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All
caladium varieties may be used for
pot production. However, certain
varieties are more suited to certain
pot sizes than others (see table).
The following production guidelines
will aid the commercial grower in
successfully producing highly
marketable pot caladiums: |
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4” (10.2 cm) Pot – 2
Bulbs No. 2 size or 1 Bulb No. 1
size
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4 ½” (11.5 cm) Pot –
2 to 3 Bulbs No. 2 size or 1 Bulb
No. 1 size
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6” (15.4 cm) Pot – 5
to 6 Bulbs No. 2 size or 2-3 Bulbs
No. 1 size
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6 ½” (16.7 cm)
Pot – 7 to 8 Bulbs No. 2
size or 3-4 Bulbs No. 1 size
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10” (25.5 cm) Bulb
Pan – 10 to 12 Bulbs No. 2 size or
4-6 Bulbs No. 1 size
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10” (25.5 cm) Hanging
Basket – 10 to 12 Bulbs No. 2 size
or 4-6 Bulbs No. 1 size
*** Seed stock
bulbs (No. 3 size and smaller) are
recommended for 4 ½” pots and
smaller. Fill the pot 1/3 with
soil, add bulbs to cover the surface
area of the soil then cover the
bulbs with soil. If bulbs are
sprouting you may need to de-eye to
obtain uniform pots.
Pots 10” and
larger really need bulbs in the
center of the pot as well as the
pot perimeter to have a
balanced finished product.
Further, Jumbo bulbs produce
larger more robust plants but
cost more to use. The following
configurations seem to work well
to produce a high quality pot:
Combination Pots
Combination pots and planters and
hanging baskets are
becoming very popular and special
note should be made of the use of
caladiums for this purpose.
Caladiums have been identified as
the perfect accent plant in
combination with bedding plants or
in combinations with other caladium
varieties. For instance, a bowl
with caladium White Christmas in the
center and marigolds or wave
petunias around the periphery is
spectacular. Another dynamite
combination is caladium White
Christmas in the center with
caladium Red Frill around the
periphery. Different height affects
can be achieved by variety
selection, bulb size and whether
bulbs are de-eyed.
Go here for an
pdf spreadsheet with
tips, photos and information
on creating these pots.
Potting Depth:
Bulbs should be covered with at
least 1 to 1 ½ inches of soil. This
will ensure adequate soil moisture
around roots as they emerge from the
top of the bulb.
Potting
Mixtures:
A
well-drained potting mixture
containing considerable organic
matter is suggested. Potting
mixtures such as (1) 50% peat moss
and 50% shavings, (2) 80% peat moss
and 20% pine bark, (3) pure peat
moss, (4) organic matter (compost)
and sandy soil combinations have
been used successfully for growing
caladiums. A pH-adjusted pre-mix of
peat moss, perlite and a wetting
agent seems to work best for most
caladium growers.
Planting Time:
Though many growers plant earlier,
we recommend waiting until after
January 15 to plant. A
well-cured bulb will out perform a
“green” non-cured bulb anytime and
will usually finish just as fast as
the bulbs planted 2-3 weeks earlier.
Forcing:
When caladiums are forced early as a
pot plant it is necessary to
maintain a higher potting medium
temperature for proper sprouting.
Sprouting will be sparse when soil
temperature is maintained at 60°F
(15°C). Sprouting will occur at
soil temperatures of 70°F (21°C) and
higher. Bulbs sprout best when soil
temperature is elevated to 75-78°F
(24°C) in the presence of high
humidity (90% relative humidity).
To approximate these conditions
heating cables or other means are
used to provide bottom heat. The
suggested night temperature of the
greenhouse for caladiums is 65°F
(18°C) or higher. Nighttime
temperatures of 60°F (15°C) and
below result in injury, irregular
sprouting and growth and/or reduced
plant quality. Early caladium
plantings (January to February)
require longer forcing periods than
later plantings (May). Those forced
in January or February generally
require eight to ten weeks before
plants are sellable, while plantings
made in May require about four to
six weeks prior to sale. In order
to avoid greening, overheating
(possibly resulting in injury and/or
death), stretching, or moisture
buildup (which causes bulbs to rot),
it is not recommended to cover up
newly potted bulbs with a plastic
cover. This will probably do more
harm than good. In addition,
covering with plastic can cause a
buildup of Methane and other toxic
gases and stop all growing. If a
cover is used, allow for proper
ventilation on a regular basis to
make sure the potting medium
temperature does not exceed 85°F
(29°C) or else you will overheat the
crop and achieve only erratic growth
at best.
More Information:
Pot Finishing Times
(Excel file)
Variety Sun Requirements and Finish
Height (Excel file)
(If you are
not able to download these files,
feel free to call us and we will fax
them to you)
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