How to handle colored calla lilies after flowering? Growing methods and key points on avoiding waterlogged hearts
When people talk about calla lilies, everyone thinks of their pure white, lovely flowers. In fact, besides white, colored calla lilies are also very beautiful. It is said that colored calla lilies are also called colored arum lilies. Their flower colors are vivid and their symbolic meaning is beautiful, making them a favorite of many flower lovers. So compared with white calla lilies, have the growing methods for colored calla lilies changed? How should colored calla lilies be handled after flowering? To find out, follow along with the editor.
I. Growing methods for colored calla lilies

When it comes to how to grow colored calla lilies, the methods are actually similar to those for white calla lilies. Their suitable growing temperature is 15-25°C, and they both like moist and sunny environments, and are not tolerant of cold or drought. However, to grow colored calla lilies well, you need to meet the following points:
1. Potting soil
To grow colored calla lilies, it is best to use sandy loam soil and add appropriate organic fertilizer to the soil. The reason for this is that the roots of colored calla lilies grow on the upper part of the bulb, so good air permeability must be ensured at the bottom of the flowerpot soil.
2. Fertilizing
In the growing methods for colored calla lilies, fertilizing also requires special attention. Flower lovers had best use phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, as this can make the plants sturdier and less likely to topple. During the growing period, the frequency of fertilizing must be increased, but fertilizing should not be excessive; moderation is best.
3. Watering
Back to watering again. For colored calla lilies, they like a moist environment, so to keep the potting soil moist, flower lovers should water more. Of course, humidity also needs attention. Once the air is too dry, you can spray water on the ground to create a humid environment.
4. Light and temperature
Besides soil, water, and fertilizer, light and temperature are also things to pay attention to when growing colored calla lilies. They like light but cannot tolerate exposure to strong sun, so shade treatment should be done well in summer. If the temperature is too high or too low, it will affect plant growth, so it is best to control the temperature at 15-25°C.
II. Precautions for growing colored calla lilies
1. Watering: The heart leaf of colored calla lilies should not be waterlogged. When watering, be careful that water does not flow into the heart leaf, otherwise it can easily cause soft rot.
2. Fertilizing. When flower lovers fertilize colored calla lilies, they should do so from the edge of the flowerpot and not let fertilizer enter the leaf stalks or the center of the plant, otherwise it can easily cause yellow leaves or rot.
3. Smoke. Colored calla lilies are afraid of smoke, and exposure to smoke can cause leaves to turn yellow or buds to drop. Flower lovers had best place calla lilies by a ventilated window, as this is good for plant growth.
III. How to handle colored calla lilies after flowering
Compared with pure white flower colors, many flower lovers prefer colored ones, so colored calla lilies are also very common indoors. However, during the growing process, one problem troubles everyone: colored calla lilies slowly turn yellow after flowering. It is said that this means the colored calla lily has entered its dormant period. So what should we do at this time?
1. Potting soil
After colored calla lilies finish flowering, they can be propagated. So after the leaves die and the soil in the flowerpot dries out, dig out the colored calla lily bulbs, then soak them briefly in an antibacterial solution, then dry them and store them.
2. Water and fertilizer
We should fertilize and water colored calla lilies normally, but note that when watering, the amount of water should be gradually reduced.
How to handle colored calla lilies after flowering
Problems that appear after calla lilies flower
I believe a problem that troubles many flower lovers is: after calla lilies flower, the leaves slowly turn yellow.
Actually, this means the dormant period of the colored calla lily has arrived, so what should we do at this time?
Handling calla lilies after flowering
1. We should fertilize and water colored calla lilies normally, but note that when watering, the amount of water should be gradually reduced.
2. After the leaves die and the soil in the pot dries out, dig out the colored calla lily bulbs, preferably soak them briefly in an antibacterial solution, then dry them and store them.
The "awakening" of calla lily bulbs
After the bulbs are dried, wrap them in newspaper, place them in a refrigerator or freezer at a temperature kept at about 7-10°C for about two months, then take the bulbs out of the refrigerator and store them indoors for two to three days to let them leave the dormant state.
