Garden calla , also often referred to as calla, calla or calla lily (Zantedeschia) is an African rhizome plant with sagittal leaves and beautiful flower cobs surrounded by a white or colored scabbard. As a plant that is not resistant to frost,garden calla requiresspecific growing conditions. We explain what is the bestdate for planting kali rhizomesand what to do to make it bloom beautifully, how to overwinter it and whether it is possible toreproduce callaon your own.
Garden calla lily, calla lily, calla lily, calla lily
Fig. freak, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
What does garden calla look like?
The colorful flowering plants offered under the name of garden callaare mostly hybrid varieties of several species of the genus Zantedeschia. These plants form lanceolate or ovate-heart-shaped green leaves, sometimes speckled, and fleshy root rhizomes, also referred to as shoot tubers (from a botanical point of view, these are underground stems). Beautiful inflorescences in the form of stiff flower cobs, mostly yellow in color, surrounded by a flower sheath, the color of which depends on the variety, appear at the top of the stiff flower stem.
The basic species isEthiopian calla(Zantedeschia aethiopica), which forms large, creamy-white flower sheaths up to 25 cm long, surrounding a yellow flask. It is sometimes crossed withElliot's calla(Zantedeschia elliotiana), which is distinguished by leaves covered with spots and the yellow color of the flasks, as well asRehmann's calla(Zantedeschia rehmanii) which forms pink flower vaginas and whitish cobs.
Garden calla lily, calla lily, calla lily, calla lily
Fig. tengel27, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
As a result of breeding works carried out mainly in the USA, South Africa and New Zealand, manyvery interesting varieties of callawere obtained, which we can admire in our gardens. These plants can reach 30 to 75 cm in height, and the flower vaginas can be white, greenish, yellow, orange, red, maroon, and even purple, such as in the 'Purple Sensation' variety, or almost completely black, as in varieties of 'Schwarzwalder' and 'Odessa'.
Callas can also be grown in pots
Fig. pixabay.com
The flowering date of the garden calla , grown outdoors, falls in summer (from June to August), but the varieties grown in pots can also bloom in the winter. After flowering, the garden calla goes into a dormant state which lasts about 2 months.
When to plant garden callas?
The deadline for planting garden calla lilies is March and AprilThe rhizomes are planted in pots on this date and stored in a moderately cool room at 15-16 ° C. They require moist soil to initiate the growth process. This is due to their natural conditions, because in the wild, they grow in periodically flooded or marshy areas. Thanks to their thick, fleshy rhizomes, callas can survive long periods of African drought and wake up with new rainfall. We must therefore map such conditions.
"When shoots appear, the plants should be placed in a bright place at an average room temperature, andto the garden you will be able to move the pots or plant the plants in flower beds after the period of frosts(after the so-called Cold gardeners), that is, from mid-May. In order to plant it in a bed, very carefully take the plant out of the pot and plant it with a lump of soil so as not to damage its roots.
Garden callas bloomabout 8-10 weeks after planting the tubers. "
Garden calla - cultivation
Calla garden requires a sunny position , although some varieties also tolerate light partial shade. The soil should be light and humus but at the same time sufficiently moist. Therefore, plants are usually planted in a fairly permeable substrate and regularly watered. They can also grow in moist soils near the edge of a pond.
Garden calla lily, calla lily, calla lily, calla lily
Fig. pixabay.com
There are often doubts about the recommendedsoil pH for growing garden calla liliesThis is due to the fact that Ethiopian calla prefers neutral or even slightly alkaline soils, while hybrid garden varieties usually they grow better in slightly acidic soils. If we are not sure about the requirements of our Calla Lily variety, it is best to plant it in a neutral soil.
Remember that before putting the pots outside or planting them in rebates in May,first get the plants used to the conditions outside , and in the first days after moving them in the garden, provide them with a little more shadow.
Garden callas should be watered regularly(in dry weather it is recommended to water every 3-4 days), and during the flowering period, fertilize with multi-component mineral fertilizers.
Garden calla lily, calla lily, calla lily, calla lily
Fig. pixabay.com
Garden calla - wintering
After flowering, usually in August,garden calla should be grown for a few more weeksso that its underground rhizomes have time to replenish supplies for the next growing season. During this period, we gradually reduce watering the plant and wait for the green leaves to turn brown.In September-October, dig up the calla rhizomes from the bed and transplant them into pots with peat , and then transfer them to a bright, cool room protected against frost.In winter, the access of the sun does not matter, because the plant is completely dormant. We winter garden callas in the cold, at a temperature of 2-10 ° C, until March, when we take the plants in pots to a warmer room.
Garden calla - reproduction
Spring periodafter wintering garden callas , when we take them to a warmer room, it is a good time to multiply the plants.Breeding garden callais not difficult. To do this, we take them out of the ground, divide the largest rhizomes, and then plant them again. However, we must take into account that in the first year, the rejuvenated plants will not bloom, but only produce leaves. Underground rhizomes need to grow and become stronger to bloom in 2 years.
