Calla Lily Care Questions

I'm branching out from my low maintenance cactus and succulents and I need some hand-holding. OK, a lot of hand-holding.

My calla lillies have been blooming brightly but there's one that's fading fast. I cut it, right? How close to the base? Will it bloom again?

I'm keeping the soil moist. Good?

They're in their original plastic pots and I've set them inside glazed pots. Any reason I should repot?

They get morning sun and bright light on my front porch. What sign will they give if the Tucson sun is too intense?

What sign will they give me if it's just too hot for them outside?

Thank you all for your expertise! Anything you want to know about prickly pear? LOL

Your growing conditions are polor opposites to mine, so what I do with mine may be all wrong for your area.
I cut mine back after bloom and or when they get so over grown they begin to flop.
I grow mine in a very damp cool semi-shade enviroment (under the over hang of our deck) the only full sun they ever get is early morning sun.
The ones I did grow out in full sun (and drier) never grew as tall, and the leaves yellowed soon after if not during bloom.
Hope some of that helps. :-)

hiya TucsonJen,

It sounds to me like you are doing things correctly. We grow colored callas and they have returned each year for three years now...they are in the ground. We cut spent flowers as soon as they begin to fade. They have been heavy feeders here so we keep the fish emulsion and black strap molassas on hand and water them with it about every 10days. In a pot they would have a tendency to deplete their food supply more quickly I would think.

Ours are just emerging now, I will share pics when they are blooming again. Shade is important, and some humidity if it can be provided. We grow ours in the shade of a Russett Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora 'Russett'. I installed some foggers in this tree to support some Tillandsias we are growing in those trees. The added humidity seems to be just the ticket for the Callas as well.

Best,
Don

Zantedeschia (callas) have several different species which do behave a little differently.

The classic white callas, Z. aethiopica, are shade lovers who like not only cool but even wet soil. When the soil gets warm they'll disappear. They have bred some colored Z. aethiopica hybrids but there's only a couple: 'Pink Mist', 'Green Goddess'.

Many of the colored callas are Z. rehmanii varieties. They can take more sun and here in the SF Bay Area, emerge a lot later in the spring than Z. aethiopica which can be evergreen in a north-facing bed. I don't find them quite as vigorous as Z. aethiopica, which is virtually a weed around here.

Oh dear, I planted mine in sun. Shoudl I move them now or wait until they look "unhappy."

Michelle

Thanks for the help for my Common Callas. I'll cut back the faded beauties tonight and put fertilizer on my list of things to pick up. Fish emulsion? Black strap molasses? Those will be firsts for me!

Hey, jkom51? What does this mean? "When the soil gets warm they'll disappear." I can keep the soil moist but I don't know that I can keep it cool outside. Will they start wilting the day they want me to bring them inside? Hopefully that won't be ALL summer. *sigh*

If it's Z. aethiopica I'd move it now.
Here's mine with it's first growth spurt of the year.

Marc

WHoA! Okay, I need to move mine. They look happy, but not THAT happy!
Thanks!

Michelle

I have black eyed beauty in full sun and shade and it doe not seem to care. It is my late bloomer. I will not see a shoot for another month or so. The white callas bloom now and then die back when it is HOT. I am not sure what to think about my green goddess. She is in a pot and has been fully leafed and has bloomed twice this year with no die back at all. I just scratch my head and enjoy her.

hiya TucsonJen,

We use fish mixed with 2T per gal black strap molasses. The sugars activate micro-organisms in the soil that help to digest the fertilizer quicker. Also there is a bit of sulphur in the sweet stuff that helps those of us with alkaline soils to maintain a bit of pH neutrality....kind of like Switzerland for soil.

Oh, some of mine are the black eyed. I am so confused. Maybe I should just let them stay put.
Michelle

Here's one of the Z. atheopica I summer in barrel ponds out front.
I picked them up at HD last spring.

I wintered it inside in a pan of water.

It just started blooming yesterday.

We still have a few weeks before it can go back outside.

Ric

I have white callas (Z. aethiopica) in both shaded and sunny beds. When I say 'they disappear', I mean that they go dormant when the soil heats up. In sunny beds, the callas go dormant when the soil warms up, usually June-Sept., then they come back again strong as the nights cool off and the soil temps lower.

In the shaded, north facing bed, they remain all year long, never going dormant although they go through a slight ratty period around Nov or Dec, when I cut most of the leaves back. The new growth is already coming up and opens faster without the old leaves shading them from the more diffuse winter sun.

I don't think the Z. rehmanii needs as much water as Z. aethiopica, and definitely needs more sun too in order to bloom well. It goes dormant in winter no matter what the soil temp is. I haven't been that successful in getting them to return, either.

Here's a 3 yr old clump of white callas that has been divided twice already; I don't have much space in this bed so shovel-pruning will probably be an annual task. This photo was taken just a day or so ago.

Thank you for all of this information. I'm taking notes, lol!

The pictures are gorgeous. I hope mine will be so beautiful!

hmmm, maybe the reason my yellow ones are not blooming much is because they're in too much shade? Can anyone tell me? These are not the giant yellow ones, just the regular size.

I believe the only Z. aethiopica varieties are the white ones, 'Green Goddess', and 'Pink Mist'. Everything else is another variety of calla so assume it needs more sun.

Thanks, jkom, I will move them to a sunnier spot. Do the yellow variities still need a lot of moisture?

All callas need sufficient moisture for growth and bloom. Good luck!

A suprising thing I've heard from 3 gardeners here in zone 6a is that they have had success overwintering Z. rehmanii outdoors for 3 consecutive years. They may be hardier than previously known. TusconJen, I noticed you said you left yours in the pots, reminding me of a friend's experience with them. He left them in the pot the first year and they did ok, but the 2nd year he put them in the ground and they quadrupled in size. So, if you're wanting increase, you may want to repot or set out. That would also make it easier to meet their water and nutrient requirements.

Thanks, gem, I might go ahead and give them a bit of earth. :)