Question
I just planted some yellow calla lilies in my yard. Now i've read that yellow calla lilies are difficult to grow.
Is this true? I live in southern california and was hoping for a few tips on how to care for them. Do the leaves of the plant stay year around? Any advice would be very much appreciated!!!

Answer
Hi Yolanda,
Thanx for your question.  I don't recall yellow callas difficult to grow except in the cold states like mine (Kansas).  Difficult to me, means, I have to wait until after the last frost and until the soil has warmed to 65 degrees F or more.  Then when Fall comes, I must lift the corms from the soil after the first frost and store them in a cool, dry, dark basement until the next growing season.  Callas are too expensive to be used as annuals.  In California (I lived in Monterey back in the late 70s) if you're in Southern California, make sure the callas are watered on a weekly basis.  Feed them with some bone meal in the spring and later on in the summer.  If you're in Northern California, you may not need to water as often but it depends upon your location.  These plants love full sun and they tolerate heat but they are also comfortable in the cooler climates around the San Francisco Bay area.  I live in Kansas and we have 100 degree summers almost every year.  We plant our callas in full sun but in a place where they do get some (not a lot) shade at some point during the day.  One of the things you might notice is that the pink, yellow and other colors of callas, will go dormant in warm climates such as yours.  All of a sudden, after these plants have bloomed, and the bloom fades, or even before the bloom fades, these callas will go dormant.  Their foliage will turn yellow and wither and eventually disappear, causing alarm to some gardeners.  But, not to worry.  The plant is still alive.  It has gone dormant.  It is resting.  It will require 2-4 months of dormancy in a warm climate.  It will sprout back up as soon as it has rested enough.

I hope this helps.
Tom