How to Get Calla Lilies to Flower

The simple elegance of the common calla lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica, can provide accent touches to any home or office. This plant typically blooms for four to six weeks during late spring or early summer, and some varieties may treat their keeper with a second flowering in the fall. Your calla will refuse to bloom if environmental conditions don’t satisfy it. For all its exotic good looks, the calla is surprisingly easy to maintain. While it’s true that this beauty can be a fussy bloomer, its needs are simple and the rewards are well worth the effort.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Small pebbles
• Balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer

1. Set your calla lily near a sunny window that receives plenty of bright, direct sunlight all morning. These plants require at least four to five hours of sunshine daily to bloom. They can tolerate light shade during afternoon hours.
2. Provide a comfortable temperature for your plant. Heat-loving callas thrive in summer and fall temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They like it a little cooler during winter and spring, when the preferred range is between 60 and 75 F.
3. Scatter some small pebbles in the calla lily’s drip saucer. Set the pot on top of the pebbles to keep it out of water that may drain from the pot into the saucer.
4. Water your calla lily thoroughly throughout the growing season. Keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy or wet. Don’t allow it to dry out completely.
5. Empty the tray under the calla’s pot as water drains into it. Don’t allow these plants to stand in water.
6. Feed your calla lily a good balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer throughout the growing season. Follow the packaging instructions carefully.
7. Lift and divide the rhizomes of large, congested clumps of calla lilies in the fall from September through October if you’ve noticed a significant reduction in blooming. Divide these plants every 2 or 3 years.

Tips & Warnings

• If the edges of the calla lily’s foliage is full and lush with no signs of blooming, the plant may be receiving too much nitrogen. This will also cause the edges of the leaves to turn brown. Switch to a fertilizer with a lower nitrogen content, indicated by the first number listed on the package.