What are the key points to note when growing calla lilies?

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

1. Pruning tips: Calla lily is a perennial herbaceous plant that can bloom multiple times a year. Diligently cutting off old leaves can encourage it to bloom repeatedly. 2. Repotting the soil: For calla lilies, from late June to early August, in combination with repotting, break apart well-developed large divisions with roots by hand (preferably without a knife)

1. Pruning tips:

Calla lily is a perennial herbaceous plant that can bloom multiple times a year. Diligently cutting off old leaves can encourage it to bloom repeatedly.

2. Repotting the soil:

For calla lilies, from late June to early August, in combination with repotting, break apart well-developed large divisions with roots by hand (preferably without a knife), and plant them in prepared pots. If used for cut flowers, plant 2 to 3 more divisions, and place them in a cool, shady spot after planting. Propagated this way, they can bloom in September to October of the same year.

3. Watering tips:

There is a saying that "calla lilies can't be watered to death," because they like a warm, humid environment and cannot tolerate drought, so the potting soil must be kept moist and must not be allowed to dry out. If the environment is dry, spray water on the ground to maintain a humid microclimate. During the growth and flowering periods, water thoroughly. Keep the potting soil moist, but after flowering, reduce watering to facilitate dormancy.

4. Use of ferrous sulfate:

In potted calla lilies, applying ferrous sulfate as a top dressing is an important part of the trial. Top dressing with ferrous sulfate can make calla lily leaves larger, thicker, and greener, smooth and glossy, and the leaf stalks less likely to elongate, thereby keeping the leaves attractive. At the same time, it can promote flower bud formation and extend the flowering period. The specific method is: dilute ferrous sulfate into a 2% solution, apply it once every 1 month, and water thoroughly each time.

5. Pest and disease control:

Calla lily tubers are prone to rot disease during dormancy or storage. The tuber surface can be sprayed with a 1000-fold dilution of the fungicide 401 acetic acid solution, then dried and stored. Pests include red spider mites and thrips, which can be controlled by spraying with a 1000-fold dilution of 50% dicofol and a 4000-fold dilution of 2.5% deltamethrin emulsifiable concentrate, respectively.

Now that we understand the growing methods and key points for calla lilies, let's find out where it is best to place them!

Key points for growing colored calla lilies

1. Soil covering:

The fibrous roots of colored calla lilies grow at the base of the leaves. If the soil covering is not deep enough, the roots may later grow out of the soil surface and die from dehydration. Therefore, when planting colored calla lilies, the soil covering should generally be at least one bulb deep. However, colored calla lilies are prone to waterlogging, and if the bulb is buried too deep, it is easy to mismanage moisture and cause the bulb to rot. So gardeners are advised to cover with about four centimeters of soil. If roots are later found growing out of the soil surface, simply add some more soil to cover the roots. Too shallow a soil covering will cause the root system to grow out of the soil surface, and at that point just add some more soil.

2. Reblooming:

The natural flowering period of colored calla lilies is in spring, but as long as the temperature is suitable, they can be planted in all four seasons. When planted in spring, because the temperature is suitable, flowering will be slightly faster (usually blooming 1 to 2 months after the bulbs are planted). When planted in autumn, because the temperature is relatively low, flowering will be delayed for a period (blooming 2 to 3 months after planting).

Colored calla lilies planted in autumn will bloom in winter. After the flowers fade, cut off the flower stalks, water normally, and supplement fertilizer appropriately, until the leaves gradually turn yellow and wither. After the leaves turn yellow and wither, control watering. After they completely wither, they enter dormancy. At this point, stop watering and fertilizing. After the potting soil dries, the bulbs can be dug up and stored in a cool, dry, ventilated place, or they can be left directly in the soil for storage, and they can sprout again the following spring. It is recommended to lift and store the bulbs, which makes it easier to observe sprouting in spring. Once sprouting is found, they can be planted immediately and watering resumed.

In South China, winter temperatures are high, so calla lilies may not go dormant. Dormancy can be forced by controlling and cutting off water, which helps improve reblooming.

The above covers the growing methods and key points for colored calla lilies. Below, let's look at the propagation methods for colored calla lilies.

How to grow calla lilies well: key points for growing calla lilies

To grow a pot of plants well, what is needed most is care, and the same is true for growing calla lilies. Only then can you grow very beautiful calla lilies. Below, let's look at how to grow calla lilies well and the key points for growing calla lilies.

We should first determine the growing environment. Calla lily is a perennial robust herbaceous plant in the Araceae family, genus Zantedeschia. Similar to Alocasia, it also likes a warm, humid environment with ample sunlight, and cannot tolerate cold or drought.

The normal growth temperature for calla lilies is 15°C-25°C. If the temperature is too high or too low, it will enter dormancy, so during daily care we should pay attention to temperature control. Of course, it is not that strict, but do not let it suffer frost damage.
Now let's talk about soil. It is best to grow calla lilies in sandy soil. Usually, just keep the potting soil slightly moist; do not let water accumulate. Of course, other media can also be used as substitutes, as long as they have a certain degree of air permeability and water permeability. Just pay attention to controlling the moisture content in normal times.

Calla lilies like moisture. After the leaves grow, from mid-autumn to the following spring, they should be watered frequently, and it is best to keep the potting soil on the moist side without becoming waterlogged (standing water). Also spray water on the leaf surface and sprinkle water on the nearby ground frequently to increase air humidity and benefit their growth. However, whether spraying or sprinkling, avoid spraying water on the flowers and prevent water from flowing into the leaf center, otherwise it can easily cause leaf soft rot. In winter, use water close to room temperature for watering and spraying. In late May, watering should be reduced to promote dormancy. After the leaves turn yellow, stop watering and place the calla lily in a cool, ventilated place where rain cannot reach it.

Calla lilies like sunlight, prefer long light, and avoid strong light. From mid-autumn when leaves grow until winter and spring flowering, they should receive more sunlight. Especially after being moved into a shed in winter, they should be given full light and kept above 10°C. They begin to send up buds from New Year's Day to before Spring Festival, and reach peak flowering in March to April. If light is insufficient in winter, flowering is delayed, or they only send up buds without flowering, or even the buds gradually turn green and shrivel. In late May, move them to a ventilated, shady place. The high-temperature period in summer is their dormancy period; reduce watering and fertilizing, and provide appropriate shade when sunlight is strong.

For calla lily propagation, we can choose division or bulb division. For division propagation, after the main flowering period or after dormancy, dig up the tubers of vigorous clustered mother plants. According to the size of the original tubers and the number of buds, cut one clump into 2 to 3 clumps. Each clump should carry 2 to 3 buds, and plant them separately. With normal management, they can bloom after 3 months. For bulb division propagation, dig up the tubers during dormancy. After normal division, some smaller tubers will also be cut off. These small tubers must be cultivated in the open ground for 1 to 2 years before they can become flowering bulbs.

To grow calla lilies well, you need to pay attention to several basic points: environment, soil, fertilizer, watering, and so on.

The above is the relevant introduction in this article. I believe that after reading it, you also have a simple understanding of this. If needed, you can continue to follow No. 1 Home Network to learn more information.