Calla lilies have a lot of wonderful characteristics. They are extremely adaptable and gorgeous flowers. They are very drought tolerant and don’t need much care to survive. If you are looking for a flower that will be easy to grow, calla lilies are the perfect choice for you. This post offers great tips and tricks for caring for your calla lily plants so they are healthy, happy, and ready to bloom all year long!
Provide Bright Light
Bright light is essential for calla lilies. They do well when provided with bright, indirect sunlight. Although they need less sun than other types of plants, direct sunlight can burn their leaves and cause them to drop petals or even die. If you have a south-facing window that provides at least six hours of morning sun and afternoon shade, this will be perfect for your callas. If not, you can use grow lights instead of or move them outside in summertime when the days are longer and the weather is warmer.
Water Properly
Watering your calla lilies is a simple process, but it’s important to remember that these flowers require specific care. When watering your plants, the soil should be moistened to a depth of 2-3 inches. This can be accomplished by placing the entire pot into a large container filled with water so that it sits in the saucer and allows water to seep into the soil. Alternatively, you may choose to use a spray bottle or mister with distilled water and spray them directly on top of their foliage until dampened thoroughly but not soggy.
When watering in this manner, it is critical that you do not allow any standing water to remain within the saucer or base of where they stand after being watered as this will cause root rot which will prevent blooming for months at best and kill off your plant at worst!
It’s also important not to over-water as too much moisture around their roots can cause root rot just as quickly as too little does; in fact, I would recommend using only enough liquid (not necessarily dirt) around their stems so that those outer layers are barely damp – may be only slightly more than what would typically exist from normal dew accumulation overnight during dry weather conditions – since excess moisture sitting directly on top of those issues could cause some problems there as well too!”
Add Humidity
Calla lilies are native to moist areas. For this reason, you will want to provide them with humidity when growing them indoors.
- Place your calla lilies in a bathroom or basement with a humidifier
- Place your calla lilies in a greenhouse where there is more moisture
Carefully Repot Each Year
- When to Repot
- The best time to repot is when the plant has spent about half of its growing season in the container you used the previous year. Ideally, this would be just before it blooms, but if you forget, it can still be done any time from now through early spring.
- How To Repot Calla Lilies
- For a single stem calla lily with an average diameter root ball (not including thick root stubs), I use a 12-inch pot filled halfway with a good quality commercial soil mix or your own composted mix enriched with peat moss and/or leaf mold blended into it at least one inch deep prior to adding water – this should give plenty of room for root growth over the next year’s blooming cycle. If there are multiple stems emerging from one main rhizome system (like those found on many varieties), then use larger containers – preferably hanging baskets – as long as they have drainage holes because these plants do not like sitting in water for too long; however if you can’t find anything large enough don’t worry about having extra space since all that matters is that each rhizome has adequate room without being crowded by other pieces from which they might take nutrients away from each other due to competition between them!
Winterize Your Plants
To winterize your calla lilies, cut the stems back to about 6 inches. Then plant them in a clay pot and store them somewhere cool (about 50 degrees) but out of direct sunlight. They should be watered sparingly during this time. If you want to keep your calla lilies for more than a few years, this is an opportune time to divide the plants and give some away as gifts!
Taking care of calla lilies is fairly easy, just follow these instructions and your lillies will bloom all year long.
To care for your calla lilies, follow these steps:
- Fertilize in the spring with a balanced fertilizer.
- Do not over-water your callas in the summer and fall. Allow the soil to dry out somewhat between watering sessions. Water only when they appear wilted and do so sparingly. In winter, reduce watering even more since they are dormant at this time of year.
- Prune back any dead stalks after they die completely in spring or early summer, but before new growth emerges from them (this will help prevent fungus). Also remove spent flowers as needed so that you can enjoy their beauty for a longer period of time each year!
- Remove old leaves when they become yellowish green-brown or are turning black or brown around their edges (the older leaves must be removed if you want your plant looking its best). Once again, pruning is done primarily during the growing season (late spring through autumn), but can also be done at other times during the year if needed; just be sure not to cut away more than 25% of any one leaf cluster at once!
Conclusion
Calla lilies are certainly beautiful, especially when they are in bloom. They have a simple elegance that can’t be ignored. It is fairly obvious why these plants are so popular. If you want to grow calla lilies of your own, the information above will give you all of the basics you need to get started.
