I think I saw that same video. Ouch!

In some parts of the world, Clivias are somewhat of a commodity. They are probably trimmed this way to save space at the garden nursery. People buy them cheap and put them in their gardens. It would be similar to us buying a rose bush where it would be trimmed and small when purchased only to reach it's potential in 3, 4 or more years.

I have never seen this done to a plant except to maybe German Iris when they are divided and then replanted.

It just seems so strange to see such a drastic hack-job done to the leaves, which I imagine are the main food producers for this plant. My guess is that there is a great set-back for these chopped plants...but, maybe in that part of the world the growing season extends to 8-10 months, and the plants just take off. I wish I had such growing conditions.

Thanks Gail. Frank DV

Where is this video?

I would assume that since they're uneducated about the medium needed for Clivia that they're also uneducated about trimming. I would never cut off the leaves of my Clivia unless they were yellowing or showing some sort of illness.

Josh....
The video was posted on this forum on August, 11, 2011.... "How To ...Video of Interest" Take a look and watch this poor plant loose it's head. It's painful to watch!

Enjoy.

Frank/BronxFigs

Jon....
Some very experienced grower in South Africa posted a reply to this kind of drastic pruning, and he basically said that this is used to rejuvenate a plant to grow faster, and flower sooner. In the wild, Clivia loose their leaves to damaging frosts, and then put out rapid growth spurts to re-grow what was lost.

Frank

That makes sense to me if removing lower leaves but topping the plant doesnt make much sense to me. But hey maybe it works! I have 2 Conway Lemon Chiffons where they took central leaf damage and both have a nice offset growing out of the middle of the plant :)