Calla lilies, also known as gichero lilies, are not difficult plants to grow in the garden - as long as you know the minimum essentials, such as the quality of the soil and exposure to the sun. This article will tell you what you need to know to be able to make your calla lilies bloom beautifully. Start from step 1 below.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Planting the Calle Lilies outdoors
Step 1. Plant the calla lilies in soil with good drainage
Like most plants, calla lilies suffer from soggy soil, so make sure the soil in your garden (or wherever you intend to plant calla lilies) drains well.
- If you are not sure if your soil has good drainage, wait until it rains and check if the water is easily absorbed.
- If puddles form that do not disperse easily and persist for many hours, the drainage of the soil should be improved.
Step 2. Incorporate organic matter into the soil
You can improve soil drainage by incorporating organic substances, such as well-rotted manure or compost. This will also help enrich the soil, helping the calla lilies to bloom.
- To do this really carefully, loosen the soil to the depth of the size of the spade, then raise the soil again to the depth of another spade, incorporating a lot of manure or compost when you turn the soil to let it air.
- Finally replace the removed soil, again incorporating manure or compost.
- Alternatively, try growing calla lilies using the raised bed method.
Step 3. Choose a sunny or partially shaded spot for the calla lilies
Calla lilies prefer to grow and bloom in sunny places, however they will tolerate some shade, at least for part of the day.
In particularly hot climates, calla lilies prefer to stay in the shade during the intense heat of the afternoon. However they will continue to require sun during the morning hours
Step 4. Plant the calla lilies in mid-spring
Mid-spring is usually a good time to start planting calla lily rhizomes. Just make sure you wait until the threat of frost has passed, and that the soil has had a chance to warm up a bit before planting the rhizomes.
Step 5. Space the calla rhizomes 30 cm apart
Calla lilies develop from rhizomes. These rhizomes have growth points, also known as "eyes". The rhizome should be planted with these eyes facing upwards, and barely visible in the upper part of the soil. Place the rhizomes about 30 cm away from each other.
Step 6. Water the rhizomes after planting
After planting, give the calla rhizomes a good watering. After this initial watering, you should keep the soil moist but not wet.
Part 2 of 3: Planting the Calle in Vaso Lilies
Step 1. Plant the calla lilies in pots in December
If you intend to grow calla lilies indoors, you can start planting in December. This will allow the calla to bloom earlier than usual, i.e. in late spring.
Step 2. Use a compost made from fatty earth
Container grown calla lilies will prefer a compost based on fatty earth because this offers a good mix of nutrients necessary for their growth. However, good quality compost will do as well.
Step 3. Plant the rhizomes of calla lilies indoors as you would outdoors
Plant the calla lilies with the rhizome's eyes facing upwards; they should be barely visible below the soil surface.
Step 4. Make sure the pot has good drainage
Make sure the pot you use to plant calla lily rhizomes has holes for good drainage. Calla lilies will rot in soggy soil.
Step 5. Keep the jar at a cool room temperature
The best place to keep potted calla lilies is on a bright windowsill, at a cool room temperature.
Part 3 of 3: Caring for Calle Lilies
Step 1. Water the calla lilies throughout the summer
The calla lilies need to be watered throughout the summer. Remember that the soil should be moist but not wet or soggy.
Step 2. Use a water soluble fertilizer during the growing season
Feed the calla lilies every two weeks during the growing period. A water-soluble fertilizer added to the watering can is ideal.
You should stop feeding ground-planted calla lilies once flowering begins, but continue to feed container-grown calla lilies throughout the flowering period
Step 3. Check for pests using bug spray
Calla lilies generally have no problems with disease, but they can suffer from pest attacks such as aphids or whiteflies. Keep an eye out for pests and spray the flowers with a multipurpose bug spray as required.
Step 4. Cut the flowers to show them inside
The plant will not be damaged if the flowers are cut to be displayed inside. Use a sharp, clean knife to cut the flowers at the base of the stem.
- Cut flowers will hold up best in a cool room in a vase two-thirds full of water. Try to replace the water every 3 days and possibly add it to top up.
- Some prefer to keep the vase in the refrigerator overnight to preserve the life of the flowers - but a large refrigerator is needed to do this!
Step 5. In warmer climates, leave the calla rhizomes on the ground
The calla lilies can withstand quite harsh winters outdoors.
- If you winter your plants outdoors, apply a mulch of about 10 cm of straw, evergreen branches or well-decomposed manure in autumn, or place them under an overturned pot or under a bell.
- The plant needs a period of dormancy after flowering, so avoid watering and allow the plant to let the parts on the surface die. It is best to refrain from cutting the foliage until it is wilted.
Step 6. In colder climates, extract the rhizomes of the calla lilies after the first frost
If you live in a colder climate, consider extracting your calla rhizomes during the winter to give them a better chance of survival.
- To do this, wait until after the first frost. Brush off as much soil as possible without damaging the roots, then allow the rhizomes to dry out for a couple of days. You can wrap them in a few sheets of newspaper and put them in a cool, dark place like a garden shed.
- After they have dried for a few days, place them in paper bags with a small amount of peat moss. Moisture and mold are the worst threats to rhizome overwintering, so try to keep them as dry as possible and store them in a dark, dry place.
Step 7. Move the potted calla lilies to a cool, dark place
Once flowering finishes, give the potted calla lilies some potassium-rich fertilizer (one suitable for tomatoes will do).
- After that, stop watering container grown calla lilies and move the pot to a cool, dark area once the foliage fades. The dark corner of a garden shed is very good.
- Do not water for 3 months and avoid cutting the foliage until it is wilted.
Advice
- After winter, the calla lilies need to rest for a couple of months before starting to grow again. It is best to plant them in mid- or late spring once the threat of frost has passed and the soil is warmer.
- Calla lilies are more likely to rot due to winter rain than frost, so avoid planting if the soil is impregnated with water, even if the weather is mild.