To prevent other problems from occurring, you can wait until the bulbs sprout small shoots before planting them.
Precautions for home care of colored calla lilies
First, the heart leaf of colored calla lilies should not be waterlogged. When watering, be careful that water does not flow into the heart leaf, otherwise it can easily cause soft rot;
Second, when fertilizing, do so from the edge of the flowerpot and do not let fertilizer enter the leaf stalks or the center of the plant, otherwise it can easily cause yellow leaves or rot;
Third, colored calla lilies are afraid of smoke, and exposure to smoke can cause leaves to turn yellow or buds to drop.
Growing methods for colored calla lilies: How to grow colored calla lilies
Colored calla lilies have vivid flowers and rich colors, with fleshy corms that root at the nodes, well-developed and thick root systems, and most varieties have semi-transparent spots on the leaves, giving them greater ornamental value than white calla lilies. They are a very popular plant, but in the growing process, colored calla lilies also have certain particular requirements. So how do you grow colored calla lilies? Below, the editor of Shengduoduo Home Decoration Network gives everyone some tips.
How to grow colored calla lilies?
To grow colored calla lilies, choose bulbs that are robust and disease-free, bright in color, and plump in bud eyes. The bulb size should preferably be about 3-5 cm in diameter; bulbs that are too small will bloom less or not bloom at all. Colored calla lily bulbs should be selected from varieties with strong disease resistance, vivid flower color, flower color changes that are not sensitive to light, high cut flower yield, and a relatively large share of the market.
The planting time for colored calla lilies should be determined according to the needs for cut flowers and bulbs. Colored calla lilies planted in spring have the highest cut flower quality and yield. Before sowing colored calla lilies, sprout them first, and plant them after new shoots begin to grow.
Growing methods for colored calla lilies
Temperature: The suitable growing temperature for colored calla lilies is 15°C-25°C. When flowering, the daytime temperature should be 16°C-19°C. If the temperature is higher than 25°C or lower than 5°C, colored calla lily plants will be forced into dormancy. The flowering period of colored calla lilies is mainly affected by temperature and light, and by controlling temperature and light, flowers can be supplied year-round.
Soil: To grow colored calla lilies, choose sandy soil with good drainage, rich in organic matter, and a pH of about 7, and apply nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and a large amount of decomposed organic fertilizer.
Light: Colored calla lilies like sunlight. In winter they need sufficient light, and in summer avoid direct sunlight.
Watering: Colored calla lilies like a sunny, warm, and humid environment, and are not tolerant of cold or drought. Generally, they should be kept moist in the early growth stage. After the calla lily plants finish flowering, the amount of watering should be gradually reduced, and when the leaves turn yellow and wither, watering should be stopped completely.
Fertilizing: During the growing season for colored calla lilies, apply a thin liquid fertilizer once every half month. After the flower scape emerges, increase this to once a week until the end of the colored calla lily flowering period.
Care methods for colored calla lilies
After the flowers of colored calla lily plants fade, the amount of watering should be gradually reduced. By late April, move them outdoors and place them in a slightly shaded area for care, water once a day, and sprinkle water on the ground near the flowerpot to increase air humidity.
After June, the leaves of colored calla lilies gradually turn yellow and enter the dormant period. At this time, it is necessary to cut off the withered leaves, control watering, stop fertilizing, and move the flowerpot to a ventilated and cool place to encourage the colored calla lilies to enter dormancy.
After the weather turns cool in autumn, pour the colored calla lily tubers out of the flowerpot, take out the large tubers, and replant the colored calla lilies with fresh fertile potting soil. When the tubers sprout leaves, gradually increase the amount of watering and resume fertilizing at the same time, so the calla lilies can continue to bloom.
Colored calla lilies are ideal cut flower material and can also be grown in pots to decorate the home. Friends who like colored calla lilies can try growing them to fill their homes with vitality and energy.