Question
hi,
I got a purple calla lily pot as a gift in the month of September. It already had flowers, but within two days of receiving, the stems have started to bend towards the ground and are no more stiff as I had received them. I live in Michigan.
It seems that this is the time for the calla lilies to go dormant, though am not sure which type of calla lily I have. I am not sure whether I should keep them in the sun or indoors. Right now I keep them out during the day in the sun and take them indoors at night when it gets a little cooler. But still the stems are not gaining strength. I try not to over water them. It also seems to me that there are more than one bulb in the pot. The plant is 2feet high and 15cm diameter.
Please help me and suggest me something. I cannot let them just go dormant, or is it something else that抯 wrong with them. I really like them and would love to see them flowering always as they are supposed to be.
Thanks a lot. Will appreciate your reply.:)

Answer
Hi Serrien,
Thanx for your question.  It sounds to me like the plants may be going dormant in which case there is nothing you can do about that.  That is part of the plant's natural life cycle.  The best thing you can do is allow the plant to go dormant by keeping it where it can get sunlight until it completely wilts.  Keep watering  until the plant has shriveled up and then place the whole pot in a cool, dark, dry place for about 2-3 months.  Water only enough to keep the soil from completely drying out.  In a couple of months, the plant may begin showing signs of coming out of dormancy at which time, you should return the pot to a sunny, warm location.  Keep watering and feed with a balanced 12-12-12 fertilizer.  If the plant hasn't come out of dormancy by three months, bring the pot to a warm, sunny spot anyway and water.  If it has not begun to emerge after about a month, dig up the rhizome to see if it has rotted.  If not, replant and just keep it warm and watered.  These callas are difficult to grow as house plants.  Like the potted hydrangeas, they are rather fussy and very seldom do they survive more than a few months.  I hope this helps.
Tom