Can calla lilies be grown indoors? Growing methods and precautions

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Are calla lilies suitable for growing indoors? Calla lily is also known as cigu flower, wild taro, and arum lily. It can be used medicinally and has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, and it can also help prevent tetanus. However, because the tubers, spathe, and spadix of the calla lily are toxic, when growing it indoors, ingestion by mistake must be avoided.

1. Are calla lilies suitable for growing indoors?

Calla lilies have a relatively light fragrance and are not likely to cause allergies, so they can be grown indoors. But as we said at the beginning of the article, the tubers, spathe, and spadix of the calla lily are toxic, so when growing them indoors, they should be placed somewhere children cannot reach to avoid poisoning from accidental ingestion.

2. Growing methods for calla lilies

1. Soil selection: The soil should be loose, breathable, and rich in humus.

2. Temperature control: Because calla lilies are warmth-loving plants, the temperature needs to be kept between 20-28 degrees.

3. Proper moisture: During the calla lily growing process, the soil and leaf surfaces must be kept moist. Once the soil becomes somewhat dry, water thoroughly immediately.

4. Light adjustment: Before flowering, it does not need too much light, so it can be placed somewhere with scattered sunlight. Once it reaches the flowering period, it should be placed in a spot with sufficient light.

5. Fertilize appropriately: Fertilize calla lilies once a month, and once every 15 days during the flowering period.

3. Precautions for growing calla lilies

1. Pay attention to the growing time for calla lilies: Calla lilies have a dormant period, so avoid June and July. Generally, growing them in September is most suitable.

2. Be careful not to ingest calla lilies by mistake: The rhizomes and flowers of calla lilies are toxic, so accidental ingestion must be avoided when growing them.

3. Be careful that the growing location avoids "smoke": Do not place calla lilies in kitchens or places with a lot of smoking, otherwise the calla lilies will develop yellow leaves and wither.

Can calla lilies be placed in the bedroom? Growing methods and precautions for calla lilies. Can calla lilies be placed in the bedroom?

Calla lily is also known as cigu flower and water taro. It is a bulbous flower of the Araceae family, genus Zantedeschia. Its natural flowering period runs from November until June of the following year, with the entire flowering period lasting 6 to 7 months, and it is right in the peak season for flower use. Because calla lily leaves are emerald green and the bracts are white and large, just like a horse's hoof, with a peculiar shape, it is an important cut flower at home and abroad and one of the emerging flowers in recent years. As a fresh cut flower, market demand is relatively large and the prospects are broad.

After years of exploration and experimentation, the author summarized a set of comprehensive management techniques for calla lilies

Calla lily is native to southern Africa. It likes warm, shady, and humid environments, and needs appropriate light during the growing period, especially after flowering, when sufficient sunlight is needed, otherwise the spathe will turn green. The suitable growing temperature is: from October to March of the following year, the temperature is 13-19°C, and from March to October it is 19-25°C. It is not cold-tolerant and requires the lowest temperature not to fall below 10°C. In China it is mostly grown in pots, and moved indoors during the Frost's Descent period to protect it from the cold. It is not drought-tolerant, and when grown in a dry environment, yellowing leaves easily occur. During the flowering period it needs more water. It is suitable for loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil.

Calla lily is a potted foliage and flowering plant, and is also an important cut flower material. When potting, sandy loam soil with good drainage should be chosen, and sufficient base fertilizer should be applied. The base fertilizer is best as fully decomposed cake fertilizer or pig manure. After the first flowering in early spring (or in autumn), dig out the sprouting bulbs around the rhizome of the mother plant and plant them separately in pots. After planting, water thoroughly, place in a shaded area, and keep the pot soil moist. After sprouting, move it under a shade shed to a place with scattered light for care. Be careful not to expose it to direct sunlight, and do not shade it completely. In addition to applying base fertilizer before planting, during the growing period apply liquid fertilizer once about every 20 days. The fertilizer can be decomposed cake fertilizer water, and during the peak growing season, a dilute liquid fertilizer mixed with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can be applied once about every 10 days. When fertilizing, never pour the fertilizer water into the leaf sheaths, to avoid causing rot.

