Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Zantedeschia 'Captain Safari' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Captain Safari calla lily, orange captain calla (Zantedeschia 'Captain Safari').

More about zantedeschia 'captain safari'

About Zantedeschia 'Captain Safari'

Zantedeschia 'Captain Safari' · also called Captain Safari calla lily, orange captain calla · flowering

Zantedeschia 'Captain Safari' is a compact Captain-series hybrid calla lily noted for its warm apricot-to-orange spathes, sometimes flushed with deeper tones, above glossy spotted foliage. A tender tuberous perennial, it blooms through summer then rests as a dry rhizome over winter. Its bold colour and neat habit make it excellent for containers, summer borders and cut arrangements.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Poor flowering: Too little light or too much nitrogen leads to leaves but few spathes. Increase light and switch to a higher-potassium feed.

The reasons zantedeschia 'captain safari' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming zantedeschia 'captain safari' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding zantedeschia 'captain safari' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get zantedeschia 'captain safari' to flower

Maximise sun. Give zantedeschia 'captain safari' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for zantedeschia 'captain safari' and get the feeding right with the zantedeschia 'captain safari' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Zantedeschia 'Captain Safari' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full zantedeschia 'captain safari' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Zantedeschia 'Captain Safari' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my zantedeschia 'captain safari' flower?

Zantedeschia 'Captain Safari' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make zantedeschia 'captain safari' bloom?

Give zantedeschia 'captain safari' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does zantedeschia 'captain safari' normally bloom?