How to Propagate Clivia from Seed

9 years ago

Hello all, I'm sure there are many posts about how to plant a clivia seed.. but I thought it would be helpful if all of the info is on ONE POST! So - post away! What do you do that has been successful with propagating clivia from seed?

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Bill

9 years ago

I just tried to do something similar on the African Violet post, and had lots of great posts on culture there, so let me be the first to put my .02 cents worth here.

I have two plants that were given to me several years ago as seedlings in a 4" pot. They bloom often, but when they want to, not when everyone else thinks they should.

Each blooming usually leaves me with 2 to 5 berries, and when they begin to turn red I pick them off and very carefully remove the seeds. Usually get from 1 to 5 seeds from each berry. Be very careful removing the seeds, for if the berries are really ripe, some of the seeds will have roots already sprouting from them. If the seeds have large roots already, I just pot them in a deep 3-4 inch pot to grow. If there are no roots showing, I put the seeds in a plastic bag with a folded up wet paper towel, and put them in a warm bright but not sunny spot to germinate. As the seeds develop roots, I remove them from the bag and plant them.

Do not bury them in the pots.....place the dark "eye" on each seed horizontal with the root down into a depression in the potting soil. Cover the seed about half way with soil, or just enough to keep it from washing around when you water them.

Clivia do not behave like I expected them to.....I expected the root to grow down and eventually lift the seed up, then I expected the seed to split much like a pea, and form two cotyledon leaves with true leaves coming from their junction. Clivia don't do that! The root grows down, and picks the seed up, but the leaves grow from the side of the root. I have one seed right now that is a half inch above the soil, with a quarter inch little leaf growing on its side.

Both my plants give orange blooms with a yellow center. I am sure all my seeds are self crosses of each plant, since they usually do not bloom together. I'm in hopes of getting another plant with different flowers to try my hand at crossing them and seeing what I get. Sounds like fun to me

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Comments (13)

rusty_blackhaw
9 years ago
I have had excellent results planting seed in a sterile soilless mix with the dark spot up, leaving that surface level with the top of the mix (don't cover) and keeping it moist (not soggy) until leaves form.

There are dire warnings from some about fungal diseases killing seedlings and how the seed must be treated with captan or similar fungicide. However I have never experienced this problem using clean plastic pots and sterile mix (the last time I took the trouble to clean seeds using a bit of dishwashing detergent in a container of water).

It's very desirable to use fresh seed that you've harvested or which comes from a reliable source.
User thanked rusty_blackhaw
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User
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Good stuff here! Thanks a ton for sharing! I have NO experience with Clivia seeds.. so I read online a bit, and here's what I did.

1) Swished the seeds around in water with a drop of laundry detergent. Rinse and set on paper towel to dry.

2) Prepared my pots of 1.1.1. Vermiculite, Perlite, Peat Moss pre-moistened soil.

3) Placed each seed sideways - i.e. with the dark eye partially in soil, partially out.

4) Placed a small baggie loosely over each pot.

5) Wait. Wait. Wait. :-)

Does this look like a fairly fool proof method or is there something I should have done differently?
rusty_blackhaw
9 years ago
I was surprised this week to find one of my three-year-old seedling Clivias in flower for the first time. This was from a seed batch supposed to yield red-flowered plants. Instead, this particular one bloomed in a shade of orange with cream-colored centers.

grumble, grumble...
User
Original Author
9 years ago
The seeds I put down are sending out one little root! Well, most of them anyhow. Three out of four varieties are good to go! The other variety was only a lone seed that looked a little shriveled. It looked like it was actually molding a bit so I took the tent off for a few days and it is looking a little better.

Regular foliage, Yellow Bloom

Variegated Foliage - Yellow Bloom

Short Leaf, Variegated foliage - Orange Bloom
Bill
9 years ago
Ok, folks, here's an update. I was first post on here on April 2, so I thought I would post an update now that I have some fair photos of my seeds' progress.

I have seed from two plants, and all but two of them have sprouted. The two laggards are still in a plastic bag with a wet paper towel in a warm place, but nothing yet. All the others (except one) are happily sending up leaves. The one seed that is not showing a leaf is still looking good, but just has not shown a leaf yet.

