Clivia ... a year on.

Some will remember my first efforts at growing Clivia from seed. The seed was sown on 31st December 2006, the pic in the link was on 19th February 07.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3205255

I had even forgotten the 2 seeds I got from a 52 flowered Clivia was a poorly variegated Monk. But I could be forgiven as the original pic didn't show the leaves, only the berries, and that was such an unusual happening to have so many flowers on one stem. The flower stem was 60mm in diameter! With 450mm long leaves and 125mm wide.

The grower, Lily Wang in China, has a famous Clivia grower friend from whom she gets pollen off the best of plants with which to pollinate her plants. I think the pollen came from a broad leaved Darum hybrid but can't be certain.

One plant has longer leaves than the other. The longest leaf on this one measures 106mm long, width of 53mm, an exact ratio of 2:1

The side view

The other seed has shorter leaves. The longest leaf length is 75mm, width 50mm, an exact ratio of 1.5:1

Side view of the last one, remind me to wipe the dust off next time, lol, it magnifies.

I also have 3 variegated plants, will post them tomorrow.

wallaby, I never fail to be impressed with your knack for seed starting! A clivia! I take it you are growing this inside and not in the greenhouse.

Janet--dust "happens" around here on anything that's inside. Great job with that species, I know I should try them......
Super pictures and great research and, of course, superb growing!
=)

Thanks pard, and yes I have them inside on an east facing window. It is not a very long window, lol, the smallest variegated one is on the south window which is long but full of cactii! Oooops, I have some more I got from the same seller recently, 23 seeds growing from a 34 flowered plant which had very dark red-black seed pods. That should mean dark red flowers! They should all grow well and are making leaves, how could I resist them when the two I have look so great, lol! A stacking system is in order in front of the spare bedroom window.

I also got 15 seeds of a mixture of variegated plant seeds, only 4 of those have grown (most germinated) which is about average I think, and only 2 of those are on their way to making leaves now. I might not end up with any, the three I have from last year are the survivors from a lot of 15 but at least most of those established a good root first and tried to make leaves before they gave up. Seeds from variegated plants often don't have enough chlorophyll to survive.

Thanks Deb, and yes you should try them, they are really so easy and it is exciting to see the results! Flowers will be the icing on the cake, but the leaves in the mean time are so worth the effort!

Posting the link to the pic of the variegated plant from which the 3 I have came.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3103050

Link to the 52 flowered plant the 2 came from.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3103067

Link to the smallest variegated plant which was slow to produce leaves,

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3330870

This is that plant now. Longest leaf 60mm long, 20mm wide, exact ratio of 3:1. Isn't it great when they all have exact ratios!

Side view of the same plant. It has, at the moment, very vertical leaves. That is supposed to be a desirable feature and I haven't seen it on variegated plants, but I haven't seen a lot of Clivias.

This link is the next best variegated plant, it's more robust and now the new leaf growing looks to be quite broad with good variegation developing. The smallest one is next to it.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3514744

I haven't measured the leaf as the newest one is not yet properly developed. The leaves are more of a 45 degree angle but I didn't take a side view.

The one which is the biggest of the three variegated now wasn't biggest at the start, in this link it's the one on the left (not the small pale leaved one which rotted). The other two are on the right.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3514729

It is 'poorly variegated', but these can often be good pod parents and can still produce good variegated plants. The longest leaf is 108mm long, 36mm wide, an exact ratio of 3:1.

Side view of the last plant.

Thanks for the documentation of your progress! A wonderful job, they look perfect.You're an inspiration!

Thanks Neal, now when do we get to see your seedlings, lol.

Here's one pot of the newest lot I have, from a 34 flowered plant. I was goind to copy the pic but I missed it, they only show for 60 days on ebay and I don't have the item number. If I hadn't wiped my AOL emails, oh now come to think of it I could maybe find it on the Paypal site, lol, my mind is skipping from one possibilty to the other.

For the record, this is the other pot.

I bet you will be happy to hear that some seeds of Clivia miniata var citrina fell into my lap today--since you have been wanting me to grow some clivia's.
=)

Good luck with those! I haven't tried the citrina, let me know how they germinate.

I will try to update the last lot of seedlings soon. Only two of the variegated lot has survived, one of those doesn't want to grow a leaf. The other looks robust, but too early to see if it will have any variegation, at this moment it isn't showing any.

Nearly all those from the 34 flowered one have grown and are looking good.

I have killed mine all................. am I a killer? I was so excited for my veriegated Clivias which were from seeds but ..........
My other plain green are growing great, is it difficult to survive for veriegated?
Kaleem

Sorry to hear that Kaleem! Variegated can be more difficult but once they are growing well they should be OK. The smallest of mine from last year only had one root with another starting to make, and it's the most variegated of the three. I keep it inside though, if yours were outside they might have got too wet. They like to be moist but I think best kept a little drier, in nature they grow under trees. Good drainage is best too.

Great tips and I will apply these with my green ones. Thes day I am watering them tooo much and thinking may be they will bloom quickly.....In other words I was doing a great mistake...........
Kaleem