Calla Lily is a perennial plant which is not a real lily, but still made itself very popular with its flower appearance , color and meaning. The beauty of this plant is immense and it has been cultivated here in many different colors. Cally lily Care is easy and below given the full information.
The plant will make your gardening more beautiful and colorful. Calla lily flower plant can be placed in the garden border as well and let me tell you it’s a unique plant in itself as this can grow in both the environment indoors and outdoors and calla lilies are very easy to grow and care for. Its propagation is not confusing , and one more thing is that it can tolerate low to moderate temperatures easily.
Background
The Binomial or Scientific name of calla lily is Zantedeschia aethiopica and it is evergreen herbaceous plant. This plant can be found near ponds and streams. This flower plant has 2 other names , one is arum lily and other is calla or calla lily. As you know this is not a true lily plant as its family is different and it is not a member of liliaceae.
It comes from the Araceae Family which is different from the lily family. This plant is first found in Malawi which is a southeastern country of Africa. It is used as a decorative plant , and has a powerful rhizome so can be propagated multiple times.
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Table of Contents
Buy Fresh Calla Lily Bulbs/Rhizome :
White Calla Lily Bulbs, Organic Bulbs
Calla Lily Zantedeschia Yellow 2 Bulbs
Calla Lily Zantedeschia BLACK 2 Bulbs
Calla Lily Zantedeschia Red Fire 2 Bulbs
How to Plant Calla Lily
Growing or planting calla lily is very easy and these plants perfectly grows on their own without much of disturbance. In this plant you need to find it a good location, which is necessary for its growth. In the beginning, when we grow it with rhizome. Its soil need to be wet most of the time because at that time it needs moisture to grow properly. To grow this plant, prepare a small amount of soil which is lousy as that is good for soil drainage. Here the flower plant is sun loving, so placing it in full sun will give it boost on its growth. Also calla can grows in partial shade area , and it is recommaned to grow them in dark shade in winters.
And a lot of people get confused and start to doubt when the plant goes into the stage of dormancy, and some might think the plant has been dead, but there is no such thing as the plant is in sleep. It will wake up after the cold winter season.At the time of winters, you need to give them less water. On the growing season they are in high need of fertilizer you better use it to get perfect foliage for your calla lilies. So give them fertilizer in every month when they are in its growth season.
(Zantedeschia aethiopica) Indoor Calla Lily Care
Knowing what is important in caring for Calla Lily, this plant does not require much care, but if you want to see this plant healthy in every season, then there are some things like paying attention to watering and also using fertilizer to grow them. In winters, you have to pay attention to it and give water when required. After the growing season, when the flowers of this plant start to wither, then you keep it in a container and shift it to the dark area and keep giving it water for 2–4 months. This plant also has issues of rotting, along with viruses and pests, but they can be easily removed with the help of pesticides and fungicides. Some other reasons are due to water. Here are top tips on how to care calla lily :
1. Calla Lily Fertilizer
Any plant based fertilizer can be used and for easy use you can buy a liquid based fertilizer. It can be used every month when calla lily is in the growing season. Here is the fertilizer good for calla lily.
2. Light
Sun Loving plant in spring and summer, Move it indoors when winter comes place it into dark shade.
3. Temperature
When growing them outdoors they thrive well and tolerate most temperature and when it is shifted indoors they adapt to the average temperature inside your house & grow well. This flower plant grow in USDA hardiness zone 8-10.
4. Winter Calla Lily Care
Minimal watering required by them in winters as they will mostly in sleep and don’t care about growing.
5. Water
When Calla Tuber or rhizomes are fresh and young , then it needs water and moist soil to grow , Keep watering in check when calla lilies are younger.
6. Rotting Issues – Bacterial and Fungal infections
Rotting can be a big issue in this plant , as we have seen 3 types of rotting in call lily plants including Pythium rot, root rot and crown rot that can happen because of Bacteria and fungal infections. Crown rot and Pythium can affect the leaves making it yellow or water-soaking , one that is root rot damages rhizomes or tubers, what you call it.
