Hi,

Several good questions. Mature Clivias can tolerate a lot more than some smaller seedlings. Ideal growing conidtions include a temperature range between 50-55F and 85-90F. Of course, you need some light, fertilizer, and some moisutre also. My landcsape clivias have tolerated brief temps down to low 20's for a few days with some frost damage, but they rebounded quickly. They do well with some cleaning up. Too much water and direct summer sunlight can kill them. Other than that, ignorance is best. You can see how well your set did with neglect.

As for how cool is cool. The theory is that a chill period is necessary to bloom. We aren't sure how long of a period, or how cold, but my dad's have always done well along the So Cal. coast outdoors. The temps there rarely get below mid 40's for very long in the winter. The 50's are probably ok. If your plants are blooming size, we generally hold off watering during Nov.-Feb., provided the Clivias are in a cooler area. Many of us also use a 0-10-10 fertilizer (Bloom Rite) to try and encourage blooms in Feb./March/April. Smaller plants need all the encouragement to grow until they have produced at least 12 leaves (this includes a few that might of been removed).
Hopefully this helps.

Craig
Sacramento, CA

Craig! Thanks very much! This, as well as your post on the other wintering clivias thread are most useful. Indeed, if the "grown" ones survived despite neglect, doing the cool/less bright thing now is probably not a bad thing in the hopes that one or more might bloom come spring. One actually came with a seed pod on it so it obviously previously bloomed, and several others appear to have grown their 12 or more leaves, although not all are there now or intact. I will, however, baby the baby a bit with brighter conditions, more consistent watering (I did put it in a rather small pot that will dry out more quickly than others) and some fertilizer. Do I understand you correctly, then, that the seedling should get fertilizer with nitrogen for leaf production (perhaps a 20-20-20 at half strength once every couple of weeks) even during its fall/winter nap time?
Thanks for your good guidance!
Yasmin

Hi Yasmin,

The seedlings (and mature plants) will only go dormant if the light duration decreases and the temps drop. If you have them indoors or on heat mats with brighter lights, they will just keep going regardless of season. This is beneficial if you are trying to get to the 12 leave point in 3-4 years instead of 4-6 years. If the seedlngs are in the same environment as the larger plants, then treat them all the same. Bacteria and fungi don't take a holiday, so they can overwhelm a dormant plant if there is too much water around. Good luck.

Craig
Sacramento, CA
50's and turning cloudy

Thanks, Craig! So, no nap for them! I'll keep a special eye out for the b & f!

Brrrr... it's dipped well below freezing here the last few nights and daytime temps are not much better! Not usual for coastal Carolina but we're promised middle 50s to 60 today! I sure hope so!

Yasmin