When deadhead Clivia?

[Persephone]

Should I cut off flower spike as soon as blossoms fall?

Or wait how long, and why?

TIA

Persephone

[Persephone]

Nobody has answered on this.

I went to the Web, and found, inter alia, this comment about watering:

**************

Water regularly, spring through fall. Try to water around, not on, the bulb and avoid wetting the leaves.

**************

Gwacious! Why "avoid wetting the leaves"? Straight question.

I have, in fact, made a point of rinsing them off from time to time because here (So Calif coastal) there's no natural rainfall to clean the leaves.

Does this really hurt them? Why?

(Don't forget the original question about when to deadhead!)

Persephone

[Persephone]

Am VERY curious about not wetting Clivia leaves.

Anybody?

Persephone

[mleblanca]

Hi Perse I have checked 6 books* re:clivia I found absolutely nothing about "avoid wetting leaves/bulb" The only advice about watering was " keep fairly dry in winter, increase water in spring, summer" Most of the advice was about growing in greenhouse/pots. So the only reason I can think of would be that by avoiding wetting the leaves/bulb in a potted plant you would avoid rot/fungus in the winter??

The only comment re: deadheading came from Sunset W Grden Bk: "Flowers are followed by ornamental red berries." So if you want ORBs don't deadhead at all!

• AHortSoc, Botanica, Reader's Digest, Time-Life, Wymans and Sunset WGB Emilie NorCal with 94 warm degrees today (shade)

[Persephone]

Thank you very much, Nor.Cal. sister for the thoughtful research! So I get a free pass on rinsing off dusty leaves!

As to the ORBs, if I let them form, won't I be inhibiting the plant from putting up new flower spikes in next cycle?

IOW, having made seeds, won't the plant think, as most flowers do, "OK, having provided for the next generation, now I can die."?

>

[mleblanca]

Annuals might think that, but bulbs usually don't. Daffodils, tulips, iris, all seem to flower on time the next year even when I miss a few and they set seeds. And it certainly doesn't deter the arums at all. Since none of those bulbs die, clivia is not likely to either. (But I am just guessing) Do you have more than one plant; if so, why not try it with one? You can deadhead the ORBs when they begin to dry up or ripen....And the flowers might not even get pollinated, so there wouldn't be any berries at all.

Trivial fact: Clivia was named for Lady Clive, Duchess of North- umberland, who grew the first flowers of Clivia nobilis in the UK. Emilie

[Persephone]

Mmm...I didn't know that...!

Aha! That's a good scientific way of approaching the problem. Thanks.

Yeah, I saw that at a Web site. Would be SO kewl to have a flower named after one. Or a star...or a planet...heck, I'd settle for an asteroid!

Persephone

[mleblanca]

P. I just realized I meant to say something re this question

Do your Clivias rebloom later in the summer/fall? Or are they one-time bloomers? If they are one timers, then it doesn't matter when or if you deadhead or leave ORBS. The plants will bloom OK next year. But if they DO rebloom. then yes, they should be deadheaded right after the first blooms fade in order to rebloom later in the summer/fall of the same year. (:does that make sense?)

OT: have just been watching the Griffith Park fire. Very BAD. are you near the park? I remember many wonderful hours spent at the various venues of Griffith Park (many years ago)

2% humidity!!!WOW that is really LOW.

Emilie NorCal

[ajeans]

My clivia minata have been watered by sprinklers for years and are doing just fine. I cut off the stalks after the flowers drop just because it looks better. The only times the plants haven't done well is when they get too much direct sunlight.

Albert

Perseph : >On Wed, 02 May 2007 12:05:58 -0700, Persephone wrote: : >

: >>

: >>Should I cut off flower spike as soon as blossoms fall? : >>

: >>Or wait how long, and why? : >>

: >>TIA : >>

: >>Persephone : >

: >

: >Nobody has answered on this. : >

: >I went to the Web, and found, inter alia, this comment about watering: : >

: >************** : >

: >Water regularly, spring through fall. Try to water around, not on, the : >bulb and avoid wetting the leaves. : >

: >************** : >

: >Gwacious! Why "avoid wetting the leaves"? Straight question. : >

: >I have, in fact, made a point of rinsing them off from time to time : >because here (So Calif coastal) there's no natural rainfall to : >clean the leaves. : >

: >Does this really hurt them? Why? : >

: >(Don't forget the original question about when to deadhead!) : >

: >Persephone : : Am VERY curious about not wetting Clivia leaves.

: Anybody?

: Persephone

[ajeans]

By the way, I accidentally decapitated a clivia a few months ago: the whole top green part of the plant broke clean off from the roots! I kept the top part in a bucket with about an inch of water and kept it under lights. It has sent out small roots and even a full size flower stalk. Nothing has emerged from the roots yet however.

