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 www.sasmallholder.co.za 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