Potted Calla Lily

Question

I was just sent a beautiful potted Calla Lily for my office, but I’m not a natural gardener at all. I want to do my best with this plant, and I’ve put it in a sunny window to the South (indirect light due to tall buildings in the area) and I’m watering so the soil rinses down and drains after the first inch of the medium is dry.

However, the “flower” parts are curling back, and some of the stems have turned yellow. Is this a watering or fertilizer issue? It happened very rapidly over the weekend when I wasn’t here to water it. I didn’t water the first few days I had it because I didn’t understand what moderate watering meant. I’m hoping it could just be a bit wilty and that I can coax it back to life with a regular watering regime. If you have any advice I would so appreciate it. Thank you!

Answer 1

Your goal with calla is to keep the soil moist, not wet. Depending on what it is planted in, drenching it every few days may be too much. The top may dry out but not the deeper soil where the tuber is buried. Usually purchased plants need to be repotted into a larger container. Repot and you can assess the moisture level in relation to your current watering technique. Use a soil-less potting mix with moisture retention granules. Miracle Grow has one; the blue bag signifies moisture retention. It will be easier to get the water right in the right-sized container. All that being said, one weekend is not long enough to cause watering issues unless the pot is WAY too small. If the flower isn’t pollinated, it will die down to the ground and another stem will emerge. No flower lasts forever except the artificial ones! Here is a nice primer on houseplant calla: https://www.thespruce.com/grow-calla-lily-indoors-1902501