Calla is one of the most elegant plants from the Araceae family, blooming in room conditions.
Its “folk” names: whitewing, arum. It is native to the swamp forests of South Africa.
In nature, there are 8 types of calla lilies, which are divided into 2 groups: tuberous and rhizomatous.
In addition to the type of root system, they differ in the size and color of the spathe (varieties of tuberous callas have different colors, and rhizomatous calla lilies bloom mainly with white flowers).
Of these, the following are suitable for growing at home:
Calla Ethiopian (Zantedeschia)- the largest species cultivated in indoor floriculture. The large leaves are heart-shaped. Blooms with funnel-shaped white flowers. Unlike colored callas, during the dormant period it retains its leaves and remains green. The most popular varieties: Green Goddess, Pearl, Nikolai, Childsiana; Albomaculata.
Calla Eliot reaches a height of up to 50cm. Has large variegated leaves, flower cover yellow color. Famous varieties: Black-Eyed Beauty, Yellow Corner, Vermeer, Black Beauty, Captain Chelse.
Calla Remani– compact tuberous appearance (up to 70 cm in height). On its basis, varieties with red, pink, purple, and black shades of bedspreads have been bred. Popular varieties: Chameleon, Evening, Indian Summer. Anneke, Black Forest, Bolero.
Callas in pots, caring for them at home, which is not as difficult as it seems at first glance, still requires a special approach. In order for them not only to grow, but also to bloom in indoor conditions, the gardener is required to create an optimal combination of conditions that are most similar to natural ones.
Calla: care at home - propagation, transplantation
Reproduction
At home, calla lilies are propagated mainly vegetatively. In Zantedeschia, the rhizome is divided into parts. Each of them must have at least one kidney. The sections are dried and powdered charcoal or disinfected with brilliant green. The division of rhizomes must be carried out at least once every 4 years. Otherwise, small lateral shoots will form around the mother bush, which will not produce flowering. After this, the divisions are planted in a separate pot.
In colored calla lilies, daughter nodules are separated from the mother nodule.
An overgrown calla tuber is ready for division
Propagation by seeds is the most the hard way. This is due to their low germination percentage. If you manage to get ripe seeds, then before planting they must be soaked in a growth stimulant (Kornevin, Epin, Heteroauxin, Etamon, Zircon), and then left to germinate in a warm place on a damp sponge or gauze. After the seeds have hatched, they can be planted in the ground. However, another complication arises here: planting material often rots. To reduce losses to a minimum, it is better to moisten the sprouts not from above, but through the wick. Plantings are grown at a temperature of +22ºС. Seedlings sprout 2 months after sowing.
Transfer
Callas are replanted annually in the spring after the end of the dormant period. At the same time, you can divide the rhizomes or tubers. Use pots that are wide and not too deep. At the bottom, drainage up to 5 cm thick is required. Whiteflies are planted in pots no deeper than 5-10 cm.
For colored calla lilies, the selected tubers should be elastic, lively, with smooth yellowish skin. Before planting, it is recommended to soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or treat them with a fungicide.
Sections of white calla lilies are planted at a depth equal to 3 times the diameter of their rhizomes.
At first, you should not water the planting heavily - there is a high probability of rotting (it is better to spray it with a spray bottle). After the sprouts appear (approximately 14 days after transplantation), active watering and fertilizing begin.
Callas in pots: care at home - soil, lighting, temperature and humidity, conditions for flowering
The soil
For tuberous varieties of callas, a suitable soil composition would be: leaf soil, turf soil, humus, coarse sand in a ratio of 1:2:1:0.5. For rhizomatous varieties, you can use universal soil for flowering plants or replace it with the following mixture: equal parts humus, leaf soil, coarse sand, 2 parts turf soil, ¼ part clay. In both options, 1 tablespoon of superphosphate is added to 3 liters of total substrate volume.
Lighting and location
Callas need bright, indirect light. The duration of daylight hours should be 10-12 hours. In autumn and winter, it is necessary to provide additional lighting with an intensity of at least 700-800 Lux. A lack of light leads to a loss of decorativeness of the plant: the petioles of the leaves are elongated, there is no flowering, and the color of the bracts is observed in tuberous calla lilies.
In summer, the best location for zantedeschia will be western and eastern windows. In winter, on the contrary, to receive additional sunlight, it is better to move it to the south side.
Air temperature and humidity
For different types of callas, the temperature and humidity in the room have some differences.
During the active growing season, rhizomatous plants feel good at +17-21ºС. After flowering during the dormant period, they are kept at +10-13ºС for at least 2 months.
“White” callas need high air humidity (70-80%). To do this, their leaves are sprayed with soft water, the pots are placed on pallets with damp moss and expanded clay. It’s even better to use special air humidifiers.
The optimal temperature for the development of “colored” callas will be +20-24ºС. During the “rest” of the plants, it is increased to +25-28ºС so that the tubers ripen and flower buds form. Tuberous callas require moderate air humidity (50-60%). Their leaves are wiped with a damp sponge every day.
