Providing Winter Care for Your Caladium Written by Doityourself Staff. Good luck, I hope they will survive for you this year too. I’m a passionate gardener who loves growing everything from vegetables, herbs, and flowers to succulents, tropicals, and houseplants - you name, I've grown it! More than 20C – 68F the bulbs will start growing. Caladiums are fast growers that do fine anywhere in South Florida. If they get too much moisture during the winter, they will rot. Once warm temps and longer days return in spring, the plant should begin regrowing, at which time you can give it additional light and resume normal care. You can leave caladiums in the ground over winter if you live somewhere warm. Then, cover with peat and vermiculite. If you’re wondering where to buy caladium plants or bulbs, you can usually find both for sale at you local garden center in the spring. Plus, once you get the hang of overwintering caladiums, you won’t have to feel guilty buying new plants every year. I do the same thing. This allows the nutrients from the leaves to be absorbed back into the bulb enabling the bulb to bulk up for storage. Once temperatures begin to fall and stay below 60 F. (15 C.), dig up your caladium bulb with the foliage still attached. If I’m wintering over caladiums in pots in my basement that stays at about 60 degrees should I water at all or just let it dry out completely? I am in Zone 8. If you can’t find an answer to your question in this section, or anywhere else in this post, then please leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to answer it. You could certainly try keeping them indoors through the summer, and then allow it to go dormant during the winter. If your packing material is wet, or you store them in a damp location, then it will likely cause your bulbs to rot. Being a person who is prone to go against the best advice. Most of these color bonanza is due to a prolific hybridization of two wild species found in tropical rainforests of Latin America: Caladium bicolor and Caladiu… I would definitely use that over newspaper, because it holds more moisture. I’m in Quantico VA and beginning to notice change in weather at nights, so I’m assuming I’ll be un-potting my bulbs for storage. In the right conditions, caladium tubers can be stored for several months. These things like it hot. Awesome, thanks for adding your tips for overwintering caladium bulbs! The attractive leaves grow between 6 and 12 inches in length. When tops die back, clip off. Can you leave caladium bulbs in the ground over winter? If you just left them on a shelf by themselves, with no protection, then they likely would not survive. Then i kept the covered metal box in a room with temp set at 55 degrees all winter (to save on my electric bill, not to baby the caladium!). Technically yes, but it is pretty difficult. So they must be brought indoors in the fall. They even multiplied. Then all the sudden they started growing and ended up looking great. After they are all prepared and put in a box with moss or whatever and placed in a cool dark place (my basement storage area) …Do I water them at all or not at all? Simply leave the tubers in the ground where they are and wait for the plants to re-emerge in spring. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. I live in North Florida along the coast. They will eventually go dormant, and all the foliage will die back. But if for some reason you are unable to plant them right away in the spring, keeping them in storage for a few extra weeks should be fine. Watered and waited. 2. Caladiums grow best in soil temperatures of at least 70°F. How exciting that you have four bulbs now too. They can be left in the ground if you live in a warm climate (zone 9 or higher). I’ll have to store them in a storage building on our property because the attached garage is insulated and will be too warm. Caladiums can also be grown and stored in containers over winter. Storing caladium bulbs is easy. 2. Caladiums are frost-tender plants, so they require special care in order to survive the winter months in regions where temperatures drop down to or below freezing. After a few weeks, cut the tops off level with the soil line. But it’s expensive to buy them new every year. Take additional care when planting, pruning and around children and pets. Lift the bulbs roots and all into a box or take the potted plants from your garden to store them undercover over winter. Overwintering caladiums is the best way to keep your favorite varieties year after year! Then, after they’ve had a good start, submerge the pots into the flower bed soil, mulch. In USDA zones 8 and lower, winter care for caladium bulbs involves digging them up and bringing them inside to go dormant. In zones 9-12, caladium tubers are hardy and will not need digging up to survive the winter. I tried starting caladiums in my house in March to get a jump on the growing season. Every year I seem to end up buying at least one, because they’re so beautiful and unique. This process will cure the bulbs and cause them to go dormant. In zones 9-12, caladium tubers are hardy and do not need any special care to survive the winter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 🙂, I live in zone 4-5 – need to lift them from the ground and put them in storage. They then sprouted quickly. