With colorful funnel-shaped flowers, callas create an exotic ambience on the windowsill and in the garden. Its African origin, the different flowering times and unorthodox aspects of its cultivation raise questions about the calla lily, which we will answer here in a compact and practical way.
Plant calla properly
Plant summer-blooming callas in February in pots with loose soil to propel them forward for the coming season. Place an onion a maximum of 5-7 centimeters deep in the soil and only water in sips. By mid-May, gradually increase the amount of watering and fertilize every 14 days. After the ice saints, plant the flowers in the sunny bed or in the tub on the balcony. Make sure the tip is pointing up and the calla Lily does not go deeper than 7 centimeters into the ground.
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care tips
Your care is out of the ordinary in many ways. That doesn't mean callas are difficult to grow. If you put together a balanced care package from the following components, the exotic plant will give you a lot of pleasure:
- Water callas regularly and plentifully while they are in bloom
- Fertilize every 2 weeks from the beginning of sprouting until flowering, and every week during flowering
- Stop fertilizing towards the end of the flowering period and gradually stop the water supply
- Repot winter-flowering calla lilies in late summer, and repot summer-flowering plants in spring
Callas spend their dormant period, which usually lasts 10 weeks, in a cool, bright place. Indoor plants can remain in the pot, while the flower bulbs are dug up in the bed and kept in a dry, frost-free place.
Which location is suitable?
A light-flooded location suits the sunny disposition of a calla lily. However, the flowers do not like to be confronted with blazing midday sun. The plant appreciates warm temperatures of around 20 degrees in summer, while periods of heat can affect flowering. During the dormant phase it can be a little cooler, but free of frost. Callas make these demands on the earth:
- Nutritious, humic and fresh-moist
- One in the bucket potting soil compost based with a handful of sand
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When is flowering time?
The flowering time depends on the selected variety. The multifaceted genus features callas that bloom indoors from January to April and flowers that grace the garden from June to October.
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Properly cut calla
Extensive pruning is not necessary on Callas. Regularly cut off faded and wilted growth to prevent rot.
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watering calla
Water callas regularly and plentifully when they are in bloom. The root ball of this plant must not dry out during the vegetation phase. After flowering, the water supply is stopped as the flowers take a dry rest. This is done with both indoor callas and summer-blooming callas in the garden.
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Fertilize calla properly
The nutrient supply of a calla lily takes place in three stages. Don't fertilize during the dormant period. Once growth begins, apply a fertilizer for flowering plants every 14 days to shorten the flowering cycle to 8 days.
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hibernate
Most callas are not hardy flowers, so they spend the cold season frost-free. Use, flowering time and type define the professional overwintering of a calla lily. How to do it right:
- Let summer-flowering callas dry out in the fall and take them out of the ground
- Remove all leaves and remaining soil
- Store in a bright, cool and above all dry place
- Plant in pots with fresh substrate in February and keep them warmer
- Plant back into the bed or bucket from mid-May
For room callas, the growing season begins in early fall. Allocate the flowers to a bright location at temperatures of 12-15 degrees and water occasionally until the flowering period begins in January.
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multiply calla lilies
Like all bulbous flowers, the calla lily also develops spawning bulbs. These are excellent for uncomplicated propagation. Use the annual repotting to cut off the daughter bulbs with a sharp knife. Planted in loose potting soil, callas will develop magnificently flowering within a short time. the sowing of seeds, on the other hand, is much more complex and time-consuming.
repot
Annual repotting maintains the vitality and willingness to bloom of a calla lily. The ideal time for this care measure is at the end of the dormant period, since at this time the stress factor for the plant is minimal.
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Calla in the pot
The calla lily is predestined for cultivation in pots. Here it unfolds its exotic elegance in a sunny location either from January to April or during the summer. Water the plant regularly during flowering and fertilize weekly with a liquid preparation. When the flowering period comes to an end, shut off both the water and the nutrient supply. With or without soil, keep the bulbs dry, airy and light until the next season.
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Is calla poisonous?
The assignment of callas to the arum family signals that it is a poisonous plant. In fact, all parts of the plant contain toxic pungent substances. These cause skin irritation on contact and nausea and vomiting when consumed in large quantities. Cultivation of the calla lily is not recommended in close proximity to children and pets.
