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Container Gardening

Caladium in Container

16 years ago

Im posting this in part to try out posting photos, as I have never gotten it to work, but just read an informative post on including pictures, so I figured I'd give it a try!

I potted up caladium tubers in May, and waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing.

I brought them in and waited some more.

Still nothing.

I dug them up, and found some to be rotten, some not.

I brought them back outside, braved the squirrels, and eventually, I got some sprouts, then the squirrels dug around and that was the end of that.

Well, Now, I've got quite a few leaves coming up, and they are turning beautiful.

The pink coloring is unexpected as they are supposed to be white caladium, but It looks very nice with my newly re-painted porch floor. I am tickled pink!

Patience.

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Comments (7)

justaguy2
16 years ago
I really like the pink on the leaves, that is a very attractive Caladium. Good job figuring out the picture posting, BTW!

Caladiums are so agonizingly slow to emerge, aren't they?

I have begun purchasing plants as there is a nursery that sells the fancy ones for a dollar per plant for large, full ones in July. In the past when I started from tubers I probably only had tiny ones at that time.

I have been told it takes warm days AND warm nights for awhile before they will emerge and in Wisconsin that's difficult to come by.
alieliza
Original Author
16 years ago
It really did take painfully long. My mother suggested caladium (I am a brand new gardener) and it certainly wasn't instant gratification with these guys. But, patience is a virtue, I suppose, as I've got quite a pretty plant on my hands!

I can overwinter the caladium indoors? Or do they come back in the spring?
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From this site:...for starting them inside... Caladiums require a warm, moist soil. A minimum soil temperature of 70 F is preferred. If planted too early in the spring, cool soil temperatures will cause tubers to rot before they sprout. Some gardeners prefer to start tubers indoors in moist peat moss or potting soil in containers such as a shallow flat or flower pot. Barely cover tubers with soil and place the container in a warm room with bright light. Tubers should be started indoors approximately four weeks before planting outdoors. According to this site our plant out date would be 'about' June 1st. How many tubers can I put in a 12 "pot? I have 50 tubers! Better yet, could you maybe start them in a big shallow pan, like an aluminum roaster, or a kitty litter pan? Could you set them outside on warm days, and set them inside at night? Will any type of mulch prevent weeds? Yes. I use and prefer shredded bark mulch as I can buy it reasonably priced locally by the pick-up truck load. btw...you can add your location to your member profile so it will be shown automatically whenever you post...just as I am zone 5/6 S IN The location goes in the one box allowed for the garden zone and you can update your Personal Information Page via the Member Pages link at the bottom of any GW page. Your SE PA (zone 6A) location might be different (later) than my S IN (zone 6a) location. hth Sue
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Comments (6)
In my yard, caladiums work best if allowed to start to die back (yellowing of leaves), then I pull the pots and lay them over on their sides up on the porch out of the sun or in a dark corner of the tool shed. After they have completely died back and dried out I dig the bulbs out of the media. This way I can check the bulbs for any problems, throw away the bad ones, dust them with fungicide if you want, store them for the winter inside the house but in the dark. The bulbs get a lot bigger over the years and make better plants for the garden that way. I don't do any of the eye removal, center scooping or stem plucking that some experts talk about (all to make a sturdier plant) - I just sprout them inside where it is warm, usually in shallow trays of potting soil with just the bulbs sitting on top of the soil. After they have sprouted I plant them in the garden, most often in pots sunk in the ground.
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I might have to try to get in there for these. I don't have a Sam's club card but sometimes you can talk your way in for a one day trial membership. I'm thinking of lining a couple beds with transplanted spider lilies (if they aren't all frozen dead) and the caladiums would look great mixed in with that. I have some caladiums that have survived for almost 12 years but I don't know if they can handle this kind of cold weather. Thanks for posting this, Carol! Kate
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Comments (4)
I"m not an expert, but I have a few thoughts about dahlias and caladiums. For dahlias, I dig them up after frost hits and then put them in pots covering the bulbs with two inches of potting soil. I shake off soil, but do not dry them. I store them in the basement, about 50 degrees. It takes up a lot of room, but I know plenty of people who do it this way, including the pros at the Arboretum. In Mid april, I start watering under lights and wait for growth. Caladiums can be stored in peat moss or sand, in trays. They don't like to be dry so I mist them periodically. Occasionally. I've forgotten them and they have dried out. The real problem with caladiums, for me, is that they are so slow to start in the spring.. A heatpad is pretty essential. I think gladioli are the easiest to store, just dry them and hang in mesh bags. If there's more to know than this, I haven't had to worry about it. So far, pretty lucky. Hope this helps.
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justaguy2
16 years ago
Some do overwinter them indoors and treat them as a houseplant. I don't think they require any dormant period, but am not sure.

They will not survive outside though, winter will kill them. Too lazy to look up their cold hardiness, but if I recall correctly it's something like zone 10.

You could also try storing the bulb and see what happens.

I have been told that they often don't do as well in subsequent years because most of our growing seasons are not long enough for them to grow the bulb. Never tried it though.
alieliza
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you.
lynnencfan
16 years ago
I have found even down here in zone 7/8 they sprout better indoors rather than outside. I planted some this spring outside in 6" pots and it was mid-July before I plants of any size. These were ones that I started indoors in 2005 for my July9th wedding - this was how big they were by mid-June so I am sold on starting them indoors....

Lynne

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alieliza
Original Author
16 years ago
Wow!
Great results!

They are so pretty!
marquest
16 years ago
That is a beauy. I like the pink in the leaves. I do know they require a dormant period and they go dormant when they are ready.

When the leaves start to brown. I stop watering when all the leaves are gone I put them in onion bags in the cool basement.

I bring them up in February pot them up and put them by the heat vents in moist not wet just damp soil. They do not sprout until May.

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