Caring for coloured Zantedeschia (Calla) – Summer Care

After planting you rhizome (bulb) and getting it to the flowering stage the care is relatively simple. If you have a rhizome and need growing information please see your page on growing coloured Zantedeschia.

Once the nights are frost free (Ideally 6oC+) the plants can be placed outside. Coloured Zantedeschia like to grow in light, sunny, sheltered locations and suit patios, decks and terraces very well. The high light levels help to keep the plant compact and encourage more flowers.

Once the flowers appear the plants can be watered as needed. In hot or very hot weather this could be every other day or maybe every day. In cooler weather it could be a week or more. It is much better to allow the compost to nearly dry out between waterings. This means that the plant never gets waterlogged which can lead to problems. Overwatering is the biggest killer of coloured Zantedeschia. Incorporating a high potash liquid feed into the water every two weeks is beneficial to flowering both this year and in subsequent years. If the summer is a bit on the damp side it is worth moving the plant to a more sheltered position to allow it a chance to dry between soakings.

Yellowing and dropping leaves during the summer are a sign of overwatering and the plant need to be moved to a drier location to stand a chance of reversing the damage.