How to grow and care for Clivias?

If you are after a flowering plant that loves the shade, Clivias are one of your best options.

Depending on the variety when they flower, they expose rich reds, deep orange tones and even cream and yellow. These guys are hardy, and with a little care they brighten up shady parts of your garden.

Quick Tips

• Outdoor Clivias thrive in the shade, whereas Indoor clivias prefer bright, indirect light.
• They love mulch drainage, and we recommend watering in the spring and summer
• Keep soil drier in autumn and winter and fertilise with potash in the spring.

Sunlight and Placement

Outdoor Clivias love the shade and will do well in most shady parts of the garden. Indoor ones prefer bright indirect sunlight. During the winter frost isn’t their friend so keep that in mind if you live in an area prone to colder nights.

Watering 

While they don’t mind some neglect, care is still essential. Keep soil moist, however, let it dry out a little between deep waterings. In the winter, slow watering right down they need just enough to keep foliage hydrated. In early spring you can pick up the pace again, and you can also start to add fertiliser. We recommend using Charlie Carp at least once every 6 to 8 weeks throughout Spring and Summer.

Soil and Drainage

Like with most other perennials Clivias love well-drained fertile soil, this is generally loamy soil with added compost. Add around 3 to 5 cm of mulch around the base of the plant to help maintain moisture. You can propagate Clivias by dividing or growing them from seeds after flowering. If you choose to divide them, flowering takes about two years while seed-grown plants take four to six.

Other great resources

• http://www.handyman.net.au/growing-clivias