Caring for, planting and overwintering caladiums

The names Buntblatt and Buntwurz already suggest it: Bei caladium It is a decorative foliage plant with variegated and patterned foliage.

But it doesn't stay with a single colorful plant, because from the Kaladie (caladium) numerous varieties in the most varied colors are known. You can find out how to plant and care for the decorative bulbous plant here.

Caladium: flower, origin and properties

The caladiums are a genus of plants within the aroid family (Araceae), which includes 14 species. the caladiumspecies are native to Central and South America, where they grow in tropical regions. The indoor plants we know are usually hybrids that have been bred from different species. These are also known as elephant ear, stained leaf or bun and are particularly popular because of their colorful and patterned leaves. These are heart or arrow shaped and can be green, red, pink or silvery, spotted or solid. The leaves grow up to 20 cm in size and are sometimes so heavy that the long petioles snap off. The thin stems spring directly from an underground tuber. This sprout tuber serves as an outlasting organ. In winter all the leaves die off and only the tuber is overwintered so that leaves can sprout again next year. The perennial, herbaceous plant is usually about 60 cm tall. In nature, caladia form a spadix flower surrounded by a bract. Compared to the patterned leaves, it is rather inconspicuous and unspectacular.

caladiumIndoor plants usually do not bloom at all.

The most beautiful variegated leaf types and varieties

There are countless on the market now caladium-Varieties available that vary in color and pattern. Originally it was mainly for breeding Caladium bicolor used, but meanwhile a number of other types are included. For this reason, the species name is usually not mentioned at all. We have put together a small selection of exciting varieties for you:

• caladium 'White Queen': Has whitish leaves with a green edge, with the median vein and some main veins being colored in bright pink.

• caladium ‘Strawberry Star’: Has white leaves with green veins and small pink spots.

• caladium 'Miss Muffet': With light green leaves adorned with pink dots.

• caladium 'Pink Symphony': Has bright pink leaves with green veins.

• caladium 'Valentine': Has red leaves with dark green leaf veins.

• caladium 'beret': Has bicolor leaves of red and green with white speckles.

Plant caladiums: location, soil and Co.

At the right location for caladium First of all, the variety is decisive. The lighter the color of the leaf, the brighter the place. Direct sunlight, on the other hand, is not beneficial for any of the varieties, but can lead to damage and greening of the leaves, so that the leaf pattern is lost. A temperature of 18 to 25 °C is ideal during the growing season. In addition, a high level of humidity should be ensured, which can be achieved, for example, by filling expanded clay and water in the Kaladie saucer. A loose soil that stores moisture well but drains excess water well, such as ours, is suitable as a substrate Plantura organic universal soil. It offers the tuber a slightly acidic pH range that is ideal for caladiums. The nutrients contained in our biological soil also supply the caladia reliably for at least the first 3 months.

Under the substrate, on the bottom of the pot, a drainage layer should definitely be created. This can consist of coarse materials such as stones, shards of pottery or expanded clay and ensures that the irrigation water drains well out of the pot so that waterlogging does not occur. Waterlogging will otherwise lead to rot all too quickly in the bun and pull the tuber away.

Depending on whether you have decided on a sprouted plant or a tuber, the planting process is different. cast out caladium-Plants are placed in a pot with a drainage layer and good quality soil and placed in the location described above. However, if you want one caladium- plant the tuber, proceed as follows:

• Plant your caladium in fresh soil in March
• Remove old soil from the tuber
• Bathe in lukewarm water for 1 – 2 hours
• Turn the tuber the right way round: Below it is rather flat and smooth, above it is more structured with dormant eyes
• Prepare pot with drainage holes and drainage layer
• Fill two thirds with soil
• Place the bulb in with the right side up
• Cover with substrate
• Pour vigorously at the end

Tip: You can also plant the tuber a little flatter, but upside down. This allows the petioles to grow shorter, resulting in a bushier, more compact plant.

The pot with the tuber is now best placed in a warm place at 25 to 27 °C and the soil is kept well moist. Also stretch cling film or a plastic bag over the pot and air the whole thing once a day to prevent mold from forming. When the first leaves appear, the foil is completely removed. This usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. Then the young plant is placed in a cooler place at around 21 °C. You can pinch off the top of the first shoots so that the plant branches out better.

