What is happening to these calla lilies?

Hi all, hopefully I can get some good advice on what is going on with my calla lilie collection.

Please see the pics attached. I have two problems that I'd like some advice on:

1. Why do they not flower like they used to several years ago? You'll see in the wide shot that there are a LOT of plants now (I've never thinned them out in the last 4 years) and yet I only get one or two flowers. Could they be too crowded? If so, when is the best time to split them, and is there a best technique?

2. Why do the flowers that I do get go black in the middle? The pestal (is that the right word) turns black within the first week or 2 of when the flower appears. And the only other new flower to show up is grossly disfigured.. What is causing these conditions? Pics of the black pestal and the wierdly configured flower are included.

Thanks for the help!

Craig

zenhog, I hope you get some good answers because I wonder why mine don't flower much either.

I can't figure it out.. when they were first planted they flowered like crazy.. and the more crowded it gets in that spot, the less they flower. but I have a hard time making a connection between the crowding and not flowering. Hopefully we'll hear something helpful.

Do you fertilize your callas? I've always read they like lots of fertilizer and water. Maybe one of the bloom booster fertilizers would help. I can't imagine what the problem with the blackening of the bloom is. The blooms usually last much longer than that. I think I would separate them in the spring; some bulbs quit flowering when they're too crowded. Are they winter hardy for you?

No, I haven't fertilized them at all.

Yes, they are very winter hardy. But I make sure to have about 3 inches of bark mulch on top of them before winter hits and I think that the mild winters we have now makes a difference.

I bet that's it then, because they are fertilizer hogs. I know of 3 people growing them here in Ky that have had them survive the past 3 winters. The winters have been milder than usual, so I'm not going to chance it just yet (until I have enough extras to experiment with). Yours look like they're in a protected spot which helps a lot. Even though they're not blooming much, yours still have such attractive leaves they're really showy anyway. Good luck with more blooms next year!

Zenhog - I am in St. Louis, MO. Do you think it is safe to leave mine in the ground for the winter? Wow, wouldn't that be great if I didn't have to dig them up.

I think it may be because you're awfully far north for callas - but you did say they used to flower and I assume they were outside. Try digging the roots up and splitting them, and then replanting. Mine have flowered 3 years in a row now and I do nothing special to them.

Crystalnurse: If you want to give it a try, do it. Mine are on the west side of the house so they are getting a pretty bad winter exposure yet they make it fine. I do put about 3" of mulch on top of them for the winter, though. In the past I hadn't cut them back but this year I will.

I haven't pulled mine out since I put them in around 1999 or 2000 and they just keep getting better and better. In fact I'm going to split them in half - leave half in the ground and store the other half. I was told that they are so crowded that it may be affecting their flowering. I'm also getting convinced that I have to do a better job of fertilizing.

I was told by a nursery that calla lillies only flower for a few years and then are "spent". I'm going to start a new thread with that comment and see what answers come.

Craig

This message was edited Nov 6, 2005 3:10 PM