The flower is popularly known by different names. For the unusual shape of its leaves, it was nicknamed “Christ’s heart” and “elephant ears.” Flower growers call the leaves themselves paper. They are thin and colorful. It seems that they are made of colored paper. With all its advantages, caring for caladium at home does not cause problems even for beginners. This article describes in detail all the intricacies of care.
Herbaceous plant of the araceae family. Its natural habitat is the banks of the Amazon and the tropical rainforests of Latin America. In nature these are large plants. There are specimens up to 5 meters tall. One sheet can reliably protect a person from heavy rain. The leaves are thin, intricately colored. The shape is arrow-shaped.
As a houseplant, caladium does not grow higher than 90 cm. More compact specimens are more common. Like wild relatives, the leaf blade is arrow-shaped or heart-shaped. The color is contrasting, combining 2 or more colors. Crimson, pink, and silver shades predominate.
In spring, a rosette of leaves produces an inflorescence in the form of a light yellow elongated cob. The inflorescence is surrounded by a white blanket with a greenish tint. Flowers are odorless and do not have any special decorative value. The main decoration is not the flower - caladium is grown for its beautiful, unusual leaves. In case of pollination, fruits are set - dense round berries. It rarely blooms and bears fruit in an apartment. 
Breeders have developed many hybrids of various colors based on natural varieties. The color scheme lacks only blue shades. The pattern of each sheet is unique. Grown in apartments hybrid varieties. They are obtained by crossing several wild caladiums. Few ornamental foliage plants can compete with caladium in the beauty of its leaves.
Important! IN life cycle Caladium has periods of active growth and dormancy. By the end of summer, the above-ground part of the plant begins to gradually die. The tubers remain in the ground. They are stored until spring, replanted and wait for young leaves to appear.
Wild and cultivated species
Many hybrids have been developed based on different types of caladiums. Each has its own characteristics and is distinguished by its original colors.
- Caladium bicolor. The plant is native to Antilles. The foliage is arrow-shaped, about 30 cm. The color is variegated with a predominance of light green, crimson and red. Blooms at the end of winter. Mostly hybrid varieties are grown in apartments.
- Caladium Schomburg. Brought from the humid and warm Brazilian forests. The leaves are oval-shaped, medium-sized. The front side of the sheet is silvery red. The veins are green and stand out clearly against the red background.
- Caladium Humboldt. The most common type in indoor culture. The plant is stemless. The rosette is formed from small arrow-shaped leaves. The foliage color is predominantly dark green. Large silvery spots are scattered in the center of the leaf. Blooms in April. The flowering period is short, the flower is inconspicuous.
Important! The sap of the plant is toxic, like other aroids. It contains oxalate crystals. If it comes in contact with mucous membranes, it causes irritation, chemical burns, and pain. Large amounts of the substance lead to swelling of the throat and breathing problems. After contact with the flower, be sure to wash your hands! Place the plant out of the reach of children and pets!
It is considered a relatively easy plant to grow. Beginners may have some difficulties. The basis of cultivation is the creation of a warm, humid microclimate, protection from sunlight and drafts.
- Lighting. The optimal location is west and east. The light is bright and diffused. Low illumination leads to a loss of variegated color, fading, and inexpressiveness of the leaves.
- Temperature. Favorable temperature for growth is 20-25°C. Wintering in a warm place - not lower than 20°C. At any time of the day, sudden temperature fluctuations and drafts are excluded.
- Watering. In nature it is a marsh plant. Watering is uniform, regular, frequent. The amount of watering depends on the characteristics of the soil. They prefer breathable, loose soils, and be sure to provide drainage. Stagnation of water leads to acidification of the soil and death of the flower. In autumn, as the leaves wilt, reduce the frequency of watering.
- Feeding. Any liquid complex fertilizers are suitable. Dilute in accordance with the instructions, apply no more than 3 times a month. It is not recommended to overfeed the flower!
