AboutDarlene K. Kittle Expertise I have been a Master Gardener for 20 years and I raise around 300 houseplants a year including tropicals, succulents, and cacti.
Experience She is also studying the Japanese art of bonsai with tropical plants and is President of the Fort Wayne, IN Bonsai Club.
Education/Credentials I am not a hortculturist. I am a Purdue University Master Gardener for over 20 years. I have studied plants on a personal level by growing hundreds of plants annually for the last 35 years. I have also studied under several nationally known American Bonsai experts.
Question QUESTION: Hi i bought a purple/burgundy mini calla lilly but it has since died (the flowers and leaves)but the roots still look good.My question is because the roots still look good will my flowers and leaves grow back? I watered it a bit and it's winter here(South Africa)
ANSWER: Jabulile,
Calla lilly plants are bulbs that must go dormant and rest in the winter. Allow it a 3 month rest in a dark area and keep it dry. After 3 months bring it out in the sun and start watering it again. It will come back and bloom again. Fertilize it well with half strength blooming plant fertilizer weekly while it is growing and blooming. That will give you lots of blooms for a longer time period and feed the bulbs for future blooms at the same time. Good luck.
Darlene
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QUESTION: Thank you for the answer Darlene,this month of August is the last month for the winter season next month is the beginning of spring,is there still anything i can do to bring my Lilly back to life?
ANSWER: If it has been dormant for 3 months you can put it out in a warm sunny window and water it ligtly with water with fertilizer in the water but do not water heavily until you see sprouts or the bullbs will rot. Sun and warmth will cause the bulbs to resprout when they are ready. If they have not been dormant for at least 3 months they will not resprout for any reason no matter what you do. You have to allow them their dormant period but if they have been dormant for 3 months you should be able to activate them in short order. Good luck.
Darlene
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QUESTION: Thank you very much for the reply,i bought another lily(Arum Lily)i don't want it to end up dying like the previous one so please can you give me tips on how i can make sure i take good care of it? i have put it in my bedroom and spring has just begun
Answer As I explained, the Calla lilly is not dead, it is a bulb and it is dormant, it will come back to life if you give it the proper treatment. The arum lily or Peace lily is a totally dofferent plant and is not a bulb. It does not like a lot of sun but it needs bright light. It also likes to dry out between waterings. Do not leave it sitting with a lot of water in it's drain tray constantly or the roots will rot and the pland will dielOther thatn that it will be a very easy plant as long as it getts bright light and drys out between being watered. Good luck.
