Calla (Zantedeschia) is often referred to as calla lily. This is a bit misleading, because the indoor calla is not a lily, but a plant from the arum family with different care needs than those of lilies. These tips will help you properly care for your calla lilies.
How do I properly care for a calla plant?
A calla needs regular watering during the growth and flowering period so that the soil never dries out. There is no watering during the dormant phase. Fertilize every two weeks before flowering and weekly during flowering. You should repot and replace the soil every spring.
How to water the calla correctly?
The calla lily is native to South African swamp areas, where there are also times of drought. To properly care for the plant, you must satisfy these requirements.
The soil must never dry out during the growing and flowering period. It doesn't even do any harm if there is a little water in the saucer every now and then. Once a week you should spray the calla with a flower sprayer to increase the humidity.
During the rest phase and overwintering, the calla is not watered at all, so the substrate dries out completely.
How should the calla be fertilized?
In the growth phase before flowering, fertilize every two weeks with a little flower liquid fertilizer in the water. During the flowering period, the calla is fertilized weekly. No more fertilizer may be given after flowering.
Basically, it is better to provide the plant with too little fertilizer than with too much fertilizer.
When does the calla lily need to be repotted?
As with any potted plant, repotting is necessary when the pot becomes too small. However, garden experts recommend replanting the calla every spring and replacing all of the soil.
The calla doesn't tolerate polluted, depleted soil at all. It will hardly bloom and will have yellow leaves prematurely.
Calla that is planted in the garden can be planted in the same place every May.
Is cutting the plant necessary?
Cutting is hardly necessary. Onlywill be cut
- Flowered flowers
- Cut flowers
- Leaves turning yellow or brown prematurely
- The yellow foliage before the plant is overwintered
You should never cut green leaves. They provide the plant with nutrients.
Does the calla need a rest?
After flowering, the calla needs a rest period of at least ten weeks. During this time it is neither watered nor fertilized. To properly care for the plant, place it in a bright and cool place during this period.
Dig up the calla that you have planted in the flower bed in the fall at the latest and let the flower bulbs dry out completely. The tubers then go into winter quarters.
What diseases can occur?
The calla is very troubled by fungal and viral diseases. The signs of an infestation are leaves that turn brown or yellow prematurely. If action is not taken immediately, the root will begin to rot.
Diseases mainly occur if you do not care for the calla lily properly. Above all, contaminated, old soil or pots as well as too little moisture during the flowering phase or too wet during the dormant phase cause illnesses.
If necessary, you can try to remove the affected areas on leaves and tubers. But most of the time it is already too late for that. The plant should then be disposed of with household waste.
What pests do you need to watch out for?
Aphids and spider mites are very common on calla lilies. Try washing the leaves and collecting the pests from the bracts.
If the infestation is very severe, the only option is often to use commercially available pesticides (€39.00 on Amazon). In any case, you should place the plant separately so that the pests cannot spread any further.
The best precaution is to care for the calla lily properly. A he althy Zantedeschia will be better able to survive light pest infestations.
What if plant gets yellow leaves?
Yellow leaves after flowering are completely normal. Only if the leaves change color beforehand can an illness or a care error be responsible.
What's the reason if the calla doesn't bloom?
If the calla doesn't bloom, it's almost always due to incorrect care or a bad location. Calla plants grown from seeds only begin to bloom after a few years.
Is calla lily hardy?
Most calla varieties are not hardy. They must be kept frost-free over the winter.
How do you properly overwinter the calla?
The indoor calla in the pot is placed in a cool but bright place until January and is not watered or fertilized. From January onwards she will slowly get used to more warmth and humidity again.
After growing calla bulbs, you must remove the soil and allow the bulbs to dry out well. They are then stored in a dark and very dry place until spring.
Tips & Tricks
Calla (Zantedeschia) is now available in numerous varieties and colors. Basically, the original white varieties are a little more robust than the colored ones. They don't have to stay quite as warm either.
