When to Dig Caladiums?
- Dig caladiums in late summer or fall once the foliage begins to die back but before the leaves lose all their color. Caladiums cannot tolerate frost, so you may need to dig the plants early if an early-season frost is expected. Once soil temperatures drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the caladium roots are endangered. Begin monitoring the plants and the weather once the nights begin to cool to ensure you dig the plants before there is a chance for cold damage.
- Loosen the soil around the caladium roots with a handheld garden fork. Avoid piercing the roots as you dig. Lift the tuberous roots from the loosened soil but leave the foliage in place. The tubers have smaller roots attached to them. Breaking these smaller roots rarely damages the tubers as they grow again each spring. Removing the foliage too early can damage the tubers and leave an opening for disease.
- Once the caladiums are dug, cure the tubers in a warm, well-ventilated room for a week or two. Spread the roots out on a table so they are fully exposed to air. As they cure the foliage finishes dying back. Pull off the leaves once they are completely dry and separate easily from the tuber. You can also cut the leaves off to prevent any chance for damage.
- Fill a box with dry vermiculite or sphagnum moss. Bury the tubers in the box so they are not touching one another. Even in dormant storage caladiums cannot tolerate cold temperatures. Place the boxes in a 60- to 65-F location where they are not subject to humidity. Check on the tubers monthly during the winter and dispose of any that develop soft spots, which indicate rot.
- In warm climates caladiums don't require fall digging and storage, but you can still dig them up in spring to disbud them. Disbudding helps you control the size of the caladium plant and leaves. Dig up the roots in early spring once the soil is dry enough to work but before the plants begin to grow. The knobs on the root are the leaf buds. Each bud consists of a large central bud surrounded by smaller buds. Cut out the central bud if you want your caladium to produce a lot of small leaves. Cut out the smaller buds if you prefer fewer large leaves on the plant.
