Hi Mike,

The Chinese are great at growing Clivias that are perfectly symmetrical. They grow in brighter greenhouses, but actually rotate the pots 180 degrees every so often (weekly???) Bright indirect light will porbably make the variegations whiter. The plant is trying to get as much energy as possible, so it iwll put chlorophyll whereeverit can, thereby diminishing the white lines. Direct light will burn a variegate very quickly.

Hopefully this helps. Take care,
Craig
Sacramento, CA

Mike,
At the risk of being obvious, start with a cultivar like the Belgian Hybrid which has this characteristic in its lines. It will grow a superior symetrical form even in the garden. Ordinary Clivia such as miniata are far less likely to grow symetrically.

I have about 120 Clivia miniata planted in my garden, but had I the chance over, I would have selected only the symetrically growing cultivars such as the belgian hybrid.

Thankyou creig and chris...I thought I was one of only a few men that loved Clivias...nice!!
Thanks for your suggestions....I will look for more of the hybrid!!

Another male clivia fan here. Just sprouted 90 seedlings. I have a hunch that experimenting with different colour temperature of the fluorescent lamp might be the trick to get the variegation, and very likely it needs an optimum light intensity. I am able to vary the intensity of my fluoro garden between 10w t8 per square foot and up to 50w t8 per square foot, by overdriving. Right now my seedling are in the low light intensity fluoro garden, and my roses are in the high intensity garden - they are growing as if they are on steroids.