Calla lilies garden - growing, care and reproduction

Most often graceful calla lilies we are used to seeing in cut bouquets. Although flower shops have been selling potted species of this beautiful plant for quite some time.

Content:

• Requirements for growing conditions
• Caring for garden calla lilies
• How to propagate garden calla lilies
• Seed propagation
• Tuber propagation
• Reproduction by dividing the rhizome

But despite the fact that calla lilies are home to warm South Africa, they can be grown in the conditions of the gardens of our climatic zone.

From the same southern regions, they once arrived in our latitudes and gladioli... However, they require much more effort in growing and caring than garden calla lilies.

Requirements for growing conditions

In order for the cultivation of these flowers to be successful, they need to choose a shaded place in the garden, and it is advisable to choose a weakly acidic and fertile soil. If the soil on the site is too clayey, you can improve it for planting garden calla lilies by adding sand and peat.

If you plant calla lilies in an overly lit area in the garden, you can get very lush leaves to the detriment of flowering.

In height, these flower plants, depending on the variety, can range from low - 30 cm to fairly tall specimens - 1.5 meters. So before buying, study the varietal characteristics of the calla lilies you like in more detail.

In addition, the types of calla lilies can differ in the underground part: some have tubers, while others have branched and powerful rhizomes. In the first case, plants can be propagated using tubers, and in the second, by dividing the bush.

In natural conditions, calla lilies can most often be found growing along the banks of reservoirs, therefore, in your garden, give them a place near an artificial pond or a small fountain.

Caring for garden calla lilies

Watering is necessary in moderation, but nevertheless regular. Increase the amount of applied water only in hot, dry weather.

In the phase of enhanced growth, it will be necessary to make fertilizers... Since calla lilies love acidified soils, they need to be watered with acidified water about three times a summer. To do this, you can use citric or acetic acid diluted in water in the proportion of one tablespoon of acid per bucket of water.

With the beginning of autumn and the onset of the first frosts (most often already in September), calla lilies must be dug from the flower bed directly from the aboveground part of the plant.

For about a week, the dug plants should be kept in a well-ventilated room at room temperature. After 7 days, the leaves from the plants are cut off and the roots are removed from the tubers.

For winter storage, tubers must be placed in a cool dry room with a temperature of about + 5-10 degrees. If you have a basement, then this is the best place for wintering. If not, you can put the tubers in paper bags and place them in the lower drawer of the refrigerator for vegetables.

In the absence of paper bags, it is permissible to store calla tubers in plastic bags, but it is necessary to put sawdust in them to prevent rotting.

How to propagate garden calla lilies

For the propagation of callas, tubers, rhizomes and plant seeds are suitable.

Seed propagation

When propagating by seeds, you can use the seed immediately in the open field, or you can first germinate them indoors and grow seedlings.

It is preferable, of course, to plant germinated seeds, since such plants will bloom much earlier.But seed propagation is used extremely rarely, since it will take too long to wait for the plants to mature and bloom.

Tuber propagation

When reproducing tubers in early March, they must be examined, and healthy, dry ones with noticeable tubercles - growth points - must be selected. The tubers are planted with the growth points upward and the rounded side down.

Before planting, nodules are recommended to be kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a couple of hours to prevent possible rotting.

If damage is found on the surface of the tuber, you need to clean it and treat this place with ordinary brilliant green. Let it dry for a while and only then plant it in the ground.

If you want to plant the tubers immediately in open ground in the garden area, without prior germination, then this should be done only when warm weather is established without night frosts. The approximate time for planting in open ground is the month of May.

Leave a distance of 20x20 cm, 35x35 cm or even 50x50 cm between the tubers, depending on the varietal characteristics of the growth of your plant.

Reproduction by dividing the rhizome

Garden callas with tree-like rhizomes are propagated by dividing the mother bushes. In the fall, a piece of rhizome (root baby) is broken out while preserving the maximum clod of earth and then placed in a spacious pot. In winter, babies should be stored in a humid room with a temperature of + 12-15 degrees.

In the spring, children begin to sprout and by about the end of May they can already be planted in open ground as independent plants.