- Transfer. Every spring during the swelling of growth buds. The lower part of the tuber is smooth, devoid of sprouts. They try to plant the tuber with its sprouts facing up. Improper planting will slow down germination, but will not harm the plant. Planting depth affects the appearance of the plant. If it is necessary to obtain additional shoots, the tubers are planted shallowly. The leaves will be smaller than usual. Deepening will lead to an increase in tuber and leaf size.
- The soil. Increased demands are placed on the soil. It is highly undesirable to use ready-made store-bought mixtures. The substrate is made up of high-moor peat and deciduous soil. Recommended additives are sand, perlite, coconut fiber.
Important! Improper awakening after a period of dormancy can destroy the plant. Until the leaves appear, watering is very moderate. By this time, the tuber has not yet had time to grow small roots to absorb moisture, there is no evaporation through the leaves - the soil will take a long time to dry. Constant dampness will lead to rotting of the tuber even before the leaves appear.
Reproduction and cultivation
At home, caladium from seeds is grown only from seed material purchased in specialized stores. On domestic plants, seeds rarely ripen; the seedlings from them turn out completely different - the maternal characteristics are lost. Daughter tubers are used to propagate the flower.
- Planting with seeds. Seeds are sown in light soil and moistened with a spray bottle. Cover the container with glass and keep it at high temperature 25-30°C. Regularly moisten the soil surface and arrange short-term ventilation. Entries are expected to appear in 15-20 days.
- Daughter tubers. In early spring Before planting, the tubers are cut into several parts. Each part should have one shoot (bud). The process is reminiscent of cutting a potato with eyes. The sections are immediately dusted with charcoal powder. The tubers are placed in a shaded, well-ventilated, dry place for 2-3 days. Planting without drying threatens tuber rotting. The tubers are planted in separate pots, and watering is stopped for a while. Before sprouts appear, do not allow the soil to become waterlogged.
Common problems
Caladium easily becomes infected from other plants and suffers from improper care. The greatest danger is posed by wet and fusarium bacterial rot. If a disease is suspected, the roots are removed from the pot and treated with fungicide powder.
Common pests among insects indoor plants- aphids, spider mites, mealybug. Insecticides will help cope with them. Yellowing of the leaves may indicate improper care or late blight. It is recommended to treat the flower with fungicides just in case. In first place in terms of frequency are problems associated with violation of the care regimen.
Caladium will be a worthy decoration for any, even the richest and most sophisticated flower collection. Its variegated, unusually beautiful leaves attract glances, leaving no one indifferent.
The unique plant with large leaves has prompted people to come up with unusual names. People call caladium "Elephant ears" or "Christ's heart", which characterizes the elongated shape of the leaves.
IN wildlife caladium grows freely in tropical jungles South America. In our conditions it is used as a house plant that needs warmth and moisture.
In floriculture, it is valued for its decorative leaves, with an average length of 30 cm. The flowers are typical for the Araceae family, in the form of a spadix without stipules, and are not spectacular.
Caladium is a heat-loving plant and is used for seasonal cultivation from April to September. With decreasing daylight hours its leaves turn yellow and serve. Therefore, the stem is cut off and the rhizome is placed in a dark, cool place.
Carefully! In a family with children, it is better to avoid caladium, since the plant is poisonous!
Although caring for it is easy, you should not plant caladium where there are drafts and sudden changes in lighting and humidity.
How to choose a caladium indoor plant?
Domestic flower growers give preference to several species, which have been successfully used in breeding to obtain a variety of hybrids.
The choice is determined taste preferences owner, since care for all varieties of caladium is the same.
Popular varieties and types with photos
Caladium Humboldt
It forms the basis for the selection of indoor varieties. The species is distinguished by dark green leaves, the cuttings of which grow from the soil without stems, forming round rosettes. On the upper side of the plate, silver stripes radiate from the center, narrowing towards the edge.
Candle-shaped flowers open in spring, but are of no decorative value.
Caladium Schomburg
Heart-shaped leaves are 15–20 cm long and 10 cm wide. The color is predominantly white with green veins and the same border along the edge.
In indoor floriculture, there are two varieties of this species:
- Venosum with a red halo along the periphery of the leaf blade and bright cherry veins.
