Caladiums

Hi friends in gardening, Does anyone have some good sources for caladium bulbs? I'm thinking ahead to next spring. I planted Florida Sweetheart this year from Parks, and they were outstanding. Hopefully I will be able to store them over the winter. Any suggestions?

Talinum, I'm not sure you can, unless you pull them up before they dry out or rot, at least that was my experience here in N. Texas...hopefully others have had much more success than I had. I usually go to a local nursery and pick them up at $.25 each at the end of the season and plant them the following spring.

"eyes"

okay thanks for your help "eyes". I don't think I can buy them locally, at least not now, but that's a good idea. Still looking for some good mail order places.

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thanks MzM. It looks like a great site

I have saved them over, but they don't seem to perform as well the next year. They don't like anything below 50 degrees, so when your nights start getting close to that, dig them up, wash off all the dirt and allow to dry. Then store them in brown paper sacks in saw dust, pine straw, etc. Don't put them anywhere where it will drop below 50. When the grounds gets good and warm next spring, replant.

Talinum... I have saved mine over for the last 2 winters, and I agree with bulblady that they don't seem to perform quite as well. However, I have had such success with my cala lilys and glads increasing by using bone meal or blood meal, that I decided to do that to the cladiums this year. We'll see next year if that helps, LOL!

Our caladiums can stay in the ground through the winter here in Florida. However, caladiums in pots will freeze. I also had the new Florida Sweetheart last year and it is a gorgeous caladium. Unfortunately, I had it in a pot and this past December we had a couple freezes and I lost them. I tried to buy more at Park Seed, but they are all out.

My husband and I are going to Lake Placid, FL (center of the state) this Friday for the annual caladium festival and I hope to find more of them there.

Florida Sweetheart was developed by the Extension group at the University of Florida.

Caladiums come back each year bigger and better here in Florida.

Wow, a Caladium festival--what fun! Lotsa good tips here, thanks everyone.

I have over wintered cladiums for 5 years here in zone 6.
They do real well and keep getting bigger and having babies.
I dig them after the first good frost and store them in boxes in my basement. I plant them outside after the nights have been 60 for at least 1 week..Usually mid june here. Two different times I started them inside in peat pots in april and set them out in june they did real well. I have them with my hostas and they really brighten up my shade garden. I do the same with their cousins the elephant ears...I also treat cannas the same...

I was wondering if glads need to be lifted in zone 6??

Chris

Talinum:
I have ordered form Calidum World before and had excellent results. They were very fast and efficient and the bulbs were excellent.

Paul

Chris: Yes Glads should be lifted in zone 6 if you want to keep them.
Paul

I can second the recommendation for Caladium World - good sized bulbs, great price, very quick to get them to me.

what would they do if I potted them up and treated like a houseplant?

tiG they would do better if you potted them up and I treated them as houseplants.

LOL!! you always catch me unaware!!! I should know better by now, don't you think?