How to Grow Caladium? A Detailed Guide to Potted Cultivation
Potted caladium cultivation methods. Caladium is also known as angel wings and two-color taro. Its leaves are shaped like ivory, and the leaf surface is covered with all kinds of colorful markings and patterns. The colors are brilliant, forming a natural pattern that is quite beautiful. If 1-2 pots of caladium are used for indoor decoration, along with asparagus fern, ivy, ferns, etc., they will add a lot of life to the room.
For growing caladium at home, you can take out the tubers stored over winter from April to May, peel off the small tubers around the large tubers, let them dry slightly, and then pot them to force sprouts. Choose a flowerpot with a diameter of about 25 cm, fill it with moist sawdust, and plant the tubers in the potting medium. Use wire to form an arched frame at the mouth of the pot, cover it with plastic film, and the temperature inside the film can be kept at 25-30°C. Note that the medium in the pot should not be too wet, and the temperature should not be too low, otherwise it will cause the tubers to rot. After about 1 week, sprouts can emerge. When the sprouts have 2-3 leaves, they can be potted and planted.
The potting soil should preferably be a breathable, well-drained, loose and porous mixed soil. You can mix 5 parts garden soil, 3 parts leaf mold, and 2 parts sand. Before planting, it is best to soak the tubers in 500-800 thiophanate for 5-10 minutes for disinfection, and the effect will be even better. Before planting, first place a layer of coarse sand grains or coarse coal cinder particles at the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage and aeration, then place a layer of culture soil on top, add an appropriate amount of base fertilizer, and after filling with culture soil to a certain depth, place the caladium upright in the middle of the pot. It is best to place 2-3 tubers of different colors at equal distances, fill with soil, and let the leaves be exposed above the potting soil. Water thoroughly once, place the pot in a semi-shaded, warm place for care, and after about a week it can resume growth, after which normal care and management can be carried out.
The key points for the care and management of potted caladium are high temperature, moisture, and semi-shade. The suitable growth temperature for caladium is 25-30°C, and at night it must not be lower than 15°C. Watering and fertilizing should be done at the right time and in the right amount. During the growth period, the water supply should be sufficient, and the potting soil should often be kept moist. During the peak growth season, generally apply a mixed fertilizer solution of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium once every 7-10 days. A complete-element flower fertilizer sold on the market is even better and can make the leaf color more vivid and bright. If too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, the colorful markings on the leaves will fade, affecting the ornamental effect. When applying fertilizer solution, be sure not to contaminate the leaves, so as to avoid scorched spots and rotten leaves. In spring and autumn, watering should preferably keep the potting soil often moist.
If too much water is given and drainage is poor, it is easy to cause tuber rot; if the potting soil is too dry, it is easy to make the plant wilt and shrivel, affecting its ornamental value. In summer, the temperature is high and water evaporates quickly, and it is also the peak growth season for caladium. In addition to sufficient watering, water should also be sprayed frequently on the leaves and the ground around the pot to help lower the temperature and increase the air humidity in the small area around the pot. This is very beneficial for keeping the caladium's leaf color fresh and elegant and its leaf posture upright. Autumn is the stage of tuber growth and development for caladium, and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be applied to promote the rapid growth of the tubers. In late autumn, when the temperature drops below 15°C, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the plant enters dormancy. At this time, watering should be reduced to promote tuber dormancy. During the growth period, caladium prefers semi-shade and avoids direct strong sunlight, but too weak light can also easily cause leggy growth, with thin, weak, slender leaves, and it is easy to lose the bright color and luster; if the light is too strong, tender leaves can also be scorched. The above is an introduction to potted caladium cultivation methods.
