Question
QUESTION: I bought some calla lily plants and planted them in pots outside. I have noticed that the leaves tend to curl and turn yellow. What am I doing wrong?

ANSWER: Hi Deborah,
Thanx for your question.  It could be a number of things causing the calla leaves to curl.  Check the leaves and see if there are any tiny aphids on the them.  Aphids can be green, white, black, red, brown, yellow and they suck the juices out of the leaves causing them to curl, turn yellow, shrivel and die.  You can just wash them off the leaves with a spray from the garden hose.  

Are the pots free draining?  Sometimes sitting in too much water will cause the leaves to curl also if it is too dry.  Have you been feeding the plants?  If so, you may be feeding them too much.  Always follow directions on fertilizer packages.  If you've been fertilizing, you may want to stop for a month or so and see how the plant responds.  If it gets worse, let me know.  I hope this helps.
Tom

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I used Miracle Grow Garden Soil w/fertilizer in it. The pots have a hole in the bottom but are sitting on the ground in my perennial garden. Is this possibly leaving them too wet?

Answer
Hi Deborah,
Thanx for the additional information.  I think your potting soil is fine.  Unless your garden soil is not draining freely and the pots stay too moist, that could be the problem.  Usually though, leaf curl is caused by insects like aphids or spider mites.  Check closely for tiny insects.  There is one other consideration.  After some calla lilies bloom they will immediately begin to go dormant for a couple of months.  What happens is the blossom fades and sometimes turns into a seed pod while the foliage turns yellow to brown, withers and disappears.  The rhizome goes dormant for about 90 days to restore itself and then the plant emerges again to bloom and grow again.  Has your plant already bloomed or is in the process of blooming?  I hope this helps.
Tom