Article 1

American Clivia Society

Seed Planting

By James Black

The methods of starting clivia seed are greatly varied and in many cases it's because of several factors; if you have a high concentration of mould, fungus, or have algae problems at your location, or high or low humidity, then your method of seed starting should be worked out as to what works best for your individual needs. That might be an easy process if there is someone that has already done the experimenting in your area with his/her clivia seed. Such was not the case for me. I live near Tulsa, Ok and we have rather high humidity although nothing along the lines of Tropical. I have worked out a system that works for me. I use the Gardeners Supply APS6 flats, they are Styrofoam, deep, have 6 sections, a capillary matt, a reservoir, a plastic dome cover, and another Styrofoam piece that holds the flat up out of the water reservoir. I do not use the capillary matt or the Styrofoam stand it sits on. (Therefore by ordering by the piece you can save money by not buying what you won't be using). So basically you just have six planting areas in a flat with a plastic dome cover. If you have something that fills the criteria use that. I then mix my seed starting mix. I use a mixture that is 1 part Orchid Mix (I used a "Better-Gro" Phalaenopsis mix I picked up a chain home improvement garden shop) It had bark, charcoal, perlite, and peat, from what I could tell. I then add 2 parts peat potting soil to the mix, 1 part medium hadite or pumice or large perlite. I then re bag my mix as I rarely use it all at once. To fill two of the deep flats I take one bag (8 dry quarts) of the mix and put it in a large plastic bucket. To this mix I add about 1.5 quarts of boiled water. I process 2 quarts of the water, add 1/8th teaspoon of Consan 20 or Physan 20 to the boiling water, mix and pour 1.5 quarts of it carefully into the bucket of mix. I then cover the top of the bucket with a lid or plastic. The hot water will help the bark absorb the water quickly; it will also help kill any critters that were hitching a ride in the mix. Let it sit an hour or two. Depending on the make up of the mix you may need to add more or less water. What you are looking for is a medium that you can take in your hand, squeeze and not extract more than a few drops of water. Moist media not wet. If it's too wet add more mix to the bucket and stir it in and let it sit a while, so the amount of moisture is evenly distributed in the mix (you might have to stir it around several times to achieve the even moisture mix) If the mix feels dry still and not damp then add a little more of the boiled water. When it feels just moist you are ready to plant your seed.

I soak my seed a day or two in water, until I see the micropore starting to bulge. Before planting wash the seed first in Sunlight dishwashing soap water, to remove anything on the seed, then briefly soak them in Consan or Physan at the recommended rate on the bottle for seed. Disinfect your hands with a product of your choice before handling the seed as you don't want to contaminate the seed coat after you have gone to the trouble to clean it. If you do not have Consan 20 or Physan 20 then a solution of household bleach mixed at 1 teaspoon per gallon of water should be used. I soak it for about 10 minutes. At this point you may remove the skin from around the micropore if you like, it's not necessary, but speeds germination. (See Picture 1 and 2 below) I then lay the seed micropore down against the surface of the planting media. I plant about 6 to 10 seeds in each of the 6 squares in my flats. I then use what was left of the initial seed starting soil wetting water with Consan 20 in it and spray it lightly on the seed. (Just for the heck of it this year I put one drop of Superthrive on each seed before spraying with the Consan water). Put the plastic Dome on the flat and put the flat in an area that is between 70 and 85 degrees F. So far I've had luck putting the flats in indirect sun and in the dark for germination. I didn't see an advantage to either in germination rate. In one days time there should be some condensation showing on the inside of the dome if the moisture content is right. If there is not, then just spray the surface with a little of the Consan 20 treated water in a spray bottle until you get the moisture content inside the dome right. Watch for any problems and wait for germination. (Just remember, moist never wet) The root may push the seed along the top of the planting material and if it does then take a pointed object and make a hole in the planting material, then put the root back in the ground. Once the seed has germinated move the container to an area of indirect light. Small leaves will form shortly and the plant will slowly absorb the rest of the seed, drawing energy from it until it is depleted. At that point you will need to use a fertilizer at about 1/4th to 1/2 recommended strength at first to feed the plant. When the leaves get near the top of the plastic dome I start taking the top off for several hours a day, getting the plant ready to live in a less humid environment. That way when the dome top has to come off they are not shocked. Remember to keep them in moist media, never soaking wet if possible. Too much moisture kills a clivia seedling, it's always easier to revive a plant from a drought condition than try to bring one back to life

Sometimes it's hard for those of us new to clivia seed to recognize the growing point of the seed, or as it's referred to by many as the "Micropore" therefore I've included pictures for the benefit of those interested.

micropore