Challenges when growing calla lilies: yellowing of the leaves
My calla lilies all summer stood beautiful and green, and now I noticed that yellow spots appeared on the leaves. Tell me why calla leaves turn yellow and what to do to save the flower?
Calla flower is famous not only for its spectacular flowering. The bush looks no less beautiful the rest of the time, decorated with large leaves of rich green color on long petioles. However, they often begin to turn yellow and fade, gradually dying off..
The reasons why the leaves of calla lilies turn yellow may be:
- natural aging of the bush;
- improper care.
Leaf yellowing as a natural process
If the lower leaves begin to change color, there is no cause for concern. So the calla is just renewed.
Each leaf lives no more than 6 months, then it gradually dies off, making room for new.
The same applies to the yellowing of the leaves in the autumn period – then the life processes of the flower freeze, and he himself begins to prepare for the dormant period, throwing off the leaves.
In this case, you should wait until all the leaves are dry (without forcibly cutting them off), and then place the plant in a cool dark room until spring.
Care errors
But most often, calla leaves begin to turn yellow as a result of improper care. So, the most common errors are:
- The wrong place. First of all, this applies to illumination. The south window is not the best choice for calla lilies, since there they will be under the sun most of the day. It is better to give the flower an oriental window sill with moderate lighting. Do not forget about the temperature regime, because calla is highly sensitive to both high and low temperatures. In summer, it is advisable not to allow it to rise above 24 degrees Celsius, in winter, a cooler regime should be maintained (from 13 to 16 degrees Celsius).
- Unsuitable pot. Leaves may disappear if the flower is planted in too small a pot and there is not enough space for it.
- Violation of the watering regime. Both dry and flooded soil are unacceptable for calla lilies. In addition, if the ground is constantly wet, the roots begin to suffer – they rot. Also, you can not water the flower with cold water..
- Malnutrition. In the case when the calla is in the same soil for a long time without additional feeding, it begins to experience a lack of nutrients, which affects the development and general condition of the plant. It is important to regularly feed it with complex preparations in the spring-summer period (twice a month) and periodically change the soil.