Conditions for flowering: why doesn’t calla lilies bloom?
It often happens that store-bought calla lilies do not bloom at home. One of the reasons for this behavior is the disturbance of the “vegetation-rest” regime. Plants on sale are “pumped up” with phytohormones to maintain a presentable appearance. To send arum into hibernation, you need to reduce watering and place the pot in a cool room.
Incorrect watering regime also “slows down” the beginning of flowering. Whitewing, as a tropical plant, likes to actively “quench its thirst” during the growing season. This is especially true for Ethiopian calla lilies. It is important to remember that watering cold water these “green Africans” are not allowed - there is a high probability of rotting of the roots. It is better to use soft, warm (+20-25°C) settled water for this.
Inappropriate pot size is another likely reason for the lack of flowering in calla lilies. This tropical plant grows quite quickly. When it becomes crowded in a pot, it stops growing and is in no hurry to delight with its elegant flowers. After a period of rest in the expanded “family,” it is necessary to separate the “babies” that weaken the mother plant and transplant them into separate pots. At the same time, the soil is replaced with fresh one.
Incorrect feeding regime negatively affects the ability of calligraphy to flower. With an excess of nitrogen, the plant “fattens” - it develops leaf mass to the detriment of flowering. Therefore, it is necessary to apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, which are “responsible” for flowering.
If the depth of planting a tuber or rhizome in the soil is insufficient, there is an active growth of lateral shoots. If they are not separated and replanted, there will be no flowering.
Calla: care at home - feeding and watering
Watering
Calla lilies also have different requirements for watering. Thus, “colored” callas are watered sparingly: stagnation of moisture in the soil can be fatal for them (rot forms on the tubers). Excess water is drained from the pan. The next watering is carried out when upper layer the soil will dry out to a depth of 2-3 cm.
“White” callas love abundant watering, especially during active growth. The soil in the pot should always be moist.
After flowering, in all species of this plant, watering is reduced to 1 time per week, and after 1-2 months of this regime, tuberous specimens stop watering altogether.
Top dressing
As calla leaves its dormant period, it is fed every 2 weeks, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers. When conducting foliar feeding the plants are sprayed so that the liquid does not get on the bracts (unsightly spots form on them and the flower loses its decorative effect).
Callas in pots: care at home - why do they die?
Callas in pots at home most often die when improper care, as a result of which weakened plants are susceptible to pests and diseases.
The most malicious “lovers” of the whitefly are spider mites, whiteflies and aphids. To destroy them, acaricides (Aktelik, Sunmite, Vertimek) and insecticides (Fitoverm, Biotlin, Aktara, Akarin) are used.
With improper watering and temperature conditions, callas are often affected by various bacterial and fungal infections. Root rot can be recognized by the following signs: massive wilting of leaves and peduncles, necrotization of the root system. Its occurrence is promoted high humidity and air temperature, excess nitrogen in the soil. To help the plant in this case, you need to temporarily stop watering it, partially replace the wet soil with dry soil, and treat the plant with a fungicide solution (Fundazol, Previkur, Rovral).
Gray rot, caused by the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea, spreads through contaminated soil, water, and wind. Its characteristic feature is gray plaque on the plant.
In case of defeat bacterial rot peduncles, roots, bases of leaves darken, and over time the plant dies. Sick callas should be destroyed.
If round brown spots appear on the leaves, gradually merging, this means the plant is suffering from anthracnose. Damaged parts of calla lilies are removed, and the plant itself is treated with fungicidal preparations.
Why do calla lilies' leaves turn yellow at home?
The leaves of calla lilies turn yellow when kept at home for 2 reasons: preparation for the dormant period and errors in care.
After the plant has flowered, it begins to prepare for a “well-deserved rest”: all the leaves of “colored” calla lilies turn yellow and die, while “white” zantedeschias retain green foliage.
Improper care of calla lilies affects the appearance of the plant. How tropical plant it needs high air humidity, which is difficult to maintain at the proper level in residential premises (especially in heating season). Therefore, calla lilies should be frequently sprayed with settled water and moved away from heating appliances.
Overmoistening or overdrying the substrate also leads to a change in the color of the leaves and their wilting.
Although feces require long daylight hours (10-12 hours), too bright lighting depresses it. Therefore, if the plant is on a south window, it must be shaded or moved to another location.
Burn on a calla leaf
Long-term cultivation of calla lilies in one pot without replanting and replacing the soil leads to its depletion and, as a result, to yellowing of the leaves. Nutrient deficiencies also cause increased fragility leaf petioles. With a lack of nitrogen, the leaves lose their glossiness, their ends droop, and when potassium is consumed, they rise upward.
Indoor callas – exotic plants who came to us from the tropics. They are valued for beautiful flowers, or rather a blanket that envelops real flowers, small and inconspicuous, gathered into a cob.
Varieties of indoor callas
The most common varieties of callas for indoor growing today it is:
- Rhizomatous white callas (Ethiopian calla varieties);
- Colored callas (Calla varieties Eliot and Remani).
