Expert: Kenneth Joergensen - 6/28/2006

Question
ok i went to home depot and they told me to use the wirical grow bloom booster and i use the mirical grow potting mix, would that be considered fertilizer? and if so is it ok for me to pot the bulb back in that kind of potting mix or should i use dirt? actually first can you tell me if what you call the "tuber" if that is the bulb or if that is the flower? i do appologize but im really new to gardening. alsowhen i cut off the flower where should i cut it? at the top of the sem or at the bottom near the soil?
-------------------------

Followup To

Question -
i have a question regaurding my calla lilly plant. i bought the bulb and planted it in a small pot since it was labled as a small plant. but the first flowers bloomed lovely and now they are turning green again and closing. also the piston i think it's called, the thing in the center, well it was yellow but now has turned green and the small yellow bulbs on it have turned green and are growing large. is this normal? also i live in New Jersey and it freezes her in the winter how do i store the bulb and can i sotr it through the winter?

Answer -
It is the seed pod that is developing. You should cut it off to promote another flush of flowers. Also water regularily with a diluted amount of miracle grow (15-30-15). Use 1/4 tsp with every 2nd watering. You may need to transplant to slightly larger pot now.

Before first frost (e.g. latest by mid October) bring the pot indoors and stop watering. When the soil is bone dry, remove from pot and gently brush the soil from the tuber. Store the tuber dry and cool on a bed of wooden shavings. Do not keep in damp areas or expose to frost (it will rot). In winter, the bulb will dry out a bit and harden up. This is normal.

In early spring, re-start indoors in a pot. Just keep the soil room temperature and water very very sparingly until new shots a few inches out of the pot. Do not fertilize until large leaves appear.

The best way to ensure a lot of energy going into the bulb in preparation for winter is to remove flowers in september and then keep in full sun outdoors and fertilizing regularily.

Answer
The tuber is the "bulb" from which the leaves grow. The tuber is usually burried in the soil (down into the pot). At this point in time, simply empty the entire plant out of its pot and repot into a slightly larger pot.

If the current pot is 6" diameter, then use a 8" diameter pot now (do not use a 12" diameter pot now). Potting up in small steps is the way to go. If you ever consider taking a gardening class, this is what they tell you. Here !! I just saved you money and time for the class !!. If you are wondering how big your existing pot is, turn it over and it is printed at the bottom (careful, do not turn the pot until you have removed the flower - took me a long time to figure that one out, but then again, I did not take many gardening classes either !!!)

Place a bit of potting soil in the bottom of the new pot(Miracle Grow potting soil is fine) and then place the plant's root ball on top (inside the root ball, which is the soil held together by the roots, you find the tuber). Place the root ball on the soil in the pot and fill soil in the space between the root ball and the side of the pot. Water well (you can even soak the entire pot in a pan of water for a 1/2 hour and then remove and let drain).

Do not fertilize with miracle grow bloom boster (or any other fertilizer) immeidately after repotting as the fertilizer in the potting mix is sufficient for a few months (this is why they can charge more money for soil).

If you have Miracle Grow BLoom boster it is ok, but when it is finished, do not buy that again. It contains too much "booster" in my mind (the plants are not as exited about this as the  Home Depot Sales people). Just buy regular Miracle Grow flowering plant fertilizer (it will have the numbers 15-30-15 printed on the box). Yours probably states 10-50-10 or something like this. E.g. see the middle number.. way too much "booster" (phosphorous) for my taste. Then again, I am not a calla lily - and who knows - they may tell you differently if they could talk, but since they can not, you will have to take my word for it.

The seed pod you can just cut off. It has formed where the flower used to be. Simply grab the enlarged green round thingy and follow the flower stem (to which it is attached) down to the base of the plant (in between the leaves). Then snip this stem off with scissors. You should not cut the leaves off, but the stem should be cut as low down as practically possible.

Here is a small tip:
Generally, calla lilies work best the first year. It is perfectly possible to store it indoors for the winter, but best result you get year one. I know this is not what you want to hear most people say, but just so you know. If you find results are less than optimal next year, then just discard and buy a new one.

And: while the text book say to put calla lilies in small pots, I don't like this. They do so much better in larger pots (within reason). E.g. an 8" pot is great, a 4" pot is not. A 12" pot would be over doing it, though. So within reason, a larger pot with more soil volume gives a better plant (but don't tell Home Depot that)

Good luck,

-- Kenneth