You’re Probably Overwatering Your Calla Lily—What Gardening Pros Recommend

• Calla lilies are susceptible to overwatering, but otherwise they’re low-maintenance.
• Calla lilies need to be watered once a week on average.
• Soil should be kept evenly moist but not wet.

Calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) are tropical plants prized for their gorgeous trumpet-shaped blooms. They are often featured in bouquets and grown in home gardens as perennials or annuals, depending on the climate.

Generally, calla lilies are considered low maintenance and easy to grow, whether you’re cultivating them in pots or the garden. However, there’s one care need that these plants are specific about: watering. 

As semi-aquatic plants known for growing naturally on the banks of bogs and swamps, calla lilies enjoy consistent moisture. However, they are susceptible to overwatering, so striking the right balance with your watering schedule is essential.

According to a gardening pro, here’s everything you need to know about how often to water calla lilies.

How Much Water Do Calla Lilies Need?

Calla lilies thrive in soil that is moist but well-drained. Consistently wet soil can suffocate their roots and quickly lead to root rot, says Peggy Anne Montgomery, professional horticulturist and representative for Flowerbulb.eu. 

So what’s the difference between ‘moist’ versus ‘wet’ soil, exactly? Moist soil is slightly damp but not oversaturated. If you were to run your hands through the soil, it would cling to them, but you wouldn’t have the sensation of your hands being wet.

Conversely, soil that is wet or soaking is saturated with water. It will appear soggy, and you may notice visible puddling. If you were to run your hands through this soil, it would feel muddy, and your hands would come away feeling wet and visibly dirty. 

It’s normal for soil to be visibly wet or soaked immediately after watering. However, calla lilies shouldn’t sit in these conditions for longer than a few hours. If their soil is consistently oversaturated, that’s where root rot can occur.

How you approach watering your calla lily (frequency, amount of water, etc.) depends on a few factors, the biggest of which is where your plant is growing—indoors versus outdoors.

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Watering Calla Lilies Planted Indoors

Calla lilies growing indoors as houseplants should be watered once the top half of the soil is dry to the touch. On average, you can water your calla lily approximately once a week, although this will likely change throughout the year. 

For example, in the summer, when conditions are warm, and there’s more sunlight available, you may need to water multiple times a week to keep your plant from drying out, whereas, in the winter, you may only need to water once every two weeks.

Montgomery says the size of the container the plant is potted in will also affect watering frequency. Everything else being equal, larger pots with more soil will hold onto water longer than smaller pots with less soil.

Given these fluctuating factors, Montgomery recommends monitoring your plant closely for a few days to gauge how quickly the soil dries out and determine the best watering schedule for your conditions. 

Watering Calla Lilies Planted Outdoors

Calla lilies planted outdoors usually require less frequent monitoring, given their access to rain; however, this will depend on your location and how you grow them. These tropical plants should be grown in a full to partial sun location, in soil that is well-draining but consistently moist.

If your plant grows in a container, you’ll likely need to provide some supplemental watering, while those grown directly in the ground might be fine with rainfall alone. 

The light the plant receives will also determine whether it needs extra water. For example, calla lilies grown in a full-sun location will need more water than those grown in a partial-sun location, especially if your area is particularly hot or experiencing drought-like conditions. 

It’s important to get a feel for how your specific environmental conditions influence your calla lily’s watering needs. The most important thing to remember is that the soil should never dry out completely.

How to Water Potted Calla Lilies

There’s a science behind watering potted plants correctly, and ensuring you do it right will make all the difference in your plant’s health. First, calla lilies grown in pots should always be planted in a container with a drainage hole. This will ensure excess water can drain from the pot and not remain trapped in the soil. 

Next, when it’s time to water, ensure you water the plant deeply, fully saturating the soil until water streams from the pot’s drainage hole. This is usually best done over a sink or catch tray.

Although this may seem counterintuitive, given that saturated soil is a big no-no, it’s important to note that consistently saturated soil is the problem. As long as your plant isn’t sitting in wet soil for more than a few hours, it will be fine. 

This method is preferable to frequently giving small bursts of water since it mimics the experience of rainfall in nature. It can also accurately indicate how quickly the soil is drying out.

Signs a Calla Lily Needs Water

As you monitor your plant, you may wonder how you can tell whether your calla lily needs water. Besides the soil being dry to the touch, your plant will also give off noticeable physical indications that it needs a drink.

Soft, wilting leaves are one of the first signs. Hydrated leaves are plump and firm, while a plant that needs water will display limp and wilted foliage. If you notice your plant going slightly droopy, don’t panic! It should recover after a good watering. 

Foliage that is dry and crispy to the touch, on the other hand, indicates that your plant needs water and may indicate that the roots themselves have started to dry up. If your plant doesn’t perk back up after watering, check the roots to ensure they haven’t started dying. If they have, you must work on propagating and rehydrating the plant.

Signs of Overwatering

Overwatering is essential to catch early since an overwatered plant won’t last long before developing root rot. Unfortunately, overwatering can look like underwatering, making it challenging to determine the next steps.

Signs of overwatering include mushy stems or roots, soggy soil that doesn’t dry out, yellowing leaves, and wilted stems.

If you’re concerned about overwatering, removing your plant from its pot, checking the roots, and giving it fresh, dry soil is best. If you notice signs of root rot, cut away the rotted parts immediately before repotting.