Clivia small bulbs

(Question)

I have a Clivia plant, I keep it indoors all year long and it blooms about twice a year. Sometimes, after the blooms, some little bulbs remain and I don’t know what to do with them. Is this where the seeds are contained? How does it work to plant?

(Answer)

Yes, these are pods, which contain seeds.  There is a lot of helpful – and sometimes conflicting – information online about how to harvest clivia seeds and plant them (for example, Google “Growing clivia from seed” and you will find many terrific articles).

It’s time to harvest the seeds when the pods have changed colour and are quite soft – this may take a year or so.  Pick each pod gently and either soak them for a few minutes or clean them under running water.  Several experts note how susceptible clivia seeds are to fungus, so advise that a fungicide is critical.  Others suggest that rinsing seeds in a dilute liquid dish detergent or a very dilute bleach mixture would suffice. You would need to check with your local nursery for which Fungicides might be available in Ontario.

Plant the seeds right away or store them, making sure they don’t dry out. The following should be helpful and provide lots of “how-to” details:

Be patient – the new plants should flower after about 2-5 years.

All the best with your lovely Clivia!