How to plant Calla lilies
Do you know this? Here is an introduction to the planting of Calla lilies, as well as the cultivation techniques and management of green plants and flowers. Please see the detailed introduction below.
Eye-catching Calla lilies
Calla lilies, also known as arrowhead flowers, taro, Guanyin lotus, trumpet flowers, inflorescence taro, and Thai taro, are perennial herbaceous plants.
Calla lilies are native to the wetlands of southern Africa and prefer warm, humid, and sunny environments. They thrive in fertile, humus-rich, and water-retaining clay loam soil.
Calla lilies begin to bloom during the Spring Festival, with March to April being the peak blooming period.
The optimal growing temperature for Calla lilies is between 10-25°C. They are not cold-tolerant and require night temperatures not lower than 10°C.
If you appreciate the beauty of Calla lilies, you might as well continue reading about their cultivation techniques.
Diary of potting Calla lilies
Potting
When potting Calla lilies, it is advisable to use deep pots about 20 centimeters in diameter.
The cultivation soil should be a fertile paddy soil, or a mixture of fertile garden soil, leaf mold, and sand in a ratio of 4:3:2, with a small amount of superphosphate.
In early spring after the first bloom (or in autumn), dig around the mother plant's rhizome to find the sprouting bulbs.
Plant 3-4 bulbs evenly in the pot, covering them with 3-4 centimeters of soil. The distance from the soil surface to the pot opening should be about 3-4 centimeters.
After planting, press the soil down.
After potting, water thoroughly and place it in a shaded area, keeping the soil moist.
After sprouting, move it to a shaded greenhouse with scattered light for maintenance.
Watering
After Calla lilies sprout, keep the potting soil moist and mist the leaves with water every day.
Watering Calla lilies is not about "how often" or "fixed amounts of water" but increases with the number of leaves.
In general, Calla lilies need frequent watering during the growing season, and in the morning and evening, spray water around the pot to increase humidity.
Especially when the flower stalks are growing, water should not be lacking, otherwise, it will affect the quality of the flowers.
But after flowering, as temperatures rise and growth slows, control watering to keep the potting soil moist but slightly dry.
How to plant Calla lilies
Fertilizing
In addition to applying a base fertilizer at planting, apply a thin liquid fertilizer every 15 days during the growing period.
The liquid fertilizer can be made from well-rotted cake fertilizer.
During the peak growing season of Calla lilies, apply a thin liquid fertilizer with a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium every 15 days.
When fertilizing, be careful not to pour fertilizer water into the leaf sheath to avoid leaf rot.
Stop fertilizing after flowering.
Cultivation techniques for Calla lilies
Daily maintenance
1. Calla lilies are not cold-tolerant and require night temperatures not lower than 10°C. Some varieties should not be below 16°C.
When the temperature is above 25°C or below 5°C, Calla lilies will be forced into dormancy.
2. Increasing light exposure can suppress the plant's height.
3. When the air is dry, use water to mist around the pot to increase humidity.
4. When the leaves are lush, they should be thinned to allow the flower stalks to emerge; after flowering, the残花 and flower stems should be cut off promptly to avoid nutrient consumption.
5. During the maintenance period, remove the diseased and yellow leaves of Calla lilies at any time to make good use of nutrients and maintain good ventilation.
6. It is best to wipe the leaves with a sponge or soft cloth dipped in water every 5-7 days to keep them fresh and clean.
Controlling flowering period
The key to controlling the flowering period of Calla lilies lies in controlling the temperature during the growing period and adjusting the planting time.
Under normal conditions, Calla lily bulbs can bloom 5-6 months after planting.
If the growing environment temperature can be maintained at 13-20°C, with sufficient fertilization, proper humidity, and lighting conditions, Calla lilies can continue to bloom and grow without a dormant period.
For Calla lilies potted at home, as the ambient temperature drops in winter, their flowering period is also delayed.
If the friends on the platform can increase the temperature of the Calla lily growing environment, it will bloom earlier.