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rolacoy

I am still worried about keeping Caladium bulbs for next year.

rolacoy
14 years ago

I bought my Caladium bulbs at Homedepot and Lowes. They are small, about walnut size. I want to plant them and dig them up in the Fall to plant next year. I posted some questions about this a couple of weeks ago. I am trying to figure out a way to find the bulbs this Fall. Someone said to dig them up once we have a frost and I guess I would find them by the wilted leaves.

What if I dug the holes and planted the bulbs in peat moss, it seems that they would almost just pull out of the ground with the loose peat moss around them.

I saw something on TV about storing bulbs and it looked like the were being stored in peat moss, in a box is that the way to store them?

Comments (6)

  • keriann_lakegeneva
    14 years ago

    Are you worried about finding them or digging them out?

    You will be able to see the dying foliage in the fall and they are small, so one dig with the shovel and you will get the bulbs out in the fall.

    This is very easy.

    No, you cannot just plant the bulbs in peat moss in the ground.

    You can only store them in peat moss if you choose.

    Keriann~

  • rolacoy
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    My main concern is finding them in the fall. I have one of thoes diggers that makes a round hole, it just pulls out a plug of dirt about 2 1/2" around. When I just thought that I could, dig the hole, put some peat moss in the bottom, put ing bulb and more peat moss. When it came time to dig them up they would come up real easy. That may not be a good idea, I am new at this and don't know much about what I am doing.

  • keriann_lakegeneva
    14 years ago

    No, that is too small, a shovel will do.

    You just put the blade of your shovel 4" away from the dying foliage and push staight down, then tilt your shovel towards the bulbs until you breach the surface again and the bulb(s) will be in the soil you just pulled out.

    If you are that concerned, you can plant the bulbs in (1) gallon nursery pots and put the whole pot in the ground. Then in the fall you pull the whole pot out and tip it upside down and find the bulbs.

    This really is not hard : )

    Don't sweat it, enjoy it : )

    Keriann~

  • rolacoy
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    The round shovel that makes a plug is what I will plant them with. I can assure I know how a shovel works take a look at "My Garden". I am an experimenter, I always want to try ding something in a different way. I am retired now, but made my living as a commercial artist. To be successful as an artist I learned to "think out of the Box" and never draw within the lines.

    I just want to find all of the bulbs this fall and find an easy way to recover them.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden

  • keriann_lakegeneva
    13 years ago

    Oh, I thought you were debating on digging them up with your 'round shovel' : )

    Yes, your gardens are beautiful! I have looked at them before and am still very jealous of your hardscape: )

    I would start your caladiums as soon as your can in pots inside. As soon as your soil reaches 60* I would pop them in the ground, in the pot or not.

    Maybe you can use pebbles or some other light 'mulch' where you plant them so in the fall you know everywhere you put this type of mulch you have bulbs to dig up? Or maybe you can use your drawing talent (which is awesome) and plot out where you planted them?

    Mine still do better in pots up here because it keeps their roots warmer.

    Do those ideas help?

    Keriann~

  • rolacoy
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks for your suggestions. I am just impatient to start seeing something growing.

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