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Calla lilies do not bloom
If your calla lily isn't blooming, do some dedicated research into the cause. Put both the site conditions and the water and nutrient balance to the test. If the plant comes from propagation by seed, it takes several years before the first flowering.
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Yellow leaves
If the leaves turn yellow after flowering, this is a natural process. If the yellowing occurs prematurely, check the location, substrate and the water and nutrient supply. As a rule, this damage is due to care errors.
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The calla varieties
For those who can't get enough of elegant Callas, combine the adorable strains that skilled breeders have coaxed out of the different species. The Zantedeschia aethiopica served as a mother plant for numerous indoor callas, which delight us on the windowsill from January to April with their tropical colors. African species such as Golden Calla (Zantedeschia elliottiana) and Pink Calla (Zantedeschia rehmannii) produced magnificent flowers that bloom in the garden from June to October.
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- Sensation: white and purple marbled calla lily with a long flowering period from July to October
- Schwarzwalder: impresses in the room and garden with dramatically colored funnel-shaped flowers in black from June to September
- Mango: an enchanting plant with orange blossoms for summer flower beds, balconies and windowsills
- Mozart: a floral composition by a master hand for a bright orange summer blossom
- Pasja: fantastically beautiful eye-catcher in pots and borders with violet, iridescent flowers from June to August
- Green Goddess: rare winter-flowering indoor calla with white-green bracts
The calla as a houseplant
In order for the calla to remain popular with you as a houseplant, no component of its cultivation must be neglected. This is what the plant values:
- Sunny, warm location on the south or west window
- Keep constantly moist throughout the flowering period
- Spray with lime-free water every few days
- Fertilize every 14 days during growth and weekly during flowering
At the end of the flowering period, gradually reduce the water supply and stop fertilizing. If the leaves have yellowed, no more watering at all. Only in early autumn, with the start of growth, does the watering of a calla lily gradually start again.
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Is calla lily poisonous to cats?
A calla lily poses a risk of poisoning for cats. The flowers, leaves and tubers of the arum plant contain toxic pungent substances which lead to cramps, vomiting and diarrhea when consumed.
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calla onions
The loveliest callas thrive on onions. Plant them in spring in pots with well-drained substrate to propel them forward. From May, place the plant either in the bed, in the large bucket or in the planter. A winter-blooming calla lily serves as a decorative indoor plant when the bulbs are planted in pots in early fall.
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The leaves of the calla
If the leaves of a Calla turn yellow prematurely, there is usually a failure in care. Also check the foliage meticulously for infestation by pests such as aphids, spider mites or mealybugs.
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The flower of the calla
What we admire as a flower on a calla lily is actually a colored bract. It has the task of attracting busy insects to pollinate the actual flower of this plant. This is located in the center of the bract in the form of a yellowish, green or brown bulb.
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The calla shines in many colors
The need for care of Callas can be seen from their colors. A white flowering calla lily is naturally more robust than brightly colored flowers. It is therefore not surprising that the only hardy plant of this genus flowers in bright white.
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The calla as a cut flower
A calla lily is also wonderful as a cut flower. Water the plant extensively the night before. The next morning, cut the flower stalks as deeply as possible and fix the end with some scotch tape so that it does not curl up. The flowers last up to 3 weeks in fresh water.
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calla seeds
Only hobby gardeners with a lot of patience should grow callas from seeds. Seeded in disinfected potting soil, germination takes weeks or even months at 20-22 degrees Celsius. Keep the seed constantly moist in a partially shaded location. After you have isolated the seedlings in pricking soil, the future callas go through the wet-dry cycle just like an adult plant. Several years pass before the first flowering.
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Is the calla hardy?
In general, callas are not hardy. Only a new breed from the Zantedeschia aethiopica section is able to withstand frosty temperatures with adequate winter protection.
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Is the Calla hardy?
The vast majority of these flowers are not hardy. Native to the warm regions of South Africa, the plant has not been forced to adapt to freezing temperatures. Ingenious breeders have now succeeded in creating a first calla lily that can spend the winter in the garden. The Crowsborough variety, which flowers white from June to August, does not need to be planted as long as it receives adequate winter protection.
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Overwinter the calla in the pot
Summer-blooming callas can overwinter both without and in soil. How to do it in a pot:
- Stop watering and fertilizing after flowering
- Cut off all dead plant parts
- Carry callas in a pot to a cool, bright spot
- From January put the flowers warmer and repot in February