- Erythraeum– color is characterized by a mixture of dark green and whitish.
Caladium bicolor
The leaves are narrower than those of other species; their shape is called arrow-shaped. A bright red spot from the central petiole diverges with sharp edges against the background of a wide green stripe along the edge of the leaf. Plate length – 30 cm.
A variety of decorative shades are found on hybrids:
- White Christmas– on a silver leaf, dark green veins.
- Rosalie– with a crimson center and a green edge.
- – the red veins are clearly visible against the background of the pink center, which is bordered by a green stripe.
Caladium Lindena
White paired stripes diverge strictly horizontally from the central vein.
The shade of the cross trim takes on a creamy yellowish tint. The plates are thin but leathery.
Selecting a location
Remembering that its historical homeland is the warm and humid tropics, it is important to create similar conditions at home. All types and varieties need good lighting, but do not tolerate scorching sun.
Most hybrids lose their bright color from lack of light and turn into an expressionless-looking plant if you place the pot on the north side.
The caladium flower suffers from the heat and quickly dries out on a southern windowsill. Here he needs to arrange diffused light using a special screen.
The optimal place is the northeast, where natural shading occurs in the afternoon.
Advice! Protect the plant from drafts! It is preferable to choose cozy place with one-way ventilation. Often containers with plants are placed on the floor rather than on the windowsill.
Care
The care plan is as follows:
- At the end of March, beginning of April, after the winter rest, the caladium is brought out into the light and actively watered.
- Provide optimal temperature– +22 – +27° and humidity, to which it is undemanding, but responds gratefully to a container of water. Constant evaporation provides a favorable atmosphere around the leaves.
- In September, when the leaves dry out, the plant is put away to rest in a dark place until spring. From time to time the soil is moistened so that the rhizome does not dry out. You only need a few tablespoons.
- At the end of winter, if necessary, the roots are propagated.
- With the appearance of sprouts, the pot is exposed to light.
For planting rhizomes, ready-made substrates for caladium are used, sold in specialized stores. If you couldn’t buy it, it doesn’t matter. You can prepare the mixture yourself by combining the following components in equal parts:
- Bottom peat,
- Greenhouse land
- Fine pine bark mulch.
To plant, a layer of expanded clay - 3 - 5 cm - is poured onto the bottom of the pot, and 2 cm of coarse sand is placed on it to drain excess water. Then, a nutrient substrate is poured into which the rhizome is placed as deep as possible.
Attention! Shallow planting provokes the growth of many children with small, inexpressive leaves. This is why large pots are chosen.
Watering and fertilizing
Irrigation is necessary abundantly, but not excessively. In spring, water once every 5-7 days, but allow the soil to dry out. Water should appear in the pan, but the excess must be drained. Stagnation causes the roots to rot. At the same time, even short-term drought is undesirable; it causes the leaves to turn yellow.
note! You cannot use tap water; it must stand and heat up to + 22 0.
It is important to ensure that moisture does not get on the leaves, as this will cause unsightly brown spots.
Fertilizers begin to be applied at the end of May, beginning of June. In total, 2–3 feedings will be needed during the growing season. Use a nutrient for decorative foliage indoor plants.
Reproduction
At the end of winter, the plant is taken out of the darkness and the children that have grown over the past summer are separated from the rhizome. For each nodule you will need a small pot, the size of a disposable glass. Small children 2 - 3 cm in size are placed in it. For large roots, 4 - 6 cm in size, choose a container of 18 cm.
Here are the tips an amateur florist gives:
The tuber is planted with the bud up to a depth of two of its sizes. For example, if the diameter is 5 cm, then the root is buried 10 cm.
The substrate is of the same composition as for adult plants. It is kept moist but not wet. Real watering begins with the sprouting of leaves.
Sometimes seeds are used for propagation. This method is painstaking and troublesome, so it is only suitable for breeders.
Possible problems
By purchasing caladium along with it, you can get pests that are hidden in the soil for the time being.
Dangerous for the plant:
- Spider mite,
- Mealybug.
Attention! When choosing protective medications, it is worth remembering that each creature needs different medications.
