Calla lilies in a pot: planting and care at home

Indoor callas stand out from other plants with their unique colors. Various species differ in the shades of their buds. If you wish, you can create a whole flower garden on the windowsill from just calla lilies .

For all its beauty, the flower does not require titanic efforts to maintain and can decorate the home of even a beginner in floriculture.

People can find other names for calla lilies:

calliper;
zantedeschia or arum, which means the same genus of the family Araceae (shown in the photo).

The energy of home calla lilies smooths out conflict situations in the home and is able to improve relationships. It is also believed that flowers have a beneficial effect on the health of their owners.

Botanical description

Southern Africa is considered the homeland of calla lilies, but it is also widespread in Russia (Siberia, the Far East). It grows in swampy areas or along the banks of small lakes in the form of basal lanceolate leaves of green color with pointed tips. The plant reaches a length of up to 20 cm.

Some varieties have silvery inclusions on the surface of the leaf blades. And the leaves themselves are smooth with a slight shine.

It blooms in late spring - early summer in the form of an inflorescence-cob , surrounded on all sides by a petal (bract) on a long peduncle. The classic color of calla lilies is white, but varieties with other flower colors are also common.

The root system is a rhizome with abundant branches.

How to propagate a houseplant at home

Callas can be propagated by tubers, suckers and seeds. Among flower growers, only the first 2 methods of propagation are very popular.

Propagation by tubers

Only colored varieties of Zantedeschia are propagated by tubers. The procedure involves separating daughter tubers from the mother root system. This method of propagation is very convenient to use, especially since calla lilies produce a good increase in children per year.

Daughter tubers are separated without effort. The division sites must be treated with crushed activated carbon. The size of the baby should not be less than 0.5 cm in diameter.

Tuber processing

Young tubers less than 1.5 cm require growing. They are planted in peat-sandy soil and kept at high temperatures. Tubers whose diameter exceeds 1.5-2 cm are planted as adult flowers.

Seeds

Flowers are rarely propagated by seed. This is a very long process. In addition, Zantedeschias do not have good germination. Most often, breeders use this method.

Reproduction of calla lilies by seeds involves the following actions:

The seeds are soaked for 6 hours in a growth-stimulating preparation.
After soaking, the seeds are placed on a damp cloth and placed on the windowsill for pecking. As the napkin dries, moisten it again.
The germinated seeds are placed in peat-sandy soil, deepened by 1 cm. They remain there until they are well strengthened.

Propagation of calla lilies by seeds
To avoid rotting of the seed, watering is carried out only through a tray.

By shoots

White zantedeschias reproduce by shoots. This method, like the tuberous method, is simple and effective. During the process of transplantation, suckers can be seen on the rhizome of the flower. Very often they already have their sprout.

Using a sterile, sharply sharpened knife, the shoot is cut from the rhizome. The cut site is disinfected.

Only those offspring that have their own growing point and roots can be separated from the mother bush.

The offspring are planted as adult plants, since they do not need additional care. Even if the grower needs only 1 offspring, he must certainly free the flower from all the children. Otherwise, the calla may not bloom.

Varieties

Basically, the differences between varieties are in the shade of the flower and the preferred growing conditions: in the garden or on a home windowsill. The roots are rhizomatous only in the ancestor of the species - the Ethiopian calla lily, and in the colored varieties the roots are in the form of tubers.

Rehmann (calla rehmannii)

A low type of calla lily up to half a meter long. The bracts are painted in pink-red colors.

Eliotta (calla elliottiana)

A light-loving species of Zantedeschia, blooming profusely with yellow buds. The leaf shape is more heart-shaped, with white splashes on a green background.

Ethiopian (calla aethiopica)

The most common type of calla lily, grown both for indoor decoration and for floral bouquets on an industrial scale. The flowers are a classic white hue, sometimes with greenish veins .

The height in the pot does not exceed half a meter, and when planted in a garden plot it can increase to one and a half meters.

Amethyst

The amethyst species is a frequent inhabitant of home window sills . The flower is a bright amethyst color, which is why it got its name. The leaves are longer than the peduncles and cover them with themselves. The flowers have a pleasant fresh aroma.

Vermeer

The color of the calla cover on the outer edge remains white, but inside near the inflorescence it is burgundy-violet. The cob stands out against this background with a bright lemon color. Even the leaves of this species are distinguished by their unusual coloring with small white specks.

