Caladiums are impressive-looking plants with large vividly veined leaves. If you are not sure what they resemble, or interested in purchasing your first caladium.
These plants give great color and foliage to interior and exterior environments, but they are highly demanding plants, cannot withstand frost, and are relatively tricky to cultivate. That is why we have created our caladium plant care blog where you will have fun tending f these gorgeous plants without causing any harm or killing them.
What Are Caladium Tubers?
In this, as you are going to be informed, knowledge about what are caladium tubers is crucial to knowing how to take care of caladium plants.
These are the swollen stems that plants develop – they are developed underground, and they bear nutrients that help the plant in the subsequent developing period.
You will need to google, these tubers up and determine what one should be expecting at such and such stage of a caladium.
Can You Grow Caladiums Indoors?
The short answer to this question is yes. For that reason, caladiums do not like cold and frost – so during the winter, it is necessary to take the plants indoors. Caladium tubers are very cold-sensitive, and if you do not move them indoors, the tubers will die.
On top of this, caladiums will only produce leaves when the seasons are milder – from April to October. In winter they can be shaved and anything but pretty. Growers get bored of the dull-looking stems during this period and get weary of tending these plants, and this is why people who like long-lasting plants, that do not require much attention, The plants do not stop producing foliage even during this period, which makes them ideal for homeowners who do not have time for plant maintenance. Read on to learn more about how to properly care for caladium plants indoors as well as the best practice in over-wintering caladiums.
Caladium Plant Care – Tips On Handling Humidity
Should you want caladiums solely as indoor plants, there are some things you can do for them and none that you can do to them. It was established that caladiums have a background in warm weather and therefore they should have humidity. In fact, during the winter, since the house with central heating is often too dry for these plants to grow.
If you wished to mimic a warm and humid environment for these plants, you could set up a humidifier, or use the plant mister glass bottle and spray water on the foliage more often. Instead, you can use the pebble tray (which you can create using a low tray of pebbles, and water, positioned under or near the caladium plant pot). What this liquid reduces is the evaporation that adds moisture to the room in its absence.
Humidity: Always ensure you do not place your caladium near sources of heat such as radiators or heating vents as they will just dry up your plant.
Caladium Plant Care – How to get the right light
If you are a caladium owner who is establishing its plant indoors then ensure that the plant gets ample natural light and at the same time does not burn in the mid-morning light.
If you still don’t know what specific type of plants caladiums are, let me reiterate, these plants are goldilocks of plants, very sensitive. This is why caladium care is challenging during winter since the sun is either low or actually obscured by the clouds. Think about using an artificial sunlight lamp, if it is so you can adjust conditions under which your plant will be exposed to sunlight – too much or too little.
Or maybe do the opposite and make sure you place your caladium plant by the northern or eastern window – this way it should get proper light. However, if there is an occasional bright or ‘scorching’ winter day, you may always relocate your plant away from the heat.
Caladium Plant Care – What To Do About Fertilizer
As much as you would want to feed your caladium, do not do so during winter; you must fertilize it only in months that it is active, which are spring and summer. During the autumn and winter months caladium needs to be considered as some creature who goes into hibernation and unlike other plants and animals it will not appreciate being fed fertilizer and other additives of the soil.
However, there is no need to stop watering your plant through the cold months – check it when the soil is dry. It is important not to water your caladium if the soil is wet since this creates conditions necessary for over watering through which you can end up damaging the roots among other problems that always affect plants especially when it is cold and they are left in damp soil.
Important Tips For Caladium Plant Care Over Winter
In general, it is recommended to place your caladium in an area with a temperature of about 18 C. With this in mind, you should consider asking someone to look after your plant if you’re going away for a few weeks over winter and won’t be keeping the heating on – otherwise you might revisit only a dead plant!
Further, when the leaves start to wither in the fall, it is fine to let them die and then, at the end of the process, cut off the dried up remains. At this point, take the tubers, dry best and then pack it in peat or sack. Or, do nothing, keep the tubers right where they are and then simply refrain from watering your caladium until it is springtime.
At the onset of spring you should transfer your tubers from peat or sack into pots. Otherwise start rewate the old pot where tubers have regrown just continue the process of watering it.
Once you plant your new season of tubers, ensure that your pot is in a slightly lighter area of the house as it will need more light during its first few months of regrowth.
If you wish to place your caladium outdoors during warm weather then you should do it; otherwise, moved the pot back outside for the later part of summer and repeat the entire process!
That’s A Wrap
It is our joy to have been able to provide a guide on the process of performing caladium plant care, and how to perform caladium care in winter properly. You might be wondering, what you have been reading about is true, caladiums are a high maintenance plant species. However, they live too short and cannot be touched as often as human beings, which is why their care means so much. That happiness, when, after all the cold and cold winter days this beautiful plant comes to life again, is really unique.
For more indoor plant care tips, check out Top 10 Best Indoor Plants for Your Home and elevate your indoor gardening game with expert advice!
FAQ
Can I grow caladiums indoors during the winter?
Yes you can grow them inside during winter, as long your house is warm (Above 60F/16C for about 60 more days) and if you are able to provide them with ample bright indirect light. During this time they should be watered sparingly in order to prevent rotting of the plants.
Should I fertilize caladiums during the winter?
No, you should not fertilize your caladiums for the last 6-8 weeks before the arrival of winter or even worse, during the winter time altogether. Resume fertilizing again as soon as new shoots start to come out in spring.
What should I do if my caladiums’ leaves turn yellow and die back?
This is a normal of process of dormancy to help the body conserve energy and food. If you have a cool climate, cease the water supply when the leaves fade yellow and die, and get the tubers ready for storage.
