Double Calla.

The pictured one was purchased as 'Flame.' Few of that lot were true to name.

The only concerns I would have with depth is that it will not send roots upwards and that drainage may not be as good. But the depth does help hold the stems.

Drainage is always good with my mix, and they do like to be wet. I think it put itself to that level, I have had it a few years and bulbs do tend to find a level suitable to them. You plant it 2" deep, then find it 4" deep!

No, not another not true to name? Unbelievable!

We're seeing more of GL

I have found that anything that is not aethiopica is not too fond of wet. I've seen folks treat them like the big white, but they tend to decline or just rot in a pond. They don't grow like that in nature, I've read.

Is 'Gem Lavender' a new one this year for you? It is a good one.

yep, pleased I got it! Lucky too with 3 leaf spathes.

I don't grow them in water, just keep them well watered when growing.

Check. I do everything but let them dry out. They take it well, but it slows them down.

Would you believe I have another spathe coming on Gem Lavender? A 3rd one from the same stem with the leaf spathe above! that makes 8!

wallaby1~

Nice GemLav pic. Love that leaf-spath.

Kenton~
From what I have gleaned about "Flame" is that it is very variable within the group as far as it's coloration goes. Haven't grown it myself, so I don't know if they will vary on each plant or not. I could see that as a true characteristic. If I bought a dozen bulbs and saw a lot of variation, took pix, and the next time they bloomed compared it to it 'last year" pic, then i might think that they went into production with mother stock that wasn't properly culled for consistancy. I'd also watch a particular bulbs offsets for a few years (making pix too) to see if the progeny of a specific bulb gave way to variants, and if so, I'd feel like it was just a genetic characteristic. There's a Crinum hybrid that varies widely on the same plant and they use that as a selling point. Maybe they should do the same for 'Flame".

Robert.

I recieved a wonderful and generous gift of 10 'Flame' callas and they're growing well, but since you mentioned variation in them, I noticed some have spotted leaves and others are solid green. None have bloomed yet, but is this normal?

'Flame' has always had thick, rubbery leaves for me, even though the leaf shape may vary some from heart-shape to ovate, but a person can still see that it is 'Flame.' They do not tend to pup much, and have relatively large eyes/rosettes/stems. (What do you call that?= Growing point? These differences seem to be the result of environment in my experiences. The 'Flame' bulbs near my mailbox has more ovate leaves, while potted guys on the east side are more cordate. Sun and temparature affects the flower color. Very hot will fade the color terribly, and more sun radiation is what darkens the gold to a reddish.
They almost (sans spots) have leaf texture and bulbs (much like rhizomes) like aethiopica. Has anyone read if aethiopica has been crossed into the summer callas? (Any species that is not aethioopica)
All of these things are just my observations, and when I bought bulbs as 'Flame,' but they had more eyes on a bulb (flatter bulbs too) and grew up to have strappy, unspotted leaves and pink flowers (like my above photo) I think it is clear that they are rehmanii-based hybrids/cultivars.

I've got to go find my ols resources for callas...
K

Pink Flames.....yes, that does sound like a mix-up.......lol.

Van Bourgondien says that the variation is that some will be more yellow than others. It's not clearly written, but I took it to mean by the bulb, that is all the blooms will be consistent on the plant, but different bulbs will vary.

Other references were less "specific".

So it is prolly confusing all around depending on which type they photograph for promotion. But then, someone like me would get into that and want to buy a bunch of them and enjoy the variations among them as a group.....

Hey, that's what it's all about, huh?

Robert.

Somewhere I saw pictures of a field of them, I will try to find it. The ones in the field only varied in color due to age. The older (and longer sun exposure) were more red.

Seeing them all the same color wouldn't make be buy a bunch of them, so that picture defeats the "sales incentive" the variability story promotes.......sorry, you don't get the job in advertising at VB. NEXT!
;-)

Robert.
PS Would love to see the pic, though.

Still looking.... I think it was at a breeder's site. CNB or Sande maybe...

Foudn this while looking: 'Ascari' is killer...
http://www.sandegroup.nl/gallerycontent.html

OH. MEIN. GOTT.

Ascari, Ascari, Ascari!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lust want need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good educational Calla link (still looking for that picture!)
http://hort.ufl.edu/floriculture/Crops/ENHFL04-001%20Callas%20GPN.pdf

And a picture of that "shadow plant" victim of soft-rot I was talking about!:
http://www.hortnet.co.nz/publications/science/jvann2.htm

But where to find it? I am just crazy enough to e-mail Sande.

Do it NOW! For the both of us!

I MUST HAVE ONE TOO!!!!!

R.

I just mailed them. Cross your fingers!
I'm giving up for now on that picture, I have other work to do.
K

Fields of callas, click on the link under 'Updated' that says 'harvesting flowers'

http://www.zantedeschia.com/frame1.htm

Now then you two, calm down.......

8 spathes..

Drooling and coveting here! Jewel of the Night, Swartzwalder, Black Star, and Red Sox are particularly stunning to me. Robert, love that Altari too.

