How To Propagate Caladium Leaves

Next water the plants frequently so that the soil stays moist but not soggy.

How to propagate caladium leaves. The caladium will still grow and find its way to the surface it will just take longer for the leaves to appear. Select a location in shade or part sun with a good rich moist organic soil. Buy potted caladiums ready to plant or grow them from tubers. To keep them blooming fertilize your caladiums once per month during the growing season with a 5 10 10 fertilizer.

Space them 8 to 14 inches apart depending on the ultimate size of your plants as listed on the tag. Plant caladium bulbs outside after all danger of frost has passed and daytime temperatures remain above 70 degrees. Though they re sometimes called bulbs they are really tubers plant tubers point side up about 1 to 1 1 2 inches deep. Lance or strap leafed types.

One inch tubers will result in smaller plants. How to plant caladiums. There are two main types of caladium plants. Each section must have at least one eye or growing point.

Dig the hole large enough so that the top of the tuber is about two inches below the surface of the soil and place tubers. To grow caladiums plant the tubers in a moist shady location at least 6 to 8 inches apart in well draining soil. Caladiums are tropical plants and cannot tolerate any frost and only emerge when the soil is warm. 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.

How to propagate caladiums. Fancy leafed caladiums have large and heart shaped leaves. The fancy leaf types have a little dip where the petiole meets the leaf and leaves that look like hearts. Propagating and replanting.

They grow well in areas that are semi shade and they can grow to a height of between 12 and 30 inches long depending on the available conditions. Slide a garden fork into the soil at the base of the plant and lift the tuber clump out of the garden bed. Indoors or out caladiums are a seasonal plant with foliage in the summer and a rest period in the autumn or winter. Divide caladium plants in spring.

Caladiums need to be watered on a regular basis especially during dry conditions. Caladiums that are grown in containers should be checked daily and watered as needed. Cut the tubers into 1 to 3 1 2 inch sections using a knife. Make sure that each new tuber section has at least one growing site.

The leaves grow directly from the corm via leaf stems called petioles. Applying mulch around caladium plants will help to conserve and maintain moisture even in containers. Tubers of mature caladium can be divided. Caladiums should be planted in soil that is rich and has very good drainage to prevent the tubers from rotting.