Tip: May in summer caladium can also be placed outside in a shady place. Even planting out is then possible, but the plant has to be dug up again in autumn and brought into the house, as one would from dahlias (dahlias) knows.

Caladium care: the most important measures

The main part in the caladium-Care makes the watering. Caladiums have a moderate to high water requirement, so the substrate should always be slightly moist. It is best to pour directly into the ground and remove the running water from the saucer after about 15 minutes. Slightly acidic, lime-free water such as rainwater is well suited.

Tip: Do not water with hard, chalky tap water, as this can raise the pH level in the root zone. caladium reacts to too high pH values ​​with the inability to absorb magnesium. This creates a nutrient deficiency as a result of the wrong irrigation water.

During the growing season, i.e. between spring and autumn, the Kaladie should be supplied with liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks. A liquid fertilizer for ornamental leaf plants, such as ours, is suitable for this Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer. It is simply mixed into the irrigation water and applied with the can. The nutrients are readily available and can be absorbed by the plant. Do not choose a nitrogen-rich fertilizer as this can cause the leaves to turn green.

Towards the end of the growing season, around September or October, begins caladium, stop growing, because only the tuber and not the leaves survive the winter. At first only small leaves are formed before they all die off and the time has come to overwinter the tuber. New leaves will sprout from it in the spring. Caladiums tend to fall prey to root rot in winter. They should therefore be overwintered properly, as described below.

Why is my variegated leaf drooping? When caladium drooping leaves may be due to lack of water. Check that the substrate is dry to the touch. In this case, the caladium and pot are immersed in warm water until no more air bubbles rise. After that, the soil must drain well. In this way, the water supply is secured for the time being. It should be watered more regularly in the future. Another cause is cold drafts. If the caladia is in a draughty window, it is best to look for a more sheltered location.

propagation

The time in spring, when the colored leaf tuber is planted again and brought to sprout, is used to caladium to multiply. To do this, the tuber is divided into several small tubers when it is large enough. Each section must have at least one sleeping eye, i.e. a bud. Carefully cut apart the mother bulb with a sharp knife. To prevent mold from forming at the interfaces, these are coated with charcoal and dried at room temperature for a week. Then place the tubers in separate pots as described above.
Very vigorous tubers also form side tubers that can be removed when they are big enough.

Overwinter caladiums

The correct hibernation of the variegated leaf is crucial so that fresh leaves will sprout again next spring. When hibernating from caladium However, it is not the whole plant that is important, but only the tuber. Hibernation of the tuber is absolutely necessary for its survival. However, the rest phase does not occur by itself, but must be actively brought about. The conditions at the natural site are imitated. Winter dormancy begins around September or October. From this point on, the stained leaf care is gradually phased out: Fertilization is no longer used and the watering frequency is reduced, so that the substrate dries up in between. The watering intervals become longer and longer until the leaves that are still preserved begin to dry up and die off. When all the leaves are dry, they can be removed. The soil should now be completely dry. Now the tuber is dug up, thoroughly cleaned, dusted with some charcoal powder and left for about 2 Dried for weeks before being stored in a box with substrate such as pure expanded clay or sand over the winter will. The storage temperature is around 20 °C. Occasionally the substrate may be sprayed with water to prevent the tuber from drying out completely.
Alternatively, the tuber can also be overwintered in its pot - however, this makes the occurrence of fungal pathogens on the tuber more likely. It is very important to ensure that the substrate is almost completely dry.

Outwintering Caladium

After overwintering, the tubers are put back into the ground in March. As described above, after a two-hour water bath, the tubers are placed in a pot with Drainage layer and soil set and then placed at 25 to 27 °C and high humidity until cast them out.

Is the stained leaf poisonous?

Like many other houseplants from the aroid family, the variegated leaf contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause irritation and swelling on skin contact. Eating parts of the plant also causes diarrhea and vomiting. caladium is therefore toxic to cats, dogs and other animals, so that fallen leaves in particular are best disposed of quickly.

If you only have little space available, you can alternatively contact the mosaic plant (Fittonia albivenis) look around. Here, too, there are numerous varieties with colorfully patterned leaves, all of which are easy to care for, but are significantly smaller than the variegated leaf.