Calla Ethiopian
note
Callas can be grown not only at home, but also. The following varieties are suitable for this:
- Ethiopian (rhizome): “Pearl”, “Green Goddess”, “Nicolai”;
- Eliott's calla lilies: “Vermeer”, “Black-Eyed Beauty”, “Yellow Corner”;
- Callas Remani: “Indian Summer”, “Chameleon”, “Evening”.
Planting callas
Indoor calla lilies, their planting and care are quite a painstaking task. Callas love bright, diffused light. If there is not enough light, they may stop blooming or may turn pale. Therefore, if there is not enough light, it is better to provide artificial lighting.
Planting white callas
- For white calla lilies, the pot should be wide up to 20 cm, but shallow;
- A drainage layer (expanded clay, pebbles, etc.) of 5 cm is laid on the bottom;
- Soil with a slightly acidic environment is filled in, for example, soil for aroid crops. You can prepare the soil mixture yourself from humus, sand, turf and leaf soil (1:1:1:2), a quarter of clay and superphosphate;
- Rhizomes are planted to a depth of 3 times their diameter;
- After three weeks, watering and fertilizing begin.
Planting tuberous callas
- In March, the nodules should be placed in a bright and warm place, periodically moistening them;
- Each is planted in a 3-liter container with drainage at the bottom;
- The same soil mixture is suitable, but clay is excluded, and the sand content should be reduced;
- The tubers are placed on a sandy layer and sprinkled with 1-2 cm of soil;
- After a couple of weeks you can water and fertilize.
- Tuberous callas at home, with proper care, can bloom once a year for 5-8 years.
How to care for indoor calla lilies
Rest
The indoor calla flower and its care require attention. They must undergo a rest period of 3-6 months. It usually starts in October-November and ends in February-March.
The rest period is very difficult to choose, due to the fact that many purchased callas are grown using stimulants and do not rest for the first year. But then the regime itself is restored.
Humidity
Varies from 80% for whites, and up to 50% for coloreds. To maintain moisture, pots are usually placed on a tray with wet pebbles, expanded clay, or moss, while white callas are additionally sprayed and wiped, but colored callas are not.
Watering white calla lilies is carried out as the soil dries 1 cm, and after 10-20 minutes the remainder is drained from the tray to avoid moisture stagnation.
Colored callas are watered moderately along the edge of the pot when the soil dries 3-4 cm.
After the plants have flowered, watering should be done less frequently; for colored callas, 1-2 months after this, watering should be stopped.
Temperature
The temperature should be 18-20 degrees. After the flowering period, tuberous callas are placed for a month in conditions of 25-27 degrees without watering. Then the ripened tubers are cut off from the leaves and stored at a temperature of 3-5 degrees until the end of winter and beginning of spring.
note
For storage it is best to use sawdust or paper bags, regularly ventilating.
Fertilizers
Fertilizing must be carried out. Fertilizers need to be applied once every two weeks. If the summer is warm enough, then you can plant callas in open ground.
Calla amazing flower, rather like a continuation of a leaf, snow-white, like snow, has always evoked love and respect. Until the markets were filled with Dutch roses, while wedding bouquets were not yet in fashion, calla lilies were considered the flower of the bride. The inflorescence itself is a bract wrapped around a spadix. Calla lilies flowers are almost invisible, they are very small, but have a strong and pleasant smell.
Callas grow well both indoors and outdoors. How to properly grow this flower in an apartment, specifics of care, the necessary conditions for flowering - this will be discussed in this article.
Callas, native to South Africa, are very light-loving. South side but not straight Sun rays- the optimal place for a pot of calla lilies. To bring the growing conditions of the flower closer to natural ones, daylight hours must be extended to 12 hours. IN summer time enough daylight, but in winter you need lighting with a fluorescent lamp. Lack of lighting may be the reason why callas do not bloom.
The plant is quite moisture-loving; the soil should always be moist. But when water stagnates in the pot due to poor drainage or too much watering, the bulbs rot.
The flower pot is placed on a tray with expanded clay, which is regularly moistened.
White callas are considered the most unpretentious. Keeping calla lilies of other colors is more troublesome, and so is watering. If whites love daily water procedures in the form of spraying, then colored people may die from this. It is enough for them to sometimes wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.
Temperature and humidity for calla lilies
Optimal temperature for growing calla flowers - this is from 15 to 24 degrees, depending on the time of year. In summer 22-24, in winter 15-18 degrees. Plants with white bracts winter period They grow slowly, the colored ones completely lose their leaves and go into hibernation with the first frost until March-April. Plants require less light and moisture during this period.
In their natural habitat, callas grow in conditions of high humidity, so the same is required when keeping them in an apartment. Frequent spraying, additional air humidification in hot weather - important feature, growing these flowers.
Callas grow quickly, the soil from large quantity the rhizomes are depleted, the plant weakens. Flowers and leaves become smaller, the plant is more vulnerable to diseases. For this reason, it must be replanted annually.
Soil for calla lilies consists of the following components: humus, leaf and turf soil, clay and sand. Proportions: equal amounts of humus and two types of soil, and a little clay and sand are added to acidify the soil.