Aphids are destroyed by insecticides. Spider mites are arachnids, so acaricides are used against them. Nematicides will help against scale insects.
At home, it is better not to use chemicals at all, but resort to traditional methods:
- Soap solution against external insects.
- Washing the rhizomes and calcining the soil from nematodes.
Growing caladium is not a difficult task if you follow the care recommendations during the period of active growth and move the plant to dormant conditions in time.
Caladium is the name of a genus of plants that grow in South America. It is believed that they got their name from the edible roots that Indian tribes consumed as food.
In the wild, along the banks of tropical rivers, coladium thickets form dense undergrowth. The height of these plants can reach five meters, and the size of the leaves is fifty centimeters long and twenty centimeters wide. Its leaf shape is wide, with a pointed end, which is why many call it elephant ear. The flower is inconspicuous, unisexual, surrounded by a whitish-yellow blanket. The fruits are a panicle with berries.
There are about fifteen species of this plant. One of them, Caladium esculentum, has edible roots rich in starch. In Brazil it is grown as an agricultural plant.
Most species grow only in the wild. But those of them that had decorative leaves were cultivated. And as a result of selection, new varieties of caladium were developed, which are used as garden, greenhouse, and indoor plants.
Decorative varieties of caladium
The very first species, which was cultivated back in 1773, is the bicolor caladium. It grows well at home. Currently, many varieties of this species are known. All varieties differ in leaf color.
For example, varieties such as Brandywine, Fannie Munsone and Scar Beauty are bright red in color and have green edges. And Candiudum, Mixed Whites, June Bride - white and green. Speckled leaves in varieties such as Gingerland, Miss Muffet.
As a result of selection, varieties were bred that have spear-shaped leaves with a long petiole. This variety's leaf length reaches thirty centimeters.
Another common species is Caladium Humboldt. It has smaller leaves, their length does not exceed ten centimeters. Its color is green with gray-white spots. The peculiarity of this caladium is that with the right additional lighting it does not shed its leaves during the dormant period.
In landscaping, a decorative species is often used - garden caladium. This is a large-leaved species, the size of the leaves reaches forty centimeters. It has the same variety of colors as caladium bicolor. It requires special care, so it is planted mainly in greenhouses.
It is classified as a plant with a pronounced dormant period. Leaves appear in late spring and disappear in early September. In winter, it goes into a dormant period and the flower loses its decorative properties.
Caladium care
In nature, caladium studio grows in tropical forests Latin America in a humid, hot climate. Therefore, decorative species require special care.
When transporting a plant, even in warm weather, try to wrap it in polyethylene or paper to protect it from drafts.
To make the caladium flower delight you with its decorative foliage, use the following tips on how to care for it at home:
- The air temperature in the room where caladium studio grows during the growing season should be within 24-26° C. And in winter time it should not fall below 15° C;
- During the growth and growing season, the flower requires intense lighting. The place where the plant stands should be well lit, but try not to let the sun's rays fall directly on the leaves;
- It does not require intensive watering. Make sure that the soil does not dry out, but is not too wet. If there is too much moisture, the roots and leaves may rot. During the dormant period, it is better to store the tubers in moist peat. If you do not have this opportunity, periodically water the soil in which the tuber is located. When the plant begins to wake up after winter, you should not water it too much. It is better to simply moisten the soil from above;
- The flower is especially demanding of air humidity. During the growing season, spray the leaves every day with warm, softened water. Choose the smallest spray nozzle for spraying. Never wipe the leaves of a flower with a damp cloth. Such care will only harm them. To make it easier to maintain humidity at home, place the flower pot in a tray with damp expanded clay or moss. At night, the pot with the plant can be covered with a plastic bag;
- From the end of March until the beginning of August, fertilize with complex fertilizer every fourteen days;
- The soil in which the flower grows should be fibrous, light and well-permeable to moisture; be sure to place good drainage at the bottom of the container. You should also add bone meal, sand and peat;
- In February, the first growth buds begin to appear on the caladium. At this point, it should be transplanted into a new pot, bud up. The depth to plant the tuber depends on what kind of leaves you want to enjoy. If you want to have large, few leaves, plant the tuber deeply, and if you want the bush to be denser, plant the tuber shallowly. In this case, it will produce additional shoots, but the leaves will be small. It is better to plant plants in small pots.
