Clivia Collection Almost Destroyed

A fellow clivia enthusiast recently suffered a devastating event and shared his experience with the group, in hopes that other collectors of clivia will not fall victim to the same experience. He was looking for a product that would offer ease of use and provide a nutritional and systemic insect control over a long period of time. The product used was in a granular form that could be put down on the top of the planting media and would provide the sought after control each time the plant was watered. Many clivia growers use, what in name only, sounds like a very similar product, only in a liquid form, diluted with water. Both products are from the same manufacturer, so the advertising of the product could lead one to believe that if one does not have an adverse effect on clivia the other would not either. Please note at this point the manufacturer of these products does not label these products for use on clivia and they make it very clear any time you talk to them that it should only be used on plants stated on the label, any other use is misuse of the product. The label further states “It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.” I and many others have used the product “Bayer Rose & Flower Care in a manner consistent with its labeling and it is a fine product for its intended use. The product is not a good product for use on clivia and in the next paragraph I will describe as best I can what happened to one enthusiast and his collection and why this product should not be misused.

The person that used this product has several hundred clivia plants and many were expensive “named” varieties. He applied the product as a top layer dressing to potting media around the plants. Weeks passed and he noticed some plants were flopping over and checked more of his plants; most were suffering the same fate. Clivia are a shallow rooted plant by nature and most times quite a few roots are exposed on the surface of the soil. The plants were in their dormant period and therefore not watered often and the granules containing Disulfoton and fertilizer were in direct contact with these roots and some in contact with the main stem of the plants. Disulfoton itself may in no way be the culprit, it is highly probable that the nitrogen fertilizer component of the product is the burning agent.  The roots were burned by the product, as was the main stem of the plant in direct contact with the product. So severe was the burning process that it nearly separated the stem from the root system. The burned tissue then became a haven for fungal and bacterial infection as a secondary problem. Had the product been well watered in, the problematic results may not have ensued as the product would have been diluted. Given this plants need for a cool dormant period and moisture reduction this product used in the above manner spells disaster, something that the plant and grower do not deserve and certainly, unjustly, taints the product and reputation of the product manufacturer, when the experience is passed on to others.

This product should not be confused with Bayer Tree & Shrub Control in a liquid form that requires dilution with water before application. Many use this product successfully, although in violation of its labeling, on clivia, at a rate of 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, drenching the potting medium for treatment of fungus gnats and systemic control of mealy bugs. Its main ingredient is “Imidacloprid” and no fertilizer component. Again we do not recommend nor endorse the use of any product in an inconsistent manner to its labeling and comparison of the two products above is purely to illustrate the difference of effect on clivia, of the dry granular product containing Disulfoton with a fertilizer component and the liquid based product containing Imidacloprid, with no fertilizer component, which is further diluted with water for application.

Dry granular fertilizers with or without insecticides that come in direct contact with plant tissue can cause problems. If you are inclined to use one, please test it on a limited number of plants that you do not mind losing before committing your entire collection to a similar fate, as described in this article. Use products as instructed on the label, for your personal safety and your plants well being.

©2003 American Clivia Society