Clivia miniata plants are originally from South Africa. They come with various types and colors and flower at the end of the winter and just when the spring starts. Growing your own clivias is not as hard as it seems to be. They can be gown by the use of seeds or division. If your clivias do bare seeds or you happen to come by seeds then there is no reason not to grow them yourself. Here are the steps on how to grow them by using the seeds.
Things that you need:
- Clivia seeds
- Container
- Fine sifted compost
- Porous sand
- Water
- Plant markers
- Fertilizers
Steps:
- Watch the seeds until they get ripe which usually they turn to red to indicate ripeness. That is the suitable time you must harvest them.
- Remove the red flesh after the seeds have been collected. Then, remove the thin waxy skin surrounding the seed. Wash the seed with water and dish washing soap solution. Rinse them clean and dry them with kitchen paper towels.
- Fill the container with 2/3 of porous sand and 1/3 of fine compost, and then mix them well. Soak the sand mixture with water. Place the seeds on the top of the mixture about 5cm apart.
- Press the seeds downwards so half of the body is still above the sand mixture. Write the seed name and date on a plant marker. Stick the marker into the container. Keep the container with seed in a warm shady area and make sure to moisten the sand mixture as much as needed.
- The seeds will start to show like a little green finger like stem after a few weeks, and then will turn into a leaf. The root will appear and go down into the sand.
- Transplant each little plant into a small 10 cm container with a potting mixture after it had formed a healthy small leaf. Place and keep them in shady area.
- Although this plant is not a heavy feeder, fertilize your Clivias plants with organic fertilizers during their flowering period or as soon as possible afterward. This will help them to conserve energy for the next year\’s blooms.
- Avoid letting your plant dry out. A good covering of mulch at the start of the spring will help them to hold a good amount of moisture. So it is advisable to water them well during the summer and spring.
Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5594263_grow-clivias-seed.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pier7/2294949733/