Caladium diseases
Spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs most often infect the plant. Therefore, periodically inspect the leaves of the flower. If pests are found, treat it with chemicals.
The most common disease is all kinds of rot. Not only tubers, but also stems and leaves die from them. If rot appears on the tuber, cut it out and treat the tuber with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Remove rotting stems and leaves in a timely manner.
Caladium propagation
Propagation of the flower at home occurs by dividing the tuber or by seeds.
In the first case, you can use daughter tubers or carry out propagation by dividing the main tuber into parts in which at least one bud should remain. The sections must be treated with ash and planted in separate containers.
In the second case, the plant is grown by planting seeds immediately after collection, and by autumn the first tubers appear, which are stored and planted in permanent soil in February.
Growing beautiful plants is best achieved by using two-year-old tubers.
Caladium and homeopathy
All parts of the plant are poisonous; if ingested, the juice causes:
- burn;
- swelling of the larynx and mucous membranes;
- conjunctivitis, corneal burn.
Growth:
The genus Caladium comes from South America, where it grows in forest clearings and along river banks.
Description of the plant:
Plant size and type:
Caladium bicolor is a tuberous plant with heart-shaped or arrow-shaped leaves on long petioles that rise directly from the tubers. In the wild, Caladium grows up to 40–90 cm.
ON THE PICTURE: In culture, Caladium bicolor is grown for its decorative foliage.
Leaves:
The leaves are thin, their size varies, but usually the average leaf length is 30–38 cm, the petiole is about the same length. The color of the leaves is varied.
The leaves of Caladium bicolor can be almost completely white with a slight hint of green along the veins, or they can be speckled, veined, spotted, or marbled in pink, red, or white and green.
Flowers:
The flowers are white, small, inconspicuous, collected in a spadix.
The plant is poisonous, so it should be kept away from pets and children. Contact of Caladium juice with sensitive skin may cause irritation.
Agricultural technology:
Temperature:
During the growing season, the temperature should be at least +18–24°C. IN summer time You can take Caladium out into the fresh air, if necessary bringing the pot into a warm room. When the nights get colder in the fall, the plant is brought indoors and kept in a sunny window until the leaves begin to wilt.
Lighting:
Caladium needs bright light, but the plant should not be exposed to direct sunlight. When growing outdoors, the pot is placed in a shaded place.
Watering:
Caladium is a tropical jungle plant; during the period of active growth it should be watered sparingly, but the soil mixture should be completely saturated with moisture. As the leaves begin to dry out and die in early autumn, reduce watering.
Air humidity:
The plant requires constant high humidity. To increase humidity, place the pots on trays with wet pebbles and spray the foliage daily. In dry air, the leaves begin to wrinkle within an hour or two.
Fertilizer:
During the period of active growth, the plant is fed every two weeks with a half dose of standard fertilizer.
Substrate:
To grow this species, you should use a peat-based mixture, and place shards from a clay pot or other drainage material at the bottom of the pot. Dormant tubers are transplanted into fresh soil in the spring. It is better to take a pot with a diameter of approximately 8 cm for small tubers and 13 cm for larger ones. Tubers are buried to a depth equal to their thickness, that is, tubers 2 cm thick are planted to a depth of about 2 cm. In order for Caladium bicolor to begin growing again, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of at least +21°C.
Rest period:
Tubers need a rest period of at least five months, that is, from early autumn to early spring. At this time, they should be stored in pots in a dark place at a temperature of about +15°C and watered very rarely, about once a month.
Diseases and pests:
Most problems (for example, premature wilting of leaves) are caused by failure to comply with the necessary maintenance conditions: maintaining constant heat and high humidity.
Reproduction:
To propagate Caladium in the spring, before growth resumes, small nodules are separated from the mother plant and planted in pots. From each such tuber a new plant is formed. Young tubers reach maturity in one or two years.
