All I can tell you is my experience. Caladiums will survive in the ground here -- some years -- so the teeny bulbs left behind when I dug the big ones will sprout out when conditions are right. Usually that's when the nighttime temperatures hover around 60 degrees.

Last year I started mine early in pots in the unheated (but well above freezing by March) toolshed. Guess what? They didn't grow any faster than the ones in the ground -- they just kind of sat there until it was 'time' to sprout.

Here's what I would do: since they're already planted, I would leave them. If the soil gets dry, I would give them a small drink of water rather than a good soaking. As soon as you see little leaves begin to unfurl, step up the watering. They still can't go outside in the ground until the nights are warm.

Nell

In my experience they are almost sure to rot at 60 degree temperatures if they are wet. They like 80 degrees to grow from a dry bulb. If they are in a pot or the ground from last year they are much less likely to rot at the same temperatures. The same for elephant ears which live through cool winter temperatures in the ground but a new bulb planted at the same temperatures will rot. Al

how funny-- i just came from walmart and just bought the same things...lol and i didn't check the site first.. we must think alike.. if we like it, we buy it..

i bought 2 boxes of E. Ears. 3 bulbs in a pack , and 1 box of Caladiums 3 to a pack (but when i got home it had 9 in it.. hehhe so if i start some now and they don't make it. than i have extra ones) i guess it was just meant to be.

So should I dig 'em up?

I was thinking of setting the pots on the registers so they'll dry out, then just leaving them until it warms up or until I can set up a mini hothouse environment.

Thanks.

If you have a warm place to put them go adead and put the pots there. Keep the soil moist not wet and they should sprout and grow OK. Al