SEPERATING CALLA LILY BULS

OBVIOUSLY ZONE 6B REQUIRES THAT YOU LIFT MOST CALLA BULBS AND STORE DURING WINTER. IN SPRING OF 2012 I DECIDED TO DIVIDE MY CALLA BULBS AND EITHER THEY DID NOT LIKE DIVISION OR THE SUMMER DROUGHT KILLED THEM? FROM THE TIME I PLANT THE CALLA BULBS TO THE TIME I LIFT THE CALLA BULBS THEY GROW CONSIDERABLE. SHOULD I DIVIDE THEM OR JUST LEAVE THEM EACH SPRING WHEN IT IS TIME TO REPLANT THEM?

I love Callas, l leave them alone for few seasons, when they are not flowering well, it is because their rhizome has been propagating over those seasons and they pile up over each other underground, they overcrowd the plant and there is not enough space or nutrient for the plant to flower properly, that is the time I do divide them.

Brenda, when you lift them from the ground, you can bring them inside and keep them in the basement and mimic your outdoor conditions, just a little warmer.

Most of my callas don't make through the winter, but in two locations they must be well protected because they are coming back each year.

Callas (zantedeschias) are not true lilies even though they are also called arum lilies. They are not really aroids, but they have more similarities. The colorful portion is a bract. They send up a spike (spadix) on which there are many tiny flowers. I don't divide the bulbs unless they are dividing themselves.

I treat them like the caladiums, which are foliage plants, and about a zone 9 or 10. I bring them in during the cold weather and water lightly until their "rebirth" when they come out of dormancy. Many gardeners overwinter warm weather bulbs in sawdust, newspaper, hulls, net bags or other materials, but I have the best luck in standard potting soil, watering lightly only when it becomes dry. When they start to sprout, I give them a lot more light and more water and a tiny bit of food.

Unfortunately this was not the best year for callas for us. Most of them bloomed but were somewhat of a disappointment.

Photo 1 is a container of callas. Photo 2 is are the inground plants that have come back for the 3rd year. Maybe they are just strong stock. The 3rd photo is a container with both caladiums and callas. Photo 4 is what I had hoped all the callas would resemble but didn't. The sunset colors are my favorite.

You might find some additional on the bulbs forum or http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3951/

If you put zantedeschia in the search box, you will access some worthwhile articles.

Cathy,

Thanks for your response and sharing of pictures. Now tell me what you mean by: I don't divide the bulbs unless they are dividing themselves.

Is this what you consider dividing themselves? Reason for my asking is that when I planted my bulbs in later spring, in the ground, they were only a 2" or less maximum circumference bulb with maybe one eye. When I dug them a month back the bulbs had really increased in size. I remember one in particular that was probably 6-8 inches of bulb(s). This 6-8 inch dig had lots of what appeared to be eyes. Similar to what glad bulbs look like in the spring, but just imagine holding 6 or 8 together. So, for next years planting, should I cut this large bulb bundle apart or leave it like it is and plant it?

I love how you described the yellow calla (sunset colors). Very special colors, I agree. The white ones seem so Victorian and dainty.

Your caladiums sure look healthy - and that is a beautiful speckled one. I think the caladium bulbs are temperamental. When I have dug them in the past after a light frost, it seems I dig and dig trying to find something bigger than what they really are.

Stands to reason that the calla would be in the arum family as their seedpods are a lot alike. Must be kin to the Jack-in-the-Pulpit, too.

I would have thought that your area would have been in a more northern zone than mine. That is interesting.

Appreciate your help.

Brenda

Brenda - The clusters will eventually separate on their own. I think this is what Cathy meant. You can also help these clusters along by gently breaking them apart. Some will be ready to separate and some will not. I wouldn't force those that are not ready.

I have found that the callas in my area tend to do better by planting them in pots. I don't think the ground warms up as quickly here than it does in some of the zones that are south of me.

I haven't had much luck with calla lilies. I remember my great grandmother had them along the edge of her house next to a cement fish pond (about 5' across and who knows how deep - city made the owners fill it in as it was a hazard). I had read that they only bloom during the winter so obviously that won't work here. And I did try pots. Can you suggest types that might do better here if planted in pots and brought in with the growing horde of live stuff I have to store all winter inside. lol

Mary - they are not hardy to my zone either. I typically pot mine up in May and put them out. My sister likes to pot her's up in February and she is in Chicago. I believe she enjoys her callas' inside. You may want to try my sister's regime for callas.

I may just do that. Then put them out if it ever gets above 65. :)

Mary, I don't truly know if it needs to be above 65 degrees, only that they take their time growing. There are a few bulbs still in the gardens, and due to what I consider a moderate winter, they continue to exist. Although the bulbs planted inground have always done best, I plant callas solely in containers, staggering the plantings so that there will be a continuous bloom. Sometimes I stick them in with some pretty caladiums, which are strictly warm soil plants.

I love to share, and these pots of pretty plants make lovely gifts, a relatively inexpensive part of me. The worst part is the cost of containers on which I try to stock up early in the season.

Plants that need a warmer/longer growing season to flourish seem very happy starting indoors. If you are expecting a freeze, you can always grab the pots and bring them indoors. In our corner of the world, spring often starts with warm days but not so warm nights, and I can be seen rushing around in the evenings, stuffing the pots of young plants into the car (always an entertaining sight).

Cathy,

What an interesting thought of you rushing around, and protecting your potted plants by stuffing the potted plants in your car for protection. Great idea!! Would never have thought of that. The other day I had to take the car to the local car wash to vacuum out dirt from one of my plant/bulb adventures, so I could relate to using the car for a plant emergency, then having to vacuum up the remnants of dirt. I have been known to throw towels and blankets over a few prized tender plants to prevent them from freezing. Though, I plant so many flowers, etc., it makes for more work for me to plant them in pots and then keeping them watered is a whole other issue. But it is nice to be able to moved potted plants from here to there as fillers are needed, etc.

Your gifting of plants was also an interesting read, and yes those containers can get expensive. At Antique Shops is sometimes a good place to find nice planters at reasonable prices. Just this week, I found a cream colored horses head (about 10" tall) that was a planter/vase. The horses mane was the open area of the vase, so I expect that will be an interesting plant/or arrangement.

How was your temp this morn? We had 17 and that made for a BURR early morn.

Very interesting to hear about others using their cars...LOL Back when I had a van and live in the north, I used the back end of the chevy van for plants. When we purchased the van it was for going to the dog shows, so the back, back bench was removed the moment we got home with it and was never used for 12 years we had the van. Long after the dogs shows, that real estate was to valuable to put a seat back into. LOL

Glad I'm not the only one.

Jan

I find inexpensive pots at places like Value Village and the Salvation Army.