Calla lily care: watering, fertilising & pruning
The calla lily never ceases to amaze with its deep green leaves and elegant flowers. You can find out here what special features there are to bear in mind when caring for this exotic indoor and garden plant.
The calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) is not only a popular houseplant, but also an eye-catcher on any balcony or terrace with its elegant flowers. Everything you need to know about caring for the exotic plant Zantedeschia aethiopica and its hybrids can be found here.
Contents
How easy are calla lilies to care for?
The calla lily is one of the most popular specimens among tub, garden and indoor plants. However, it takes a lot of time and care to cultivate a splendidly flowering calla lily.
At the same time, one must be aware of the origin of the exotic plant at every step of care. The calla lily follows a certain rhythm, which must be keep in mind when caring for it: The plant keeps to an alternation between the growing season and the resting period During the growth phase, the calla lily produces leaves and flowers, whereas during the dormant period the above-ground plant material dies. After a recovery period of 2 to 3 months, the calla lily will sprout again. If this rhythm is kept to when caring for the calla lily, it will thank us with strong, green leaves and a splendid flower. A distinction must be made between Zantedeschia aethiopica and Zantedeschia hybrids. While the former originate from the tropical valleys of South Africa and are accustomed to a humid climate, the hybrids have been shaped by the higher mountain regions of South Africa. There the temperatures are lower, the light intensity is higher and the soil dries quickly. You can find out more about the right location for calla lilies in our overview article.
Watering the calla lily
In order to cultivate calla lilies successfully, watering as needed is very important. This means that during the growth phase and the flowering period, the calla lily should be watered so that the substrate is moist throughout Since Zantedeschia aethiopica is a marsh plant, a little water may occasionally be left in the trivet – permanent moisture should, however, be avoided at all costs. In contrast, excess water should be poured off calla lily hybrids after 15 minutes and waterlogging should be avoided at all costs. During the dormant period, watering is stopped completely so that the soil dries out completely. In addition, the calla lily may be sprayed with low-lime water to create a higher humidity.
Fertilising calla lilies
Fertilisation of the calla lily basically depends on watering. This means that during the growth phase and before flowering, the nutrient requirement is at its highest. Here you should apply a liquid fertilizer, such as our Plantura Liquid Houseplant Food, with the watering every one to two weeks. The organic liquid fertiliser is easy to apply and with its potassium-emphasised nutrient composition ensures a nutrient supply in line with requirements. Do not fertilise the calla lily during or shortly before the dormancy period.
- Perfect for a wide variety of houseplants & foliage plants
- Liquid fertiliser for robust plants & healthy growth
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Pruning calla lilies
Regular pruning of the calla lily is not necessary. Only withered flowerheads and leaves that have turned yellow prematurely are cut off with a sharp knife. Before overwintering, you can also remove the withered foliage. Green foliage, on the other hand, should never be cut off.
Should you repot calla lilies?
Calla lily grown in pots should be repotted every 2 to 3 years. For this purpose, use a flower pot that is at least one third larger in diameter than the root ball. It is important that the pot has a water drainage hole and that a drainage layer, for example of coarse gravel, is inserted at the bottom. A potting soil such as our Plantura Organic Flower Compost, mixed with up to 30% pine bark, is suitable as the calla lilies require a rather coarse, organic substrate. Our peat-free organic potting soil contains quality compost, coconut and wood fibres, crushed expanded clay, clay minerals, lime and magnesium fertilisers and a primarily organic fertiliser. This means the plants are supplied with all essentials for a long period of time.
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Loosen the root ball a little when repotting and place it in the new pot. The gaps are filled with substrate, and finally, the calla lily is well watered. When repotting, the plant can be propagated directly by dividing the calla lily.
Alternatively, you can plant the Zantedeschia in the bed in summer. In autumn, however, it should be stowed away again in a container in a sheltered place to overwinter the calla lily properly. Always remember to provide an effective drainage layer, as the Zantedeschia is very susceptible to root rot when waterlogged.
Tip: Zantedeschia aethiopica needs a heavy, stable pot, as it can grow quite tall and then tips over easily.
Common culture problems with the calla lily
The calla lily is a demanding plant in terms of location and care. The following problems occur again and again:
Occasionally, calla lily root and tuber blight causes problems. This occurs mainly with waterlogging and is in most cases associated with bacterial root rot infection (Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora). As a preventive measure, it helps to adapt the watering behaviour to the needs of the plant and to ensure good drainage in the pot or bed.
Sluggish growth of the calla lily is due to a less than optimal location and lack of care. Here, too dark and cool a place, too little water and fertiliser and too infrequent repotting are often to blame.
Furthermore, brown leaf tips appear from time to time. This happens when the humidity is too low. In an optimal location, it is between 65 and 75 %.
If the humidity is too high, on the other hand, fungal diseases can spread on the foliage. These are also promoted by excessive nitrogen fertilisation.
Finally, pests such as leaf aphids or spider mites (Tetranychidae) can trouble the calla lily. Calla lilies that are too richly supplied with nitrogen are particularly attractive to them.
Summary: Possible problems in the cultivation of calla lily
- Too little or too intensive fertilisation
- Too little water during the growth phase
- Humidity too low or too high
- Substrate too moist during the rest period
- Substrate that is too old and collapsed
Calla lily fails to bloom
Often a lack of flower induction will result in the calla lily not flowering or flowering very little. The calla lily needs a cold stimulus to initiate flower formation. For this reason, it is important to keep the plant at as low a temperature as possible, around 5 °C, for some time during the dormancy period. By the way, the calla lily has the highest nutrient requirement during the flowering phase and shortly before.
Tip: With calla lilies grown from seed you don’t need to worry if they don’t flower in the first period. In this case it takes a few years before the plants bear flowers for the first time.
General reasons for the calla lily not flowering or not flowering enough are mistakes in the choice of location and care: a substrate that is too poor in nutrients or too rich in nutrients, as well as intensive sunlight and too little water, meaning that the calla lily barely flowers at all. To ensure a rich flowering next time, you should not place your calla lily directly in the blazing sun. You should also water and fertilise sufficiently during the growth phase and allow the root ball to dry out after flowering.
Calla lily turning yellow
If the leaves of the calla lily turn yellow after flowering, don’t worry – it is quite normal for the foliage to die back after flowering. However, if the calla lily leaves turn yellow during the growth phase and flowering, root rot, nutrient deficiency or other care mistakes are probably to blame. Diseases can also cause the leaves of the calla lily to turn yellow. To counteract this, you should check the location and the care measures and adjust them if necessary.
