Caladiums Sold in Nursery

These are what currently sold in the market, these are the new hybrids where it is introduced during the CNY season. They haven't really made a come back in their popularity zone as everyone is aware about their setback - dormancy.

And therefore these are sold in a good price, normally spanning around RM10 - RM12 depending on their availability and generosity of the nursery owner. Sometimes they want to clear the stock and release them at the wholesale price - getting them at a good price is good but sometimes the plant condition can be a little bit detrimental especially when they going into dormancy.

Some cultivar are so interesting as they appear to dish out their normal green into the colorful array of unique red appearance. However it is, red somehow has it's best appearance for this plant especially not may plants are featured as such graceful as this.

Do let me know if you own a Caladium and how you care and cultivate them. Share your thoughts and experience and I would really love to hear from you.

How to Cultivate Caladium

I find this particular one is the best so far. It had withstand the test of time where it is faithful to remain in my garden for years and with short dormancy period. 

This big leaf type is hardy and able to withstand neglect and forgivable. 

Growing Condition:

Earlier I had planted them outside where it get optimum sunlight in shaded area but they still not doing their best. I had transferred the tuber here in this water feature and placed them on constant flowing water. It was a good decision as I noticed the tuber never rot or gone dormant.

The leaves are much healthier and stable and I don't have to worry about losing one particular type.

This is the best sunlight it ever gets in the morning till afternoon. The evening will be indirect shaded situation here.

Once I got it successful, I started introducing few other varieties and they too loved it here. It's so easy to just poke the tuber inside the water feature and watch them grow. It may take few weeks for them to stabilize but once they do, its a beauty to behold.

I love what most plants can't offer - the coloration on these Caladium brightens up a shaded garden, especially the red speckles - truly it's a time stopper - the mesmerizing effect just captivates and makes one just stand and admire the beauty.

Care:

Basically these are grown in an aquatic feature where the water is constantly flowing.

I had placed a small pot where the tuber sits surrounding sand and pebbles and placed inside the water container.

Therefore, I don't have to worry about watering in this situation.

Light:

Bright indirect Light - best with few hours of good direct sun on them but not scorching heat (afternoon burning type) these are not sun lovers.

Fertilizer:

I think the water already contained enough fertilizer as I also rare goldfish in this pond and somehow the fish water makes these plants grow well.

These tubers were planted years ago in these pots where they go dormant and come back year after year. I had kept some of them here as my spare plants just in case if the water feature experiment didn't work out. (so far so good)

Another good thing with Caladiums is that you can work out a combination planting arrangement with them, they are not fussy in sharing with other plants and actually they really look good complimenting with other colored featured foliage plants.

I'm thinking of adding different new cultivars and hybrids recently introduced in the market.

Seeing these are doing very well in the water feature. I may venture into these Caladiums as another collection.

Elephant Ears and Allies

Its difficult for me to decide whether to keep or throw them especially when it comes to green, they indeed dominate everything. Somehow, I thought of giving them a second chance where the red stem changed my mind.

Then, I had this idea where I had added my unwanted extra dumbcane
 and peace lily into this soup-pot. Caladium joined in the fun.
I thought I had over did it and going to regret the outcome of it.
I thought the mess was last year's mistake and making the same mistake again.

Finally the  Black Elephant Ear comes to display.
I had got rid of all the green versions as junk (I realised that I cannot keep everything) that is - I don't want to keep all the common ones and call it garden - whereas they easily found and grows all over around my place (jungle)

This one escape my mind (I mean the ID)
It does have a beautiful flowers - happen to bloom during this season of time.

This is another elephant ears ( black stalk ones) I guess I had got rid of it
Just keeping the black leaved ones.
If you noticed - My Peace lily had bloomed.

The Fancy Leaf Caladium had sprouted.
It had been dormant for months, now looking at it - I had totally given up on them.
Their dormancy had but put of my confidence over their beauty,
especially when I'm in no mood to keep anything.

The camera is not doing justice to the view and colours that I see.
Somehow - its so different when I see it real life than in the picture frames.
Talking about Dumbcane species. I'm no longer going to pursue them.

I had learned to be contented with their cream hues, unless its Agloanema with her reds.
I think I had enough of this green and cream shades in my garden,

The Coloured Foliages

It took awhile to decide what to keep and throw
and finally the decision made and this is the result.
I had kept all the different of types of dumbcane in a pot and they are doing very well here.

The Watermelon Begonia too decided to do well in this area and became quite dominant.
They are planted together with Aglaonema.

A single pot where all the varieties of dumbcanes put together.
Somehow - this species does so well compared to so many trials and error
I had planted many plants and none did well.