white calla lilies

Question

I planted white calla lilies in an east facing bed with plentiful water, but it is shaded due to a tree in front, but does get some morning sun till midday. They did well for a while but now appear to be dying out, with leaves first turning yellow, spotty and wilting, and no new blooms. They were planted from 1 gallon containers from a local nursery about 3 months ago. I live in southern California. Local temperatures have fluctuated a lot this spring with unseasonably cold as well as hot days. Some plants have now totally died out and I don’t see new shoots. Whats going on? The bed gets generous amounts of water.

Answer 1

It could be a combination of shock (from the transplanting) and too much water, along with the fluctuating temps. Too much water can result in root rot, which would explain the yellowing and wilting. I would check the soil to see if the area is remaining relatively moist. If so, allow it to dry out some before watering again. Allowing the plant to dry some should help its roots bounce back. If this doesn’t help and the plant still remains unhealthy, the roots have probably rotted and there’s nothing you can do.