Characteristics of calla lilies and species diversity

The plant is distinguished by bare flower stalks and large basal leaves. The shape of the plates is represented by arrows with variations according to the species. The color of the plates is bright green or dark green. Many hybrids have white spots on the leaves.

Calla lilies bloom at different times of the year. It depends on the type of plant. Flowers are called large ears of corn, which are wrapped in multi-colored blankets. In fact, calla blooms with small flowers, densely located on the cob itself. They give off a pleasant vanilla aroma.

Calla zantedeschia

Today, Zantedeschia is the unifying name for the species of calla lilies Ethiopian, Elliott and Rehmann, as well as their interspecific hybrids. Previously, Zantedeschia meant only Ethiopian and marsh callas. But not so long ago it was decided to unite all the beautifully flowering callas into one genus. All of the above species are grown for cutting and exported commercially from South Africa. To avoid confusion, they decided to combine them under one name.

Calla zantedeschia

Zantedeschia is also called Whitewing and Arum. In various botanical reference books you can find names derived from zantedeschia: zantedeschia, zantedeschia, tsantedeschia, tsantedeschia. In some sources, in the old fashioned way, only white flowers are called zantedeschias.

Ethiopian

Ethiopian rhizomatous calla is primarily distinguished by its root system. Unlike tuberous species, it is represented by a rhizome capable of producing a large number of offspring. This is a fairly large species that can reach more than a meter in height.

The leaves are heart-shaped and arrow-shaped and have a dense, fleshy texture. They reach half a meter in length and a quarter of a meter in width. The color of the leaves is bright green. Some varieties have white spots on the leaves.

Ethiopian

A flower blooms on a tall and powerful peduncle. It consists of a yellowish cob and a white funnel-shaped blanket, expanding upward.

The following varieties of the Ethiopian species are considered the most common:

A green goddess with an extraordinary veil, the color of which represents a sharp transition from white to bright green.
Childsiana is a compact bush characterized by very long flowering.

White calla lilies bloom twice a year: the first lasts from May to June, the second from September to October.

What is Calla Mix?

Some sources indicate the existence of a plant species called Mix. It is a large bush with colorful flowers. In fact, such a species does not exist. A mix is several different Zantedes varieties grown in one pot. Based on the fact that the rhizomatous species does not tolerate neighbors in its flowerpot, these are tuberous hybrids of the Rehmann or Elliott species.

Elliot

Representatives of the Elliot species are large calla lilies growing from tubers. A distinctive feature of this species are the leaves. They are quite large, heart-shaped and always have thick white specks on a dark green background.

Elliot

The original color of the bedspread was yellow on the inside and yellow-green on the outside. The cob is also yellow. After a wave of hybridization, many new colorful varieties appeared:

Vermeer with carved wavy leaves and an unusual color of the bedspread - on a white background it looks like a wide purple stroke has been drawn.
The black-eyed beauty is a creamy blanket with a dark purple center.

The classic representative of the species is the Yellow Corner variety.

Remanna

Representatives of this species are miniature tuberous flowers, the height of which does not exceed half a meter. The original bright pink bedspread served as a good material for creating chic hybrids of lilac, purple and almost black.

Remanna

The most interesting varieties of the species are the following hybrids:

Evening with dark purple, almost black flowers.
Indian Summer - this variety is distinguished by an unusual garnet tint of its bedspreads.
Chameleon is a combination of peach and golden shades in the color of the bedspread.

Many of Rehmann's species have speckled leaves, similar to Elliot's species.

Calla lilies in a pot: care at home

Many gardeners have a question: why calla lilies do not bloom at home. The fact is that caring for a plant at home requires compliance with special conditions. This culture is most sensitive to light and humidity indicators, because in nature it grows in open areas around water bodies.

Lighting

The most important parameter when choosing the location of a pot of calla lilies. The plant loves bright and diffused light. The pot should be hidden from direct sun to prevent burns.

The duration of illumination is required for at least a third of the day, which in winter requires an additional light source in the evening.

And for flowering to occur, half a day is needed in diffused light, which is taken into account in the spring before the color sets, while the sun still does not sufficiently illuminate the window sills.

Temperature

Calla lilies are grown within a temperature range of 15 to 24 degrees.

In the summer season, the plant will feel good on the street or balcony. At night when temperatures are cool, it is best to bring the pot indoors.

Attention! In winter, sudden changes should not be allowed and the plant should be kept at 15–18 degrees.

Callas are afraid of drafts, as a result of which they may not bloom the next season.

