The frost is coming anytime now: can anyone give me instructions on how to winter-over the caladiums and callas I've got planted in the ground?
- Kathleen (Zone 6 - NW Rhode Island)
RE: Callas, Caladiums
Someone told me to take them out of their pots and let them dry a few days, cut the tops off, and store the caladiums above 55 degrees in sawdust or spaghnum moss. The calas should store the same way, but when they get ready to grow, look out. I found some curling in the box they were in this spring. My callas are still growing. I'm glad you posted. I need to get them out of their pots and dried for winter storage. There may be better instructions than I have given, but this works for me.
It's easier if you just put the Caladiums in a bag and send them to me. LOL
Are they like other bulbs where you should let the foliage die out before storing them?
Great information... I'm bumping the thread up for other newbies.
Judy
Hi KD, I am also in zone 6.
Dig and wash the caladium bulbs, lay out to dry in a warm area with good air circulation. When the tops are dry enough to remove with a gentle pull, take them off and then store the bulbs in shallow trays or sacks at 60 degrees until next spring. I already dug mine about 2 weeks ago because the night temps were staying down in the 40's and I did not want them to go into a permanent dormancy from being too cold.
I may be sorry, but I am going to leave my callas in the ground and mulch them heavily this winter. I accidentally missed some one year and they came up for 2 years after that even with snows and temps down close to zero. Many people leave their cannas in the ground in my area, too, but I have occasionally lost them to rot, so I dig the more expensive ones.
We still have not had a hard frost (maybe tonight) so I still have my EEs and cannas to dig. They are lovely and somewhat disconcerting with the trees almost bare of leaves now in November.