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees through links to Amazon.com. The whole leafs can be in different shades of red – from pink to almost black. Water the Caladium 1-2 times a week. Overwintering Caladium Bulbs. Wow, good for you!! But, once the soil warms in the spring, they’ll grow back better than ever. We have been changed to Planting zone 9. I usually let the pot my caladiums are growing in go dry and then bring it inside and tuck it somewhere out of the way. If they get too much moisture during the winter, they will rot. Just leave the tubers in the ground and wait for the plants to grow again in spring. Wait until the first frost strikes, when leaves have started to yellow but before they have lost all their color. In warm regions where the soil temperature remains above 60°F year-round, you may be able to leave your plants in the ground. In the spring, plant in rich soil again when weather gets warm. This past winter I left the bulbs planted in a container in my basement but they rotted. With the proper winter care, caladiums will grow back year after year. I live and garden in Minneapolis, MN (zone 4b). The method you choose will depend on the climate you live in, and whether you have them in pots or in the garden. Don’t try to keep them dormant for too long, I recommend planting them every spring. If you plan to leave them in the ground, then be sure they’re in a protected spot where they won’t get too much water. Unusual patterns and colors on large leaves, it is Caladium‘s own trademark. Benefits of Storage. Spray your indoor caladium to imitate the moist air of a greenhouse [source: Plant Care ]. Most of the time, you can find dormant caladium tubers for sale with the other tropical summer bulbs. At the end of the summer, the plants will begin to go dormant. I’m concerned the bulbs will dry out and how to add moisture and how to know if they’re too wet or too dry? Remove dead stems from the base of the plant to encourage a clean well groomed appearance. Now that you know how to save caladiums over winter, you can keep your favorite varieties year after year. I put it back outside once all frost chances have past and water it well. 00:38 Een beetje achtergrond informatie over Caladiums 01:33 Zo groeit een Caladium (uit knollen onder de grond!) If you’re lucky enough to live in a warm enough climate, you can just leave your caladiums right in the ground all winter. Yes! Caladiums can be safely stored over the winter and replanted once soil temperatures warm back up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. You’re lucky that you live somewhere warm enough that you can overwinter these plants right in the garden. Clean tubers gently and dust with sulphur and store where they are cool but will not freeze. I was told by a professional to dig up my caladium bubs, make sure they are dry put them in a pot in a cool, not cold, place to overwinter them. Brush away any loose soil, cut out any rotted areas, and apply a fungicide. Then feed it good and wait for the show. Don’t worry, I’ll show you exactly what to do in this post! You’d never know that there was a pot there! I made sure to put wood shavings all over the roots to dry up any excess moisture. Brush off the dried soil gently from the tubers, and clean them with a dry cloth. You can also subscribe without commenting. Caladiums grow from bulbs that become dormant after the growing season. Hello, what kind of caladium is the one pictured? The warmth from the sunlight will help them stay healthy over the winter and continue to keep their vibrant color. Keep the soil dry, but don’t let the bulbs dry out completely. Your email address will not be published. 02:09 Hoeveel licht heeft een Caladium nodig? See Caladium bulbs here https://amzn.to/2n5bO9N****Thank You for Watching Today! Saving caladium bulbs over winter can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but it’s not terribly difficult. Like all caladiums, it must have soil temperatures above 60 degrees to grow well in summer. Overwintering caladium bulbs is easy! Elephant's ear bulbs produce large, leafy plants which add a tropical look to a home landscape. Stick your finger down into the soil to where the bulbs are. Thank you, all, for your tips. I dug up the tuber before the first freeze, cut off all the foliage and stems, shook off as much soil as possible, then put the caladium tuber in a metal holiday cookie box with a tightly-fitting lid and a bunch of what seems to be wood shavings (had come with some bulbs I bought and I saved it). Indoors or out, caladiums are a seasonal plant, with foliage in the summer and a rest period in the autumn or winter. Don’t have dry peat but will purchase any suggestion you have that’s available locally. Caladiums are winter hardy to USDA zone 9, meaning that they should be able to survive the winter outdoors. Your email address will not be published. In May, when night temps were above 50, I planted them about 2″ deep in my pots. My caladium leaves are beginning to droop (larger/taller ones) while new leaves continue to dazzle. on Nov 16, 2009. It took a few weeks…maybe a little over a month before I saw any activity. Yes. Inconspicuous, calla-type flowers appear in summer, but they are usually hidden by the leaves. Good for you! You don’t have to do anything special for dormant caladiums in winter. Here’s the deal with these plants: When the temperature is constantly below 60 degrees, but not yet frost, remove the whole plant from the soil, line them up in a basement, tubers not touching. My green thumb comes from my parents, and I've been gardening most of my life. Caladiums are winter hardy to USDA zone 9, meaning that they should be able to survive the winter outdoors. So I like to dig them up, and store my caladiums through the winter. It helps to keep them in sand or sawdust to prevent them from drying out too much. Then just store them in a box - she suggested I put the box under my bed for the winter. Yes, everything should be dry so that the caladium bulbs don’t rot over the winter. If kept too wet, caladium tubers left in the ground over winter could end up rotting. Q: How do you care for caladium bulbs over the winter? Required fields are marked *. Check on the bulbs a few times during the winter to make sure they aren’t too wet or drying out. If you find any that have mold growing on them, throw them out immediately so the mold doesn’t spread to the other bulbs. Thanks. Gardeners in cold winter regions can preserve their of elephant ear (Alocasia spp., plants by lifting the bulb-like tubers when the growing season ends and storing them inside over the winter. That way I can save myself a little cash in the spring. Q: How do you care for caladium bulbs over the winter? Store the bulbs in a dry warm place at around 10C – 50F to 15C – 60F below this the bulbs will get damaged. 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