Watering and humidification

A large amount of moisture will have a beneficial effect on the growth and flowering of callas. But this does not mean that you need to flood the flower. Regular watering is sufficient to prevent the entire soil from drying out. Callas with colored flowers can tolerate short-term drought without deterioration, but only in rare cases.

During flowering, zantedeschia needs increased moisture, and after flowering it must be reduced to the previous regime.

There is no need to specifically increase the humidity, but during the heating season or hot summer days, spraying with water at room temperature is useful.

Advice: during the flowering period, it is better to replace spraying by regularly wiping the leaves with a damp sponge to prevent the flowers from falling off prematurely due to moisture entering the core.

Feeding and fertilizer

You can provide plants with all the necessary minerals and trace elements in a timely manner using fertilizers.

Complex fertilizing is applied three times a month to moist soil.

Important! If the pot is constantly in partial shade or in a cold room, then the need for increased nutrition increases and fertilizer is required once a week.

Nitrogen content in the soil is especially important for lush growth and flowering. Its deficiency is manifested by lethargy of leaves and stunted growth, lack of flowering . But its excess is also harmful, as it leads to yellowing and drying of the leaves and the absence of flowers.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are contained in superphosphate and potassium nitrate, which are added to the soil before flowering.

During the flowering period, universal compositions for flower crops are suitable.

Caring for calla lilies during the rest period

The rest period for some varieties varies in duration and usually occurs after flowering has ended. The plant may completely lose its leaves, which is more typical for garden crops. On the windowsill , calla lilies slow down their growth and therefore need to change their maintenance conditions:

air temperature drops to 15–18 degrees;
watering is reduced to 2–3 times a month;
fertilizing is excluded during the winter months; from spring, it is introduced gradually 2 times a month (organic compounds are preferred - infusion of nettle or manure ).

This video shows how you can store calla tubers in winter.

The rhizomatous Ethiopian calla variety has a dormant period in the summer, so it needs to be provided with a cool place with preserved lighting.

Requirements for growing conditions

Even novice amateur gardeners can grow calla lilies on a windowsill if they follow the care recommendations. It is necessary to create conditions close to natural.

Illumination

Calla requires continuous lighting throughout the year, including the dormant period.

Lack of light leads to yellowing of foliage, lack of flowering or faded color.

Direct sunlight causes leaf burns, so plant pots located on the windowsill are fenced off with translucent tulle.

Temperature

White Ethiopian callas do well at temperatures of 18-20 ºC. Plants overwinter in heated rooms with temperatures not lower than 14–18 ºC.

For colored tuberous callas, the optimal temperature range is in the range of 22–25 ºC. The dormant period of the bulb is safely tolerated at +3-7 ºC. Sudden temperature changes lead to the cessation of flowering. Calla lilies are brought out on loggias and open terraces only in summer.

Humidity

Humidity is an important factor when growing a plant. In the subtropical swamps of South Africa, where callas come from, the humidity is high - 70–80%. If the indicators in the apartment do not correspond to the norm, the crop is sprayed twice a day - morning and evening, and the leaves are regularly wiped with a damp cloth.

Required soil composition and pot size

Despite the lightness of the products, a wide range of different volumes and configurations, a plastic pot is inferior in quality to a clay pot. Pottery is porous, which allows excess moisture to evaporate. They have universal colors that suit different varieties of calla lilies.

For the Elliot and Remani species, pots with a diameter of up to 20 cm are needed. For children, even smaller - 10 cm. Ethiopian callas with a developed rhizome require a container with a diameter of 30–40 cm, a height of 60. Suitable soil for callas consists of equal parts of peat, garden soil, sand and two parts of organic matter - humus or rotted manure. The soil should be slightly acidic, the optimal pH is six.

How to replant callas

In the process of replanting home calla lilies, you should take into account important nuances on which the further growth of the flower depends:

When planting in a new pot, you do not need to add a lot of soil, as this may cause the roots to begin to rot.
Between transplants, the top layer of soil should be replaced with new soil at least once.
After changing the substrate, the roots experience severe stress, which is manifested by a long lack of growth. In this case, you should not take any measures, you just need to provide comfortable conditions for the plant.
Damage to the tuberous skin can destroy the flower ; it must be handled very carefully when planting.
Calla lilies belonging to the same species can coexist in one pot, and it is better to plant a mix of calla lilies of different colors of bracts in different pots. Different species are capable of suppressing each other's growth.
Transplantation is carried out annually.

