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| Picture: Calla Lily - Click the image for a guide to growing Calla Lilies. |
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Hardiness Zone: 10a
Thank you in advance!
W From Pasadena, CA
A: W,
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
About The Author: Ellen Brown is our Green Living and Gardening Expert. Click here to ask Ellen a question! Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com
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