How to plant Caladium
The editor will tell you about how to plant Caladium and the knowledge of Caladium planting methods and timing. Let's take a look together.
Caladium belongs to the Araceae family, Caladium genus, and is a perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plant. Caladium is also known as arrowroot, water taro, or wild taro. Caladium prefers a warm and humid environment and is not tolerant of cold and dry conditions. It is suitable to grow in organic-rich, fertile, and loose, slightly acidic soil. The flowers are white and tubular, and when placed upside down, they resemble a horse's hoof. Commonly cultivated varieties include white Caladium, red Caladium, yellow Caladium, and silver star Caladium.
Seeding Time and Propagation Methods
Seed propagation is done from April to May, with temperatures of 18-24°C for sowing. Division propagation is carried out after flowering in May to June, when the old leaves gradually wither and new leaves grow, forming small bulbs around the tubers, which are then separated and planted separately. Tubers are planted in autumn, in September.
Cultivation Methods
There are pot cultivation for ornamental purposes and field cultivation.
In pot cultivation, when the mother bulbs produce small bulbs and new leaves in autumn, the small bulbs are separated and planted in deep pots with a diameter of 25 centimeters. The potting soil is made of 2 parts finely crushed pond soil, 1 part decomposed manure, and mixed with an appropriate amount of superphosphate and decomposed cow dung.
Field cultivation is done from March to April by selecting strong and full bulbs and planting them in a windy, well-ventilated, low-lying, and fertile soil. The land is plowed and sufficient base fertilizer is applied, then planted in rows with a bed width of 100 centimeters, using furrow planting with a spacing of 20 centimeters between plants and 30 centimeters between rows.
Top Dressing
During the growing period of Caladium, apply decomposed cake fertilizer and a moderate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer twice a month. No fertilizer is applied after the flowers fade.
Management
In spring, when the weather warms up, the potted plants can be moved outdoors. If the branches and leaves are lush, the outer yellow leaves can be removed to facilitate the emergence of flower stems and promote more flowering.
After each top dressing, spray clean water on the leaves to keep them fresh, and place the pot in a sunny area indoors at 10-11°C. During the growing period, keep the soil moist, loose, and well-ventilated, and increase humidity. Move the plants indoors before "Frost's Descent." They can bloom during the Spring Festival. The flowers are most abundant from March to April. After Caladium enters dormancy, the tubers can be taken out to dry and stored in a ventilated and cool place, or they can be kept in the pot with dry soil, and then divided and potted again in autumn.
The above content about how to plant Caladium and the methods and timing of Caladium planting, hoping it is helpful for green plant enthusiasts!