Caladium

Hey everyone,

I have several caladium in the ground. When should I pull them up for the season?

It has been cold lately at night in the 50's. Tonight it is supposed to be 47*F. I checked on them tonight and noticed some of the smaller leaves looked a little limp and wrinkled.

Thanks,
Danielle

I would start thinking about getting them out while you can still see the stems. I have lost more caladiums because I forgot where they were planted and never got them out in time. Our soil stays damp here in the winter and they hate that.

amen, ardesia. once the stems are no longer visible, you forget where they are! AND THEN I forget about them altogether. lost all of them eventually.

Hey everyone-
I have enjoyed my caladiums so much this year. I've never tried to save them.[a newbie here] What exactly do I do after I dig them up? I would so much appreciate any guidance.
Thanks-Lynda

Thanks everyone. I dug mine up over the weekend. I had planted 8-9 crappy looking bulbs. After digging them up I ended up with 20 bulbs!!!! A few are small and only had one leaf coming out of them, but they should produce well after a couple years.


Danielle

An old friend of mine was related to a caladium grower in FL and they always told us to keep them warm. My bulbs have been drying on the garage floor this week but I plan on bringing my bulbs into the house and storing them in a closet for the winter.

They don't try to grow inside?

Nope

That is where I will be storing mine in a closet until after the last frost this spring. I will be putting mine in a new location though. Mine didn't grow with as much pink on them as pictures show.

What are some good companions for caladium in the garden?


Danielle

Were your bulbs grown in heavy shade? I planted some Miss Muffets in a spot that was too shady and they were greenish rather than the white with red spots. One of the sites I checked mentioned most of them like filtered shade, too much and they won't show their colors. I'll have to find a new location for next year.

I think ferns usually look good with caladiums.

They were planted under a tree, and come to think of it.....The ones that had more pink recieved more sun than the caladium on the other side of the tree.


I cant remember the name of the ones I bought....Did anyone buy the bulbs sold at Lowes in the bags? That is where I got mine when they were on sale. I see that the prettier varities are sold in pots there. I may have to get some this year.

I am trying to figure out what to put in a part shade spot that I have. It is small about 4x5 feet. I had Glads in there (dont know why I planted them in the shade), Queen Fabiola, and Anemones. They all bloomed well, but I didnt like them there...


Danielle

Hi Danielle, I forgot to lift all of my caladiums last fall and several clumps survived and were even more robust than those I had protected indoors. They happen to have been planted in sandy, well drained soil. Who knows how many other clumps I may have also forgotten to dig that failed to return. I'm digging all of my bulbs today, except the "miracle" clumps that returned so beautifully. I've also noticed that my caladiums perform best in bright filtered sun. Happy digging!

This message was edited Oct 21, 2009 3:15 PM

Sandy well drained is key! Mine were in a boggy spot that is why I lifted them. I got mine from the co op here on DG and was very pleased.

Its me again,
After I dig them up,what comes next? Do I clean them before I store? What type of container do I use?[a bag,or box] Truly folks, I've never done this before. I must sound really dumb,but I want to save some.
Thanks again-Lynda

I spread mine out on the garage floor on some newspaper until they were somewhat dry - enough to be able to brush the excess soil off. Then I put them in mesh bags but I have been told just keeping them in a cardboard box is fine too.
BTW, there are never any dumb questions here. :-)

Thank you Ardesia,thats just what I need to know. I will do mine this weekend.