How to Care for the Clivia Plant

Clivia miniata

Clivia miniata is a favorite houseplant, impressing people with its glossy dark leaves and flower stalk topped with orange or yellow flowers. It is a native of South Africa's forests, and to keep clivia at is best, you need to replicate its natural habitat. In the forest, clivia grows on the ground, roots just barely below surface level, which gives them lots of air and nutritional mulch.

Things You'll Need

• Small stones or gravel
• Potting soil or soilless mix

Instructions

1. Place your clivia in a pot with an inch of stones or gravel on the bottom for drainage, and add potting soil with lots of humus above. You can use garden soil with leaf mold or peat mixed in, or a soil-less mix. Clivias prefer a pH between 5 and 6, which is slightly acidic. Repot your plant every four to five years after it has become pot bound.

2. Fertilize your clivia every other week during the growing period, using a slow-release fertilizer.

3. Water weekly during the growing season, but don't let the soil become totally dry. During clivia's dormant period (October through January), water sparingly, but don't let the leaves wilt. Keep the plant in a spot where the temperature remains about 50 to 60 degrees. Do not fertilize.

   When growth starts again in January, return the plant to its usual warm spot.

4. Give your clivia plant bright but indirect light if grown indoors. Outside, keep it in partial shade and protect it from frost.

References

• Clivia
• Clivia Care