GROWING CALLA LILIES / Zantedeschia / araceae
Perennial rhizomes
Calla lilies are often used in bouquets at formal ceremonial occasion , it is also used on art and paintings. They are native to South Africa 

CLASSIFICATIONS OF CALLA LILIES:
Z. aethiopica / common calla-large clumps of unspotted deep green leaves 1.5 feet wide 10 inch long.
Z. albomaculata / spotted calla-2 feet with bright green, white spotted 1-1 ½ feet long, 10 inch wide leaves.
Z. elliottiana / golden calla-1 ½ - 2 feet with bright green, white spotted leaves 10 inch long, 6 inches wide. Spathes 4 – 5 inches long.
Z. pentlandii / similar to z. albomaculata except leaves are unspotted.
Z. rehmannii / red or pink calla-1 – 1 ½ feet with narrow lace shaped, unspotted green 1 feet long leaves.  

HOW TO DO ORGANIC MIX FOR CALLA LILIES:
50%  peat moss.
30%part other organic material such as earthworm castings, compost. Leaf mold or Nitrogen stabilized bark.
20% part builders’ sand.

HOW TO DO CONTAINER CULTURE OR POT CULTURE FOR CALLA LILIES:
All calla lilies are good container plants. After preparing the organic potting mix, place 3 bulb in a 5 – 7 inches deep pot or 10 bulbs in a 14 – 16 inches pot. Fill pot 1/3 full of the potting mix and place bulb with roots spread and pointing downward, cover with an inch of soil and water immediately, move this pot to a shaded area.  Dig a small ½ inch hole beside the plant the next day and put a dozen live earthworms into it, then cover the earthworm with soil.

HOW TO PLANT AND CARE FOR CALLA LILIES AND USE EARTHWORMS:
Plant Callas in mixed groupings with other flowering, and foliage plants or among lower growing plants.  Where summers are hot plant Callas in light shade, but in mild summer areas Callas will be happy with sunny locations. Most of the Callas like well-drained soil, enriched with organic matter before planting. Digging and mixing up the soil with the organic mix stated above can do this. Set the bulbs 2 to 6 inch deep 1 feet apart, water after planting. Dig a ½ inch hole near the bulb and put a dozen live earthworms into the hole, cover it up again.  Callas can tolerate and enjoy growing at the edge of pond.  Common Callas are evergreen, going only partly dormant.  It can not withstand storage and should be grown in container where winter temperatures fall below 10 degrees F / -12 C.

HOW TO PROPAGATE CALLA LILIES:
Callas maybe left undisturbed in the ground for a few years, after overcrowding and decline in bloom and vigor is noticed, then divide around summer time. After division of rhizomes, making sure each divisions has a growth point, replant and water immediately in amended organic mix soil. Put a dozen earthworm into the soil on the next day.