plant caladiums now in kansas??????????

Question

we live in kansas and recelntly bought some caladium bulbs ( tubers) for our flower bed. The package says to plant in our area in march/april. can we plant them now for next year or to get a late start on them this season or are they just pretty much useless this late in the season..?????????

Answer 1

Caladium bulbs should be planted in March/April, but it takes the ground getting extremely warm for them to push up, so you should be fine planting them now. They are not winter-hardy in the Kansas climate and must be dug up to save for next spring. These bulbs are easy to keep. The removal of tender bulbs can begin after a killing frost. The freezing damages the foliage, but the underground root is protected in the warmer soil. Start by cutting the browning foliage back to the ground and discarding. Once removed, dig the bulbs and tubers. Remove as much of the soil as possible by hand. If you like, wash the rest of the soil away or just leave it attached. Before storing, the bulbs must be allowed to dry or cure for one to two weeks. This can be done in a warm, dry location such as a garage. The drying process removes excess moisture from the plants, which can lead to decay.
Once they have cured they can be stored. Most keep best at temperatures around 45-50 degrees. Basements are by far the most common storage location. Store the dry plants in either a cardboard box, or loosely packed in newspaper or dry peat moss. Check the storage container a couple of times over the winter and discard decaying tubers.
Replant each year in late March to mid April.

Hope this wasn't too much info! Good Luck!

Answer 2

plant now