Calla Lilies

A few years ago I received a small pot of blooming calla lilies as a gift from my daughter to be kept indoors. Every year in the fall I would force them into dormancy and then would resurrect them in the spring. Every year I get plenty of leaves but no flowers. What's the problem? Not enough sun? (I have them in a southern window.) Lack of fertilizer? (I haven't given any.) Any ideas would be appreciated.

You might try not forcing them into dormancy next year and see if that helps. I have the large white ones and I'm not sure if the smaller ones behave the same, but mine bloom in the fall through spring for the most part (although they're outdoors, so the conditions are different obviously). They stop blooming and sometimes die back a bit during the heat of summer.

Thanks, ecrane, I'll give that a try.

Mine (in the ground in 7b) are just coming up. The plant I've had the longest hasn't bloomed for the last two years, so this year I'm going to try and divide it and see if that's the problem.

I have been growing calla for some time now. I store them in their pots for the winter, in a cold garage, and don't water it. .(My garage doesn't freeze.) A cold basement would also be good. Every spring, I allow them to make roots, before sitting them in the pond. They need to be kept well watered, if grown in the garden, or in pots.
Give them some slow release fertilizer when you plant them.
I also noticed, that the parent bulb, will form bulblets on them, and these bulblets seem to take the energy from the parent bulb. These bulblets are to small the second year to make blooms, they will only put out leaves instead. Give it another year and they should bloom.

I am a relatively newbie gardener-hence why I'm in this particular section of Daves (smile)

Last year at one of our local nursery's, I purchased some calla's and planted them according to the planting directions, I bought and planted 3ea total.

I keep watching for them to peek up, but nothing. Is it too early for them??? Am I supposed to dig them up?? Any help would be most appreciated. If they don't come back up, I may can get my money back as it hasn't been the year yet.

Thanks!!

Hi Floatingfeather, your zone is between 5a-5b? They are suppose to be lifted up in fall in colder zone. If you left them in the ground they won't come back. Only those in zone 9 to 11, can leave them in the ground.

I checked the zoning map and we're in zone 6 or buttercup area. It does still get cold here. Bummer, I wish I'd known that, I would have surely dug them up.
Well, chocked up to another gardening lesson learned. Thanks!!

There are only certain ones that will come back for me in 7b. I'm not into lifting bulbs, so there are some really cool ones I don't plant.

Hey floatingfeather, if you're interested, I have some plain white ones I can send you. I overwinter mine indoors, and have presprouted them for garden placement this spring, but have more than I can plant right now.

I have lots of cannas which I transplanted from a neighbor last year. They are growing beautifully. My problem is something is eating them; some of the leaves get half eaten and I have no idea what. Some suggestions, please!!

Go out with flash light in the later part of the evening. You may find slugs. They are a real problem here. Also you can try wetting the ground really well areound them and see if you find tracks the next morning. Maybe rabbit or deer, depending on the area of knoxville you are in you may have both.