Caladium Plant Winter Care

Caladiums are winter hardy to usda zone 9 meaning that they should be able to survive the winter outdoors.

Caladium plant winter care. A northern or eastern window is usually the best exposure. They can be taken out of the ground in the fall the corms stored during the winter months and replanted the following spring. Overwintering caladiums it seems a shame to have such a showy plant only give one season of color. 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.

There are different varieties of caladiums to choose from and are differentiated by the leaf patterns and colors. Some cultivars can tolerate the hot sun for a couple of hours every day but in general they need moderate shade with protection from the direct hot sun. This caladium plant care guide will help you get beautiful houseplants. Dig up the caladium tubers in fall before the leaves have lost all their color and before the first frost.

Your indoor caladiums only need a liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks. Indoor caladium plants require a medium light area with protection from midday sun which will scorch the leaves. Caladiums same like any other plant also need full protection especially from the hot sun for the best growth and color. Most caladium varieties grow to about 18 24 inches tall however there are some dwarf varieties that peak at 8 12 inches.

Winter care of caladium bulbs. Spray your indoor caladium to imitate the moist air of a greenhouse source. In usda zones 8 and lower winter care for. Tubers of mature caladium can be divided.

Caladiums grown as annuals and stored as tubers during the winter will not get as lush as caladium plants left in the ground or grown as houseplants. Indoors or out caladiums are a seasonal plant with foliage in the summer and a rest period in the autumn or winter. In colder areas where the ground freezes they are often grown as annuals. Care of caladium plants.

Fortunately it is possible to enjoy the same plants next year if you remember to dig up the tubers and bring them indoors to store for the winter. The width of your plant will vary with cultivar and age. Fertilize your outdoor caladiums once a month. Grow caladiums in acidic soil that s moist and well drained.

How to care for caladium indoors. Humidity is crucial to caladium houseplant care as the tubers are native to south american tropical forests and produce seasonal foliage during the rainy warm season. Caladium how to take care of this plant. Their rest period isn t determined by temperature or light cycle but by how long the plant has been growing.

Caladiums are colorful tropical foliage plants that grow as perennials in usda hardiness zones 9 to 11. Even in these areas though a heavy mulching of 3 inches 7 5 cm is the recommended winter care for caladiums to keep them from dying in the colder temperatures.