A Detailed Guide to Growing Colored Calla Lilies in Pots

  Colored calla lily is a plant of the Araceae family, Homalomena tribe, and Zantedeschia genus. It comes in rich colors such as pink, white, yellow, purple, red, orange, and green, and its flowers resemble a horse's hoof, which is how the calla lily got its name. Colored calla lilies have high ornamental value and can not only be made into floral decorations, flower baskets, bouquets, and more, but are also one of the very important cut flowers, and are loved by many flower enthusiasts. The following introduces the growing methods for colored calla lilies:

  The suitable growth temperature for colored calla lilies is 15-25°C. The daytime temperature during the flowering base period is 16-19°C. For white varieties, the nighttime temperature should not be lower than 13°C, while for colored varieties it should not be lower than 16°C. If the temperature is higher than 25°C or lower than 5°C, the plant is forced into dormancy.

  For the growing medium, use a mix of 2 parts garden soil + 2 parts leaf mold + 1 part peat soil. Add a small amount of multi-element compound fertilizer. When caring for calla lilies at home, also pay attention to the following three points:

  First, its central leaf is averse to moisture. If you are not careful when watering and let dirty water drip or flow into the center of the leaf, it will cause soft rot;

  Second, when fertilizing, apply it from the edge of the pot, and never let the fertilizer solution splash onto the leaf stalks or into the center of the leaves, otherwise the leaves will easily turn yellow or rot;

  Third, calla lilies are afraid of smoke, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow and the flower buds will drop.

  After the calla lily flowers fade, gradually reduce the amount of watering. Move it outdoors in late April and keep it in a slightly shaded place for care. Water once a day or every other day, keeping the potting soil slightly moist; it must not dry out completely or become waterlogged. Also sprinkle water on the ground near the flower pot to increase air humidity.

  It likes a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight, and is not tolerant of cold or drought. After the plant blooms, the amount of watering should be gradually reduced. When the leaves turn yellow and wither, stop watering completely. During the growing season, apply a diluted liquid fertilizer once every half month. After the flower stalk emerges, increase it to once a week until the flowering period ends. For home pot cultivation, you can apply a multi-element slow-release compound fertilizer, or use a mixed solution of 0.2% urea + 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate.

  After June, the leaves gradually turn yellow and the plant enters dormancy. At this time, cut off the withered leaves, control watering, stop fertilizing, and move the flower pot to a cool, ventilated place to encourage dormancy. After the weather turns cool in autumn, take the tubers out of the flower pot, select the large tubers, and replant them in fresh, fertile growing soil. When the tubers sprout leaves, gradually increase the amount of watering and resume fertilizing at the same time, so that they can continue to bloom.

  The most important part of caring for colored calla lilies is water management after planting. In the early growth stage, colored calla lilies prefer moisture, while in the late flowering stage the water amount needs to be properly controlled; during the post-flowering bulb-fattening period, a dry environment is needed to plump up the bulb and force it into sleep.

  At the same time, fertilizing colored calla lilies is also a very important care method. Even when enough base fertilizer has been applied, an appropriate amount of topdressing is still needed. Generally, before flowering, use 1000 times diluted calcium nitrate and spray it on the leaves 2 times at an interval of 7 days to promote flowering. After flowering, compound fertilizer also needs to be applied to promote the plumping and maturation of the colored calla lily bulb.

  Growing tips:

  ① The potting soil should be a sandy growing soil rich in humus, loose and fertile, and with strong permeability.

  ② The most suitable growth temperature for colored calla lilies is 18°C-23°C.

  ③ In the early growth stage, the amount of watering should be larger to keep the soil moist; in the late flowering stage, properly control the amount of watering; during the summer dormancy period, it should be dry, and keeping the potting soil moist is enough.

  ④ Avoid pouring water into the leaf sheaths, otherwise it will cause rot.

  ⑤ On the basis of applying enough base fertilizer, apply 0.2 complete fertilizer once a month during the growing period.

  ⑥ Before flowering, spray the leaves with 1000 times diluted calcium nitrate solution 2 times at an interval of 1 week.

  ⑦ After flowering, compound fertilizer needs to be applied to promote the plumping and maturation of the bulb.