Bulbs: Thinking of giving up on Zantedeschia, 2 by firstyard

firstyard wrote:
I have 3 “patches” of zantedeschia albomaculata and for years they have looked pitiful from the end of June (or earlier) until I cut them back after the first frost in October or November. Once they’ve bloomed, they go prostrate from the July heat (I assume) and never recover. In addition to the heat, they get beat down by summer storms and the broken stalks slowly turn yellow and die. The ones that don’t turn yellow, fade to a pale green from the sun.

Naturally, I’ve tried giving them more water but to no avail. Amending my clay soil also doesn’t solve the problem. Fertilizer or no fertilizer – makes no difference with this problem. The only thing that might help is something I have none of – morning sun and afternoon shade. I could move them to full shade but then I wouldn’t get any blooms.

I’m ready to dig them up and give them all away unless someone has a solution.

BTW, the leaves look greener in the pics than in person and I just cleaned up a lot of leaves that had been laying on the ground for a while.