Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Captain Tendens calla lily, pink captain calla (Zantedeschia 'Captain Tendens').

More about zantedeschia 'captain tendens'

About Zantedeschia 'Captain Tendens'

Zantedeschia 'Captain Tendens' · also called Captain Tendens calla lily, pink captain calla · flowering

Zantedeschia 'Captain Tendens' is a compact hybrid calla lily from the Captain series, prized for its rich rose-pink, funnel-shaped spathes held above glossy, often spotted green leaves. A tender tuberous perennial, it flowers through summer then dies back to a rhizome for a dry winter rest. It works beautifully in pots, borders and as a long-lasting cut flower.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few or no flowers: Usually too little light or excess nitrogen. Give bright light and a potassium-rich feed to encourage spathes.

The reasons zantedeschia 'captain tendens' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming zantedeschia 'captain tendens' 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 tendens' 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 tendens' to flower

Maximise sun. Give zantedeschia 'captain tendens' 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 tendens' and get the feeding right with the zantedeschia 'captain tendens' 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 Tendens' 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 tendens' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Zantedeschia 'Captain Tendens' blooming — frequently asked questions

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

Zantedeschia 'Captain Tendens' 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 tendens' bloom?

Give zantedeschia 'captain tendens' 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 tendens' normally bloom?