Calla in the garden. Cultivation and care

The South African guest has long been attracted to Russian florists, because the calla is very beautiful, elegant and unusual. This plant is often associated with the bride and is considered a wedding flower, especially of a snow-white color, according to the belief, it helps family happiness. Grow it, mainly in winter gardens, greenhouses and home conditions, but now there was a calla in the garden.

Growing this flower in the open ground is possible, because it is somewhat similar to dahlias or gladioli. The first experimental variety was the Ethiopian calla, it can easily transfer light frosts and is unpretentious to growing conditions. Then the zandedechia of the Elliott and the Zantehenkhia of Remani were still popular. These three varieties excel in the climatic conditions of the central Russian belt, therefore, if desired, everyone can plant calella in their garden.

Cultivation of healthy and abundantly flowering bushes is possible only with the creation of optimal conditions. At home, he lives near the coast of fresh water bodies, in flooded areas, for this reason we have adapted so quickly to the land of calla in the garden. Cultivation involves the addition of a minimum amount of organic matter in the soil, since nitrogen has a poor effect on flowering. Calla feels fine on light loam, it can be created by adding peat and sand to the clay.

In the open ground flower can be planted in early May, of course, at this time there may still be frost at night, but they will not harm such a plant as calla. Cultivation in the garden involves planting tubers to a depth of 5 - 10 cm, at the first time they need to be watered abundantly so that they take root and grow faster. When buying imported copies you need to be prepared for the fact that they will blossom only in the second or third year, when the acclimatization period will pass. If you really want to see flowering in the first year, you should choose the varieties grown in Russia.

Since this is a moisture-loving plant, when the droughts are constant, the calla in the garden may fade. Cultivation in such conditions requires constant watering, planting in a delicate shade, and not in the sun. This flower is rather unpretentious and not subject to disease, it can only slightly damage the whitefly.

Without waiting for strong frosts, in September you need to dig up the tubers, because at night can calla in the garden can freeze. Cultivation involves the storage of the root system in a room or refrigerator at a temperature of 5 - 15 ° C. To start, the tubers should be cleaned from the ground and washed, then they must be placed in a cool place for the natural decay of the leaves and roots, then all the nutrients will pass into the tubers. After that, the leaves and roots are cut off, the tubers are folded into paper perforated bags and sent for hibernation.

Kalla should be stored in a cold place to avoid sprouting and wrinkling of the roots. If all this happened, then the flower sits in a pot, and with the advent of spring it is transplanted into the open ground, but it will not bloom as much. Proper care, a little care and attention works wonders, even in the first year of landing calla in the garden you can admire its gentle flowering.