Q: I have a huge bed of orange and some hybrid yellow clivias. They are now growing on top of each other. When and how can I divide them?
C. Kelly, Sutherland NSW
A: I had to lift and divide mine last year due to a root disease killing 50 percent of them after the heavy rains. Clivias are best divided after the spring flowers.
Lift the plants using a garden fork and shake off the old soil. Divide each clump using two forks back-to-back, pushing handles apart to separate the fleshy roots. Cut the root system back by 70 percent and the leaves by 60 percent, and hose off any loose soil.
Dunk the plants in a bucket or wheelbarrow filled with water and a disinfectant. Remove and let dry in a warm spot. Once dry, drench the roots with eco-fungicide to reduce the likelihood of potential fungal problems.
Improve the soil before replanting by adding compost and an organic plant and soil conditioner like Seamungus.
Don’t fertilise until you see new leaves appearing later in the year. Ward off any insects, like caterpillars with Richgro’s Bug Killa granules sprinkled around the plants and watered in.
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