What to Do After My Calla Lily Blooms?

The Calla Plant

• Calla lilies come in many flower colors. White is one of the most common colors, but peach, pink, maroon, yellow and cream varieties also exist. The flowers of most colors have a subtle sweet scent. The plants are not winter-hardy in most zones, and will die back when temperatures drop in the fall. The plants are hardy in United States Department of Agriculture zones 8 to 10 and will survive all year. The leaves are long and wide and grow vertically from the base of the plant. The leaves form weeks before the first buds appear in early spring.

Flowering

• Flowers appear in mid- to late spring in most regions. They begin to bloom approximately 8 weeks after they are planted. The trumpet-like blooms last for up to two weeks, and then gradually fade. Deadhead, the blooms once they fade, but keep the foliage in place so that it continues to gather solar energy to store in the rhizomes for the next season. The rhizomes are important storage organs for the plant and hold carbohydrates for the formation of blooms the next year.

Overwintering

• Cut off the foliage when it begins to yellow and droop in late summer to early fall. If you are in the warm zones, place 3 inches of mulch over the plants to protect them from incipient low temperatures. Pull the mulch away from the plants as they begin to re-sprout in winter. In all other zones, dig the rhizomes up and allow them to dry for a couple of days. Brush off the dirt and store them in sphagnum moss in a paper bag in a location where it is 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and dry.

Planting

• Plant calla lily rhizomes when all danger of frost has passed. Temperatures should be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant the rhizomes 4 to 6 inches deep and 1 to 2 feet apart; plant them quite deeply to help provide support for the tall stems and heavy flowers. Before planting, work in organic matter such as compost, and ensure that drainage is adequate. Fertilize with a 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 plant food in spring.