Outdoor calla lilies will die back naturally and go dormant when they need to. If your calla lilies have properly rested but still refuse to bloom, they could be lacking phosphorus. Try a bloom boosting fertilizer or bone meal to balance its nutrient needs.
This begs the inquiry “What happens when a calla lily goes dormant?”
As a calla lily moves into dormancy, its foliage wilts and dies. It turns yellow and brown when it does so. For at least a week before watering, allow the plant to die and enter a dormant state. Do calla lilies need full sun or shade?
Are calla lilies rhizomatous plants?
They are rhizomatous summer-blooming plants, which are commonly grown like other summer-blooming bulbs, such as canna or dahlia. Calla lily rhizomes, which look somewhat like small potatoes, are planted in spring after the danger of frost has passed.
How do you take care of a calla lilies in the winter?
You can even allow it to go dormant for the winter by simply not watering it until the spring. Another option is to put your calla in the ground in your garden in the spring or summer, after the last frost, and to remove it before the first frost of the fall or winter. To do this, dig up the plant and keep it dry until the leaves brown .
Another popular question is “Can calla lilies live outside?”.
It would benefit your calla lily to spend the warm months outdoors. Be sure to harden off your plants when moving from indoors to out so that the foliage doesn’t burn. Allow your plant to sit in full shade for at least a week when temperatures are appropriate to move them outdoors and gradually introduce more sun.
If you live in zones 7 or lower, calla lilies will not survive the winter cold and so your winter care for calla lily plants will be different than for warm climates. Your calla lily care in winter will consist of digging the rhizome of the plants.
Can calla lilies be transplanted?
Transplanting Calla Lilies The best time to transplant calla lilies ( Zantedeschia aethiopica ) is in the spring after all danger of frost has passed and the soil is beginning to warm. Choose a location with organically rich soil that holds moisture well.
How do you transplant a calla lily?
Before transplanting calla lilies, prepare the soil by loosening it with a shovel. Work in some compost to enrich the soil and help it hold moisture. Plant the rhizomes 3 to 4 inches deep and transplant potted calla lilies into a hole dug to fit the depth of the pot. Space the plants 12 to 18 inches apart.
When can you transplant Calla bulbs?
Calla bulbs and plants can be transplanted in the spring or early fall, depending on your climate. Transplant an actively growing calla lily plant anytime of the year in climates where the plant is hardy.
Calla lilies are rhizomatous plants, which makes them very easy to divide. If calla lilies are not hardy in your zone but you grow them as annual bulbs, in fall, when your calla lily begins to rest for winter, dig up the rhizomes and cut back any foliage still left on the plant.