Albert

mleblanca ( [e-mail]) wrote: : On May 5, 1:30 pm, Persephone wrote: : > On Wed, 02 May 2007 12:05:58 -0700, Persephone wrote : >

: > I went to the Web, and found, inter alia, this comment about watering: : >

: > ************** : >

: > Water regularly, spring through fall. Try to water around, not on, the : > bulb and avoid wetting the leaves. : >

: > ************** : >

: > Gwacious! Why "avoid wetting the leaves"? Straight question.>

: > I have, in fact, made a point of rinsing them off from time to time : > because here (So Calif coastal) there's no natural rainfall to : > clean the leaves. : >

: > Does this really hurt them? Why? : >

: > (Don't forget the original question about when to deadhead!) : >

: > Persephone

: Hi Perse : I have checked 6 books* re:clivia : I found absolutely nothing about "avoid wetting leaves/bulb" : The only advice about watering was " keep fairly dry in winter, : increase water in spring, summer" Most of the advice was : about growing in greenhouse/pots. So the only reason I can think : of would be that by avoiding wetting the leaves/bulb in a potted : plant you would avoid rot/fungus in the winter??

: The only comment re: deadheading came from Sunset W : Grden Bk: "Flowers are followed by ornamental red berries." : So if you want ORBs don't deadhead at all!

: * AHortSoc, Botanica, Reader's Digest, Time-Life, Wymans : and Sunset WGB : Emilie : NorCal with 94 warm degrees today (shade)

[Persephone]

Duh...I'm fairly sure they are one-timers, but that gives you an idea of how good a witness I'd be on a criminal trial! Not your most observant...

Yes, makes perfect sense. Based on your input and that of other posters, I'd lose nothing and possibly gain another bloom cycle (stay tunes) by deadheading fairly soon after bloom.

Thanks for your concern. I'm in Santa Monica, all the way across town, so no danger. Griffith Park is really a wonderful, wonderful place, which I frequented more often [censored] years ago when I lived in L.A. and my little one was, well, *little.* Have not even been back to the Observatory since they re-opened after a major remodel. Can't park there now. Have to reserve and be shuttled in from Hwd or the Valley. Or reserve and hike up.

Please indulge a mini-rant about getting to Griffith Park or almost any place outside one's immediate neighborhood.

In recent years, traffic in LA area has become SO bad, that I hear everybody saying they have given up going to events/lectures/plays/concerts/whatever at any distance from home. Griffith Park was always a schlep across town, even by car. Now...forget it!

So I have decided to park my car for 'n' months and enter the wonderful world of public transportation. Ins. co DOUBLED my premium after an accident last year! Plus the $3.50 cost of gas. I just decided I wasn't going to pay a fortune just to drag that big chunk of metal a few blocks downtown and adjacent communities. We have good bus transportation here, so it's do-able. Took off all but the comp. insurance; am saving a bundle! It's great to "leave the driving to [them]", but there IS the time factor; everything takes 2x

- 3x as long.

(takes deep breath; steps down from podium)

Persephone

>

[William Rose]

that places you used to be able to drive to in 20 minutes now take 45 minutes using Hwy. 5. Thirty years ago, when I was in 70 mph, bumper to bumper traffic on the Ventura Freeway, it occurred to me that I could put my car in neutral and no one would know.

At least, you can see what your breathing in La-La Land.

Formerly from behind the "Orange Curtail".

- Bill Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

[mleblanca]

That is really a shame. There is so much "good stuff" there.

Exposition Park also comes to my memories

Good for you

I grew up in Long Beach and I attended my *0th High School reunion there in August. I hardly recognized the place. We came into LA on the freeway, and got off right away. Took the surface streets instead, at least traffic was moving and drivers were not quite "INSANE"

On Gardening: The local Calif Native Plant Society visited my garden yesterday, and they have invited me to have my garden on their native garden tour next Spring. That should be fun ;(and work) as you probably can tell I love to talk about my garden!!

PS now I see that Catalina Island is on fire, too; and it is only May. Emilie

[kraewa]

you must do it, becouse when you cut off flower spike your flower will be stronger

[Persephone]

)>

OK, that did it! I'm turning you in to the Bush environmental police. There IS no thing as global warming, as the Administration has often pointed out (while granting environment destructive conce$$ions to its oil/timber/extractive industries sponsors).

The early arrival of fire season in So.Cal. is, therefore, a low-down Democratic political ploy!

Persephone

[mleblanca]

Oh no, not Shrub Security! Anything but that..Oh please I can change Really I can: We just had the "coldest winter in 5 years" here: we had TWO nights with 20 degree temps! So that proves there is no Global Warming, the weather is getting colder, not warmer mle anon

In my garden I have been pleasantly surprised at the things that I thought were goners and frozen dead, but are coming back from their roots: plumbago, euryops, a large split leaf philodendron, and Justicia carnea. Even the Bird of Paradise might make it, although it looks really terrible. E.