Firechief caladiums: all green?

I recently planted my third variety of caladiums, Firechief, in a continuing quest for bright red leaves. (Frieda Hemple isn't red enough for me.) My first pot is unfolding its first leaves -- but they are all green! Are they going to develop their red centers later?

Anitra,

You might have temps that are too cool for them. The best caladium I have seen are in the deep south with warm night time temps. They are a warm tropics plant. They might perform better inside if you need a house plant.

They should show the right colors from day 1 on. To keep them inside for a while is OK, however after a month or 2 they will grow too tall and leggy and will start to fall over. Time to then plant them outside before they become too tall.

The Fire Chiefs are in the lobby Window Garden for now. They get mostly indirect sun, with a couple of hours of direct sun in late afternoon; they get fluorescent light 24/7 from about 14 feet overhead. I'm not sure what the exact temperature is, but it's in the 70s, and even. A Miss Muffett is on the same table, and doing well. It's been there for four months and hasn't gotten leggy yet.

The first Fire Chief leaves, which were all-green at first, are slowly developing more color. A fourth leaf was speckled with red from the time it first opened; then the fifth leaf opened green; the next three that are starting to open look speckled. I'm just going to relax and enjoy the variety. :)

I have two other six-inch pots of Fire Chief that haven't broken ground yet. I was hoping to put at least some of these outside. I learned from my first attempts with Miss Muffet, though, that I don't want any caladiums outside when nights are below 50 -- and we might not have long before our nights start dropping below 50 again, I plan to bring all the calaiums inside when the nights cool. I do hope to grow more inside all year long.

Anitra,

Since we always grow our caladiums outside they slowly go dormant in late fall (Nov). I am not absolutely certain, but, I think caladiums have a winter rest period. Have you been growing them for awhile? Do yours grow thru the winter?

I only started growing caladiums this spring, Dale. Since I do have areas inside where I can give them lots of warmth and light, I am going to try growing them year 'round -- and I'll find out how it goes. :)

If I start a caladium bulb in December, in 78 degree temperature with (indirect) full-spectrum fluorescent light up to 24 hours a day, how is it going to know that it's winter outside?

Keep us posted on how it turns out.

If it's already bloomed once in the current year, it has probably extended it's growth for that period....all bulbs need to rest, some as little as 3 mos., but they still need a good night's sleep per se...

"eyes"