As I understand it, caladiums won't overwinter outdoors, so digging the bulbs and storing them is an option. That said, my DIL had caladiums in Earthboxes and they came back a second year - guess it depends on the container and location of the container.

I'm trying them from bulbs this year (a bag of 9 for $7 - cost effective and easier than digging and storing, imo). Put mine in just a week ago, no sprouts yet, but DIL put hers in two weeks ago and has sprouts just coming up.

Will likely dig and store... these are gorgeous and I'd hate to only have 'em a year!

Definitely more economical to start from bulbs... but I saw these in 6" pots and fell off the wagon (again)! :-\ Each pot had several sprouts, so at $15 for 3 pots I didn't do TOO bad, esp. if I can get them to grow again next year! ;-)

Thanks for the info, zigzag!

Warm that soil up to hasten the sprouting of caladium tubers!!!! THen keep soil moist and occasional liquid feed, but you don't want it to grow too fast and leggy (the long leaf stems can more easily flop in rain and wind then).

They're not fully hardy outdoors at all anywhere in the Carolinas, not even in Hilton Head or CHarleston--they really won't tolerate wet and cold soils, especially clay, in winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: White Christmas Caladium

Thanks - great link! And thanks for the advice... in for the winter they come!

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.

Thanks for the step by step info, john... tells me exactly what I need to know! I wouldn't have ever thought of the drying-out process. The only bulbs I have much experience with are Amaryllis and I don't do anything at all with them... they must thrive on neglect because they come back in droves every year.