How Often to Water Calla Lily?

Calla lilies is marginal aquatic plant that is found to grow in moist soil that drains well beside riverbanks. To grow a healthy calla lily plant, you must try to replicate similar growing environment for this houseplant.

Choosing right potting soil is the one of the most important aspect of watering calla lily. If your growing medium drains well and can hold necessary moisture, then you can easily grow this flowering plant indoors.

As thumb rule, water your calla lily plant when the top 2 inches of the soil is dry. You don’t have to water this plant everyday. But, ensure the soil is kept moist.

However, you can grow this plant in your backyard and in containers provided that you make sure they get ample amount of moisture.

This takes most beginners to the question, how often to water calla lily plant?

Most people generalize Calla lily as a plant with white large flower. But, there are multi colored calla lily blossoms.

And different plants have different growing requirements.

So, depending on your climatic condition your houseplant may need more water.

Though calla lily plant is native to tropical climate, it can’t survive in direct hot summer. It’s recommended that you place the plant in shade.

That being said, it can’t tolerate frost and the plant may die if you didn’t shift it indoors.

Calla lily plants require moist soil with well-drainage.

Depending on temperature in your region, water calla lily plant regularly (or once in a week) to keep the soil moist. Test soil moisture with your finger, if it’s dry, then water till it drains out of the drainage hole easily.

You can water your houseplants effectively, only when you completely learn about its growing conditions. I recommend you sparing few more minutes to learn about this gorgeous plant, so you won’t have any issue.

Also Read: Why Are My Calla Lily Leaves Turning Yellow?

Know Your Plant Calla Lily

As mentioned above, this flowering plant is native to Southern Africa and it grows from rhizomes. In some parts of the World it is known as invasive species.

You can grow this plant in your backyard or in a container (indoor). Unlike most houseplants, Calla lily plant doesn’t demand much care from the gardeners.

That being said, you much make sure it receive ample amount of water and gets indirect sunlight.

• Calla lily or arum lily belongs to Zantedeschia aethiopica that preferred to grow beside river banks, in streams and ponds.
• This perennial plant grows upto 3 feet long with long arrow shaped dark leaves.
• Renowned for its flowers, you can find different colored blossoms in variety of calla lily plants.
• It has a sweet fragrance, but it is toxic and may result in burning sensation.

This plant thrives well in moist environment, but don’t tolerate overwatering or extreme dryness.

Also Read: How Often to Water Amaryllis?

It demands well-drained soil, where the water doesn’t get clogged.

Best time to grow this plant is in spring. So that you can expect attractive blossoms in summer.

This flower plant belongs to hardiness zones 8 to 10.

It can survive in summer but in winter you must take the container indoors and save it from cold wind. Shift the pot to darker location and overwinter indoors until next spring. (1)

How Often Should You Water Calla Lilies?

Frequency of watering your plant depends on various factors such as soil, light and temperature.

While watering the container plants, you must make sure the water isn’t accumulated at the bottom. Else, it may result in yellowing of leaves and root rot.

Before knowing how many times I should water calla lily plant, it important that you know it’s essential requirements like soil, sunlight and temperature.

Must Read: Why Monstera Deliciosa Plant Leaves Turning Yellow

Soil

Like most houseplants, calla lilies need well-drained soil that is rich in nutrients.

While watering, the soil should easily allow the water to drain from the hole. For this, you must consider adding equal amount of peat moss, vermi-compost and garden soil.

This potting mix will allow good aeration and don’t clogging of water under the pot.

However, this soil mix will retain moisture for longer time and your flowering plant will thrive.

Light

Sunlight is essential for any plant to make its own food. Without adequate sunlight the plant starts drooping. Anyway, extreme sunlight can damage the dark foliage of your plant.

Calla lily plant does well when it gets exposed to indirect sunlight.

Place the container in shade to protect the foliage from sub burn. You can also shift the plant pot to shade after dew hours of bright sunlight in the morning.

In colder regions, where the sunlight isn’t too bright, you can place the plant in full sunlight all the day. However, in night you must shift the plant indoors to save it from frost.

Also Read: How Often to Water Monstera Deliciosa Plant?

Temperature

For indoor calla lily plants, room temperature of 50 F-80 F will help the plant for its optimal growth. Anything, more or less than this range will negatively impact the plant growth.