Calla is demanding on the capacity of the pot. The extensive root network does not tolerate crowded spaces in which flowers may not appear. Even high-quality fertilizers will not help. Therefore, one plant should have 20 x 20 cm of soil.

This video shows how to transplant Calla.

Callas prefer soil that is porous, that allows air to pass well to the roots and does not retain moisture. Before transplanting a flower, you need to prepare a suitable substrate: mix sand and humus in equal proportions and add 2 parts of leaf soil.

To replant a plant, add a layer of drainage to the bottom of the new pot and a layer of substrate on top of it. The roots are carefully straightened and covered with soil until the leaves begin.

Preparation

In order for the wintering of plants to be successful, they should be dug out of the soil at a certain time. Harvesting tubers too early will lead to the fact that the plant, whose growing season has not yet ended, will not be able to survive wintering normally. And if you wait until severe frosts to dig it up, the flower may die from the cold.

Drying the tubers

The next stage of preparation is drying the tubers. This should be done in places with good ventilation, away from sunlight. In such places it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature within +20°C - +25°C.

Drying of planting material should continue for at least 2 - 3 weeks , after which calla lilies can be stored all winter.

Remnants of dry leaves must be completely removed from the tubers. This is done a few days after the start of storage. After which, after about a week, the roots are removed. By this time, the roots will separate easily. This must be done so that the flower does not begin to grow prematurely without spending enough time in “cool dormancy.”

During this period, small tubers (babies) have not yet formed a special film that allows them to “live independently.” Therefore, it is impossible to separate them from the mother tubers. This should be done in winter, when they are already stronger. Then it will be a full-fledged planting material.

If the babies were separated from the tubers ahead of time and were damaged, they can be treated with brilliant green (coal dust) and dried. Calla lily bulbs should be stored in winter until the last days of March.

Growing from bulbs

If the desired variety is not available for sale among mature potted plants, it is easier to find it in bulb form. But this will cause more trouble, because planting a calla bulb in a pot and growing it is a more difficult task. The optimal time for planting is the end of winter - the beginning of spring.

The bulb should look healthy in appearance: the skin is yellow, and the buds are developed at the top.

Before planting purchased tubers, they are kept in a light pink manganese solution for an hour. This prevents the development of pathogens that may be in the invisible remains of the previous soil after planting.

Important! If, after drying, damage is found on the skin, then these places are treated with brilliant green and dried.

And then the bulb is planted in a prepared pot to a depth of about a decimeter; the soil on top needs to be covered with film or a jar. It is necessary to moisten very carefully before the leaves appear begin to rot.

This video talks about the features of growing Calla lilies.

Premature growth

When one of the tubers begins to germinate ahead of schedule, it is planted in the soil and grown in a pot as an indoor flower. And with the arrival of spring warmth, it is transplanted into open ground. After which the calla lily will again become a garden plant.

To ensure that calla lilies bloom as early and luxuriant as possible, the tubers of this plant should be dug up every autumn at a certain time and stored in proper conditions. And those who decide to leave them in the soil may be left without this beauty in the new season.

Storing callas in winter is not at all difficult, you just need to follow the tips given in this article.

Possible problems and difficulties

Any plant is susceptible to misfortunes in the form of small pests or diseases, and calla lilies are no exception.

It is important to recognize the problem at an early stage and immediately take the necessary measures.

Calla lily diseases and care during this period

The appearance of insects can be recognized by the following signs:

The leaves begin to curl and become covered with light spots, the flower stalks are painted with light patterns. The disease is called yellow spot, and the causative agent is insects - thrips. To combat them, the plant is treated with a diluted insecticide for flowers (Fitoverm, Aktara, Fufanon).
Spider mites manifest themselves as dry leaves and the formation of small cobwebs on them. It develops in dry indoor air, which requires adjustment after treatment with drugs.
Deformation, curling and further falling of leaves can be signs of aphids on calla lilies. Insects feed on the sap from the leaves and leave sticky spots. In the fight against pests, it is effective to wash them off with a soap solution in the early stages or treat them with drugs:

Aktara;
Tobacco dust;
Spark.

Treatment is carried out several times with a break of 1 week.

Also, if the rules of care are not followed, the plant begins to wither or stops growing.

Elongated leaves and stems with a pale color are observed with insufficient lighting time or lack of intensity.

