Caladium Red Flash Bulbs

Red Flash reaches 20 to 24 inches high, with large, almost translucent heart-shaped leaves. The leaves unroll beautifully from long, slender stems pointing straight up, so they're as fun to watch grow as they are to enjoy when fully unfurled! Each leaf has a brilliant red center that extends into the prominent veins, abruptly shading into smoky green at the margins, and dotted with large white spots like exclamation points in the center of the leaf. VERY distinctive!

At 20 to 24 inches tall, Red Flash a tall Caladium, perfect in the back row of a large Caladium planting or the center of a round flowerpot, with smaller varieties surrounding it.

If you're new to Caladium growing, you're in for a treat. This lightweight, rooty little bulb is a snap to grow in garden or container. If you're familiar with planting Daffodils and Tulips, the thing to remember about planting Caladiums is that the bulb goes upside-down -- wide end on top, tapering parts facing down! If you're planting the bulbs in the garden, set them at least 3 inches beneath the soil (the deeper the better to encourage root growth), selecting a spot in full to partial shade. Periodically enrich the soil with compost and other organics. The foliage will stay fresh well into fall, then begin to go dormant. As this occurs, reduce the water supply, and lift the bulbs out before first frost. You can store them in a warm, dry place (sand, clean cat litter, or vermiculite in a shoebox makes a fine storage area) and then replant in spring, once nighttime temperatures reach 65 degrees F. (If you accidentally plant them out too soon, the cold temperatures won't hurt them, but they won't sprout and they risk being eaten by rodents or rotting out in extremely wet weather.)

To grow them indoors, all you need is a warm enough room to keep the soil at or above about 65 to 70 degrees F. Set the bulbs an inch or so beneath the soil, and give them a <#prodlink#"9201">light feed every 2 weeks or so. You can start them any time of year, and the gorgeous foliage will stay fresh and pretty for months. Keep them out of direct sunlight and cold drafts, and when they begin to go dormant, follow the steps above for storing the bulbs. You can replant them after a 2 or 3 months' rest. Easy and colorful! Bulb.