Growing Caladiums in Z5 outdoors

I am closing in on 12 months as a gardener so I am seeing all of this beginning growth for the first time. I will be better next year - I promise :)

Thanks Andy!

PATIENCE is a must!! "I tell people that every day", it's amazing how many people think they'll get instant gratification. I know it's tough sometimes but there's no other word to descibe it. Maybe one day I'll develop a hybrid that'll grow in 2 days like Jack and the Bean Stalk...lolol.. I'll be rich :-)

Hang in there Peg, I promise!! You won't be sorry either!!!

biLL

I just transplanted my caladiums that I started inside in pots into the front border under the azaleas yesterday. Hopefully, they aren't getting too much sun. They get the afternoon sun, and shade in the morning.

These are Miss Muffets. They really do look nice. I just need them to continue to multiply.

Your Miss Muffets should do OK, they're pretty sun tolerant. Just make sure they get plenty of water, especially when it starts getting hotter.

biLL

I still haven't gotten anything from mine - should I give up? Maybe they got too cold at some point?

Peg,

NO, don't give up. You have to give them a little time. Your night time temps will slow things down a little. You're going to see plants before you know it.

biLL

pegzhere.....Bill's correst, don't give up.....I have some that are already 12 inches tall, and some still have not yet broken dormancy and we've had very warm weather for quite some time now.

Alright, alright - they've been potted for over a month though - I will keep waiting though (really no other choice LOL)

I dug mine up to see if anything was happening, and they all rotted. :-( I didn't think I watered them that much, but I guess it was more than they liked. Tamara

Tamara,

I'm sorry to hear your bulbs rotted. You do have to be careful about over watering while the bulbs are germinating. When did you plant the bulbs?

biLL

In containers with no drainage holes . I know, I know...it's my own fault! ;-) Tamara

Ouch, a container with no drainage holes. Especially with Caladiums..

biLL

pegzhere,
Hang in there!!!! I planted 'Red Flash" in pots in the beginning of April!!! I don't think any sprouted until about 5 weeks and that was just a couple. Now some have leaves but others are still tight little sprouts and the last ones are just barely peaking through.
Us northerners have a tougher time of it with caladiums because they like heat so take extra long unless we have heat mats or really warm place indoors but they will be worth the wait. If not there wouldn't be so many of us that go through the replanting every year. The first time on planting anything is the hardest because not sure what to expect when. Next year will be easier.
All of us had a first time and even those of us have been planting for a long time have our firsts when try new things. After you have had successes it gets easier and have distractions of seeing other things that have growing.
Welcome to gardening. Once you have had your successes you are likely to become addicted like most of us:-)
Happy Gardening!

I have been known to cheat a bit with these guys: I scrape off the surface soil gently, so as not to damage any shoots that might be sprouting, until I can see the top of the bulb. Then I prod it with a skewer or knife tip. If it's growing, it will be firm; if it is rotting, the skewer will go right in and the inside will be a smelly guck, sort of the consistency of a cream cheese dip. Do not grab a bag of potato chips! If it's rotting, sad, but at least you can toss it and stop futile hoping. Chances are it's fine, unless you're overwatering.

Hang in there. Mine are slow too.

It's the night time temperatures that's slowing them down. Some varieties take allot longer to germinate then others too. I planted about 250 pots almost 2 months ago and I still have 25-30 of them that are slow starting. Out of those I think 20 of them are going to be a red variety.
You do have to be careful about over watering them while they're germinating. Make sure the soil is well drained. Caladiums like a good black dirt to grow in.

biLL

I don't think mine could have rotted - they didn;t get any water at all LOL. I fanything they dried up. I was so pranoid about water that I potted them and didn't do a thing else. I did start getting the soil damp about a week or so ago because there was no waythey could have done anything in the dry soil they were in. Maybe I will get home from vacation later tonight and they will have sprouted over the weekend. Watched pot and all...

Peg,

You have to water them a little bit. Until the bulb produces leaves you just don't want to over do it. Water them every other day. I water ours the first thing in the morning. Once you have nice plants, then you might have to water them a little more frequently depending on how much rain you get. Rain is something we haven't seen in a while!! I would be absolutely surprised if your bulbs didn't produce!!!!!

biLL