After "trapping" the water, the root position must not be submerged but the pseudobulb. If the water level is too shallow, the Clivia cannot get sufficient water supply, and if the water level is too deep (submerging the pseudobulb), it will cause root rot. During the breeding process, pay attention to observe the changes in water quality. If the roots are found to be yellow or black, it means that there is a lack of oxygen and fertilizer in the water, and the water must be changed immediately.

Air, sunlight, temperature
 

Whether the ventilation of the roots of hydroponic orchids can be handled well is the key to the success of hydroponics. After a period of cultivation, a layer of moss will grow on the roots of hydroponic orchids. When the moss is too thick, it will seriously affect the breathing of the roots and corrode the culture solution. At this time, you need to use a soft and clean brush to gently brush off the moss layer (you don’t have to brush it very clean, because a small amount of moss on the roots will not have much impact). In addition, you should always check whether there is enough oxygen in the water. The method of inspection is: put two or three small fish into the hydroponic box. If the small fish swim freely in the water, it means that there is no lack of oxygen in the water. If the small fish always floats to the surface of the water, and its mouth and gills are exposed to the water to breathe, it means that there is a lack of oxygen in the water. After finding that there is a lack of oxygen in the water, oxygen must be supplemented. There are two ways: one is to change the water, and the other is to use a small oxygen pump to supply oxygen to the water. In terms of sunlight treatment, Clivia is a semi-shade and semi-sun plant. Pay attention to light, especially in summer, avoid direct strong sunlight and let it receive scattered light. In addition, according to the phototropism of Clivia leaves, it is necessary to ensure that the leaves receive light evenly, otherwise the length of the leaves will be different and the growth direction will be staggered. Generally, the light angle should be adjusted every two or three days. In terms of temperature treatment, the environmental temperature of mature Clivia should be 11-25℃, and the temperature of seedlings can be slightly higher, 20-35℃. When growing orchids in water, the temperature difference between day and night should be controlled. In winter, it is better to keep it around 20℃ during the day and not lower than 15℃ at night.