How to Care for Pot-Grown Calla Lilies
The editor answers questions for netizens about the basics of caring for calla lilies at home, including how to maintain pot-grown calla lilies. Detailed content will be shared next.
The potting mix should be mainly sandy loam, combined with garden soil and decomposed leaves each accounting for 1/3, with an additional 1/5 of organic fertilizer for cultivating colorful calla lilies. Since their roots grow on the upper part of the bulb, the bottom of the pot should be padded with permeable and breathable cinders or coarse sand. It is advisable to use shallow pots and avoid using cylindrical pots.
Fertilizing should focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, especially during the stem elongation and bud formation stage. It is necessary to spray phosphorus and potassium solution in a concentration of 0.1% to 0.2% to promote thick and upright flower stalks that resist lodging. If seeds are to be saved, after fruit setting, spray once every 10 days, twice or three times in total. Since the nutrients in potting are limited, it is important to apply thin and frequent fertilization to continuously supplement the soil nutrients.
Colorful calla lilies, like ordinary white calla lilies, prefer a warm and humid environment and are intolerant of drought. The potting soil should be kept moist and not lack water. If the environment is dry, water should be sprayed on the ground to maintain a humid micro-environment. Colorful calla lilies enjoy sunlight but are susceptible to direct summer sun. Direct sunlight can burn the leaves and spathe. Therefore, shading is required in summer, with a 50% shade rate. However, if they are grown in阴暗 or insufficiently lit conditions for an extended period, it will affect flowering, or may even prevent flowering. If they do bloom, the color will be faint, which is unsightly. No shading is needed during spring and autumn.
Colorful calla lilies are not cold-tolerant and prefer warmth. In the southern Liaoning region, they are usually planted in pots in September, with three bulbs of the same diameter planted in a triangular pattern per pot. They can root in autumn, go dormant in winter, and be stored indoors at 5°C. The pots can be stacked. When spring comes and the temperature is between 10°C to 15°C, watering should resume. If the indoor temperature is high and germination is early, they can bloom in June or July. Some that are well managed and kept at higher temperatures may start flowering in early June.
For home pot cultivation, propagation is mainly through dividing bulbs. Every September, the plants are removed from the pots, the bulbs around the mother plant are detached, the wounds are treated with wood ash to prevent decay, the potting mix is replaced with a disinfected one, and then the mother and daughter bulbs are soaked in a 4000-fold potassium permanganate solution for 15 to 20 minutes. After drying, they are planted in pots according to their size, ensuring uniform growth next year. The daughter bulbs require three years of cultivation before they can bloom. Division propagation must be done in autumn; otherwise, it is difficult to bloom in the same year, and if they do bloom, the flowering period is late.
The above shares all the content on how to care for pot-grown calla lilies, for your comprehensive understanding and reference!