There are also some issue like magically white power appearing on plant its called powdery mildew , this is fungal disease. There are also other diseases like gray mold, leaf spots, armillaria rot and blight. If you find any fungal and bacterial disease , Here is the best fungicide to get rid of them.
7. Viruses
White or yellow spots appear on flower leaves , stalks can be dangerous this is the virus called spotted wilt.Another virus which is dasheen mosaic which affects leaves and gives a mosaic like pattern , this makes the leaves look ugly and can damage the whole plant in the long run. Removing this virus is very important as viruses can be transmitted from one plant to another.
How to Propagate Calla lily
Propagating calla lily is done using its fresh seeds or using rhizome which we also called bulbs or tuber. You can get everything in the market, but to help you I have also given online links to buy calla lily rhizome. once you have that rhizome. You can easily use it to grow new plants. Also If you have an existing plant and want to make a new plant from seeds you can make it , its flower has those seeds you can simply take out but only when this plant is mature. Here are Steps to propagate calla lily through Bulbs :
1 . Use a Sharp Tool for Cutting the bulbs / Rhizome.
You need a clean cutting tool to cut the rhizome.
2 . Separate the rhizome from other root ball
When you are repotting the calla lily , then you will find lots of roots are connected on bulbs/rhizome , you just need to separate out the rhizome from the main root ball. There will be more than 1 rhizome , if you won’t find then cut the root you see which is connected to a separate stem.
3 . Prepare Soil Mix.
You can use a well drained soil mix, Let me tell how you can make it. You need 3 things like 10% perlite , 10% coco coir , 20% compost and 60% soil. Mix it well with your hand and now your soil mix is ready.
4. Put the Bulb/Rhizome into the Soil mix.
You need to lay the bulb into the soil and the bulb face which has eyes on it should be on top and the side without eyes can be on the bottom. Then put this bulb in the soil and make sure only the eyes are showing and every other part of the bulb is covered with the soil.
4 . Watering and care
Now time to water ,make sure it gets plenty of water so give it until it drains out of the pot.
5 . Enjoy
Thats how you create another calla lily plant for your garden. It is seen that if you leave bulbs to dry for a day it would form callus and that way it is prepared to be grown inside the potting mix.
Also put a bulb on the top surface and 1 layer of 2 cm layer soil just above it. Once it starts to grow and form a stem you again need to fill the soil and if you are using a smaller pot then move it in bigger sized pots for bigger growth.
You may see visible growth in 1-2 weeks and the stem will be seen popping out of the bulb. Growth rate of calla lilies is 1-2inch in a 2 weeks time period. It only takes time in the first set of weeks, then it spreads and grows fast.
When to transplant Calla lily
Calla Lily is which grows lots of roots on its bulb/rhizomes and the pot it is in is sometimes full of those roots. I have seen people who did not transplant/repot calla lily for 2 years and their pot looks filled with only roots. And looks like all the soil has been used by roots. So for your question on when to transplant/repot calla lily is when lots of roots at the bottom comes out of the hole or the soil surface doesn’t have any space left on it. The time could be in 1 year you should repot it else it will not grow properly.
Steps to save calla lily from winters and transplant it:
1 . First take out your rhizome /bulb from the soil.
If you still has your calla lily plant and want to store it to grow them after winters then cut all the stems and dig out the bulb/rhizome.
2 . Remove the sand & Clean it.
Now remove all the sand and dirt stick to the bulb , use water and clean it then dry it using a cloth
3 . Put this on a paper bag
After rhizome is fully clean and dry , put this in a paper bag.
4. Location for paper bag would be a darker place or open box.
You need to store this bulb in a darker place or shade area , where it doesn’t get light or any moisture.
5 . Keep children and pets out from the bulb / rhizome.
This plant is poisonous to pets meaning it would poisonous to children as well so keep this plant hidden in a place so no kid is gonna find.