With a lack of nutrition, the leaves begin to break off, which is usually combined with a lack of growth and flowering.

Anthracnose

Anthracosis may be one of the reasons why the leaves of indoor calla lilies turn yellow. Brown spots resembling rust appear on the leaf blades. Later the leaves dry out completely and fall off.

Anthracosis requires removal of damaged areas and treatment with a fungicidal agent.

Gray rot

The appearance of a gray coating on the leaves indicates the presence of a fungal disease. Treatment with a fungicidal preparation (Vitaros, Fundazol) can save the plant.

To prevent subsequent infection, frequent ventilation of the room and reduction of watering and spraying are required.

Bacterial rot

Bacterial rot develops on roots in too wet a substrate. The disease manifests itself as leaf rotting and death. Tubers or rhizomes become covered with dark spots. The plant is very difficult to save, even at an early stage. It is necessary to completely cut off all affected areas, treat them and plant them in new soil, reducing the frequency of watering.

Root rot

Unexpected drying of leaves or flowers may be a consequence of overwatering and the development of root rot. To combat it, the soil should be treated with Ridomil or Previkur, and the upper part should be replaced with a new one. Prevention is moderate watering and periodic change of the top layer of the substrate.

No flowering

If the calla lily does not please its owner with elegant flowering , then the most likely reasons lie in improper care of the plant:

Lack of space in the pot, which is not always reflected in the growth rate of foliage, but may be the reason why calla lilies do not bloom at home.
Insufficient lighting and frequent moving of the pot from place to place. The flower is forced to constantly be under stress and adapt to new conditions, which leaves no energy for the formation of buds.
Lack or lack of fertilizing, especially before the start of the active period. The cause may also be the alkaline reaction of the soil, which does not allow food to be absorbed by the root system.
A short duration of the resting phase in a cool place, during which flower buds do not have time to develop.
Overgrown tubers requiring replanting .
A large amount of soil in the pot, promoting the development of putrefactive processes.

Storing callas for winter storage

So, what do you need to prepare for wintering? First of all – suitable containers. The best option for this would be thick paper bags or cardboard boxes with ventilation holes. If you store a large collection of various varieties, you need to label them so that in the spring you do not make mistakes in choosing the color scheme when composing a composition of calla lilies. The best material for this would be thick foil - a material that does not rot or deteriorate.

The name of the variety can be written on foil by squeezing out the letters with a regular pen or knitting needle. The tag is attached to the package or to the side of the box.

The main condition for proper storage is the isolation of root tubers from each other and air circulation between them. In order to isolate the tubers from each other, a substrate is poured into a bag or box between the tubers, which can be used as:

If a sick specimen ends up in such a storage facility at home, the insulation will reliably protect other tubers from rot.

Although high humidity is not welcome, wrinkled and overly dried tubers should be sprinkled with water from a spray bottle to prevent them from drying out.

The optimal temperature for storing calla root tubers is 5-7⁰C. Ideal conditions for storing them are a fairly dry room that has good ventilation. If this is a basement, then the harvest should not be stored in it. During storage, fruits and vegetables release moisture and ethylene gas. These factors provoke the awakening of tubers too early, as well as their rotting. If it is impossible to allocate a separate room, then you should at least try to equip a separate compartment in the basement with an exhaust or supply ventilation.

It is advisable to have no lighting so as not to provoke the plants to start the growing season too early. The rest period takes two months or more. This is exactly how long the plant needs to fully recover. All this time you need to closely monitor their health, periodically inspecting the tubers.

Common growing questions

Is a shaded, not entirely dark place suitable for overwintering tubers? For storing tubers, lighting does not play a role. Many gardeners store them in refrigerators, where the light, as you know, turns on only when the door is opened.
Is it possible to take a pot of calla lilies outside in the summer? Experts recommend taking rhizomatous callas outside in the summer. Tuberous species also tolerate garden conditions well.
After purchasing a calla lily in winter, how and when should it be sent to rest in this case? In such cases, you should observe the flower. As soon as it begins to turn yellow and dry out, this will be a signal about the need for rest.
Is it necessary to disinfect the pot if the tubers are rotten, and what is the best way to do this? After rotting, be sure to disinfect the flower pot. If it is made of durable materials, it can be boiled. If it is plastic, it is treated with alcohol.

All callas are divided according to the principle of organization of the root system into tuberous and rhizomatous. Despite their external similarity, these are different plants that require special care. If you do not follow the rules, the flower will not bloom and may even die.