You can, of course, purchase ready-made soil in the store, but you must remember that callas love acidic soil, so the soil must be special.
Before transplanting, the rhizomes must be gently shaken from the ground and added to 3 liters ready soil a tablespoon of phosphorus fertilizer.
Feeding callas
As the callas grow, the rhizomes fill the pot and quickly “eat up” all the beneficial nutrients that were in the ground. The supply of microelements must be constantly replenished with the help of proper fertilization.
During the period of active growth and flowering, plants are fed more often, once every two weeks, during sleep - once a month.
Calla lilies are fertilized with universal complex fertilizers. It is not recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers before budding.
The most famous and convenient way Reproduction of calla lilies - division of rhizomes, although propagation by seeds is possible. Rhizomes or tubers should be dense and healthy. The main rhizome is divided into parts, and then each piece is planted in a separate pot. It should be planted in moist soil with the tubercle up to a depth of about 10 cm. The plant does not need watering for the first week, then water it, preventing the soil from drying out.
Usually, to grow calla lilies in an apartment, the rhizomes are divided in the fall, and then the new plants overwinter in pots in a semi-dormant state. By spring, young shoots appear. In May they can be planted in open ground.
Types of calla lilies photo
Callas come in white and colored varieties.
White callas
Larger ones, in nature up to 1.5 m, colored ones are much smaller, up to 50 cm in height. They can also vary in shape.
Colored callas
Thanks to selection, they have the most various colors: red, green, orange, pink, purple, yellow. They are very aesthetic and perfect for creating flower arrangements and bouquets, including wedding ones.
How to plant calla lilies in a pot video
Every year, after a period of rest In summer 18-22, during the rest period 10-15 During the period of active growth and flowering - daily, during the dormant period - once every 10 days During the flowering period - 2 times a day Diffused lighting, partial shade A dormant period is required for flowering
Lighting
Calla is a light-loving plant, but the lighting for its growth and flowering must be diffused. Does not tolerate direct sunlight.
The flower can be grown in partial shade, it can even tolerate shade, but such lighting negatively affects its flowering.
Poor lighting may be the reason why calla lilies do not bloom or bloom very sparingly.
On hot summer days it is especially important to protect the flower from the scorching rays of the sun. To do this, the pot can be moved to a floor stand and/or covered with a translucent curtain.
Callas need good lighting all year round. She prefers long daylight hours, so in the fall and winter it is recommended to supplement the plant with artificial fluorescent or phytolamps.
Temperature
This is a plant with a pronounced dormant period, which lasts 2 months a year and begins after the end of flowering. From the beginning of the growing season, a stable temperature with small average daily differences is needed.
It is best to keep the flower in a room at a temperature of 18-22ºС. This plant does not like heat; at temperatures above 27ºС, its leaves begin to dry out, despite the air being humidified. Cold is also detrimental to it, although Ethiopian calla can tolerate a short-term drop in temperature of up to 5ºC.
During the dormant period, the temperature of the plant should be within 10-15ºC.
Watering
This is a marsh plant for which abundant watering is vital. When growing it in pots, the lump of earth in and flowering should never dry out. You need to water daily, but it is better from below through a tray. When watering from above, care must be taken so that water does not fall on top of the tuber or at the growing point.
During the dormant period, water approximately once every 10 days.. The soil should be slightly moist at this time. To water the plant, only warm, settled, soft water is used.
Due to insufficient soil moisture, calla lilies stop growing.
15 minutes after watering, all the water that has flowed into the pan is drained. This will prevent rotting of the root system.
After flowering, the frequency of watering for all species is reduced to once every 7-10 days. After 1-2 months, colored callas must stop watering until the end of the dormant period (end of February).
Spraying
For supporting necessary for the plant air humidity, it must be sprayed frequently. In summer, in hot weather, you can spray twice a day - early in the morning and after sunset.
Calla responds well to moistening the leaves with a wet sponge or cloth. During the dormant period, the plant is not sprayed, since it lives mainly off the tuber and is not affected by air humidity.
The soil for callas needs to be very fertile and acidified. They will not grow in alkaline soil.
Peat must be present in the substrate for calla lilies.
The best soil mixture for growing them is the following: turf soil, peat, humus and coarse sand in a ratio of 1:1:2:1.
For white varieties, you can use a purchased substrate for flowering aroid plants. Another option is to prepare the soil mixture yourself by mixing one part each of humus, sand and leaf soil, adding ¼ part clay and 2 parts turf soil.
For all types of calla lilies, add 1 tbsp per 3 liters of substrate. spoon of superphosphate.
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Fertilizer
Plants are fertilized during growth and flowering. The plant responds very well to feeding with superphosphate twice a month. You can also use complex fertilizers for flowering plants. During the dormant period, you should not feed the flower.
Calla lilies especially need feeding when there is insufficient lighting.
Before flowering, you should not overuse fertilizers with nitrogen. so that the intensive growth of green foliage does not drown out the formation of buds. After the flower stalks appear, calla lilies can be fertilized with urea. During flowering, organic feeding with an infusion of eggshells is recommended.
