Wild, Wonderful Aroids - Page 3

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Sep 9, 2002

Caladium tubers do not send roots out from the bottom of the tuber. Roots sprout around each eye on the tuber and those are only on the top side. You want to make sure to plant them right side up - not always easy to determine when you're holding a dried up oddly shaped object in your hand. The tops have hairy looking fibers; these are not roots, but could be mistaken for them. If you look closely at a tuber, you should see the growing points or eyes as little pointed bumps. Plant so these are on the top. Cover the tubers with one to one and a half inches of soil (2.5 - 3.8 cm).

Once planted, water well and then just make sure the soil does not dry out until growth is well under way, when you need to make certain the soil is continually moist.

Feeding

These plants are moderately hungry. If you plant them in the ground in well-amended soil, one or two feedings a season should be more than adequate. If you grow them in pots, you'll need to feed with either a balanced slow release fertilizer upon potting or a liquid at every couple of waterings. Any balanced type of fertilizer will work - something like 14-14-14 or 20-20-20. If yours is a really hot climate or your soil is sandy, you will need to feed more often than gardeners in cooler climates or who garden on clay-based soil.

Sun or Shade?

I always think of caladiums as being shade plants, and most of them want at least afternoon shade and will grow in very shady positions, although they may stretch a bit in really deep shade. There are, according to The Florida Cooperative Extension Service, some cultivars that do best in full sun, including:

Whites: 'Candidum Junior' and 'Seagull'
Pinks:'Carolyn Whorton', 'Rosebud', 'Mrs. W. B. Haldeman', 'Pink Gem', and 'Lance Whorton'
Reds:'Fire Chief' and 'Red Frill'.

Wintering

Once air temperatures drop below 65ºF (18ºC), you need to either bring your pots into the house or dig up your tubers. If you garden in the far north or have your plants in very deep shade, they may fail to make decent tubers, in which case, you are stuck with replacing them every year, since you will have nothing to winter over. I have not read of their being used as house-plants. It might be possible; I've not tried it. If your plants have no tubers, but look otherwise healthy and you have a bright room that stays around 70F or more, give it a try and let me know if it works.

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