For a genus Calla lily , a container is like an ATV , appropriate the plant to boldly venture into new territory with style .
In the container - free wild , aZantedeschiaand its beauty are enclose to the humble ground .
But in the garden , thanks to skunk and planters and the like , the arresting calla lily lily can really go position , in both the strong-arm and metaphoric sense .
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A plethora of possible placement options live . It can lounge by the terrace , thrill on the porch , sit at the table as a centrepiece … Aside from logistics and growing conditions , the only terminal point to a genus Calla lily ’s range is your imagination , really .
But just like riding a quad bike , it ’s probably best to know what you ’re doing before you jump in .
There ’s a lot of lap with in - groundZantedeschiacultivation , but containerized calla lilies still warrant their own hardening of instructions .
Here ’s everything we ’ll cover in this guide :
What You’ll Learn
Why Choose Container Growing?
This was touched on a bit above , but it ’s worth rehash .
Accessibility
A calla lily in a pot is typically positioned higher off the ground than in - priming plantings , which makes the plant life a lot easier to work with for nurseryman with back botheration and/or tight hamstring .
If you ’re prostrate to bend - and - strain harm in the garden , do n’t wait for a flare - up to make an ergonomic change !
Flexibility
In - ground plantings takewaymore effort to move from place to place than containerized plantings .
The former must be cut into out of the ground , moved to a new fix that you also had to dig , established in its new nursing home … it ’s a whole thing .
But for a container that you want to put elsewhere , it ’s as simple as pick it up , walking it over to a Modern home , and specify it down . promiscuous - peasy .
Style
From an aesthetic standpoint , there ’s not much you could do with territory .
Sure , you’re able to alwaysdress it up with some new mulchoramend it with some compost , but as far as decorating goes , dirt is n’t a great medium .
Stylistically , container leave you with a wad more choice – shape , size , coloring material , and material are all customizable !
Choosing a Calla Lily, Container, and Growing Medium
With flowers that come in various shade of red , orange , icteric , pink , and royal , as well as unmixed ol’ smuggled and ashen , aZantedeschialeaves a gardener with quite the color palette to work with .
Eight different mintage , various hybrid , an miscellanea of cultivar … options bristle for container planting .
For help in figuring out which you want to utilise , check outour writeup on some of the bestZantedeschiaspecimens .
Zantedeschiatypically strive a height and width of two to three feet and one to two ft , severally .
Therefore , you ’ll need a 12- to 16 - inch container or possibly something larger to start .
ensure it has hole at the bottom to allow for ample drain . You would n’t want to have rotted roots on your hands !
There are many dissimilar container materials to choose from . Each has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost , appearance , weight , durability , and other factors .
To help in your decisiveness - devising , here ’s a thorough breakdown on the pros and cons of various container material .
Just a head - up , though : you unquestionably require to avert a material that dries out quickly , such as unglazed ceramic .
Tooptimally handle for your calla lily , then you should provide a well - drain , fecund , and slightly acidulous growing medium .
To make the metier yourself , habituate two partspeat moss , one part perlite , and one part coarse George Sand .
Peat moss will aid in moisture retention , while the perlite and vulgar sand will help to provide aeration and prevent water - logging .
For those who really want to check a pH of 5.6 to 6.5 , sum elemental sulfur orlimestoneas needed to depress or produce the soil pH.
Afast - acting soil testthat appraise pH – such as this onesold by Luster Leaf on Amazon – can be helpful in shape which direction your pH demand to go .
Luster Leaf Soil Test Kit
Along with its moisture - keep on dimension , compost can be added as involve to increase birth rate . work an in or two into the medium every spring is a good place to set out .
You could also bribe a premade smorgasbord , if you ’d like .
Miracle Gro Tropical Potting Mix
A high - quality , well - enfeeble tropical potting commixture like this one from Miracle Gro that’savailable from Home Depotin six - dry quart packages should work just ok .
With your choice of average , fill up your container about an in or so timid of the lip . Now it ’s time for planting !
Planting, Placement, and Container Care
The good time for planting is in springiness , after the last frost . If you ’re growing indoorZantedeschia , timing does n’t weigh quite as much .
plant do n’t use calendars to tell what meter of year it is , only the ambient condition .
Take your calla lily – whether as a potted transplant in soil , section , or dormant rhizome – and swallow up the rootstalk three to four inches deep in the plaza of the media , with the leafy development points or nodes facing up .
Backfill and deeply weewee in yourZantedeschia . roaring , planted !
For outdoor growing , leave the container in full to fond sun – less light in red-hot climates , more Sunday in moderate ones .
For a specimen grown indoors , place it in a spot where it can plume up as much bright , direct light as potential , and ensure the ambient temperatures are at least 65 ° F .
Irrigation - wise , a Zantedeschia aethiopica lily have it away to sit down in constantly dampish dirt . Stick a finger an column inch deep into the media to mark off for moisture .
If you find moisture , you may keep back off on watering . palpate sobriety , and you should water the medium deeply and soundly until it ’s saturated and body of water starts to dribble out the bottom of the container .
Avoid splashing the leave !
These plant are big feeders , so be sure to provide some nutrients every two weeks via a balanced plant food , adulterate down to half - strength .
Jack ’s Classic All Purpose Fertilizer
try on this water - soluble , 20 - 20 - 20 NPK fertilizer from JR Peters , available on Amazon .
If you get to notice that yourZantedeschiais becoming a lilliputian cramped or rootbound , it may be time to repot it .
Gently repeal the flora out of its container and place it into one that ’s an inch or two wider in diam , filled with a similar potting mix .
Be thrifty to keep off damaging the roots , and be extra persevering about keeping the stain moist .
Come early fall , arum lily lily will start to enter dormancy .
For outside specimen in Zones 8 to 11 , cease lachrymation and fertilizing them during this time , and move them to a dark , shaded area until after the final frost date the next spring .
Zantedeschiain more northerly climate will perish if left outside for the winter .
These industrial plant – along with specimens in Zones 8 to 11 that you ’d rather not go dormant – can be make for within for the winter until springtime .
See our guide to calla lily winter tending for more information .
Contain(er) Your Enthusiasm
Just kid … you know how to grow calla lilies in container , for cry out loud . handle yourself to a red-blooded fist ticker !
Now that you ’ve put on a new horticulture acquirement , find detached to divvy up your know - how with a friend ! Or post them this guide , if you feel so inclined .
require tolearn ? Then have a gander at these guides next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photos via Home Depot , Luster Leaf , and JR Peters . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Joe Butler