It is useful to alternate root dressings with leaf spraying. It is important to ensure that drops do not fall on the flowers.
Humidity
The marsh calla plant prefers high humidity in the range of 70-80%. It is not easy to achieve such a microclimate in an apartment. To increase humidity, the plant is sprayed at least 2 times a day..
It is also useful to place the flower pot in a deep tray with wet sand or expanded clay. The substrate should always be moist, but not wet, and there should be no water in the pan.
Peculiarities
Calla for long and abundant flowering must rest 2 months a year. The rest of the time is spent growing and flowering. The dormant period for plants occurs at different times, especially when kept in an apartment.
To organize a dormant period for the plant, it needs to be watered less often after flowering, and then almost stop watering. The leaves of the plant turn yellow and dry out, and it goes into a dormant state. Some gardeners do not stop watering and fertilizing after flowering has ended. This way it is possible to achieve a second flowering in the season, but after this a period of rest is already necessary for the plant.
Typically, calla lilies have dormant periods in July and August or January and February.
Their dry leaves are cut off and the pot is removed to a cooler and darker place. After finishing their rest, they are transplanted into new land. Now it is important to properly awaken the plant so that it begins to grow intensively and blooms soon.
Experienced gardeners recommend waiting until the plant wakes up on its own., and immediately after transplanting, water it well with acidified lemon juice water. For 0.5 liters warm water you need a few drops of lemon juice. As a rule, new leaves appear within 1-2 weeks.
Trimming / Support / Garter
During the growth and flowering of the plant, you can sometimes remove yellowed and drying leaves. At the beginning of the dormant period, when all the leaves of the plant have dried, they should be.
As such, pruning is not applied to calla lilies. Only dried leaves are cut off. The procedure is carried out during the dormant period, when the plant does not bloom.
In most cases, the plant does not need support or garter.. However, if the calla lily has reached an impressive size or has become very elongated, you can carefully tie it to a support. This will prevent the pot from tipping over and injuring the flower.
Diseases
Callas are susceptible to some infectious and fungal diseases. Of these, the most common are gray rot, root rot, wet rot and anthracnose.
With gray rot, a dirty gray coating appears on the affected areas of the plant. All parts of the plant are sick. This disease can only be combated by using special antifungal drugs (Vitaros).
The development of root rot is promoted by stagnant water in the soil and poor drainage.. The tubers of the plant rot, and the above-ground part withers. The plant should be transplanted into another soil, drainage should be improved, and treated with fungicidal preparations.
Wet rot affects rhizomes, peduncles, and leaf bases, which darken and become soft. Treatment for this disease has not been developed; diseased plants are destroyed.
Insecticidal preparations are used against pests
Anthracnose is manifested by the appearance of brown round spots on the leaves of the plant, which enlarge and lead to the death of the leaf. The above-ground part must be treated with a fungicidal preparation, and its diseased parts removed.
Calla lilies are affected by aphids and red spider mites. These pests are destroyed by insecticidal preparations.
Problems
Sometimes it takes a long time for a plant to bloom. There may be several reasons for this. The most common is the absence of a rest period. It should be remembered that before flowering begins, the plant must rest for at least 2 months.
Calla may not bloom due to lack of feeding. Vice versa, abundant feeding nitrogen fertilizers leads to blackening of the edges of the leaf blades.
Another common reason for the lack of flowers is low lighting. A plant that begins to bloom may stop blooming if the air humidity is very low.
But even with high humidity, if the air temperature is above 27ºC, the leaves and flower stalks of the plant may begin to dry out and wither.
Reproduction
calla lilies are babies that form on the tuber of the plant. They are separated during transplantation. To grow young plants, you need a shallow container with good drainage.
The soil mixture is poured into the container and young tubers are planted in it.. The distance between them should be at least 10 cm. The cuttings should not be planted deep in the ground; their upper third should be on the surface. Young plants are watered abundantly, and the temperature is maintained within 20-14ºС.
Growing calla lilies from seeds at home is a very troublesome task, but it helps to preserve and improve varietal characteristics.
Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for 5-6 hours in potassium humate, a growth stimulant. Then they are laid out in a container with a damp towel, covered with it and placed in a warm place for a week.
It is important to ensure that the seeds do not dry out during this time.. After germination, the seeds are sown in moist soil and placed in a warm place. Watering is carried out regularly. Grown seedlings are transplanted into individual pots.
Transfer
Calla lilies to new land after the end of the dormant period. It could be in early spring or early autumn.
The plant tuber is removed from the pot, the soil is removed along with the old roots.. If children have formed on it, they can be separated and planted in separate pots. Then the tuber is planted in the same pot in a new earthen mixture.
It is necessary to pour a drainage layer of fine expanded clay. The plant tuber is buried approximately 2/3 into the soil so that all growth points remain on the surface. After transplantation, water the plant rarely - once a week until new shoots appear. After this, abundant watering is resumed.