It is difficult to imagine a more spectacular and diverse decorative foliage plant than caladium. This amazing representative of the flora flaunts on many windowsills.
And what are his poetic words worth? popular names- “Heart of Christ” and “Angel Wings”! Getting a caladium and taming it is not at all difficult - you just need to learn the intricacies of caring for it.
Spectacular caladium and its types
Caladium(Caladium) belongs to the family Araceae and is a genus of 16 species. This tropical plants, the homeland of which can be considered the forests of Central and South America.
Caladiums- These are tuberous perennials with bright and fairly large heart-shaped or arrow-shaped leaves.
The translation of the name of this representative of the flora reminds us that the natives consider it “a plant with an edible root.” And one more thing popular name plants - “elephant ears”.
By shape caladium tuber resembles a dark brown cone, and with age, a turnip with a diameter of no more than 10 cm.
In the center of the tuber there is a powerful base of the bush, and on the sides there are dormant buds. The roots of caladium, growing from the root collar, are fibrous and strong.
The plant has no stems - its leaves are formed directly from the bud and grow on long petioles. Rosettes of leaves can form bushes with a diameter of up to 90 cm. At home, the height of a caladium bush can be from 30 cm to 1.5 m. On average, the plant lives in an apartment for 2 or 3 years.
Leaves by shape They look like an arrow, and their base is like a heart. The leaf blade, the length of which can range from 20 to 45 cm, is thin and leathery. Caladium leaves can have a wide variety of colors, and the veins on them are usually contrasting and clearly defined.
When 4 leaves appear on the plant, you can expect flowering. A modest inflorescence in the form of a white cob, covered with a white or green blanket, stays on the plant for several days. 2 months after pollination, round berries ripen on the caladium.
As a rule, in home floriculture you can only find hybrids of the main species, which are very interesting varieties. Species Caladiums are considered only as the original representatives of the genus, and they are interesting in their own way:
Caladium Humboldt(Caladium humboldtii), also called caladium myriostigma(C. myriostigma) or Caladium argintes(C. Argyntes) is a native of Brazil with arrow-shaped leaves up to 10 cm long, characterized by a dark green surface with silver spots.
Caladium bicolor(Caladium bicolor), also called bicolor arum or Arum bicolor, is a species that came to us from the Antilles and from the mountainous regions of Brazil. It is interesting with arrow-shaped leaves up to 30 cm long, color that varies from green to red, and spots of various colors and shapes.
Caladium Schomburg(Caladium schomburgkii) is a plant native to Brazil and Guiana, distinguished by red oval leaves up to 15 cm long with silvery areas between the veins. There are variations with coloring and veining of various colors.
Most loved by flower growers hybrids caladium- This:
- Sea Gull- a variety with green leaves decorated with white veins.
- Rosalie- a plant with red leaves and a thin or wide green border.
- Pink Blush- caladium with dark pink or dark red leaves and a green rim.
- Pink Beauty- a variety with red veins, a pink central part and a green border.
- Carolyn Whorton- a plant similar to the previous variety, but there are slightly fewer green spots on its leaves, the pink tint predominates.
- John Pul- a plant with a red-green palette of leaves.
- Pink Cloud- caladium with red-green leaves, the color of which includes a transition from a red-scarlet center and white veins to a pinkish-green border.
- Florida Cardinal- a very impressive variety with a crimson leaf center and the same veins and a wide green edge.
- Scarlet Pimpernel- a plant with rich red veins and the center of the leaf, surrounded by a light green area.
- White Christmas- a magnificent caladium with dark green veins on a white leaf surface, decorated with or without dark green spots.
Features of caring for caladium
Experienced flower growers claim that caladium is not capricious, but it is not so simple either. Basic it requirements- this means timely watering, a winter dormancy period and the correct diameter of the pot.
Selecting a location
The brighter the colors of the caladium leaves, the more more diffused light he needs. The plant does not tolerate direct sunlight, which can cause severe leaf burns.
