Hi Joseph, I have no advise as I was just about to post the exact same thing! I have a plant my sister gave me and it's "attempting" to flower but it hasn't produced a flower stalk and the flowers are opening while they are squished inbetween the top 2 leaves.

Someone advise please.....

Hi,

There can be several explanations for these blooms down in the crown. Since we are just heading into winter, these are "late season" blooms. They have probably been affected by the warm temps over the past month or two. Root bound plants are also more likely to produce short stalks, but Clivias take so much abuse, it is unpredicatable. Potential solutions include: moving the plant to a very cool (not freezing) location to slow flower opening and hope the stalk elongates, covering the plant with a bucket or trash can limit light and make the stalk "reach" for the light, or others use a high potassium fertilizer. Very difficult for any of these to work if the flowers have already started to open, but it might be worth a try. Your spring blooms will usually be on taller stalks. Good luck and hopefully this helps.

Craig
Sacramento, CA

Craig and Dewdrop! You have given me excellent information. I will definitely move my plants away from a grow lamp which I have suspended directly over them at present time. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks!!

Joseph

I'd like to say thank you also! Mine was also in a high light area (south window), I will be moving it. This is it's first bloom ever so I was very dissapointed that it produced no stem at all just the blooms (I was hoping to pollinate for seeds...oh well).

Hi Avsforme,

It might still be possible to pollinate your plant. The seed pods will all be low in the crown, though. It might be worthwhile to practice, and hope to do better next year with a better bloom. Again, this is an early bloom for Spring 2007, or a late bloom for 2006. Who knows what will happen come March. :o) Good luck.

Craig
Sacramento, CA

My experience has been that flower stalks fail to elongate when I have not given the plant the rest period that it requires. I've found that keeping the potting medium on the dry side for a couple of months prevents the early flowering/short stalk syndrome. I sharply reduce watering from mid-September thru mid-November, then slowly increase the amount of water over a period of another 6 wks or so. From that point on, I keep the medium always moist, but never really wet. While the plant is resting, I try (but don't always manage) to reduce the amt of light available to the plant.

It's also been my experience that once a plant produces those short stalks with ruined umbrels, the bloom cycle for that year is over. Period.