In addition, during the growing period it needs frequent watering, and in the morning and evening spray water on the ground around the flower pot to increase humidity. It is best to wipe the leaf surfaces with a sponge dipped in water every 5-7 days to keep the leaves fresh and clean. When the leaves are lush, thin them out in time to help the flower stalks emerge. Calla lily begins to bloom around the Spring Festival, with March-April being the peak flowering period. After the flowers fade, promptly cut off the remaining flowers and scapes to avoid consuming nutrients. The flowers can continue until May. From after May to July, it enters the dormant period, so watering should be reduced, and it is best to create a relatively dry environment for it. After all the leaves turn yellow and withered, take out the corms and store them in a ventilated, cool place, then plant them in pots again in autumn.

If you do not let the calla lily go dormant, you can move it in late June to a fully shaded and extremely well-ventilated place for care. Spray water on the ground 2-3 times every noon and afternoon to lower the temperature. When the daytime temperature does not exceed 30°C, the calla lily can still continue to bloom. Generally before the Cold Dew solar term in October, move the calla lily indoors, control watering, and keep the room temperature not lower than 10°C. Once a week, wash the leaf surfaces with shallow water close to room temperature to keep the leaves fresh and green. If the air is dry, spray water around the flowers to increase humidity. In winter, pay attention to increasing light. To promote early spring flowering, water with dilute fertilizer water 1-2 times in December.

Precautions for growing calla lilies

Disease control. The main disease harming flower stalks and leaves is gray mold, which can be sprayed with 500-800 times dilution of 50% carbendazim, or 600-800 times dilution of 75% chlorothalonil. These two pesticides can be applied alternately at intervals. Taro mosaic virus should also be prevented. Plants infected with this virus have mosaic-like leaves, with leaves shrinking, becoming deformed, and curling. If such diseased plants are found, they should be immediately pulled out and deeply buried or burned, and the tubers of such plants must never be used for propagation.

Storing corms. After flowering in spring, when the temperature is relatively high in summer, fertilization and watering should be controlled. At this time the leaves turn yellow and enter the dormant period. After the leaves wither and yellow, the tubers can be taken out and spread out to air for 1-2 days, or stored with the pot in a cool, ventilated indoor place, and then planted and cared for again in early autumn.

Can calla lilies be placed in the bedroom

Netizens are very concerned about the topic of whether calla lilies can be placed indoors. Their toxicity lies in the tubers, spathe, and spadix being toxic, so from a health perspective it is normal to have some concerns. Can they actually be placed there? Let's analyze it below.

From netizens' answers, 83% of netizens think it can, while only 17% think it cannot. One netizen who has grown them for six years believes that although the flowers of calla lilies contain a large amount of calcium oxalate crystals and alkaloids, and accidental ingestion can cause symptoms of coma and poisoning, placing them indoors will not release toxic gas. It is recommended to place them somewhere children cannot reach, to prevent accidental ingestion.

In fact, calla lilies are suitable for growing in the bedroom. The bedroom is a place for people to sleep and rest, and it is appropriate to create a beautiful and quiet atmosphere. With small to medium-sized, elegant plants, such as asparagus fern, spider plant, duck tongue grass, English ivy, pothos, cordyline, caladium, as well as spineless succulents such as jewel plant, squirrel's palm, aloe, etc. In addition, orchids, wintersweet, silver willow, winter jasmine, calla lily, phalaenopsis, clivia, maidenhair fern, etc., are all suitable for growing in the south. Fragrant flowers such as jasmine and gardenia can also be placed in the bedroom at night in summer, and moved outdoors during the day to receive sunlight. Placing a pot of fresh, elegant, and refined calla lily is undoubtedly a very ideal choice.

Growing methods and precautions for calla lilies. Can calla lilies be placed in the bedroom?