How to Grow Caladium Indoors: Light, Water and Winter Tubers (Video)

Transcript

Most caladiums bought in April are dead by December. But most were never dead at all.

Most caladiums bought in April are dead by December. But most were never dead at all.

How to Grow Caladium Indoors

Stay for the one winter move at the end that keeps your caladium coming back.

Light: bright shade, no hot sun

Caladiums want light, not sun. Direct afternoon sun bleaches and burns those thin leaves within days, especially in a Lahore May. An east-facing window is the sweet spot: an hour or two of gentle sun before nine in the morning, then bright shade. A north window works beautifully for the green-edged white types. In Multan, where it hits forty-five degrees, keep it indoors near an east window. South and west windows are too fierce unless you pull the plant back from the glass.

Best soil: loose and rich

Here's the thing about soil: caladiums want it loose, rich, slightly acidic, and free-draining. A good mix is one part garden soil, one part compost or leaf mould, one part cocopeat, plus a handful of coarse sand. Plain heavy garden soil in a pot stays wet and rots the tuber. Think of it like making a good roti dough, you want it light and airy, not dense and sticky.

Planting: eyes up, keep warm

Planting is easy once you know which end is up. Wait for warmth, plant in March in Karachi and April in the Punjab, when nights stay warm. Cold, wet soil rots tubers. Find the top, the upper side is knobbly with buds, the bottom is smoother. Plant three to five centimetres deep, eyes up, one large tuber or two or three small ones per fifteen to twenty centimetre pot. Water once thoroughly, then keep barely moist until leaves show.

Water every one to three days

From May to September, you'll keep the soil evenly moist like a wrung-out sponge. In practice, that means watering when the top two centimetres feels dry, often every one to three days in hot months. Mist or group pots together in dry heat, caladiums love humid air. During the monsoon, make sure the pot drains and never leave it standing in a saucer. From October, as growth slows, water less. In November, stop.

Divide tubers in spring

Want more plants? Divide tubers in spring, before planting. Look for tubers with several eyes or small side tubers attached. Break off the side tubers, or cut a large tuber into pieces with a clean knife so each piece has at least one or two eyes. Let the cut pieces dry in shade for a day or two so the cut surface seals. Then plant as usual. Smaller pieces give smaller plants in the first year.

Yellow or brown leaves? Why

Think about it, why are those leaves turning yellow or brown? Yellow leaves in autumn are just normal dormancy, stop watering and store the tuber. Yellow leaves in summer with wet soil mean overwatering, let the top dry out and check drainage. Crisp brown edges mean dry air or direct sun, move the pot back from the glass and group pots together. Bleached, papery patches are sunburn, shade it from noon sun. Easy fixes, once you know the signs.

Grow it or skip it?

So, grow it or skip it? If you have an east-facing window and no toddlers, absolutely plant one, it's an easy summer show. If you have a crawling baby or a cat that chews, skip it, caladium is toxic if chewed. On a hot dry roof with full sun, skip it, the leaves scorch in days. But if you've got a shady veranda and older kids, maybe, just keep pots well out of reach.

Kids and pets: read this

One thing you need to know: caladium is toxic. All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals, chewing a leaf can cause burning and swelling of the mouth, drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing, in kids as well as cats and dogs. Keep pots well out of reach, wear gloves when dividing tubers. If a child has mouth swelling or trouble breathing after chewing the plant, get emergency care straight away. For pets, call a vet.

The one step most buyers miss

Now, here's the part most people miss. When leaves yellow and droop in October or November, stop watering and let them die down. Lift the tubers, brush off the soil, dry them in shade for about a week, then store them in a paper bag of dry cocopeat or newspaper in a warm cupboard from November to March. They must stay dry and not get cold, a cold verandah or the fridge kills them. Check monthly and discard any soft ones. In March or April, plant again.

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Read the full guide

Read the complete guide on thecareonline.com. This is general information, not medical advice.