If you have any questions about growing Caladiums I will try to answer them here.
Bill
Growing Caladiums Q&A
How do I plant the ones I just got from the coop. Is there a right or wrong way to place them in the hole and how deep>
Thanks
budgielover,
Place bulbs with eyes facing up and plant so the bulb has about 2" of dirt over them. Water when you first plant bulbs and then only water every couple days until you see leaves coming up. After you start seeing leaves you can water more frequently. As the temperatures start getting hotter you might need to water them a little everyday. The plant will tell you when it's thirsty, maybe I should re-phrase that. Caladiums can't talk yet...lolol... The plant will have a limp look to it if it needs watering, after watering they'll perk back up.
Bill
bulbs? These things are a bulb?? Bulbs can cross the border, can't they?? hmmm....maybe I don't need to know.....
threegardeners,
Yes and maybe to be short and sweet.
bill
How do they fare as a house plant? Can they handle a long, dry, artificially heated winter atmosphere? Do they have a dormant period? There really are some beauties. Nice colourful foliage.
Caaldiums can do very well as a houseplant in the correct enviroment. A Caladium will go dormant during the winter. I've never grown them indoors but I know people do.
I found a couple links that might help:
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modop/00000239.html
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/00000239.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_EP003
thank you
I grew caladium indoors last summer. These ones had no direct sun, but plenty of light and water. This pic was at night so it looks dark. Fertilized a couple of times per month. I had them inside during the summer and then put this container back outside in fall, i didn't pull the bulbs and they rotted :(. But while they were in the house they grew great!
Haven't found the old post, but I know I remember a thread about cutting caladiums bulbs around the eyes to make more bulbs. Last spring I did this with some that were given to me and they seemed to all come up. Was I dreaming?????
bigbubbles,
Removing the dominant eye is called de-eyeing the bulb. It forces the bulb to throw off more leaves as the bulbs energy is directed to the secondary eyes.
Bill
Sooooo....when I cut the bulbs into 1/3s, I really just imagined that the pieces regenerated? I could swear I read somewhere to cut the bulbs from the last year to make more......dazed and confused....
bigbubbles,
I mis-understood you. If you cut the bulb up then Yes, it did re-generate. I thought you just cut out the eye. What you did is how the farms generate seed stock except they do it on a much grander scale. They literally chop the bulb up into pieces and that's what's planted.
Good Job!!
Thanks for getting back to me. I was starting to doubt that I actually had more coming up in that border. Appreciate the quick response.
Sandi
I have some more bulbs to plant soon so that's a great tip.