Calla lilies are hardy perennial plants that offer a lot of variety and look very beautiful in the garden with their blooming flowers. It was originally imported from South America into the US. The white flowers of the Calla lily called spathes were look very exotic. The popularity of the lilies soared during the early years of the 20th century and this flower variety has become very popular today.

The Calla lilies are easy to grow in your garden, and it symbolizes beauty and purity. They are also called Wild Calla, Water Arum, Water Dragon, Bog Arum and Trumpet Lilies. Each plant can yield up to 30 flowers if grown under normal moist conditions. There are a wide variety of colors to choose from.

The Calla lilies are little delicate and should not be stressed with too much sunlight. The plants grow very well in damp areas. A dry garden would shorten the life span of the plant to just about a few weeks. Hence, when you want to grow a Calla lily in the greenhouse, you need to select an area which provides bright light in a partial shady environment.

While planting Calla lily, you need to have a relatively loose soil which is also well-drained. This means that the soil should not puddle for hours together after a heavy rain.

You need to prepare the soil in advance for planting. In order to maintain moisture and also a constant temperature in the soil, you can add mulch. You can also use some compost for the healthy growth of plants. You can add some organic material and raise the soil level by about 2 to 3 inches to ensure better drainage provisions.

Planting the knobby tubers is better than growing the lilies from seed. The Calla lily tubers should be dried out before planting by placing them in an area which is well-ventilated. Ensure that they become hardened and there is no more problem of frost.

Plant these tubers at a depth of about 2 inches into the soil. It is better if the top of the tubers are exposed while planting. Do not push the bulbs too deep into the soil. The foliage should be pointing upwards. The spacing between the lily bulbs should be at least one foot.

When you water the bulbs, ensure that the soil does not soak in water but just remains moist. Under moist soil conditions, you can expect Calla lily to bloom fully in just around 60 days after planting.

You can reuse the Calla lily tubers for more than 2 years by digging the bulbs during the autumn after there is no more foliage. You can safely store the tubers in peat moss and place them in a cool dry place. The bulbs can be then planted the following spring. Ensure that the bulbs do not dry out so that the growth of these plants would be quick next spring. The Calla lilies can deck up small pots very well in their full bloom.

Jason Ladock

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