Methods and Tips for Growing Potted Caladium
Caladium is also known as angel wings and five-color taro. It likes a high-temperature, high-humidity, semi-shaded environment. It is not cold-tolerant or drought-tolerant, and avoids direct sunlight. The suitable growth temperature is 22-28°C, and the winter room temperature should be kept between 8-10°C. It is suitable for loose, fertile, slightly acidic soil. Common cultivated varieties include: white caladium, John • Peter, Red Cloud, Seagull, Car Light, White Queen, Egret, Red Wave, Sunset Cloud, etc. The flowering period is from May to October. The main propagation method is division.Cultivation tips: Use the division method, cutting tubers with 2-3 buds from the mother plant with a sharp knife, or pot tubers purchased from the flower market. Use a potting soil mix of 2 parts garden soil, 2 parts leaf mold, and 1 part decomposed organic fertilizer or rice husk ash, mix evenly, apply sufficient decomposed cake fertilizer at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer, and place broken tiles at the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage. When potting, use 3-5 tubers per pot, and cover with 2 cm of soil shallowly. After potting, water thoroughly and place in a well-ventilated shady place. After the leaves sprout, keep the potting soil slightly moist and place it in a well-ventilated, semi-shaded place. In hot summer, avoid direct sunlight, and shade at noon to avoid scorching the leaves, or move the flowerpot indoors to a place with bright scattered light. But the light must not be too weak, otherwise it will cause the leaves to grow leggy and lodge, and lose their luster. In winter, keep the room temperature between 8-10°C, and place it in a sunny place facing south. In the early stage of sprouting, watering should be controlled, and water again only after the surface of the potting soil becomes dry. July to September is the peak growth period, which coincides with the hot summer. In addition to watering once in the morning and once in the evening every day, also spray the leaves frequently and spray water on the ground to increase air humidity, but there must be no water accumulation, otherwise it is easy to cause the plant to rot. After the Autumn Equinox, gradually reduce watering until stopping watering. During the growth period, apply a decomposed dilute liquid fertilizer once every 15 days, and when fertilizing, the fertilizer solution should not contaminate the leaves. Fertilization should mainly be phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, with an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer. If too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, the leaves will lose their colorful markings. After the beginning of autumn, fertilization should be stopped.
Propagation, Cultivation, and Care Methods for Potted Caladium
Propagation, cultivation, and care methods for potted caladium:Caladium, also known as angel wings, two-color taro, brocade-leaf taro, etc., is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Caladium of the Araceae family. It has varieties such as silver-spotted caladium, twisted-leaf caladium, and rainbow caladium, and its flowering period is April to May.
Propagation and cultivation methods:
Division propagation: In spring, before the tubers sprout, peel off the small tubers around the tubers, dry them for several days, and pot them directly. You can also force sprouts first by arranging the tubers on a sand bed, covering with 1 cm of river sand, keeping the potting soil moist, and maintaining a room temperature of 20-22°C. After they sprout and take root, pot them. For large tubers with many bud points, carry out division propagation by cutting bud-bearing tubers with a sharp knife, and pot them after the cut surface dries and heals.
Care methods:
Temperature: The suitable growth temperature is 21-27°C. During the growth period, the temperature should not be lower than 18°C, otherwise new leaves will have difficulty sprouting; during dormancy, the temperature should not be lower than 15°C, otherwise the tubers are very prone to rot.
Light: It prefers a semi-shaded environment. With insufficient light for a long time, the leaf stalks elongate and become soft, and are prone to drooping or turning yellow and withering early.
Watering: During the growth period, keep the potting soil moist. During the leaf-unfolding stage, spray water more often, as higher air humidity is needed. Avoid overly wet or overly dry potting soil. After autumn, the leaves begin to turn yellow and wither, and the tubers enter dormancy, so watering should be gradually reduced until it stops.
Fertilizing: Fertilize once every half month. You can use "Huiyou" 20-20-20 general-purpose fertilizer or 20-8-20 four-season high potassium nitrate fertilizer. When applying liquid fertilizer, avoid the fertilizer solution contaminating the leaves.
Pot selection: Commonly use ceramic pots or plastic pots with a diameter of 12-15 cm. Depending on the size of the tubers, 3-5 tubers can be planted per pot.
Potting soil: For potting, use a mixed soil of peat soil, leaf mold, and river sand (ratio 4:4:2).