We live in Canada and moved 300 Km north this spring. My lillies where planted about mid-june and have grown well but have not flowered? I lift them every year. Any ideas?

We live in Canada and moved 300 Km north this spring. My lillies where planted about mid-june and have grown well but have not flowered? I lift them every year. Any ideas?

Hi! ruanich1975

We purchased Calla's this year for the first time, and have had the same problem.
Three area's come to mind. The amount of Sunshine, Outdoor temps. and how much water they received.

When I planted ours in our flower garden I didn't stop to consider its requirements. I did look at the plant tag, and thought I was satisfying what it was telling me, but I now know I was not.

Our Calla's were getting up to 10hours of Sun, but only 2hours directly.
And days would go by that I didn't think I needed to water, well, for next year their going to a much Sunnier spot, and I'll be watering them daily. When Calla's are in a marshy location they do remarkably well. I'm even considering utilizing a shallow basin, and creating its own "Marsh".

As for fertilization, I'll be doing bi-weekly with a low-nitrogen (as in bulb food or bone meal).

When purchased from a nursery or big box store, especially early in the growing season these types of plants are forced to bloom, but since you've had these for several years we can rule that out.

My Calla Lilies Will Not Bloom? Blog Archive Bloomin’ Blog (http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/calla-lilies-not-bloom/)

I was going to remove them early, but have since found out to wait till after the first frost, and I'm going to start them a month before our last frost date of May 20th. Minimum temp requirement of 50°F ~ 10°C

Calla Lily - Botany.com (http://www.botany.com/zantedeschia.html)

I was surprised to read that they are considered an invasive species in South Africa, and Australia. See the one negative comment in the Dave'sgarden link.
davesgarden PlantFiles: Detailed information on Arum Lily, Calla Lily, Large White Aethiopica Zantedeschia aethiopica (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/768/)

With my musing's on mine, and my DW's situation with our Calla's, I hope I have shed some light on yours.

Thank You for your Question.


K

Here's a pix of our Calla... When we purchased It. It had
Three blooms, they died off.
Two more pushed, they died off.
That little bit of yellow ring, center left is the last bloom.

All of the new blooms (3) were smaller, greener, and yellower
From the original creamy white as they matured.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_80cGISOzOds/SsPOdfxhdcI/AAAAAAAAA0s/kZ2p7h09DII/s400/100_1638.JPG

And the Info Tag...

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_80cGISOzOds/SsPOf2w1wUI/AAAAAAAAA0w/81nrufcj3Mk/s800/CallaLilyInfoTag.jpg

Light should be changed to "Mostly Sun", and the water to "lots".

Supposed to go to 42 tonight. Hopefully it will frost by the end of new month, and I can dig up, and store the bulbs.

I'll post before (storage) and after (before replant) pixs of the bulbs.

K

I live in zone 5a in Canada. Do I have to lift them in the fall or will they survive our winters?

Hi r75,
I merged your two posts as they pertain to the same topic. The redirect will expire at the end of 30days... k


I live in zone 5a in Canada. Do I have to lift them in the fall or will they survive our winters?

If your local temps go below 10°C for more than 48hours I'd pull 'em, as they have a minimum temp requirement of 50°F ~ 10°C
Botany.com (http://www.botany.com/zantedeschia.html)


Follow the lifting and storing procedure here, 'bout a third the way down:
Horticulture Herbaceous Ornamentals #315 (http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/lake/downloads/8783.pdf)
JD, there's a section on Dahlia's that might interest you, in the 'bove link.

As an experiment, you could leave one control group in over Winter, and see what happens...

K