Calla Lily Care Guide – Picking, Placing, and Parenting Your Plant
If you are a regular buyer of flower cuttings or bouquets, or just love flowers in general, you probably know what calla lilies are. What you might not know is that you can also buy them as potted plants.
Table of Contents
The Many Colors of Calla Lilies
Calla lilies come in a variety of colors, just like their cut flower counterparts. There are a few things you need to be aware of before you buy a calla lily, and that’s what we’re going to cover in this article. We’ll discuss what to look out for when you’re buying a calla lily, what to expect after you buy it, how to take care of it while it’s alive, and any potential pitfalls that might arise as you care for this plant.
Short-Term Beauty: What to Expect
When buying a calla lily, the primary concern is its appearance. You’re purchasing this plant purely for its short-term aesthetics. In four to six weeks, or a bit longer if kept in perfect conditions, the plant will eventually wilt and die. At that point, you can replant your bud. Outdoor gardeners are familiar with this cycle, but indoor plant parents might not be.
Choosing the Perfect Plant
If you’re looking for a short-term gift that can last up to eight weeks, a calla lily is a perfect choice. When selecting a plant, focus on its appearance. You can choose from a variety of colors, including pink, white, yellow, and dark red. Look for a plant that appeals to you visually.
Where to Place Them
Maximizing Light for Longevity
After bringing your calla lily home, ensure it receives as much light as possible. Although it’s not an evergreen plant, you want it to last for six to eight weeks. The more light it gets, the longer it will stay alive. Place your calla lily as close to a window as possible.
Considerations for Bright Light
It’s very unlikely that you will burn this plant if you live in an area with heavily tinted windows, such as the UAE. The tint filters out light, preventing the plant from burning. The plant’s leaves retain moisture well, so it’s not likely to dry out quickly. Ensure it receives bright, direct light for optimal longevity. If you have a dark window, consider using a grow light to provide additional illumination.
How to Take Care of Your Calla Lily
Watering Needs
Calla lilies prefer their soil to dry out slightly between waterings, typically between 30% to 50%. Once the soil is dry, water the plant thoroughly until excess water drains from the bottom. Allow the excess water to drain completely before returning the plant to its spot.
Additional Tips
Short-Term Commitment
Since calla lilies are not evergreen, you don’t need to worry about fertilizing or repotting them. They are a short-term plant that looks good for about six to eight weeks. If you’re a dedicated plant lover, you can regrow the plant after it wilts. Dry out the bud in a cold, dark room for two months before replanting it to enjoy new blooms.
Reusing Your Planter
When the plant’s life cycle ends, keep the planter for future use. It can house your next plant, making you a great calla lily foster parent for the short time you have it.
 *(Include an image of droopy leaves)* Some plants, such as calatheas, prefer moist soil at all times; otherwise, they develop that signature brown tissue damage on the leaves. The annoying thing here is that the damage cannot be reversed and can only be cut away, leaving you with a damaged plant. If the soil of your plant is bone dry, you'll notice that it's pulling away from the sides of the pot. This is because the soil has shrunk due to a lack of moisture, so make sure you are not letting this happen by watering a little more frequently. #### Signs Your Plant is Overwatered (darkgreen) Overwatering plants is a really common way that people kill their plants. Beginner plant enthusiasts often have a common misconception that houseplants need lots of water, but the reality is that these plants are native to hot climates where they may get periods of drought followed by large rain which rehydrates them. **Yellowing leaves** (red) can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem. If you are watering your plant too often and the soil is always wet, this can lead to root rot, which will begin to affect the leaves of your plant. **Limp and mushy leaves** (red) also indicate that you are overwatering your plant. This is particularly true with succulents such as Echeverias. Echeverias store water in their thick leaves and have difficulty storing excess water if you are watering your plant too often. This leads to mushy plants that eventually fall off.  *(Include an image of yellowing leaves)* Philodendron and Pothos plants tend to get mushy leaves that fall off if the soil is consistently soggy. My Philodendron Birkin recently developed some new brown leaves that fell off because I was overwatering it. Whereas crispy brown edges on leaves indicate an underwatering problem, if the whole leaves are turning brown, this tends to mean that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water. You may also notice some water droplets on the ends of the leaves of some of your plants. This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate that you are giving the plant too much water. Now, this tends to happen on plants that prefer drier soil, and I notice it quite often on my Philodendron Birkin and my Tradescantia Nanook. **Increased presence of fungus gnats** (red) can also be a sign that your plant is too moist. Fungus gnats like a moist top two inches of soil to breed and lay their eggs, so if your soil is wet, it creates a breeding ground for gnats. If you see lots of flea-like flies jumping around the top of your soil, I would just dial back on the watering and let the top two inches of the soil dry out before watering again. #### Watering Tips (darkgreen) It is important to allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out between waterings. This prevents the possibility of over-watering, which is one of the most common reasons people kill their plants. **Check the soil moisture** (red) before watering your plant by sticking your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels wet, leave it a few days and then check again. An even better way to check the soil moisture is to invest in a moisture meter. This device needs no batteries and tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil, giving you control over watering your plants.  *(Include an image of a moisture meter)* When you identify that your plant needs water, make sure you give it a thorough soaking. Take your plant to a sink area and soak the soil four or five times until water drains out of the bottom each time. This ensures that all the soil in the pot gets moistened and there are no dry patches. **Bottom watering** (teal) is a method that has changed the health of my plants since I implemented it a couple of years ago. Place your plant in a container of water and let it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method prevents water from getting on the leaves, which can cause leaf tissue damage. I hope this article was helpful. Now you know when to water your plants and when not to. Apply this knowledge to your plants and see the growth. Happy gardening! --- Incorporating these visual and formatting enhancements will make your article more attractive and engaging for your readers.](https://growinggaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-artempodrez-7242495-scaled.jpg)