Calla - flower of death
Sometimes you can hear that calla is. Where did this statement come from?
One of the reasons is that in European countries There is a custom of bringing white flowers to funerals. And often these are calla lilies. This plant can also sometimes be found on the graves of the deceased. However, other white flowers are also brought to funerals, such as lilies, roses, carnations or chrysanthemums.
Some argue that calla lilies do not look like real flowers, but rather like wax figures. Their yellow cob resembles a candle, and their white bract resembles a funeral shroud. However, such statements are purely subjective opinions, not supported by substantiated facts.
Today, almost no one remembers that calla lilies are the flower of death.. This myth has not been confirmed. Now they are calling on various holidays, are used to create bouquets, including bridal bouquets! These are universal flowers that can be given to both women and men.
Calla is very beautiful, graceful flower that exudes subtle pleasant aroma. It helps improve immunity, eliminate stress and depression. Gives vigor and improves mood!
Description of the plant and species
Calla is a beautifully flowering representative of the Araceae family, whose homeland is considered to be South Africa. The plant delights with its austere, amazing beauty and many colors.
The calla lily houseplant has bare stems with large leaves shaped like a heart or an arrowhead. Tall peduncles at the top turn into a single-petal flower, which consists of a spadix and a funnel-shaped bract.
Many varieties of calla lilies of various colors have been bred, including even black. Popular types:
Now you know everything about growing calla lilies in a pot and caring for the flower at home.
Callas are a perennial of the Aronica (Araceae) genus. The main place of growth is South America and Africa. Its relative is the marsh calla (calla lily). This is the only representative of its genus that grows only in the Northern Hemisphere.
This flower is also called Ethiopian calla or Richardia. This favorite plant many gardeners because of the spectacular unusual flower And beautiful leaves. It is suitable for both open ground and indoor growing.
Among the eight main types of calla lilies, there are 3. They are used by breeders to obtain new varieties.
Ethiopian calla (Calla aethiopica)
This is a variety of tall calla lilies characterized by large foliage. Under natural conditions, its height reaches 1 m. This is a rhizomatous plant and during the dormant period it does not shed its leaves or go into hibernation. Only its growth stops. The flowers are predominantly white or green.
Popular varieties:
Nicholas- a plant 1.5 m high. The leaves are dark green in color, large flowers (diameter more than 10 cm) are greenish. Suitable for growing in open ground.
Green goddess- a variety with unusually beautiful funnel-shaped flowers of a bright green hue. Plant height is about 0.9 m. Suitable for both open ground and indoor growing.
Albomaculata- plant with white large flower in the form of a candle. It is characterized by the aroma of vanilla.
Schone Zweibrückerin- a tall plant (1 m) with dark green flowers, which are covered with a waxy light coating. The flower reaches 15 cm in diameter. Its heart-shaped leaves are light green in color.
Calla rehmannii
A low-growing variety with a height of up to 0.5 m. A plant with narrow green leaves up to 30 cm, which shed when going into winter dormancy. Small flowers of red, burgundy or pink. Reproduction using tubers. Suitable for growing indoors.
Popular varieties:
Evening- the variety is distinguished by its uniqueness. The flowers are dark, sometimes black-blue or black-lilac. There are varieties with a purple border.
Indian summer- This is a rare variety with unusual compact forms. The flower is bright red with a hint of garnet color.
Chameleon- the variety is ideal for growing in pots. A plant with dark green leaves that are covered with white speckles. The flowers have golden and peach tones.
Calla Eliotta (Calla elliottiana)
The plant is characterized by low height and large heart-shaped leaves with white dashes. The flowers are variegated, the inflorescences are yellow-green. This tuberous variety reproduces vegetatively.
Known varieties:
Yellow corner- one of the popular varieties of Calla Eliott. The color of the stem gradually turns from green to yellowish. A flower with a soft yellow, sunny tint. The leaves are bright green with speckles.
Vermeer- the plant is characterized by high decorative properties. Carved leaves with white specks. The edges of the flower are white with smooth transition in burgundy towards the stem.
Black-eyed beauty- the leaves of the plant are dark green in color with large white spots. wide flower light yellow in color with a deep purple center, in the center of which is a corn-yellow stamen.
How to grow callas in open ground
Callas are perfect for growing outdoors. Secured necessary care, they will delight with their flowering for a whole month.
The plant requires enough space in open fields. Doesn't tolerate daytime well summer heat. Therefore, it is good to plant next to shrubs or trees so that they create light partial shade.
Places where there are no drafts are selected for calla lilies. They can harm the plant.
Soil for calla lilies
The soil for growing plants must be fertile and slightly acidic. The ideal soil for a flower is a composition of peat and leaf humus, garden soil and sand. Before planting, be sure to perform drainage to prevent stagnation of water near the roots.
Since calla is a moisture-loving plant, it would be good to give it a place near a pond, where additional moisture will flow to the leaves from the air.
Planting callas in spring
To plant a flower in open ground, wait until the last frost has stopped and the soil and air have sufficiently warmed up. Usually this process is carried out in early May.
