Image – Flickr/Andres Bertens
There are many plants that are little pruned, but when done, they look prettier. One of them is the calla lily, also known as the peace lily. This. moreover, it is widely used as a cut flower, either to make magnificent bouquets or to keep it in a vase, so it is very interesting to have scissors at hand.
If you want to know all about pruning calla liliesbelow we will explain when and how this is done so that you can have beautiful plants.
Contents
When are they pruned?
The creeks, whose scientific name is Zantedeschia aethiopica, are rhizomatous plants that grow in winter and flower in spring. In hot climates or if they are sheltered, they remain green practically all year round. Therefore, the timing of pruning varies a bit depending on the conditions in which they are grown.
But overall, will be done in the spring, because that is when they are most active. Now, if you live in an area with mild temperatures, you’ll probably need to prune them later too.
What is cove pruning?
These plants are herbaceous, so the size that will be made for them is very different from what would be done, for example, for a tree. In reality, the only thing we will do is cut: dry leaves, faded flowers and also those we want to use to decorate. Nothing more.
We could also cut the browning leaves to make them more beautiful, but it depends on the taste. There are those who prefer to wait for them to dry completely before cutting them, and others who do not.
What to use to carve the cracks?
To carve the coves in the best possible way, we will need the following:
- Anvil pruner. It is important that they are neat and clean. Indeed, before and after use, they should be cleaned with soap and water, or at least with a disinfectant wipe. You can buy them here.
- Oven gloves or gloves made of waterproof material. This avoids the risk of plant sap coming into contact with the skin. And it is that if we do not protect our hands, we could end up with irritated skin.
- Water reservoir. If we are going to cut the flowers, it is necessary to have something nearby to put them so that they do not become dehydrated before their time.
How are they cut?
Depending on what you want to cut, the size will be done one way or another. To make sure you don’t miss a thing, let’s see how to prune leaves and flowers:
leaf size
Plant leaves have a limited lifespan, and calla lilies only live for a few months. But also, if they suffer from too much or too little water, they dry out sooner than they should. For it, what we are going to do is take the scissors, clean them, then proceed to cut the leaf by the stem that connects it to the rhizome which is underground.
But where should you cut? Well, that depends a bit on each individual. I like to cut only the leaf, leaving the stem, because this one, if it is still green, carries out photosynthesis and is therefore useful to plants. But if you wish, you can also cut it by making the cut above the ground, that is, above the rhizome.
What not to do is cut the green leaves, for the reason we talked about a moment ago. If this is done, the only thing we will get is that the coves weaken, because their ability to perform photosynthesis decreases.
flower size
If you want to cut the flowers, you have to make the cut from more or less the base of the flower stem, whether you want to use them to decorate or remove the withered ones to make the coves look better. Callas can produce several flowers each season, and more if they are adult specimens, but when there is one that is bad, the truth is that its ornamental value is reduced.
In addition, it is also important to prune them if they have been overwatered, because maintaining them involves a very high energy expenditure. And the energy is just what they need in these delicate moments, so it is better that they spend it on their recovery and not on their flowers.
How to store cut calla flowers in a vase?
Image – Flickr/José Luis Cernadas Iglesias
Do you want to use them to decorate? Follow these steps:
- Get a large vase and clean it with soap and water. Rinse it and dry it well.
- Insert the flowers carefully, as the stems are very fragile. In addition, they should be a little separated.
- Fill the vase with water and place it in a room where there is plenty of light but no direct sunlight. Likewise, it should be away from air conditioning or any other device that generates drafts.
- Clean the vase and change the water every other day. This will prevent bacteria and fungi from starting to grow.
- Trim 1 inch from the bottom of the stems every other day.
- And enjoy it.
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