How to Grow Caladium? Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions

Caladium is what we commonly call colorful-leaf taro, a plant variety prized mainly for its foliage. It is a plant introduced and cultivated in China from abroad, and is currently commonly found in places in China with higher temperatures. Many people, when growing caladium, run into a series of problems because of their own lack of technique, so how exactly should it be grown for the best results?

How to Grow Caladium

1. Caladium likes a hot, humid and semi-shady environment, and is not tolerant of low temperatures, frost or snow. When planting, choose fertile, loose soil with good drainage.

2. The suitable growing temperature for caladium is 20~30°C, with June to October being its growing period, and the most suitable temperature being 21~27°C. The suitable temperature for the dormancy period from October to June of the following year is 18~24°C. Make sure the nighttime temperature does not drop below 10°C. Avoid strong light exposure.

3. Caladium likes clayey soil, and is mostly made up of a mix of five parts clayey field soil, two parts leaf mold and three parts sand.

Caladium Cultivation Methods and Precautions

I. Cultivation methods:

1. Temperature control. Caladium is extremely intolerant of cold; the most suitable temperature for growth is between 25~30°C, and it must not go below 20°C. In winter the temperature should be kept at around 15°C, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow and the plant will wilt. When the temperature is 22°C, the tubers will sprout new leaves. So keep the winter temperature between 15~20°C, to avoid too high a temperature affecting dormancy.

2. Adequate water and fertilizer. Colorful-leaf taro likes moisture, and in spring and summer it needs plenty of watering to keep the potting soil moist, but avoid waterlogging. During the growth period of colorful-leaf taro, fertilize once a week, applying a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, with nitrogen as the main component.

3. Repot in time. Colorful-leaf taro requires loose, fertile soil with good drainage. Since that is the case, repotting is essential; in fact, repotting caladium is relatively simpler than for other plants, because caladium goes dormant in winter and must be replanted in spring, so replace half with new soil and bury the tubers a bit deeper.

II. Precautions:

April to August is the peak growing season for caladium, and at this time make sure nutrients are sufficient. After September the leaves will gradually wither, so at this point reduce watering and stop fertilizing, letting the tubers overwinter safely in the soil. Wait until the next spring when it warms up for growth to continue.

How to Make Caladium Form Flower Buds When Spring Warms

1. After autumn begins it will drop its leaves, and will not grow leaves again until the following spring. Caladium is a high-temperature plant that likes heat and fears cold, so after the autumn leaf drop do not water, let the bulbs overwinter in sandy soil, and control the temperature at 18°C.

2. Early spring. When caladium begins to grow leaves and buds, it must not lack water, but you need to wait until the weather warms up before watering and fertilizing. Try to choose morning or afternoon to spray water on the leaf surface, as this makes it easier to flower.

3. Caladium greatly fears strong light in spring and summer, and easily develops black spots and fails to flower, so its placement is very important. Put the plant in a place with air circulation and sufficient scattered light.

4. If the environment is too shady, the branches and leaves will grow leggy and soft and drooping, and may even fail to produce flower buds. Colorful-leaf taro is quite sensitive to light and strongly phototropic; appropriate light can produce “florigen”, which is more conducive to the formation of flower buds.

Common Diseases of Caladium and Their Control

1. Dry rot. Control method: Before storing the corms, first sort them and throw away the thin, weak and diseased corms, so as to avoid infecting other corms during storage. During storage, handle them gently to minimize wounds. Make sure the storage environment is well ventilated, disinfect before storage, and control the storage temperature at 1~4°C. Check regularly, and promptly remove any rotting corms.

2. Leaf spot. Control method: When diseased plants are found, remove them promptly to avoid infecting other plants. Strengthen care, pay attention to timely ventilation, and when watering do not aim directly at the leaves. Start spraying from the early stage of the disease to prevent it from spreading. Commonly used agents include 50% thiophanate at 1000 times, 70% maneb at 500 times, 80% mancozeb at 400-600 times, 50% captan at 500 times, etc. Note that when spraying, choose two agents and use them alternately to avoid the pathogen developing resistance.

When growing caladium, be sure to pay attention to light; it is a light-loving plant, so timely light can make it grow better. Temperature control is also needed, and during the high summer temperatures be sure to provide shade. Then the work of fertilizer, water and pest control must be done properly.