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How To Care For Caladium

How do you take care of potted caladiums?

CALADIUM CARE Provide enough moisture throughout the growing season to keep the soil evenly moist. If you allow the soil to dry out, the leaves may yellow and drop. Apply a layer of mulch around your plants to help retain moisture.

Do caladiums like sun or shade?

Shade and Sun: Caladiums are ideal for shady yards and gardens. In southern areas they grow best in full to partial shade. In northern areas, most caladiums can also be grown in the sun as long as they get enough water and their leaves are shielded during the hottest part of the day.

How often should you water caladiums?

Caladiums need to be watered on a regular basis, especially during dry conditions. In fact, watering them on a weekly basis is recommended. Caladiums that are grown in containers should be checked daily and watered as needed.

How do you keep caladiums happy?

Caladiums grow best in bright, indirect light (full sun would fry them in a heartbeat). Keep the soil evenly moist — do not let them dry out completely, but do not keep them soggy or the tubers will rot. To increase humidity, group pots together — even with other houseplants.

Are caladiums easy to care for?

These plants need warmth and high humidity indoors and outdoors. If caladium gets enough light and humidity, it will be easy to care for.

Why are my caladium leaves dying?

Caladiums are known for their broad vibrant leaves, so when they start to go soft and brown it can be concerning. Brown soft leaves usually occur when the plant is getting watered too often or has been exposed to cold temperatures. Water when the top 25% of soil is dry when the plant is actively growing.

Do caladiums like rain?

Caladiums enjoy abundant moisture when they are growing but prefer to be dryer when dormant. If the area where the caladiums are growing tends to stay wet for extended periods during rainy winter weather, this can be problem, and it would be best to dig and store them.

Why is caladium drooping?

Lack of water is the most common reason for leaf droop. Caladiums are not known for having serious pest problems, but they do need a lot of water and warmth. If you are having problems with your plant’s leaves drooping, check the plant over carefully to discover the cause.

Do caladiums come back?

Caladiums grow from bulbs and can come back each year. However, they are short-lived as perennials and do not survive cold temperatures, so they are often treated as annuals.

Is caladium an indoor plant?

Many gardeners try Caladiums as indoor plants. There are some special instructions on Caladium care indoors to keep the plants healthy and preserve the tubers. Growing Caladium as indoor plants has its challenges, though, as the plant requires high humidity and heated home interiors are generally quite arid.

How long do caladium leaves last?

You can expect the showy season to last for 6 months or longer. Caladiums thrive in warm, moist conditions. Give them bright, indirect light and humidity.

Can caladiums be grown in pots?

Caladiums are easy to grow from tubers, found in the Garden Center with summer-blooming tropical bulbs in spring. Tuck the tubers into a container of potting mix, water regularly and fertilize every couple of weeks. Plant these in containers or in a garden bed.

What grows well with caladiums?

Colorful, flowering plants such as hydrangeas, begonias, impatiens and achimenes can be planted with caladiums. Begonias are a common companion to caladiums in many gardens. Both plants grow well in filtered sunlight, and neither will overpower the other at the roots or in the blooming phase.

What are the benefits of caladium plants?

This is a shade-loving plant, which makes it an ideal choice for shaded gardens or yards, patios and inside the house. With proper care, these plants do not suffer serious diseases or insect infestations. The leaves are fragile but will thrive when protected from the wind and sun. Caladiums are often grown as annuals.

How do you make caladiums grow faster?

Because they love hot weather, the warmer the ground and air temperature when you plant, the faster they will grow. According to Caladium World, you should wait until overnight temperatures remain consistently above 65 degrees Fahrenheit to plant your caladium bulbs.

How do I make my caladium pink?

FEATURE — Tuck them into the garden, pop some in a container or dress up a window box. Then water as needed, add a bit of fertilizer and wait for the color explosion. The showy heart-shaped leaves of caladiums come in combinations of pink, red, white and green.

Should I cut off drooping caladium leaves?

At the end of every growing season, caladium leaves lose vigor. Gradually though, the leaves yellow, soften and wilt. You can trim each droopy caladium leaf — yanking it may draw the corm right out of the soil — so the plant looks less full but still tidy during this winding down.

Can caladiums take full sun?

Another plant that is taking the sunny side of the garden by storm is the caladium. I have always loved the way caladiums look when planted in the shade. The brightly colored foliage seems to brighten any dark spot in the garden.

Are caladiums shade lovers?

Caladiums grow best in shade to part shade (two to four hours of direct sun, preferably morning) or bright dappled light. In these conditions, they produce the lushest growth with large, colorful leaves. Fancy-leaf caladiums have larger, heart-shaped leaves.