Calla Lily Bulb Question

3 weeks ago I planted 2 Calla Lily bulbs, one is Crystal Blush, the other is Twilight. They are both planted in a container, same soil, they are both inside til it warms up and get the same amount of water at the same time. The Twilight sprouted last week but so far I see nothing from the Crystal Blush. How long does it normally take them to sprout? Or does Crystal Blush take longer?

This is my first time growing calla's so any help or advice you have would be great. Thanks

How did your bulbs look when you planted them? Were your twilight already poking up from the bulb?

Also, were both types of bulbs about the same size?

This message was edited May 3, 2011 2:35 PM

Neither had any pokeys that I saw and twilight was just a little bigger than Crystal Blush.

I am wondering if Twilight is perhaps a bit older than Crystal Blush..... I do have a number of callas that I start every summer and they do not all come up at the same time - some may take a bit longer than others. I also noticed that the younger bulbs that I have had, may not flower the first year.

Crystal Blush has been quite the trooper for me, so I am sure when she sprouts and grows that she will come into her own.

Thank you for answering, I'm sure it will poke thru soon. I didn't get them from the same supplier, I imagine that would make a difference as well. I'm just hoping I didn't get a dud.

Lorrizz, they have minds of their own and poke up when they feel like it; some are late sleepers. Once they start growing, they're awake. The nice part is that they sprout in more than one place and so will generally produce multiple blooms.

Most of my callas have not sprouted yet.

This message was edited May 13, 2011 5:35 PM

I need to start thinking about getting mine potted up! I think we should all post pictures of our blooms when they flower - what do you think?

Do you not put any in the ground? Do you keep them in pots, then take them out and store them and then do it all again?

Evelyn-

Yes, that is exactly what I do. I have had them in the ground before, but I like to have them on my decks, so into pots they go. I remove the soil from them in the fall after they have dried and store them in brown paper bags in my attic by the stairs so they do not freeze. Both my callas and my dahlias seem to do well with this ritual.

Thanks! I know of someone else who does this, but I did not know that it was common practice. I suppose one can do that with most bulbs and tropicals.

I would like to incorporate these into my gardens and then pull them out since if I leave them in the ground, they bloom so late if at all.

What month do you pot them up? Do you keep them indoors until it warms up outside to give them a head start? I think that is why mine have little bloom as they emerge from the soil so late due to cold soil and late spring storms...like yesterday's snow storm...not much snow, but enough to discourage tropicals from growing or emerging from the soil. I should probably pull my Tropicanna and put it into a pot indoors in a sunny window until it stays warm outside...that is, after the snow melts and I can find it...LOL!! I have not yet even seen any callas come up yet.

Evelyn

I have had better luck potting them up than putting them straight into the ground. I think I do better in the pots because of what you mentioned above regarding the warmth of the soil.

Last year, it was the end of May before I was able to pot them up and get them out. I have been thinking about doing it now, but it has been so cold here - however we have not had any snow since early April. I have pictures documenting that I had flowers in early August. Not sure when the flowers actually did start. I should probably add that type of information to my journals....

I do so love the callas, don't you?

I leave in zone 9a, so I can leave my callas in the ground. And they are only just starting to break ground now.

Soils - when do yours typically flower?

Carolyn - the earliest is in the beginning of June. This one is in sun for most of the day except for late afternoon. This is one of the earlier ones.

This one is in a shadier spot - shaded by noonish. It blooms late June to early July. It was a happy accident that it was planted amongst a hydrangea that had similar coloring. It is one of the Captain series, I think.

By middle of July, most are done with blooming. This one gets a fair amount of sun, but must be a later blooming variety. This one blooms until mid July. I moved a bunch of them last year, and that set them back quite a bit, with not too many blooms. Hopefully they will recover this year.

Diane ~ Are yours up now?

Hi Evelyn - yes, they are starting to come up. Some just peeking through the soil, some are about 6 inches tall. Wonderful having this rain to moisten up the ground. Must be having a cold spell in your area though - it has dropped to the low 60's during the day here.

I put in about a dozen end of March. They're just poking through the soil now. The rest are all in containers.

Diane

the second picture looks like either Vermeer or Picasso - I have that one as well.

I am thinking that perhaps I should be starting mine a bit earlier than the end of May now... perhaps I should get them going this weekend.

I have several different ones and I put them all in pots. In the fall, pot and all are stored in a root cellar at my mom's house. They have all emerged but it will be sometime in June or July before they will be blooming.

I really like putting them in pots. Easy to give a few as gifts and MUCH easier on my back.

I often stick a calla in with pot of lilies just to confuse people. If I don't have a calla, I stick ina lily of a different color.

I have hardly been able to start. I am hoping to get my callas potted up this weekend.