How to prepare planting material for planting
For this purpose, the use of strong and strong tubers is provided. In a wrinkled and limp state, they may not take root. Before planting, the tubers are processed. The purchased planting material is kept at the bottom of the refrigerator.
Having gone through all the stages, the tubers are ready for planting.
How to prepare a site for planting
The area must be cleaned and dug up, adding sand and leaf humus in equal proportions. Need to provide soil good drainage. By adding pine needles to attract earthworms, the soil is acidified. It is necessary to use a mineral complex fertilizer.
Planting tubers in the ground
Plants are placed in the wells prepared in advance at a depth of 5–10 cm. The holes are spaced no more than 0.4 m apart. The size of the tubers is taken into account. They should not be pressed into the ground. The tubers are lightly sprinkled on top.
Many gardeners in early spring plant tubers immediately in shallow pots that have been previously disinfected and the soil has been calcined in the oven. Planting depth is 3 cm. In order for the plant to awaken, in April they are placed on a balcony or in a greenhouse. When transplanting, the tuber is transferred with a lump of earth very carefully to avoid breaking the fragile roots.
Don’t worry if there are no shoots in the first 14 days. The sprouts do not stretch upward until they are formed. root system, which lasts almost 30 days.
Planting callas in autumn
Calla lilies are not planted in open ground in the fall. Before the onset of cold weather, they will not take root and will die.
Caring for calla lilies
Like many ornamental plants, calla lilies are needed special care. If they are created optimal conditions cultivation, the flowering period will begin 2 months after planting, and will continue until the arrival of the first cold weather.
Watering and spraying for calla lilies
The plant is characterized by the following physiological feature - elementary education root system followed by germination. In order for the roots to form correctly, the tubers are not watered for 2 weeks after planting until the first shoots appear. This will happen in about 3 weeks. During watering, you must ensure that water does not get on the tubers.
It is better to moisten the soil around the edges of the hole. When the first leaves appear, you can water regularly in moderate amounts up to twice a week, taking into account weather conditions.
If it’s cool outside, reduce watering; if it’s cold hot weather- increase. Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged or dry.
Feeding when caring for callas
Adding humus to the hole when planting will allow you to feed the plant only mineral fertilizer in compliance with exact proportions. Otherwise, nitrogen in excess amounts will provoke increased growth of green calla lilies, which will negatively affect flowering. Liquid fertilizers with a balanced content of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen - best option when choosing fertilizer.
If the soil is not provided with humus, mullein diluted in water is added throughout the season in a ratio of 1:10.
If there is no need to collect seeds after flowering, it is worth cutting off the peduncle. This will extend the flowering time.
Callas can withstand temperatures of -2°C. In places with harsher climates it is grown as an annual plant. Before night frosts set in, the faded plant is dug up, preserving the green part. It is left indoors at a temperature of +5 - 10°C for 14 days.
At this time, nutrients transfer from leaves to rhizomes and tubers. After two weeks, the leaves are cut off, and the tubers are washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried. At the final stage, the tubers are placed in well-ventilated packaging and stored at a temperature of +5 - 15 ° C until spring.
Maintaining the temperature regime during the dormant period is necessary for further flowering, since it is at this time that the formation of a flower bud occurs.
Recommendations for growing calla lilies at home
In cold climates, where cold winters and cool summers prevail, calla lilies are unlikely to grow in a flower bed. Callas with compact rhizomes are planted in pots and grown indoors.
Features of cultivation
The natural habitat for calla lilies is river openings with a mild and warm climate. When growing it at home, it is necessary to control soil moisture, especially during the growing season.
When forming a peduncle it is required a long period lighting (at least 12 hours).
To successfully grow this plant, it requires a certain period of rest. Given our climatic conditions, this time falls in winter.
Choosing a pot and soil
This process should be given due attention. To grow Ethiopian calla lilies, select enough big pot, the diameter of which is at least 40 cm and the height is 0.5 m. If you use a small container for planting, in case of feeding only the green part will develop and flowering will not occur.
For the potty must be provided drainage holes. Pebbles or expanded clay should be placed on the bottom.
When choosing soil for planting, they prefer porous structures. Thereby excess moisture leaves the pot, providing the plant with natural respiration. Usually it consists of peat (1 part), sand (1 part), leaf humus (1 part), turf soil (2 parts). You can prepare it yourself, or purchase it at the store.
Planting calla lilies indoors
The planting process is almost the same for both cases. The bulbs are laid to a depth of about 10 cm. When planting several bulbs in a decorative container, maintain a distance of 12 cm. This will allow the roots to develop well.
Features of care
Due to the peculiarities of the origin and structure of calla lilies, caring for it is somewhat different compared to other indoor plants.
Lighting
Calla needs good lighting throughout the year. It is best to grow it in indirect sunlight. The plant feels its deficiency especially in winter - there may be no flowering, only the development of stems is noted.
For white callas, lighting is required during the dormant period. In colored varieties, due to its deficiency, the characteristic color is lost.
