Not really sure, I mostly grow orchids. The clivia is just something I bought on a whim a long time ago. I grow mine inside the house in my East facing kitchen window. I give it fertilizer every 3 weeks in the growing season (the same water soluble 15-15-15 fertilizer that i give to my orchids). In the winter I put some of those slow release fertilizer balls on it so it get smaller doses when I water it. I think that these guys need a couple years to mature to blooming size, kind of like Amaryllis. Again, I do not spend a lot of time researching Clivias & how they grow, so I could be completely off base on that one. I am sure that light levels will also certainly help it produce flowers. Shoot an e-mail to one of the people on this forum, they will know more than I do =0) -Ray-

Hi, To followup on a few things. I'm very excited the plant bloomed. A great example of how hardy Clivias are despite our abuses. As for dividing large clumps, sometimes you just have to take a small axe and split the rhizome as best you can between plants. Sometimes you get offsets without roots. Dip in root tone and put these in sand or peat and keep it lightly moist with weak fertilizer solution for 2-3 months undisturbed. You will be amazed at the roots that develop from this previously "nonviable" appearing plant. Furthermore, that exposed rhizome oftens times becomes an offset factory in 2 years. If you take the little offsets too early, it will take forever to bloom (3-5 years). If you let them get to at least 6-8 leaves, they will bloom in 1-2 years. The smaller ones also have a harder time surviving. As for blooms stuck in the crown, keep the plant cool/cold (not freezing) as long as possible to allow the stalk to elongate. Also keep it dark (trashcan over it if large and outside) to make it "reach for the light," finally, some high strength potassium (0-0-30 I think) in theory can help elongate the stalk. The surest way to have a SHORT stalk is place the budding plant in a bright warm spot. Sometimes, we are jsut stuck with what mother nature gives us, though. As for Clivia prices, I'm still amazed they are so expensive for basic plants. Our local big box stores (HD, Lowes, ...) sell "Golden Dragon" for $30 in 1 gallon in bloom. These are a very narrow petal yellow that sell for $15 on ebay. Our local higher end nurseries sell the Solomone yellow (broader petals, sometimes reflexed back, light yellow to dark yellow) Clivias for $35-40 in 1-2 gallon sizes. I can pick these up for about $20 each in either bud or early bloom if anyone is interested. Shipping from California to the east coast is about $10 for 1 plant, $15 for 2-3 (maybe 4) and about $20 for 4+ plants. Likewise, I can get some landscape peaches (not in bloom) in 10" pots for about $50-60, but shipping costs about $30 on something this large. Individual 10-14 leaf offsets from these pots can run $25-30 each, and also cost a lot less to ship. Finally, variegated oranges from Solomones nursery run about $60-75 in bud/bloom for 2 gal sizes. Here is a picture of Solomone' nursery to give you a feeling for the quantities of Clivias available, and why they really don't need to sell for $100 for basic plants. [IMG]http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj154/Heronbayclivias/Solomone%20Clivias/SolomonesApr07.jpg[/IMG] I wish you all good luck with your blooms in the next couple months. Craig rugg1999@prodigy.net

Interesting. And it makes sense that all apartments are different (exposure, temperatures, draftiness, etc.). I have (only) eastern exposure, with an overhang from the balcony above mine, and the building is well insulated so the temperatures are pretty consistent. Nice that your particular environment works for Clivias. And your windows sound great. I adore big windows.

that's neat.