Growing Caladium Bulbs Indoors

Caladium sun or shade.

Growing caladium bulbs indoors. A northern or eastern window is usually the best exposure. Caladiums as house plants when growing indoors in pots are a stunning addition to any room s design and feeling. How to grow indoors caladiums are beautiful ornamental foliage plants with brilliantly colored variegated leaves that are heart shaped with veined patterns. When you plant caladiums you should plant them about 4 to 6 inches 10 to 15 cm deep and 4 to 6 inches 10 to 15 cm apart.

Whether indoor or outdoor caladium plants are seasonal plants with foliage during summer and the rest in autumn and winter. Therefore caladium plants are only perennial in usda hardiness zones but they can be grown as annuals or overwintered. If you re growing caladiums indoors keep them in a warm room with plenty of light until outside temperatures are warm enough to transplant. In indoor plants caladiums are mainly hybrid varietal plants in which even the original species are not always indicated.

The caladium plant prefers indirect light or moderate shade indoors. Next water the plants frequently so that the soil stays moist but not soggy. Most often on the shelves there are large leaved relentlessly producing leaves almost all year round famous for contrasting marble patterns on the leaves hybrid varieties of caladium bicolor. 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.

In colder areas where the ground freezes they are often grown as annuals. They can be taken out of the ground in the fall the corms stored during the winter months and replanted the following spring. Caladiums are colorful tropical foliage plants that grow as perennials in usda hardiness zones 9 to 11. So this is an enigma to me how is it still almost unknown not only to an average home grower but even to professional home plants distributors.

How to grow caladium plants. Caladiums are seasonal plants even in the tropics where gardeners plant them in the spring and summer months when they ll thrive in the heat and wet. When grown indoors they do best with lots of heat bright but indirect light and plenty of humidity. Even grown indoors these plants need some time to rest and recharge.

To keep them blooming fertilize your caladiums once per month during the growing season with a 5 10 10 fertilizer. The active growing season for caladium varieties runs from spring through late fall. The leaves come in an array of colors from green pink reds silver cream and neon pink.