Picture: Calla Lily - Click the image for a guide to growing Calla Lilies. |
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Q: Calla Lilies in my yard are growing 4 feet tall but as soon as they bloom the flowers turn brown. I'd also like to dig them up and move to them another location in my yard. When should I dig them up? How can I prevent them from browning? And how do I get them to grow tall and straight?
Hardiness Zone: 10a
Thank you in advance!
Windella From Pasadena, CA
A: Windella,
There are several things I don't know about your situation, so I'll do my best to speculate. Callas are native to swampy marshlands and need a lot of water, so make sure you are keeping their soil moist at all times. Morning sun and afternoon shade is the ideal, and apply a light organic fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks during the active growing period, or simply side dress them with compost or well-rotted manure in the spring. You don't mention what color callas you are growing, but yellow and pink tend to be fussier than white and can be more difficult to grow. Some calla lilies exhibit a high sensitivity to salt (brown tips). Do you soften your water or use water with a fairly high salt content? If so, try switching to distilled water and see if that makes a difference. Floppy stems are usually the result of intense heat or underdeveloped root systems. In the late summer, callas naturally die back and more into a dormant period. Depending on the growing zone, this can last about 90 days. This rest period is the best time to transplant them.
Hope this gives you some ideas!
Ellen
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