6 . Now wait for some days it will dry properly.
This rhizome do left some moisture and do make it dry , it needs some days eventually it will dry after some days.
7 . If Bulb is shirking then lightly spray water.
If you see your calla lily bulb is shrinking then it is a sign of water shortage so use spray to give it water.
8 . If you want to replant again
So now after storing it for a month or 3 , you want to grow it again. Just direct put it in a Potting soil and water the soil. Take this pot outside and I was hoping the winters are gone. So it gets a bright sun light now.
9 . Give it time to recover it will grow again.
In full sun it will start to grow again. Enjoy.
Do calla lilies spread Fast?
Yes, call lilies spread fast after planting them they begin to grow and you may see impression on 7-10days and once the shoot is strong our calla lily plant may spread faster and bloom in summer. It takes time on seeds but for calla lilies bulbs grow faster. if you ever want to spread calla lilies then using’s a bulb can be useful for storage and planting.
if you want to Buy Calla Lily Bulbs/Rhizomes :
CHECK PRICE IN ETSY (Bulbs/Rhizome)
Now let’s find out how to grow calla lily using seeds :
- 1 . Take a Tissue paper and wrap the seeds.
- 2 . Moist the seeds by spraying some water.
- 3 . Wrap the whole tissue paper into a plastic bag.
- 4 . Wait for 20-21 days , it will start to sprout.
- 5 . After that plant it into a new pot.
- 6 . Give it water and make sure the soil is moist.
- 7 . Hurry you have grown it from seeds.
If you wants to buy its seeds here are the links :
(Zantedeschia aethiopica) How to prune Calla Lily
Their is no season or month for its pruning you just need to prune when you see dead flower or diseased one. Most people do prune in fall or winter so after winters it can grow back but As i know there is no fix season. And you can trim it anytime any day. Also pruning can make it healthy and separate it from any fungus or viruses. Here are the step on how to prune calla lily :
1 . Use a Clean cutting tool for pruning calla lily.
You need to use a cutting tool which is clean and sterilized so that no bacteria infected the plant stem.
2 . Removing Calla lily blossom that looks pale, droopy in calla
You need to trim all those flower stem that looks dead and ugly , you can even see some flower hanging and also the one diseased that are not going to give you another bloom.
3 . Call lily can be cut from the base.
You need to cut all those flower stem from the base , then it will be easy for the new foliage and flower to come up.
4 . Water calla lily so it doesn’t get angry.
OK So water and enjoy you have successfully prune your calla lily.
5. Last step is important is..
Care for them as this plant shows very natural , beautiful flower blooms.
Do you cut back calla lilies?
As you know after calla lily bloom they will die back soon after that you may need a sharp pruner to cut back its leafy stem from the base. This way you will increase its life and tell the plant you are ready for new calla lily blooms.
Calla lilies have multiple blooms so you need to take care by cutting calla lilies will save the plant otherwise blooms will die one by one So pruning leaves those from the bottom and cut 0.5-1 inch apart from the stem base. Most possible reason to cut those stems with blooms is that the leaves will start to turn brown, yellowish or die back so removing it will enhance the other part of blooms growth and help new blooms to blossom early.
You may see multiple baby leaves with stems coming out of soil, these are the ones which will get all the energy after cutting down the already bloomed or brown leaf stems that are bloomed.
Also Note down one thing that all the leaves and blooms will die back in fall to winter so that time also cut all those stems are used and blossom already. It will help new younger stems to grow and next year you may see new blooms in summer.
Calla lily cutting are no use for propagation, and if you really want to grow new calla’s then try taking out bulbs but those stem cutting from base will allow plant to grow more and increase its lifespan.
How do you prune calla lilies?
