When to sow calla lilies in Maoming

Why these dates

Plant a week after the last frost, 8cm deep, and water generously - this is one of the few plants here that cannot be overwatered in summer. In zone 8 and warmer it can be left in the ground and treated as an ordinary perennial.

Hardy to about -5C with a mulch, and the white-flowered species is the toughest of the group; the coloured hybrids are appreciably more tender. Below zone 8 lift and store the rhizomes, or overwinter the pot dry under cover.

Calla lilies are planted once and then left in place, so there is no sowing offset to resolve. Nor is there a dormant season to plant into: this crop keeps its leaves and keeps growing through the winter, which is exactly why cold damages it. The window on this page therefore waits until the last frost in Maoming has passed and the soil has begun to warm, giving the roots the longest possible run before the cold returns.

Hardiness is not the obstacle here. Maoming is zone 11a, comfortably inside the range this crop is rated for, so an established plant should come through an average winter without protection.

See every crop timed for Maoming →