How and When to Split Cala Lily Bulbs

Hey everyone!

I have several cala lilly bulbs that have bloomed this year. Actually, let me rephrase that. I have about 8 or 10 cala lily bulbs, some bloomed this year, some bloomed last year. The ones that bloomed this year are not the same as the ones that bloomed last year (oddly enough). In fact, the ones that bloomed this year, did nothing but produce leaves for me last year.

Anyway, the ones that didn't bloom for me this year (but did last year), seem to have many more shoots/sections of leaves coming off of them. I am figuring that the reason they only produced leaves and no flowers this year might be because they need to be split (maybe new baby bulbs?) I'm planning to dig them up at some point and see what's going on with them. However, I'm not sure when to do this, or how to take the baby bulbs off of them should they need split, without killing any of them.

Currently, all of the leaves are still very green (the ones that have flowered have already started to die back, but the leaves are still green). Should I let the foliage die and go yellow before I lift the bulbs, or can I dig them up now and split if necessary?

If they do need split... can anyone here give me a step by step on how to split them?

Any help is much appreciated! Thanks!!

Although I have planted what feels like a gazillion zantedeschia bulbs (rhizomes), but have never divided any. My sense tells me to wait till the foliage has died down to dig them to look at the rhizome. They are aroids as are caladiums.

In your zone they cannot overwinter in the ground, so they have to be lifted at some point. A few of mine must be really protected as they come up (and bloom) each year. I have never had any that did not bloom until this year and am still hopeful.

The second photo has been in the ground for four summers. Photo one is a container that will come indoors for the coldest winter weather. I chose to mix callas and caladium in the third photo due to their similarities. They will come indoors for the winter, and I may pull them, but not until the foliage has died down. I generally do not permit callas to flower. The blooms are actually small flowers on the spike.

I am guessing that large, undivided bulbs would be more prolific.
Marcia

I did a little investigating and found that there is considerably more info than anticipated.

Check this thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1239567/#b

I am not certain if this will help:
http://reddirtmemories.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-divide-pot-calla-lilies-other.html

While I don't always agree with everything I read, there is no question that you can learn from everyone.

Thanks! I will definitely read those sites as soon as I get off work!

My Cala's have actually overwintered in the ground the last two years. The first year, I didn't get anything from them (planted out too late. Was excited when I first got them, so potted them up, they bloomed in the pots, then I planted them out... noobie mistake I guess lol.) Then forgot to pull them up, so they overwintered. Was surprised to see blooms on them the next year (last year), but not all of them bloomed. Forgot (again) to pull them up, so was surprised with the ones that didn't bloom last year, bloomed this year. The ones that didn't bloom this year, two got "critter-napped" from squirrels, and the other one just produced foliage from what looks to be multiple locations on the bulb - which is why I figured it needed split. When the foliage on all of them die back, we had planned to dig in that bed anyway (remove some of the rocks the kids have "hidden" in there lol) so I figured I'd check the bulbs then also. But, it's starting to get cooler here now (at least, to me its chilly, although the weather man claims its 70 lol), which is why I was wondering if I could do it sooner than before the foliage dies back. Wanted to get the digging and sifting and stuff there done before it got too chilly (cooler weather bothers the joints in my back).

Thanks so much for looking up those links. I did do some research on my own, but figured I'd come here and ask also :)

For us, the best bulbs have multiple nodules, each with sprouts, and some are still sprouting.

I have ordered online, but the best ones still come from Costco. The packages from the other big box stores are small and a bit of a disappointment. Local nurseries do not carry them but plant them in containers for higher prices.

You might try feeding with bulb food as the rains depleted a lot of nutrition from the soil, even good compost. I would guess that the weather in western Pennsylvania is a little more extreme than here at the coastline so bloom times might be different. I remain hopeful for late bloomers.

I have grown callas for quite some time. Your callas will increase on their own and should come apart on their own, although they probably won't be hurt by division with a clean knife and allowing the cut parts to be calloused over prior to planting.

I would definitely wait until Spring to divide them. It is not unusual for callas to miss a year off blooming. I have had some that have bloomed every year and I have also had some skip a year of blooming. This year my black callas flowered whereas last year, they did not flower.

Callas are going to do better in pots as the soil in the pot is going to warm sooner than the temperature of the ground and they need the warmth to grow and flower.

I have never fertilized my callas, but each year they are lifted and store for the winter. When I do this, I remove all the soil so that the bulbs can be inspected and anything that doesn't look right, gets discarded as I don't want to encourage disease in my calla bulbs.

I do lift my callas every year, but because they are in pots, this is not a difficult task. The pots go inside in the fall and I wait for the soil to dry out and the foliage to die down as the yellowing foliage feeds the bulbs for the next year.

Truthfully I am surprised in zone 6A that these beauties return, however I do think with the wacky weather we have had over the years, that this has probably helped in this.