Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Crystal Blush Calla Lily (Zantedeschia 'Crystal Blush').

More about zantedeschia 'crystal blush'

About Zantedeschia 'Crystal Blush'

Zantedeschia 'Crystal Blush' · also called Crystal Blush Calla Lily · flowering

Zantedeschia 'Crystal Blush' is a hybrid calla lily with elegant white funnel-shaped spathes blushed soft pink at the edges, held above lance-shaped green leaves. Grown from a rhizome, it flowers in warm, bright conditions through the growing season, then rests over winter. Despite the name it is not a true lily, and the whole plant is an oxalate irritant.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few or no flowers: Too little light or too much nitrogen; move brighter and switch to a potassium-rich feed.

The reasons zantedeschia 'crystal blush' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming zantedeschia 'crystal blush' 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 'crystal blush' 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 'crystal blush' to flower

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

Zantedeschia 'Crystal Blush' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my zantedeschia 'crystal blush' flower?

Zantedeschia 'Crystal Blush' 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 'crystal blush' bloom?

Give zantedeschia 'crystal blush' 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 'crystal blush' normally bloom?