Caladium Plant Care
Caladium does best with plenty of heat, humidity, and bright but indirect sunlight when thriving indoors. Even under the ideal conditions, its foliage lasts for a few months only before its leaves begin to die back and your plant goes dormant once again. That is normal. We have outlined the best care tips for your rare caladium plants regardless of the variety such as Caladium Angel Wings, Caladium New Wave, Caladium Blazing Sun, Caladium Pink Lady, Caladium Strawberry Milk, Caladium Praetermissum Hilo Beauty and more.
Light
Caladium plants like indirect sunlight or moderate shade when placed indoors. The narrower a plant’s leaves, the better the amount of sunlight they can tolerate. Growing caladium outdoors in pots offers you control over sunlight conditions. Pot plants thrive well in full sun in various climates with thorough monitoring. When you grow them in your garden, give them partial to full shade, as the sun will scorch their leaves.
Soil
Every plant lover should put their caladium plant in a well-drained, rich potting mix like a wet mix of peat and soil. Your garden soil must also be similarly well-draining and rich. The best soil pH is a bit acidic, like 5.5 to 6.2.
Water
When leaves show up on your plant, water is required to keep its soil perfectly moist. Never let your plant dry out. You should stop watering your plant when its leaves begin to die back. It is important to start watering your plant when its leaves appear again next season.
Temperature and Humidity
The warmer the environment, the better it is for your caladium houseplants. If possible, keep the temperature 70°F, if possible, as the plant's tubers will start to grow at this temperature. Keep the moisture level as high as possible. When planting your caladium outdoors, you can easily transplant every potted tuber (or, better yet, transfer your plants in peat containers) right after the previous frost date of your area. Plants cared that way must be started indoors around four to six weeks before transplanting.
Fertiliser
Fertilise your caladium plants every week during their growing season with slow-release pellets or liquid fertiliser. It will help your plant grow at a faster rate. However, don't fertilise your plant with a high dose to prevent any damage to your indoor plant.
Propagating Caladium
When your plants die back in the early winter, you can save their tubers in any bag and replant next year for a different show. You can divide the tubers of your mature caladium using the following steps:
Use a sharp and sterile plant cutting tool to remove tubers. Ensure that every new tuber portion has at least one developing site (with a knob or an eye). Either sit the tubers in the same container (keeping them thoroughly dry) or completely remove and clean them and place the tubers into sand or sawdust for storage. Let these plant tubers heal with a callous to prevent root rot. Store these tubers over 55°F to minimise the loss of your healthy samples. Plant the tubers outdoors or in pots again when its growing season begins, and soil temperatures are above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.