Call lilies pruning is easy even traditional gardener were not using shears or any kind of pruners they just simply pinch off the stem from the base or they rotate the stem so that it automatically become soft from the base and then they remove it, that’s how pruning was done in calla lilies. Even One tip was given that Call lilies bulb can be stored inside the house to keep them alive for the next season or for selling purpose. Many of us live in USDA zone 8-9 that will definitely freeze the calla lilies. Mostly calla lilies dies in fall and continue till early winter. Even all the leaves will turn brown from the edges and it will look unappealing, not that attractive. So doing pruning will keep the growth intact.
Solution – Why Calla Lily Leaves Turning Yellow?
Most Search Questions
Calla lily flower meaning
white calla lily flower meaning which denotes purity, faith, holiness. Know more
Calla lily bouquet
If you are interested in buying a calla lily bouquet Here is the best which many people and I have liked because of its white flower & having Purple Center with Lavender. It is Best gift for wedding couples or any big occasion.
Calla lily Flower Bouquet
Are calla lily poisonous to cats, dogs or any pet
According to ASPCA & Medline plus Calla lily is poisonous to cats and dogs as these plant have Calcium Oxalates which has oxalic acid that can’t be dissolved in body and if ingested it can show symptoms like Vomiting, irritation of mouth includes lips and tongue.
Swallowing problem , intense burning and Oral irritation and even excess drooling. If this happens to your dog, cat or any pet immediately call for the Pet care center and any children ingested go to the nearest Hospital care. This plant also has a protein called Asparagine which is also harmful and Toxic.
FAQ’s
Do calla lilies come back every year?
Calla lilies are perennial plants and can be grown for many years by propagating its rhizome again and again, some people treat it as annual or biennial flowering plant but this plant is an excellent for those who wants it to live for many years.
How long do calla lilies last?
Calla lilies can show fresh blooms for 8 to 11 days that can last for a 4 to 8 weeks of time period when they grow in potting. for the lilies to exist longer some people just cut the old lilies. And it makes it easy for new lilies to come and again grow , this makes the whole plant healthy. Read More
What to do with calla lilies after they bloom?
There are people who have tested this and it worked quite well to grow this plant for years. To answer what to do when after their blooms end, you need to trim back the whole plant so it can be ready itself for next year’s spring.
This will grow and show bloom next year as well , you can also store its rhizome that process i talk just above the article you can check that. Read More
When do calla lilies sprout?
To Answer When do calla lilies sprout is between 2nd to 3rd week. And It is not what i Read , I experienced it and it took almost 20-21 days for new seeds to sprout.After that they can be transferred to pot for further growth. When it comes to growing from Rhizome or bulb , it can be much faster than the seeds and the plant can be seen in 14 to 16th week showing blooms.
For those asking on how long do calla lilies bloom is What I know This can show flowers till 7 to 8th week when planted in the spring season.
When do calla lilies bloom is in either the start of fall season or in the middle of summer season , we can see its blooming for almost 4-8 weeks of time. This is also true that it depends on weather conditions and where the place has been placed.
How often should you water calla lilies?
For people who grow this plant indoors water can be done in a week or two and In winter time it was like 3-4 weeks because the surrounding moisture also have water. For people who grow this flower plant outdoor in full sun. You need to give them water every 2-3 days depend on how warm the sun in your city and to check , you can water it on 1st day and check back on 2nd day, if it is fully dry’s the soil in 3rd day then a gap of 2 days will be best for your area.
When do calla lilies bloom in california ?
Calla lily is famous for its white blooms and these can show blooms in the 5 to 8th week of planting the bulb/ rhizome in spring. In California,This can vary depending on your zone, climate conditions and even the place where you put the pot of calla lily. With Direct sunlight it can grow much faster and for those growing in partial shade can see some delay in its growth and bloom.
Can calla lilies survive winter?
For those living in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 11 , their plant can survive the winters but for those living below 8 zones can get affected, but as this plant can be kept indoors in a dark place and it can survive there also. This is a good plant for those who want to grow plants – both indoor and outdoors.
Do calla lilies spread?
Yes this plant spreads and has a very thin rooting structure. With Spread it also produces more rhizomes/ bulbs that can be used to make a new calla lily plant.
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