Caladium is a perennial plant that is grown under the shade for its foliage. It has low profile broad leaves that blend in with other plants in deep shade and partial sunlight. You can plant this crop from bulbs outdoors from climate zones 7 to 11. In cooler areas, the bulbs cannot sustain outdoor temperatures; hence you can grow them indoors using containers.
The following are the steps on how to plant caladium bulbs in your home for optimum yields. It is either you grow your plants indoors with containers, or you wait for favourable conditions to grow them outdoors. As you have seen, caladium loves shade to partial sunlight to do well.
Choose the color and the shape of the leaf
Caladium plants come in many varieties, and they come in different colors and shapes. Shapes include; hearts, spades, lances, and arrows. Their foliage colors include; Christmas caladium – green – white & dark green veins, rosebud caladium – pink, sweetheart caladium – deep green edges. Rosebud and Christmas do well in partial shades, while sweetheart loves deep shade.
Plant caladium bulb in a shady spot outdoors in the spring
Plant your caladium bulbs in rich organic soils. To ensure your soil is well-drained, mix the soil with sand or pebbled stones. Make a layer of this below the caladium bulb and plant caladium bulbs in clumps for the foliage to mass together to give a better color effect. Choose a shady location to plant because most varieties of caladium bulbs prefer shade. You can plant them under the pine, cedar, or spruce tree. If you are growing caladium bulbs for sale, plant them during spring when the outdoor conditions are favorable. But if you are growing caladium for personal use, you can do them even during the winter season using many containers indoors.
Observe a spacing of about 2 feet apart
Space caladium bulbs 2 feet apart because that is the maximum with of a caladium plant at maturity. You can plant them in long rows if you are growing caladium bulbs for sale if you have a vast area to till the plant. You can increase the spacing if your land is unlimited, but even with 2 feet apart, caladium will overlap but will pose no problems to the crop. You can intercrop with other shade-favoring plants. You can quickly propagate new plants when the plants start to overcrowd if you are doing caladium bulbs for sale. Do further research on how to plant caladium bulbs and know which other shade-loving crops can intercrop with caladium bulbs without covering the other. A few examples of shade-loving plants are hellebore and polka dot.
Favorable conditions for caladium plant
The Caladium plant is a perennial plant that you can grow indoors or outdoors. Although they can do in all seasons, they thrive in summer. Caladium plants prefer shade or partial sunlight to do better. You can start them indoors and expose them to the outdoor conditions when they have fully germinated. For your plant to thrive, check out these conditions:
Light: Indirect bright light
Temperature: warm temperature above 50F
Water: Apply water to the plants evenly but avoid plenty of water to make the soil soggy.
Soil: It requires well-drained moist soil
Fertilizer: Apply light fertilizer such as nitrogen fertilizers to promote foliage growth
Caladium plant care
After planting caladium bulbs to the ground, the caladium plant care phase begins. Water the soil a few inches down and let it dry before adding more. During the summer season, water your plants more often and keep an eye on not making the soil soggy, which is not suitable for crop health. It will encourage leaf-destroying fungal diseases. High nitrogen fertilizer is desirable during planting to aid leaf development. You will not add more after the first application; that is enough for growth and development until harvest.
Caladium plant care outdoors
Growing caladium bulbs outdoor require your attention throughout its growing season. First, make sure you keep weeds under control to prevent competition of nutrients with your beautiful plants. Weeds will diminish the beauty brought about by this golden plant. You can employ mulching to keep weed from growing as well as improve moisture and soil temperature. For a bumper harvest, keep the plants well-watered throughout the growing season. Drip irrigation is the most suitable watering option if rainfall is not sufficient.
After the plant germination, apply light fertilizers such as nitrogen and keep granules away from the leaves. Monitor the plants for pests and diseases, seek attention from agricultural extension officers to ascertain the potential pests and diseases, and prepare adequately to deal with them. You can ask them out for more information on caladium plant care outdoors. Remove flower stocks to keep the plants’ strength as soon as they show up.
Harvesting caladium plants
When the season change, you can dig them up for storage. In warmer conditions, apply mulch to keep moisture until the winter season disappears. Remove from the soil and let them dry before storing or taking them to the grocery stores for sale.
Conclusion
We have looked at different ways on how to plant caladium bulbs. If you are interested in growing them in your backyard garden, it is an excellent decision because they will improve the décor in your compound. It requires you to water the plants daily and evenly for maximum foliage growth. The soil should be well-drained and have an equal circulation of air and water. Another essential factor to note is to apply caladium plants as a lighter fertilizer with nitrogen and avoid phosphorus fertilizers. If you are in doubt, ask an agricultural extension officer to carry out a soil test so that you know the type of nutrients present and those that need supplementation.
As soon as the flower stalk shows up, take them off because they are not the primary reason we grow caladium plants. The plant is highly tolerant, and it can withstand vast seasons to grow, and they can do well anywhere around the world as long as its favorable conditions are supplied.
