How To Prune Calla Lilies

Knowing how to prune calla lilies is a simple but essential skill for keeping these elegant plants healthy and blooming beautifully. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from seasonal trimming to preparing your plant for winter dormancy.

Proper pruning encourages stronger growth, prevents disease, and can lead to more impressive flowers. Whether your calla lily is in a pot or the garden, the basic principles are the same. Let’s get started with the tools you’ll need.

Essential Tools for Pruning Calla Lilies

Gathering the right tools before you start makes the job easier and safer for your plant. You don’t need anything fancy, just a few basics.

Sharp, Clean Pruning Shears or Scissors: A clean cut heals faster and prevents crushing the stem. Blunt tools can damage the plant.
Rubbing Alcohol or a Disinfectant: Wipe your blades before you start and between plants. This stops you from accidentally spreading any diseases.
Sturdy Gloves: Calla lily sap can be a mild irritant to skin for some people, so gloves are a good idea.
A Container for Debris: Keep this handy to collect all the trimmed leaves and spent flowers.

This main process covers the care you’ll give your calla lilies during their active growing and flowering season. It focuses on maintenance pruning to keep the plant looking tidy and healthy.

Step 1: Pruning Spent Flowers (Deadheading)

Removing old flowers, called deadheading, directs the plant’s energy away from seed production and back into growing roots and leaves. This can sometimes encourage a second, smaller flush of blooms.

Identify flowers that are wilting, turning brown, or have already faded.
Follow the flower stem down to the base of the plant, near the soil line.
Make a clean cut with your shears, removing the entire flower stem. Avoid cutting any nearby healthy leaves.

Step 2: Trimming Damaged or Yellowing Leaves

It’s normal for older leaves to yellow and die back over time. Removing them improves air circulation and the plant’s overall appearance.

Look for leaves that are more than 50% yellow, brown, or have significant damage.
Follow the leaf stem (petiole) all the way down to where it emerges from the main plant or soil.
Cut it off at this base point. If only the tip is damaged, you can just trim the brown part off, following the natural shape of the leaf.

Step 3: Shaping and Thinning the Plant

If your calla lily becomes very dense, thinning it out helps light and air reach the center. This reduces the risk of fungal issues like powdery mildew.

Choose a few older, outer leaves to remove at the base. Don’t remove more than about 20% of the total foliage at one time during the growing season. The plant needs its leaves to make energy through photosynthesis.

What to Avoid During Seasonal Pruning

While your plant is actively growing, be conservative. Never cut all the leaves back to the ground. Avoid cutting green, healthy leaves that are still providing energy to the rhizome (the bulb-like root). Always ensure your tools are clean to prevent introducing pathogens into fresh cuts.

Preparing Calla Lilies for Dormancy (The Major Prune)

Calla lilies need a rest period. In fall, after flowering has finished, the leaves will naturally begin to yellow and die back. This is your signal for the annual prune.

Stop Fertilizing: As growth slows in late summer, halt fertilizer applications.
Let Leaves Yellow: After the first light frost or when leaves yellow, stop watering so the rhizome can begin to dry.
The Final Cut: Once the foliage has turned completely yellow or brown and is easily pulled away, it’s time. Using your shears, cut all the remaining stems down to about 1-2 inches above the soil level.

For Potted Calla Lilies

You can either remove the dormant rhizome from the pot for storage or leave it in the dry soil. If storing, brush off the soil, let it dry for a day, then place it in a paper bag with some peat moss or vermiculite. Store it in a cool, dark, frost-free place like a garage or basement.

For Garden Calla Lilies

In warmer climates (zones 8-10), you can often leave the rhizomes in the ground with a thick mulch layer. In colder areas, it’s best to lift them after pruning. Dig up the rhizomes, let them dry, and store them similar to potted ones until spring replanting.

Common Pruning Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Even experienced gardeners can make a slip. Here’s what to watch out for.

Pruning Too Early in Fall: Cutting back green leaves before they yellow robs the rhizome of energy it stores for next year’s growth. Solution: Be patient and wait for the leaves to die back naturally.
Using Dirty Tools: This can spread disease from plant to plant. Solution: Always disinfect your shears before you start pruning.
Over-pruning During Growth: Taking to many healthy leaves stresses the plant. Solution: Only remove what is necessary—dead flowers and damaged foliage.
Not Pruning at All: This leaves a messy plant and can encourage rot in dead material laying on the soil. Solution: Adopt a simple seasonal routine.

Care After Pruning

What you do after pruning supports recovery and new growth.

After Seasonal Pruning: Water the plant as usual. You can apply a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during the growing season to support it’s energy needs.

After Dormancy Pruning: For stored rhizomes, check on them occasionally to ensure they aren’t rotting or shriveling. A slightly damp peat moss can help if they are to dry. For in-ground rhizomes, ensure the mulch is adequate for winter protection.

FAQ: Your Calla Lily Pruning Questions Answered

When is the best time to prune calla lilies?

There are two key times. Deadhead spent flowers and remove damaged leaves throughout the growing season. The major cut-back happens in fall after the foliage dies back naturally to prepare the plant for dormancy.

Can I prune my calla lily to encourage more blooms?

Yes, deadheading spent flowers promptly can sometimes encourage a second, smaller round of blooming. The plants main bloom cycle is determined by light, temperature, and the health of the rhizome.

How far back do you cut calla lilies?

During the season, cut flower stems and damaged leaves at their base. For the dormant season prune, cut all yellowed stems down to about 1-2 inches above the soil level.

Should I cut back yellow leaves on my calla plant?

Yes, once a leaf is mostly yellow or brown, it’s safe to remove it. This helps keep the plant tidy and healthy. Don’t remove leaves that are still mostly green, as they are feeding the plant.

Why is my calla lily not flowering after pruning?

If you pruned correctly, lack of flowers is likely due to other factors. Common causes include insufficient light, a need for division (overcrowded rhizomes), lack of a dormant period, or to much nitrogen fertilizer which promotes leaves over flowers.

Can I prune calla lilies in the summer?

Absolutely. Summer is the prime time for maintenance pruning—deadheading old blooms and trimming damaged leaves. Just avoid heavy pruning of healthy green foliage in the heat of summer.

Following these steps for how to prune calla lilies will ensure your plants remain vibrant and floriferous for many seasons. Remember, the key is timely maintenance during growth and a patient, thorough cut-back in autumn. With clean tools and a little practice, this routine will become second nature, leading to healthier, more beautiful calla lilies in your garden or home.