Caladium (Elephant Ears)

These tubers make for a wonderful showy, colorful display throughout the summer. They are basically a tropical plant which thrives on good moisture, high temperatures and humidity. When your soil is workable and not frosty, start them off by planting in a good, fertile, well-drained soil, so that the roots have plenty of area to easily grow deep and not sit in a soggy soil. This would lead to root rot and the death of the plant. They like shade, but appreciate about one half day sunlight.

Water them when the top soil feels dry to a depth of 2". Always slow-water them, deeply, and let drain. It is better to give them slow, deep waterings spaced far apart than several small doses of water often.

The watering needs will increase as the sprouts get taller and fuller. They will be drawing moisture from the soil more rapidly. It is not written in stone how often you will need top water. Every factor involved will affect the frequency of watering.

Also, be sure that you feed them. I would give them a dilute portion right now, and then as they get to 6" and taller, go to the full strength. Scotts, Peters, Hyponex and Miracle-Gro are very good brands. Read the label directions, and feed often. They need it for their large foliage.

Q. I bought some caladium bulbs a few weeks ago and every one but one rotted within two weeks. What did I do wrong? I put them each in their own plastic pot and buried them 2-3 inches deep in new potting soil. I probably watered them every 2 to 3 days. They were in a sunny location and I live in the southern end of zone 9 - Jacksonville, Florida. The day temp were usually in the 80's and night time was 60's and low 70's. Thanks.

A. Right off the bat you may have introduced a fungus in the potting soil or it was present on or in the bulbs when you bought them. I hope you still have them. I would brush them off and take back to the store of purchase. You should be given new ones or reimbursed.

Next, I wonder about the watering. That seems too often. Did you check the soil with your index finger, down an inch and felt no moisture? Bulbs without roots and foliage cannot tolerate much moisture, as they rot readily. There is nothing to use up all that excess water! That could have been the problem.

Thirdly, the soil mix: what did you use? I find that almost all the ones available commercially are way too heavy for gardening, especially in containers. They must be lightened with some perlite to produce air pockets in the soil for the roots to breathe. Consider all of this and I wish you well.

Q. About my elephant ears: They are growing on me and I want them to do very well. I removed an offset from the bulb. What do I do now? How long will it take before it starts growing?

A. I am glad that you got an offshoot. This is by far the easiest way to reproduce this plant, and very quickly too!

Place the little plant into its own pot, 4" diameter plastic or clay, with a bottom drainage hole. Purchase some new, fresh potting mix [do not use outdoor soil, not fertile and organic enough and usually too heavy]. Plant the new one, keeping the same soil level as it had before. That is, do not plant it deeper than it was growing, as this can lead to rot. Planting it more shallow will make a floppy plant and will need staking.

Water very carefully with a slow drizzle from a faucet, not disturbing the plant. Watch the soil sink all around the plant, and add more if it sinks too low.

Place in a light area, with no direct sunlight. Keep an eye on it, as the first two weeks are the critical times. You do not want it to go bone dry, but overwatering now will kill it, as the root system is small and needs to grow to fill the soil medium.

It will take a good three to four weeks before the plant gets established. After it is strong, rooting and growing, give it more light and start a fertilizing program, using only half strength food, once every two weeks. Allow excess to drain into a saucer and discard.

This information may be applied to other plants which produce offshoots.

Q. I would like to know how to get my caladium to flower, so I can hybridize my own.

A. Caladium readily bloom. I would see no problem in your success. Give them good water, light, and food, so that they keep growing and the blooms will then appear as the plant progresses. Any stress and the plant will not bloom.

April is caladium planting time. Caladiums, whether in pots or shaded garden beds, add a vivid richness to any summer garden. The caladium is a warm weather plant and does best planted now after the soil warms up or when temperatures average 70 degrees or more. Even though caladiums like warm temperatures, they prefer cool moist, well-drained soils in the landscape. The tubers should be planted approximately one and one-half to two inches deep and from 12 to 18 inches apart in loose, organic soil.

Here is some general info that I feel will help you in their culture:

No matter what exposure you have, indoors or out, a caladium will be successful. Caladiums have the ability of bringing color to areas of sun or deep shade in the garden, but can also thrive in bright indirect light of the home or office. Outdoor colors are strongest when grown in the shade. They will bleach in full sun.

Caladiums can be started at any time of year and will last from eight months. It is best to start the tubers at 6 month intervals to insure that color is maintained all year! To start bulbs, place them 1" deep in a 6" pot filled with a well-drained potting mix. You can place a large group of tubers closely in a shallow container and then transplant to permanent locations in your garden. Many varieties require heat to break tuber dormancy prior to planting and growing. Warmth is essential to leaf development; therefore, temperatures around 70 degrees F should be maintained in early stages. Once tubers are up, temperatures may range from the low 60's at night to the mid 80's during the day.

Foliage begins to wither after 6-8 months. At this time, withhold watering and allow the foliage to die completely. Tubers can then be dug and the soil removed from them for storing. Place uprooted bulbs in dry peat moss at 55 to 60 F for a five month rest, then start them again as above!

Q. Do Elephant Ears have flowers, and if so, how do I get them to flower?

A. Colocasia esculenta, usually variety antiquorum, does flower but rarely. They send up pale yellow-flowered 15" spathes in the summer. I have never seen one bloom.

You could try by supplying a fertile soil and sunny location. They will take partial shade. They also prefer to have their feet wet and are popular in either moist soil, shallow water or a bog garden.

You may accomplish this by sinking the pots in outside pools for the summer, but winter them indoors. In the tropics, you may grow them outdoors all the time, again quite moistly.

The tubers are edible, by the way.

Q. I'm trying to plant caladiums and I have prepared an area that has sun from 2 p.m. on....is that too much sun for caladiums?

A. No, that would be fine for them. The heat of the sun will have peaked by 2PM, so they will not burn. Of course, they prefer morning sun, the weaker less harsh rays, but a late afternoon will work. Be sure though not to let them dry in this location, as that will stress the foliage and lead to easier burning in sunlight.

Water them in the AM, so that the roots are freshly moist for the light later. Do not splash water on them during this 2-4PM time when the sun would be hitting them. If you must water, wait until around 6PM.

Be sure to keep the plants clean of any dead or wilted leaves. They harbor insects and bacteria. Feed them every three weeks with a good foliage garden fertilizer, as Rapid Grow or Miracle-Gro, one tablespoon per gallon water.

It would be a good idea to mulch around the plants with leaf mold, dried leaves, peat moss or compost, to a depth of 1 to 1.5"