Optimal temperature
For all types of callas, the combination of high temperature and low humidity is destructive. This creates favorable soil for pests. When there is a sharp change in temperature, plants stop blooming.
For white varieties, the temperature is maintained at +18 - 20° C during the growing season, for colored varieties - +20 - 24° C.
Watering and spraying
Growing callas indoors, Special attention pay attention to watering. Plants require regular watering and moist soil. Dryness causes growth to stop. White callas that grow in swampy areas especially need moisture.
During their active growth, watering should be plentiful, and is carried out when the top layer of soil dries up to 1 cm. After 15 minutes, the remaining water is drained.
Colored callas do not need such watering. Water should not stagnate in the pan; this can cause rotting of the root system. The water temperature for irrigation should be +18 – 22° C. It is required only when the soil dries to 3 cm.
To create comfortable conditions for the flower, the humidity in the room should be 70 - 80%. To help the plant, it is sprayed 2 times a day. Wiping the leaves with a wet cloth and placing damp expanded clay or moss on a tray will do.
Callas predict changes in weather. When dewdrops appear on leaves and blankets, rain can be expected.
Necessary feeding
As plants are planted in a pot, their roots grow and fill the pot, absorbing all the useful elements from the soil. If calla ate is constantly kept indoors, it needs timely feeding and complex fertilizer. This will allow the flower to develop properly.
If the plant does not receive full warmth and sunlight, it needs fertilizer and feeding.
For this purpose, universal complex fertilizers are used at intervals of 1 time in 2 weeks. The use of nitrogen fertilizers is unacceptable until the flower begins to bloom. As a top dressing, urea or infused water is added to the soil. eggshells. Such procedures must be carried out carefully. When there is an excess of fertilizers, the edges of the leaves turn yellow and dry out, or even die.
Caring for calla lilies after flowering
After flowering, plants need to establish the desired temperature regime, proper lighting, watering, humidity and fertilizing. These conditions will help the flower move from one stage to another harmoniously, without stress.
White callas are characterized by slow winter growth. Their flowering occurs in winter and spring. They rest in the summer. And the cessation of growth of colored callas and the falling of leaves occurs in winter and ends in March-April.
Reproduction
By dividing the rhizome
One of available ways Calla lilies are propagated by division of the rhizome. During the period of active growth, abundant growth occurs, which surrounds the mother rhizome. Having dug it up for the winter, the root shoots and the main stem are separated and planted in pots. In spring they can be planted in a flower bed.
Propagation of flowers from bulbs
When growing calla lilies, their bulbs are quickly overgrown by children. If you do not replant it annually, the entire surface of the soil will be covered with young shoots, which will make caring for them difficult. Transplanting plants from one such pot will allow you to obtain planting material in sufficient quantity.
When removing a tuber from the soil, you must carefully manually separate each child with a bud. It can be used for planting, both in open ground and in a pot. A slight delay in extracting the bulbs leads to the fusion of the children and the mother tuber. Then the rhizome is simply broken into several parts.
To sprinkle the resulting wounds, use crushed coal.
Propagation using seeds
Calla lilies can reproduce using seeds. The presence of pollinating insects indoors is not always observed. Often, to obtain seed, pollen is transferred from one flower to another by hand with a brush.
There is no need to store seeds. Fresh ones have better germination. Once collected, immediately wrap in a damp cloth and leave in a warm room. After two days they will begin to hatch. The swollen seeds are sown in moist soil to grow seedlings.
To prevent rotting, do not water before emergence.
To moisten the soil, the tray is filled with water, which flows through the drainage holes. The dry top layer of soil is sprayed with a spray bottle.
When the first shoots appear, the pot is placed in a bright place and the temperature is maintained at +22°C. The seedlings are planted in separate flowerpots after two months, and the plants are planted in a permanent place after a year.
Some flower growers do not practice picking; they sow 2 swollen grains in glasses. Having chosen a strong one from among the emerging shoots, it is left, and the other one is thrown away or transplanted into another pot.
Young plants require watering as the soil dries out.
Diseases and pests
Callas at home are affected by aphids and spider mites. A soap solution applied to the leaves will help get rid of pests. If this remedy does not produce results, insecticides are used for treatment.
High humidity provokes damage to the flower by fungal diseases in the form of:
- gray rot - the appearance of a grayish coating on flowers and leaves. Fungicides are used for treatment;
- brown rot - drying of leaves and peduncles. To eliminate this, stop watering, add hydrogel to the soil, and treat calla lilies with fungicides;
- bacterial rot - darkening of the bases of leaves and peduncles with gradual withering and yellowing of the ground part. The disease has practically no cure; the affected plants are destroyed;
- anthracnose - appearance and gradual increase brown spots on the leaves until a reddish circle with a light center forms. The affected parts are removed and the entire plant is treated with fungicides.
By following the basic conditions for keeping and caring for callas, the occurrence of diseases and pests can be avoided.
It is more practical to grow cut flowers in winter garden or greenhouse. And in an apartment or house, flowerpots with calla lilies will become a magnificent interior decoration that creates a good mood.