Best place for “angel wings” - this is a window in the northeast or northwest. Throughout the year, caladium feels good at temperatures from +18 to +25 °C.
Watering and humidity
Beginning from spring to August, caladium will not refuse abundant watering as the top layer of the substrate dries out.
At the beginning of active growth, he needs about a glass of water per week, and in the summer - already 0.5 liters of water per day, divided into morning and evening intake.
Overdrying unacceptable, as it leads to deterioration appearance plants. However, excess moisture is also dangerous - the caladium tuber easily rots. Water for irrigation requires soft and warm water.
In late August, watering begins little by little. shrink, which leads to drying and dying of leaves. The plant is preparing for a dormant period during which it does not need to be watered.
Caladium prefers air humidity about 70%. However, you should not spray it - this spoils the decorative appearance of the leaves. It is best to spray small splashes of water over the plant from a sprayer, place the pot with it on a tray with wet pebbles, and cover the surface of the ground with moss.
You can also grow caladium in a florarium or humidify the air using a household humidifier or steam generator.
Rest period
Absolutely any caladium needs six-month wintering. In mid-latitudes, the plant goes dormant in September or October. From this moment on, the caladium loses its leaves and “goes into hibernation.” The minimum temperature at this time is about +18 °C.
During the winter tubers may be in dry soil or placed in a box with sawdust, sphagnum moss or vermiculite. In the latter case, you must first clear them of soil and remove old roots.
When found rotting It is necessary to cut out the sore spots and treat the sections with crushed coal. In mid-January, a strong growth bud is formed, and in February the plant can already be planted in the ground.
Transfer
Caladium will be happy with any nutritious soil with a neutral pH that allows air and water to pass through well. If desired, you can create a special mixture for this plant from:
- 1 part leaf soil;
- 1 part humus soil;
- 1 part peat;
- 0.5 parts coarse sand.
The plant will also respond favorably to heather soil, pine bark mulch and greenhouse soil. Sometimes caladium is grown in peat.
In February or March After each dormant period, it is necessary to plant the plant tubers in fresh soil.
The container for planting must correspond to the size of the tuber: if its diameter is from 1 to 3 cm, a pot with a width of 9 to 12 cm is used, and if the tuber size is from 4 to 6 cm, from 17 to 19 cm.
Some small nodules can be planted in a single flowerpot that is free enough for their growth. The tuber should be planted with the pink bud facing up.
If desired get it by fall a large number of“babies” you need to place the tuber shallowly, digging it into the ground.
If the goal is cultivation a beautiful and voluminous bush, the tuber is buried to a depth of 5 to 10 cm. This helps to awaken dormant buds and the appearance of many new leaves.
After landing and before the first leaves appear, watering should be minimal - only light moisture. Next, the plant is watered as usual.
Top dressing
During active growth, caladium will not give up weekly portions of complex mineral fertilizer. During wintering, the plant is not fertilized.
Reproduction
Caladium can multiply vegetatively and by seeds.
Vegetatively. For this, daughter tubers are used or the main tuber is divided into several parts containing at least one bud. It is very important to sprinkle the cuts with charcoal powder and air dry them a little. Then you need to plant the tubers in the ground according to the instructions above. Once pests are detected, the plant needs to be treated with insecticides.
Diseases
Main disease caladium is root rotting resulting from excessive watering. The appearance of rot is most likely during the first month after planting the tuber, when the leaves have not yet grown.
If, 1 or 1.5 months after transplantation, the caladium still has not acquired leaves, you should dig up the tuber and check whether it has rotted.
Healthy tuber under the skin it is colored pale yellow.
Common problems
Caladium may exhibit atypical diseases if care rules are not followed.
- The leaves are rotting- drops of water getting on them.
- Caladium is withering away- low air humidity and drafts.
- Leaves fall in autumn- the plant is preparing for a period of dormancy.
As you can see, handsome caladium presents certain care requirements. However, you can find an approach to it - you just need to be patient and meet all the necessary conditions. For all the work, the gardener will be rewarded with fireworks of bright leaves of original color.
And for the most curious, we invite you to watch a video about caladium
