When Do You Plant Caladium Bulbs In Texas
If you live in zones 8 or less you will need to spend some time around the time of first frost digging caladiums up and store them for the winter.
When do you plant caladium bulbs in texas. Wonderful for borders caladiums can stand tall in the back or our shortie varieties can provide a lower introductory accent in front. Four to six weeks ahead of the last frost date for your area fill 6 inch pots to within 2 inches of the rim with a soiless potting mix such as equal. Prepare the soil for planting. For texas landscapes and gardens our caladiums offer you a wide range choices in color and sizes.
My mother used to grow caladiums in south texas and she never had to dig up the bulbs for winter. Bulb size tips planting separations by bulb size yup it s true. Mix cladiums with our flowers in pots and baskets for patio or office displays. In cooler climates caladium may be kept as a houseplant or you can dig the.
Till the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches 15 2 cm and work in compost or chopped leaves to enrich it. Caladiums need rich well drained soil. Just after i moved to dfw last month i planted hundreds of caladiums because lowe s was selling them for a penny each one weekend. If you want to try to save caladium tubers for another year dig them as soon as possible and allow to dry in a well ventilated but shady area.
Department of agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 12. Caladiums will grow from their tubers every year in u s. If you re growing caladiums indoors keep them in a warm room with plenty of light until outside temperatures are warm enough to transplant. If you re planting caladiums in pots a standard rich potting soil will do.
Planting them prematurely will not kill them unless the ground is also soggy but it will set back their development. Caladium bulbs do not like to be planted in cold soil. 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. Saving caladium bulbs in this area is not recommended since bulb size usually decreases after one year s growth.
Bigger bulbs yield more foliage go figure. Especially if you live in a cold winter area that has a short growing season start caladium tubers in pots indoors or in the greenhouse so they re already growing when you plant them outside. 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. I have had better luck storing and regrowing tubers of the white foliaged types.
Make sure the soil drains well by digging a hole and filling it with water.