The first photo is seeds from my largest plant. This plant has given me three baby plants so far, an has three more that will be ready to take off later this summer. It has bloomed twice a year for two years in a row now.

The second photo is seeds from the other plant that has yet to produce a baby plant, but produces blooms regularly.

shihtzu4su, this is what your seeds should look like in about another month.

The flowers below are one of the two plants. You can't tell them apart by the flowers, so I am sure all my seedlings are probably going to look like the parents. I am seriously considering purchasing a plant with different blooms to try my hand at breeding them. These won't be as fast as Daylilies, but no where near as slow as orchids.......

Bill
User
Original Author
9 years ago
thank you for the lovely pictures!! :)

heres an update on my 9 seeds! they have all sprouted!! :)
Bill
8 years ago
Ok, here's a progress report on my two pots of Clivia seed sprouts. The plants in the pot with the least seeds have already been transferred to 4" pots. I think I transferred them a bit early, so did not transfer the seedlings in the other pot yet. I probably will do that soon though.

The above posted photos of the two pots was taken and posted on April 21. Todays photo was taken today July 4, so there is a bit less than 3 months between them. I think they are looking pretty good, and will start looking for some 4" deep pots to put them in.

Looks like you are well on your way, shihtzu. Its slow, but still no where as slow as orchids.

Bill
maark23 TX/8a
8 years ago
Cool post! I've been wanting to try growing Clivia from seed, and this information helps me very much.

One question though, would you keep the seedlings growing in the winter under lights?

Thanks much,

Mark
Bill
8 years ago
Mark, I obtained my original three seedlings many years ago from a friend who worked with me at a greenhouse company. I had no clue how to grow the things, so just treated them like I would any other house plant, and still do.

They stay outside in a shady spot in warm weather, and when it gets cool, I bring them in. When they get dry I water them, and enjoy the blooms whenever they come. Sometimes in warm weather, and yes, sometimes in the winter.

One of the three seedlings refused to lift its blooms above the leaves for three bloomings, so it was discarded. Another one produces a few seeds, but has never given me baby plant, the third one, however, has produced numerous seed, and just loves to produce baby plants. Yesterday I took it out of its pot for the second time solely to rid it of 4 new baby plants. Three of them are near blooming size. You can see that in the "clivia in bloom" post just below this one. I have photos, and will soon post that experience.

Don't be afraid of these things, they, at least for me, are ridiculously easy to grow.....☺

Bill
maark23 TX/8a
8 years ago
Thanks Bill! I will have to give them a try. What kind of soil do you use? Just regular potting mix?

Mark
Bill
8 years ago
Mark, I started out using just a good grade of potting mix.....one with more of a peat base instead of mostly pine bark chips.....This year I have been home more (we travel a good deal) and both my plants were in large pots and I paid attention to them more, I found the mix was really not drying deep down in the pots, so I am now beginning to add Perlite to the mix. I don't really measure what my ratios are, I just throw perlite in until I see lots of white in the mix.

I've never been one to live by a set of "chiseled in stone" rules when it comes to growing plants (us old codgers can get away with that - blame it on memory, or lack thereof...☺), and have never really gotten in bad trouble yet. I keep asking my "purist" friends exactly who measures the fertilizer mixes, and soil mixes and water/temps down to the tenth of a degree/inch for those poor plants that make their homes in the wild habitats of the world.......never get a really good answer to that one either.

Anyway, any good draining light mix works for me.

Bill
Rosie1949
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hi Bill! You said what I have always said "who measures the fertilizer mixes, and soil mixes and water/temps down to the tenth of a degree/inch for those poor plants that make their homes in the wild habitats of the world"?????

Like you,,,no answer is ever forthcoming! AND I am no spring chicken either. I like a good draining light mix for just about everything!

I have had my Clivia set seed but I never knew what to do with them and didn't really care to try seed so I just threw them in the bottom of the pot. Now that I have seen these posts, maybe I better look down there before I again "dump it out on the grass to tear apart and repot! Rosie