Calla lily plant blooms in summer, all you’ve to do is to place your plant in shade and make sure it gets 6 hours of indirect sunlight.

You can place the plant near window facing towards east. This way the calla lily plants will be exposed to bright sunlight half of the day and rest of the day it will enjoy the shade.

If planted outdoors, protect your plant with a shade cloth. In winter season, you must overwinter indoors. That means, you must dig rhizomes and preserve indoors in dark place for next spring.

When to Water Calla Lily Plants?

For the most part , Calla Lilies are happiest when grown in soil that’s moist. However, you must considering various factors like moisture content of the soil or prevailing weather patterns and plant’s growing stage before determining the time and frequency of watering calla lilies.

Potting soil needs to stay evenly moist throughout the growing season, which typically falls between spring and summer. So, ensure that you water your plants thoroughly when you feel that an inch of soil from above is dry.

Overly watering your plants can cause them harm like root rot and different types of problems, so to keep areas from becoming waterlogged adequate drainage is essential.

Besides this, remember that distinct requirements of the plant, leaf wilt and drooping may indicate inadequate water supply for plants. You might be overwatering if you notice yellowing or mushiness in your plant’s leaves

It’s crucial for a healthy garden or farm that one adjusts their watering schedule in line with local weather changes & variations in soil moisture.

By adapting according to the moisture levels that you’ve been monitoring regularly, you will ensure that your Calla Lilies have enough hydration for healthy growth.

Important Tips on Watering Calla Lily Plant

If you didn’t skip above lines, then I already listed all important aspects of watering this flowering plant. However, to put it together:

This plant needs moist soil to grow healthy.

Water generously, till you see it drains out of the hole. Next time you water, check the soil for moisture using your finger. If you the soil sticks to your finger, then you shouldn’t water.

If the surface of the soil is dry, then it’s time to moisturize your plant with water.

• Though you didn’t water too frequently, choosing the wrong potting soil will result overwatering. To recover from overwatering, you must repot the plant to new well drained potting soil mentioned above. Also, reduce watering frequency for few weeks.
• Underwatering is when you don’t pay attention towards the plant and it dries. However, to recover from Underwatering start moisturizing the plant and place it under indirect sunlight.

Note: Use distilled water to moisturize calla lily plant. Some houseplants don’t survive excess salts present in the tap water.

Also Read: How Long Can Peace Lilies Go Without Water?

Indoors Vs Outdoors

Calla lily is a tropical plant and outer environment makes the plant more stable. However, there few hardiness zones where you can’t grow calla lily throughout the year, because this flowering plant doesn’t tolerate frost and temperature below 50 F.

In case of indoor calla lily plant, the temperature in the room will be in your control. You can use thermostat and humidifier to have suitable climate for the plant.

Watering is a big concern for indoor plants. Outdoor plant easily drains excess water and when you don’t bother to increase the watering frequency the plant roots grow in search of water. But, in case of indoor calla lily plant you must make sure the soil is well-drained and you don’t overwater them.

How to Care Your Calla Lily Plant?

Right after choosing the best potting soil, supplying adequate water and preferred temperature you must prune the calla lily plant.

Pruning helps the plant to grow and sprout new blossoms.

If you see the plant is crowded in the pot, then separate its rhizomes and repot in other containers. Else, the plant will suffer root bound and it affects the growth.

Fertilizing your plant will help them to grow and increase flowering. Use organic natural fertilizer in spring, so that in summer your plant can yield more blossoms.

Check out the plant frequently for pests or insects. Use neem oil to fight common pests.

Overwatering can lead to fungal disease. So, avoid it.

Conclusion – Wrapping it up!

While increasing or decreasing watering frequency, you must consider checking climatic conditions of your region.

As mentioned various factors need to be considered while watering plants. To grow successful calla lily plant, you should ensure to replicate environment similar to it’s native place.

Potting soil should be well drained and retain required moisture. You can mix sand and compost along with perlite and garden soil to make it suitable for your calla lily plant.

To water your calla lily plant, check top 2 inches of the soil for dryness by inserting your index finger. Don’t water if the soil is wet or moist. Hydrate if the growing medium is dry.

Most houseplants including calla lilies are prone to overwatering and root rot, so avoid excess water.

Calla lily plants grown in pots and in the ground require different watering. Plants in pots dry quickly compared to that in ground.