Calla is a herbaceous perennial that belongs to the aroid family. There are other names: Callas and Aronnik. The homeland of this plant is considered the African continent. In conditions of such a climate, calla can grow up to two and a half meters in height. The plant has a fairly large, heart-shaped, arrow-shaped leaves. Calla blooms in small flowers, neatly wrapped in a large "bedspread", which creates something like a funnel. This makes the flower attractive to many gardeners.
Potted home calla, which everyone can care for, usually does not smell. But those plants that grow in the garden, in warm weather, exude a pleasant and delicate aroma reminiscent of pineapple in combination with vanilla. So, callas in pots: how to care?
Is it easy to grow callas?
Many believe that growing these plants at home is very difficult, since they require careful care. However, this is not at all true. According to experts, calla lilies in a pot, photos of which prove their beauty, are unpretentious, and no special tricks are needed to grow them. The main thing is to create optimal conditions that will be as close as possible to the natural plants for this. In fact, growing callas is not so difficult. To make the plant feel comfortable, you just need to follow a few rules.
Lighting
So, calla in a pot, care at home for which does not require much effort, is very demanding on light. In addition, it is a thermophilic plant. Two of these facts should be considered when choosing a place. This is one of the basic rules of success. Callas grow well in places where there is diffused sunlight or partial shade. There is another feature. Callam in the evening need a small portion of direct sunlight. For the formation of peduncles, these plants need daylight hours lasting more than 12 hours. This is one of the important conditions. After flowering, daylight hours should be at least 8 hours and not more than 10.
Watering and humidity
Calla is a water-loving plant. Do not forget about this. This is especially important when growing Ethiopian calla lilies. After all, this plant grows practically in a swamp, where there is a very high humidity not only of air, but also of soil.
Calla flowers in pots can have bunnies of different tones. This makes them popular among gardeners. Plants with colored bedspreads are not so demanding on moisture. However, do not forget about regular watering. The amount of water depends on the period. For example, during flowering, watering should be more plentiful, and at rest - moderate. Drying the soil in a pot is not recommended.
The room should have high humidity. Of course, this is very difficult to achieve. To make the plant feel comfortable, you can spray it more often.
Room temperature
Growing calla lilies in a pot is a simple process. Of course, if you follow certain rules. Do not forget that calla lilies usually grow precisely in the southern latitudes, where temperatures are constantly high. These plants are very difficult to tolerate when this indicator drops to 8 ° C. Therefore, it is worth keeping calla on the balcony only in warm weather. In winter, the plant should be transferred to the room where the radiators are installed. The most favorable temperature for calla growth is from 20 to 25 ° C.
The pot must be chosen correctly
Not the last role in the cultivation is played by the capacity in which callas will grow. For the Ethiopian, it is best to use a pot or a container of a sufficiently large size. If the capacity is small in volume, then the calla simply will not bloom. Even when fertilizing the plant, only the green part will develop and new leaves appear. But calla will not bloom in the pot. Home care of this plant consists not only in timely watering, but also in the correct selection of temperature conditions, capacity for planting and soil. It is worth noting that the Ethiopian calla prefers to grow in splendid isolation.
For one plant, you should choose a pot whose diameter is more than 20 centimeters. As for the material from which the container is made, it is better to give preference to porous. This will allow the plant to breathe, and excess moisture will leave faster.
To grow red callas in a pot, you do not need to be an inventor. In terms of free space, these plants are not particularly capricious. A capacity of three liters is quite suitable for them.
Soil composition
How is calla grown in a pot? Home care for this plant must be carried out throughout the year. Do not plant calla lilies in ordinary soil. They grow best in a mixture that consists of sand, rotted manure, peat and garden soil. It should be noted that the acidity of the soil should not exceed 6.
Transfer
Planting calla lilies in a pot is another crucial moment. Do not transplant a weak plant or damaged shoots. In order for calla to get used to its new place faster, one should not use ordinary earth, but soil, which is as close as possible to natural in composition.
Before transplanting the plant, it is necessary to rinse the roots. This must be done very carefully. Otherwise, you can infect the flower with a new disease or bring bacteria into the wounds. As a result, in a new place, calla will suffer from a new ailment.
After that, pour a little soil into the pot and place the plant. The transplant does not end there. Sprinkle the roots carefully with soil, and then pour over them. Calla is a plant that requires a large amount of water. Therefore, watering the transplanted sprouts should be plentiful. Of course, one should not be too zealous in this regard.
Bulbs
Let's figure out how to put a calla in a pot and grow it from a bulb. First of all, the use of such material is the simplest method of growing such plants. Callas are very easily propagated by roots and bulbs. The main thing is to create optimal conditions for their growth.
For those who do not know what a bulb is: this is where the growth of a new plant begins. This is not quite the root. But in its structure, the calla bulb resembles it very much. To be more precise, this is a thick and rather large process of the main root, from which young shoots subsequently appear.
As soon as the calla bulb accumulates a sufficient amount of moisture and beneficial components, it begins to produce new sprouts. In the process of photosynthesis, the bulb will supply all the necessary substances to the plant.
Planting calla lilies in a pot is a simple process. To prevent the bulb from starting to deteriorate in the pot, it is recommended to make holes for drainage. After that, a hole is made in the tank with a depth of at least 10 centimeters. In the resulting hole, you can plant the bulb. Place it so that the sprouted tips look up and are placed strictly horizontally. After this, the roots can be sprinkled with earth and water calla.
How to feed?
So, how is calla grown in a pot? Home care for this plant is not only in timely watering, but also in high-quality top dressing.
If the climate in your country is mild and the temperature never drops below zero, then you have the opportunity to have blooming callas in your garden throughout the year. Of course, this requires a lot of effort and time. It is necessary to feed the plant once a year. However, this is not enough to calla bloomed year-round. To achieve the desired, fertilizing is more often. This should be done regularly, approximately twice a month. Fertilizer can be added to compost in the soil or mixed with a solution of water with water intended for irrigation. Caring for callas in pots is affordable even for a beginner. By resorting to various tricks, you can grow charming flowers that will delight not only the eyes, but also the soul.
However, when applying fertilizer, you should be careful. After all, the plant can be overfed. In this case, calla may die. Signs of excessive fertilizer are the burnt edges of the leaves. This indicates that the plant received a lot of nitrogen.
In addition to this, there is another rule, without which growing callas in a pot is not possible. So, the less the plant receives solar heat and light, the more fertilizer needs to be applied to the soil. This has a positive effect on calla bloom. Therefore, it is very important to correctly place the pot with the plant and calculate the required amount of fertilizer.
Finally
Calla is an elegant and very beautiful flower. Caring for this plant is not so difficult. The main thing is to follow all the rules and carefully care for the calla lilies. This is the only way to achieve abundant flowering, which will please any gardener. It is worth noting that callas can be grown not only in pots, but also in the garden. These plants will perfectly decorate the plot and the house. In addition, they just look amazing in bouquets.