Oh yes, Neal, there were several others that got me going. I just focused on that red heart and light rim and crossed my fingers that the red was a good color rendition, though I know it was prolly pumped up a little, maybe......those balacks and dark one are so enticing too!

I know just what you mean, wallaby, I felt like I was going to be told to get a room......... :-0

Love that website. Fields of callas, wowie!!!!!!!!!!!

Robert.

Did you look at links below with all the variety pics? if clicked on you get the info for each one.

My Crystal Blush has got a spathe, only white with a green tip so far, I haven't taken a pic, too many plants happening and I forgot!

But, Gem Lavender has an interesting development. The 3rd leaf spathe has something in the middle.

Wallaby1~

What the heck is that in your bloom, I wonder? Another spathe-leaf?

Just looked at the field shots but I bookmarked it to browse later. Will definitely check it out.

The 'thing' has opened and is a tiny spathe! I can't see yet if it has a spadix, it's so tiny. I will have to have a really close inspection!

I got a magnifying glass, it does look like a spathe, i.e. joins at the base as far as I can see, and is a good purplish colour, but I can't see a spadix.

A most interesting plant! I will have fun trying to get a pic inside of that one.

Looks like you have a spadix surrounded by three spathes. The latter two were intended to be leaves, but the hormone treatment told them to all be spathes!

Great site. You could see the whole field of 'Flame.' Very neat. I knew you would stretch out to flaunt your web-savvy, Wallaby! Did you see the diddy under the flame entry? "Disease susceptible. Recommended for experienced growers." No kidding- most of mine were soft-rotted last year!

This opened recently; it has got to be 'Picasso,' even though the leaves don't look like i remember and I have it labeled as 'Purple Haze.'
K

Kenton I think it is Purple Haze, there is more white on the edge but that can change. the leaves are the right shape, Picasso has long, narrow leaves.

http://www.lakesidecallas.com/Colored%20Callas%20by%20Name%20P.htm

Yes that is a good site for finding out the nitty gritty, for wholesalers so they can make their decisions based on the market's fancies.

You are right, the spadix is greedy and wants a harem of spathes. The spathe leaf is more spathe shaped, another spathe looks like it really wanted to be a leaf!

The teensy one looks to have a dark throat, but then I have a good imagination.....have a 'peek' in

Ooooh Kenton, what a lover-ly calla!!!!!!

Ohhhhhhh, wallaby, your bloom just gets curiouser and curiouser.

R.

What smut you do post somedays, Wallaby. Naughty. You've been reading that PDN catalogue under your mattress?

I just don't know about the Zant. Length of leaves is relative; and I remmber 'PH" as having a certain leaf shape that this has not. Also, 'PH' comes out as a wide spadix...
Research time!
K

Funny! I had typed it before I realised what it sounded like! I decided it might give a giggle so left it! PDN IS a good read!

There is one called Joy I think under the 'zantedeschia photos' on THAT site. Looks similar, not as much purple but that can vary. They probably throw in some look alikes to make up the stock.

We had a couple days of coolness just after I posted on June 13th about all the heat slowing down my callas. Well, a few days afetr the cool, they perked up and Crystal Blush put up another bloom, Solar Flare is growing and Sangria has a bud coming.

So the coolness of just a few days and nights had a effect!. Hope all the new groiwth continues: with the heat index, we were at 97F today. Whew!

Robert.

Is that the sort of temps you get at this time? We are down to our often June low of 17C, 63F, not bad today but yesterday was windy and felt cold. I was in a real grump, reminds me too much of winter!

My Crystal Blush still hasn't got a blush. It was put in later than Gem Lavender, I started that early inside. Pink Mist nearly ready to open. I won't have the canna leaves to back it this year!

Look at the one called Blaze, it looks like my 'Black Forest' mini without the dark throat. That pic of Cameo doesn't look right either, they slipped up there.

http://www.lakesidecallas.com/Colored%20Callas%20by%20Name%20B-C.htm

Black forest is above Blaze too, just to gripe me. They both start with 'Bla', I wonder if they employed packers that couldn't read properly! It makes me wonder, cheap immigrant labour?

Well, we usually get most of the really high temps in August, all month long!

It is just a bit "too soon" for most everyone's taste to be this "hot and muggy", as we say. I just keep thinking "Global Warming!". Lawns are already frying. Sheesh!

Just another summer in the temperate zone.

Robert.

Ditto the "too soon heat." Here, we had a two day window (to plant the main veg gardens and other seeds) between too freezing cold and too blazing hot. When the irrigation water is low, the lawn is the first to miss waterings. It can go drought-dormant safely. Important things like Callas cannot!

Cameo looks right to me- the spathe tends to not be totally wrapped around the spadix.


Looking at pictures, this seems to be 'Balck Pearl.' I will need to look up my records fromlat year and see what they say.

A real winner in that it has a black spadix, which adds a bit of mystery...

my favorite angle.

A beauty!

Cameo is the right shape, the colour is off...

Well Kenton, the mystery is why you point out the black spadix and then don't give us a pic!!!!!

Don't be tease. It's lovely on the outside, to be sure!

Show us the you-know-what!

Robert.

Oh, all right! Exhibitionist!

It's just too dark in there!

Robert.