Many people grow calla lilies and wonder why they aren’t blooming. There can be a number of reasons that the plant isn’t blooming.
This is a problem that can happen to calla lilies that are in the ground, but it is an especially big problem for plants in containers.
It’s a good idea to go over the reasons why a calla lily plant isn’t blooming so that you can fix whatever the problem is with your own plants.
Getting Calla lily to Bloom when Planted in the Ground
If your calla lilies are in the ground, there are three reasons that may be causing them to not bloom.
If they don’t have enough sun, enough water, or have too much nitrogen in their soil, they may fail to bloom. If there is too much nitrogen in the soil, you will notice that the plant grows quickly and is very thick and lush.
However, the edges of its leaves may be brown. A lot of nitrogen in the soil will push the growth of the leaves, but it will keep the plant from growing flowers.
If you think your plant has too much nitrogen, change your fertilizer to one that has more phosphorus in it than it does nitrogen to encourage blooms.
Your calla lily may be planted in a spot that doesn’t get enough water. This can stunt the growth of the plant and may cause it to look yellow. It may also cause wilting in the foliage.
A good way to fix this is to dig up the plant and put it somewhere that gets more water. You can also get into the habit of watering the plant regularly.
If the plant isn’t getting enough sunlight, it will need to be moved to a sunnier spot.
A lack of sun can stunt the growth of the plant as well as keep it from blooming.
Getting Calla lily to Bloom when Planted in Containers
You may have bought your calla lily while it was blooming and hoped that it would keep blooming. So, why isn’t it?
There are a lot of problems that can keep it from re-blooming. In order to bloom again, the plant needs to have a dormant period of time to prepare it for a season of blooming.
When a calla lily plant is being cared for all year long, it doesn’t get that dormant time.
To cause it to bloom again, it will be up to you to create the right conditions for a dormant time.
After it has stopped producing blooms, simply stop watering it. It should get completely dried out. This will cause the leaves to die back, and you may think that the plant is dead. Keep the plant in a dark place for about two months, making sure that the area is cool but isn’t cold.
After two months, put it back in the sunlight and start to water it again. It will regrow its foliage, and it will then begin blooming again.
Make sure that the container has soil that is slow draining and stays moist when it isn’t its dormant time.
The container should have adequate drainage, but the soil shouldn’t be one that allows for the water to drain too quickly.
Using African violet potting soil is a good way to get the dense soil that you need to help your calla lily thrive.
Having a little mulch on top of the soil is a good way to help keep the soil moist much of the time.
