Gauteng Smallholder Gauteng Smallholder September 2017 | Page 33
From page 29
or more c livias together for a
spectacular show.
Fortunately, the c livia has
thick roots and is drought
tolerant. The plant is also
indigenous, but is not very
happy if your local tempera-
tures drop below freezing
point. Should the leaves or
flowers be damaged by frost,
the plant will recover, but it
will look a little sad for a
while.
The main insect to cause
major damage to the c livia is
the amaryllis caterpillar, a
worm that has black and
white stripes. Cypermethrin is
a good contact insecticide for
eradicating the worms. Use
this with a sticker/ - spreader
(wetting agent) to improve
the effectiveness. There is a
biological method of control
using a bacterium sprayed
every two weeks. This
product is one of the
Margaret Roberts' range.
A second insect that may be a
problem is the mealie bug.
Inspect your c livia plants
when purchasing them and
check for the presence of this
pest under the lower leaves of
the c livia. Crowded condi-
tions with poor air
movement contribute to
the flourishing of this
pest. An imidacloprid/-
Confidor insecticide is
good for treating this,
but cypermethrin is also
effective. When
spraying , ensure a full
cover spray of the
leaves, under as well on
top, for effective
treatment.
IN THE GARDEN
Orange is a dramatic colour
to have in your garden.
Consider increasing the
variety of colour of the c livias
you have. Plant them in
batches or in-between your
orange c livias for a pleasing
appearance.
The variety of colours of
clivias continues to increase
annually. Available colours
include yellows, pinks,
peaches, apricot, bronze and
red colours. Some of these
are more expensive, but well
worth purchasing. The plants
do form offsets and provide
you with more flowers.
Consider the challenge of
growing some plants from
seed. The time from seed to
flowering is about four years.
More details and advice
regarding the the cultivation
of c livia may be obtained at
your nursery or you may refer
to the Clivia Society website:
www.cliviasociety.org
Supplies of different coloured
clivias should only be
purchased when the c livias
31
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flower in September, to
ensure that you purchase the
correct colour.
The variety of c livia colours
are not always available at
your local nursery, but
consider visiting the
Johannesburg Clivia Show in
September, on 8 and 9
September at the Garden
World Nursery on Beyers
Naude Drive, Muldersdrift.
For further information on the
Clivia Society, send a request
to [email protected] or
contact Glynn on 082 650-
1463
facebook.com/gautengsmallholder