Growing Calla Lilies in Southern Ontario

We recently had a question from Bernadette on Facebook asking about growing Calla Lilies. She's tried a few times but has never had success. She was curious as to whether or not she needed  to dig up the bulbs in the fall and overwinter indoors.

The answer is YES...

Unfortunately Calla Lilies just aren't hardy enough to survive our winters here in Southern Ontario. But, since they are so gorgeous in bloom, many gardeners are willing to put in the extra effort to keep them healthy so that they can enjoy them year after year.

Here's what you will want to do in the fall.  

First off in mid-October you will want to cut the leaves off the plant and dig up the bulbs. They are easy to store. Just put them in a brown paper bag with some peat moss. You can either store them in the fridge (but this just isn't very practical for a lot of us) or in a cellar/basement that stays about 5-10 degrees C.

In the springtime, about mid to end of April you can take the bulbs out of the bag and pot them up in approx: 6 - 8" pots. Give them a few weeks indoors to wake up and then you can start hardening them off by placing them outdoors during the day and indoors at night.  Once the temperature has reached a consistent 5 degrees C and there's no risk of frost go ahead and start leaving the pots outdoors overnight.  

Now it's up to you as to whether you want to transplant them into bigger pots to put on the patio or if you want to transplant them into the ground. If you're going to put them into your garden you should wait until early June.

Hope this helps and answers any questions you might have had regarding Calla Lilies.

Til next time - Glenn