CliviaNet___________
     for clivia lovers around the World

I grouped the yellow clivia berries, they are not as prolific. Some growers get massive berry heads, maybe I don't talk to them enough or I should play music in the hot house (some do) next to the red/orange berries. Clivias are apparently clever, there are now orange flowered clivias with yellow berries, the first of these seeds were planted this year (Nov), if you tune in in 3 years times we may have some answers.

We see that from the yellows on the left there is a variation to the red on the right. Some of the yellow berries have remained green which I suppose they are entitled to do. They were all pollinated a year ago and according to the book should turn yellow. Rudo once mentioned that he waited way over a year with some berries to show signs, outwardly of being ripe, but if I wait any longer they will miss the nice seedling potting soil mix that I have prepared for them and with winter approaching we want to give them a good start before it gets too cold.
© Copyright 2002 by Loukie Viljoen. All rights reserved.

I let them hang like USA jerky, RSA biltong, Oz ? (with so many South Africans there it will soon be biltong as well) on a wire in the hot house just to dry out a little so that the jelly pulp is a little less jelly and easier to remove (see later chapter).

Please make sure everything is marked. I never, if I can help, harvest green seed but on the occasions that I have they have been on the plant at least 6 months. I don't like to just cut the berry head off, I would like to remove the individual berries so that the green stem can carry on doing its photosynthesis or maybe send messages regarding the next years flowerhead. Who knows, it sounds good, but they are all neatly tied up in a nylon mesh bag, I just cut them off, hang them upside down "one could say to let the sap run down" but I am sure it does not happen. With all the red berries they can almost be used for Christmas decorations.

The cut stem on the plant I let dry normally, in our hot dry low humidity climate it works after all this is their (the Clivia) home country. Some have emigrated, like a good many people have done, and others would like to but who will supply the world with clivia seed if we all push off. If you are worried about the cut, dust with a fungicide or just ordinary Flowers of Sulphur powder from the chemist.

Well so we come to the end of another chapter in the EXCITING story of the "difficult to die" clivia, But be careful clivias have been known to strike back and one day, for no rhyme or reason, all will rot and turn your happy life into a misery. Stay tuned.
© Copyright 2002 by Loukie Viljoen. All rights reserved.