Seed preparation
Commercial caladiums are propagated from tubers; seed comes from hand pollination and gives variable seedlings, so expect a mix of leaf colours and shapes. Sow seed as soon as possible after receiving it.
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Ornamental foliage growing guide
Caladium is a tropical aroid grown for its patterned white, pink, red and green leaves. Seed needs steady warmth, bright shade and patience, and every seedling may look different from its parent.
Commercial caladiums are propagated from tubers; seed comes from hand pollination and gives variable seedlings, so expect a mix of leaf colours and shapes. Sow seed as soon as possible after receiving it.
Not needed. Caladium seed has no hard coat.
Not needed. Caladium is a tropical plant, and cold harms it.
Not needed. Sow onto a pre-moistened mix instead.
Keep the seed tray warm, around 24-27 °C (75-80 °F), the optimum for sprouting caladium tubers. Bottom heat helps in cool rooms. In most of India this warmth is natural from late spring to the monsoon.
Scatter seed on the surface, press it in gently and cover with only a thin dusting of fine mix or vermiculite.
A fine, well-drained mix high in organic matter, pH 5.5-6.5. Do not add lime to an already neutral mix.
Evenly moist, never wet. Cover the tray with a clear lid to hold humidity and remove it once seedlings appear.
Bright, indirect light. Direct sun dries the surface and can scorch seedlings.
Emergence is gradual and uneven; keep trays warm and moist for several weeks before giving up.
Prick out seedlings into small pots once they have two or three leaves and can be handled. Plant outdoors only when the soil is at least 18 °C (65 °F); tubers are usually set 5 cm (2 in) deep and 20-30 cm (8-12 in) apart, and young plants should go in at the same depth they grew in the pot.
Seedlings first form small tubers. Keep them warm, lightly shaded and steadily moist. The full leaf pattern of each seedling shows only as the plant matures, so select the ones you like best.
Most caladiums need only 2-4 hours of direct sun a day; morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal, and shade deepens leaf colours.
When the weather cools, reduce watering and let the leaves die back. Where frost occurs, lift and dry the tubers and store them in dry vermiculite at 21 °C (70 °F) or warmer; chilled tubers turn rubbery.
Mulch after the leaves emerge to keep the soil evenly moist.
All parts contain calcium oxalate and are toxic if eaten.
Sow caladium seed in a warm, bright spot and raise your own unique leaf patterns.
Not exactly. Caladium does not come true from seed, so seedlings vary in colour and pattern. Named varieties are kept by tuber division.
Most need only a few hours of direct sun, ideally in the morning. Some modern varieties tolerate full sun, but seedlings should always be shaded.
No. The leaves contain calcium oxalate and are toxic if eaten, so keep plants away from children and pets.