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Help please to identify this plant - I've already killed 2!

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  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    edited March 2021
    clivia?
    Welcome to the Forum
    Devon.
  • clarke.bruntclarke.brunt Posts: 215
    edited March 2021
    Agree - looks like Clivia. Over-watering is probably the best way to kill them - other than that, they're quite tough things. So allow to get fairly dry between waterings - almost no water during winter, and good light but not full sun all day.

    I have some of these - originating from a single 'garden-centre' plant many years ago, and others from (I think) a society plant sale. Typically for me, a few nice flowering specimens had turned into far too many neglected specimens - through propagation from the offsets, and from seed they produced. So I hadn't had flowers for years, and the plants were just wasting space. But I'm becoming ruthless! Last year, I chucked out the near-dead ones, and selected and potted nice offsets of any healthy ones, throwing out old parts of the plants. Just counted: I've now got 16 in relatively small pots, each with a single 'crown' (i.e. like yours) as opposed to a crowded clump. They've just given their first bit of water after winter dryness, and they're looking good. Hopefully there will be flowers again before too long - maybe not this year though (and I've still got too many, but good for sale/swap so long as they're looking healthy).
  • JJnoviceJJnovice Posts: 9
    Thank you very much for your replies.

    Yes, I have managed to over water them.  I was watering every week?  I'm now bottom watering - I've read about this, don't know if it is better.  I had 2 different crowns in the same pot and they were growing so well but then I found one was wilted and realised it had been over watered.  Then the other one wilted as well.  To my knowledge they have never given flowers though?  I tried to cut off the soft part of the crown and repot it?  I've tried to put the leaves in water in the hope they would produce roots?  As you can tell I'm a complete novice. 

    These plants were my late mother's and I promised her I would take care of them.  So they have sentimental value.  Unfortunately, I have already lost a Gardenia (not sure what happened there) and a Spider plant - due to over watering.

    I have a couple more that I don't know anything about and would appreciate some help please.

    Thank you for your help in advance.
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    My wife's recipe to make Clivias flower year after year. In the winter months, give them a dry regime, not a drop of water, and place the plant in a cool (but not freezing) place, with some light. Then, some time at the beginning of March, bring them into your living-room, give them a good dose of water, and wait ... 10 days later new stem with flower buds starts to appear ... 10 more days et voila!

  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    Correct dates (after consulting with OH): place in a cold, light dry place  before Xmas for 2 months DO NOT WATER. Bring inside after 2 months and soak in water. Wait...
  • clarke.bruntclarke.brunt Posts: 215
    edited March 2021
    raraujo said:

    Yes, I have managed to over water them.  I was watering every week?  I'm now bottom watering - I've read about this, don't know if it is better.


    Assuming in the UK, and in a typical houseplant situation for these, then just forget about watering them in winter - don't be tempted. Leave in a cool (not freezing) place, and don't water at all. Watering 'from the bottom' (i.e. stand pot in water until it soaks up) is only relevant if either water randomly scattered over the top (e.g. with a watering can) might cause rot in the crown of the plant, or if water applied at the top runs out of the pot without soaking in - otherwise, plants don't care how the water arrives.

    Watering must never be on a 'every day/week/whatever' regime. It should be 'when it's getting dry', or 'when the plant needs it' - you have to learn to judge. For many plants, in cool winter conditions, they're not growing at all - they're hardly evaporating any water through their leaves - and don't need regular supplies (just likely to rot the roots, which aren't interested in taking up the water - no need, since the leaves don't need it).

    I suspect my own Clivia (mentioned above) are probably too small to flower this year, but keeping a look out, now occasional watering has resumed.

    Later: I meant to add: if you've got a 'crown' of one of these with no roots (because they rotted), then it might grow new roots so long as in fairly dry soil until new roots get going (or if it's winter, then kept completely dry until spring, as it's not going to grow whatever you do). And I don't imagine these growing from detached leaves - can't rule it out - some plants do, but I can't see trying to root leaves in water working for these.

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