How To Propagate Caladium Bulbs

Plant caladium bulbs outside after all danger of frost has passed and daytime temperatures remain above 70 degrees.

How to propagate caladium bulbs. Shake off all dust and allow the bulbs to dry in shade. Caladiums need regular feeding from the period when leaves are beginning to grow to the end of its growth cycle when days shorten and temperatures cool usually late summer. If the soil stays too wet consider building a raised bed to plant or plant in containers. Since too much nitrogen affects leaf color use a low nitrogen fertilizer such as water soluble 24 8 16 applied every two weeks at the rate of 1 tablespoon for every 1.

They thrive on well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. To grow caladiums plant the tubers in a moist shady location at least 6 to 8 inches apart in well draining soil. Also caladiums multiply as they grow so one bulb may have now formed ten hence richer the soil better the bulbs. Extract the tubers from the soil and remove the excess soil so you can see all of the eyes the growth nodes on the tubers.

Create lush border areas with the large tropical looking heart shaped leaves of caladium or use it as a tall ground cover under trees and in shrub beds. The best thing to do is loosen up the soil from the sides and then dig for the bulbs with your hands. Never poke a tool into the center as you may damage the bulbs. For the most part each tuber has a large bud which is often surrounded by smaller ones.

You can propagate caladiums by dividing the tubers. Generally the larger the bulb you purchase the better the performance as the bulb is the source of energy reserve for the plant therefore the larger the bulb the larger the energy reserve thus the opportunity for better performance. The caladium bulb is typically planted before spring with its smooth bottom side down and a crooked growing points top. Caladiums are tropical plants and cannot tolerate any frost and only emerge when the soil is warm.

To keep them blooming fertilize your caladiums once per month during the growing season with a 5 10 10 fertilizer. They need partial sun and shade to grow well. Plant bulbs in a filtered sun location on well drained soil. The caladiums grow from the tubers.

Caladiums can be purchased as potted plants or dormant tubers. How to propagate caladiums. Next water the plants frequently so that the soil stays moist but not soggy. Dig up the caladium tubers in the spring as soon as the soil is warm enough to work.

Their size depends on the variety. To make it easier for these smaller buds to grow after planting caladium bulbs many gardeners find it helpful to lift out the large bud with a knife. How to grow caladiums. Cold wet soils can cause caladium bulbs to rot.

You can propagate caladium plants by digging up the tubers in the spring and carefully cutting them apart.