Wintering
Wintering
At the end of autumn, the Caladium foliage wilts and that's completely normal!
In their natural environment, where it is constantly warm, the caladium never goes dormant. But here, in Europe, in our interiors, the growing conditions are not the same! Most Caladiums go dormant in winter to wake up in spring to let us enjoy their incredible foliage!
In autumn or early winter, when temperatures begin to cool, the leaves slowly begin to wilt and your caladium looks gray. To see this beautiful foliage appear again the following year, gradually reduce watering until the clod of earth is completely dry.
Rather than cutting off the leaves prematurely, I advise you to let the caladium leaves naturally wilt even if it is not a very pretty sight. This will restore essential nutrients to the tuber and strengthen it for the dormant phase. The foliage will also be strengthened for the next season!
Once the foliage has completely faded, two options are available to you:
The first is to cut the last stems at ground level and store the pot in a room where the temperature does not drop below 15 degrees and away from light, stopping watering completely.
The second is to dig up the tuber, cut off the wilted leaves and the roots close to the tuber, be careful not to cut the tuber which could increase the risk of damage during storage. Then let it dry in the open air. on newspaper, cardboard or a bed of perlite for ten days.
Tuber storage tips.
It is best to dry the tubers for 10 to 14 days, arranging them in a single layer. on newspaper, cardboard or a bed of perlite for ten days, ensuring good warm ventilation. A fan combined with natural light should firm and dry the tubers properly. Once the tubers are dry, store them in a well-ventilated area, ideally indoors. They can be placed in pantyhose or mesh bags (remember to keep the onion bags) with dry sphagnum moss as a separator between two tubers. These can then be hung in a closet or in a heated garage. It is essential to store your tubers in a room that does not drop below 15 degrees!
Leave the tubers again.
At the beginning of spring, all that remains is to take the pot out and gradually resume watering or if you have opted for the second option, replant the Caladium tuber as indicated on the germination instructions.