Calla Lily

August 2012

My calla lily blooms have filled with seed pods and have gotten so heavy that the plants are now laying on the ground. Do I just leave them there, or can I cut them off and plant the seeds? If I can plant them, will they come up next year?

If the calla lily seed pods have dried, they are ripe and can be planted. Grown from seed, it can take up to three years before you see a bloom. I am too impatient for that, so I would recommend cutting off the spent flower next season when it finishes blooming to prevent seed set and the added weight which is causing the plants to be top-heavy. Since they are already laying down now, you probably will not get the plants to stand back up for this season, so you may want to allow the seeds to ripen fully, then cut back the old foliage. The original plant should grow back next spring and hopefully bloom, as well as new seedlings can begin growth.

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