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Cala Lily and Zebra Plant


Question
I need to know the best way to care for a Cala Lily and also what am I doing wrong with my Zebra plant to make the very edges of the leaves turn brown, mainly on the tips.

Answer
Hi Susan,
Thanx for your question.  You can grow your calla lilies outdoors after the ground warms up like a canna, but you'll have to dig it up after the first frost and store it in a dry, cool basement.  Make sure it gets watered once a week if you don't have regular rain.  It will grow in full sun to partial shade.  Give them some bone meal at the beginning of the growing season.  Many times they will go dormant after they have bloomed (especially the colored ones) and the leaves will shrivel and disappear.  They tend to be difficult to keep as house plants because people think when they go dormant they have died just don't let the pot dry out completely but water it just enough that the soil isn't totally dry.  The plant needs this time to "rest" and rejuvenate for the next season.  You are either watering the zebra plant too much or feeding it too much.  Too much fertilizer can cause leaf burn and soom much water can do the same thing.  Water your plant once a week if it is indoors and make sure the pot drains well.  Stop feeding it for a couple of weeks and then just feed once a month, half strengh, balanced fertilizer like 12-12-12.  I hope this helps.
Tom

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