Plant Doctor Archive

Water Gardens — Calla lilies

LAST year I planted calla lilies in huge pots and had a beautiful show of blooms. This year I replanted the bulbs in a sunny, open position in the garden. There was a mass of green leaves but no flowers. What's wrong? Should I lift the bulbs this year?

CALLA lilies can be tricky garden subjects - depending on the variety, the rhizomes have a reputation for putting on a stunning performance one year, followed by little or no flowers twelve months later. (Incidentally, the yellow varieties are more resilient than the red, orange and burgundy types.)

It does pay to lift and divide the bulbs every couple of years, or you can buy fresh rhizomes to guarantee a good display.

Bulbs in the garden can often miss the regular watering and feeding that bulbs in pots get. You could try replanting your callas in good, free-draining soil in full sun or part-shade. Soil that is always moist, yet well-drained, suits callas best.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.