When I saw my first Caladium, I was immediately amazed by this plants special leaves. I had never seen anything like this before: the leaves are completely white or pink in color, have a rather parchment-like appearance, and they have particularly long and delicate stems. As beautiful as these plants are, they are just as sensitive to environmental influences and even to themselves, the plants pose a danger. This chapter will be about the most common deficiency symptoms.
Dry Caladium leaf margins and leaf tips
What do you see?
Caladium leaves have dried out areas on the leaf margins and tips.
What is the cause of dry Caladium leaf margins and leaf tips?
Dry spots on the leaves of your caladium are usually an indication that the plant is in a too dry location.
How can you prevent and fix dry leaf margins and leaf tips on caladium?
The plant needs higher humidity. Try either to increase the humidity around the plant, e.g. by using a humidifier or try to keep the humidity within your little jungle a little higher by having more plants in the immediate surrounding. You can also cut off heavily dried leaves with a clean pair of scissors or knife, so that the plant can put more energy into new leaves.
Brown spots on Caladium leaves
What do you see?
There are lots of brown, dried-up spots on the leaves of your caladium.
What is the cause of brown spots on Caladium leaves?
Brown spots in the middle of the leaves usually indicate sunburn. The plant probably receives direct sunlight throughout the day.
How can you prevent and fix brown spots on leaves?
Once the plant has burnt spots, you can’t undo them. You should give the plant a location where it gets plenty of light but no direct sunlight. Especially harmful is the location with direct sunlight, if you spray the leaves with water and the water droplets catalyze the sunlight like a magnifying glass. Again, only cutting off the burnt leaves will help to bring the power of the plant into new leaves.
Slack Caladium Leaves
What is the cause of limp Caladium leaves?
The caladium plant probably has a location with cold drafts or has not received enough water.
How can you prevent and fix droopy leaves?
If you can rule out drafts in your location and exposure to cold air, it is most likely that your caladium has not received enough water. Depending on how far this stage has progressed, you may still be able to save the plant by watering it properly now. If the leaves look limp even 24 hours after watering, they are probably beyond saving and you can cut them off.
Rolling up Caladium leaves
What is the cause of curled up Caladium leaves?
The caladium plant has sometimes stopped in its development. This happens mainly when the location was chosen unfavorably and the plant was too cold during its development.
What can you do about curled up Caladium leaves?
To prevent curled leaves the location should be draught free. In my case, especially the Caladium leaves curled up, which were in the direct draught or which were generally cold during the development of the plant. So try to pay attention to the temperature and ideally the leaves will recover. If the old leaves remain curled, you can cut them off. If you have adjusted the basic conditions, the new leaves should unfold again.
Bent stems in Caladium
What do you see?
The leaves are limp and the stems droop, often with a direct bend visible.
What is the cause of kinked caladium stems?
The most common cause is the weight of the leaves. Due to the fact that the stems indoors often get very long and the leaves also reach corresponding sizes of sometimes more than 20cm, the leaves get to a weight, which in some cases can no longer be carried by the plant. As a result, the stems bend and the leaves can no longer be fully supplied with water and nutrients.
What can you do about caladium stems that are snapping off?
To prevent bending stems you can support the plant in its growth. For this you can simply use branches from the garden center or from outside, to which you fix the stems of the plants. In addition, make sure that the plant is always supplied with sufficient amounts of water to ensure the stability of the plant.
Yellow leaves on Caladium
What do you see?
The leaves are turning yellow and slowly die.
What is the cause of yellowing Caladium leaves?
Yellow leaves are mainly caused by a lack of nutrients. However, plants can also become discolored if watering cycles are too long. Waterlogging can also be a reason for yellow leaves.
What can you do about yellow Caladium leaves?
The leaves are usually beyond saving, accordingly you can cut them off. To prevent yellow leaves in the future, pay attention to a regular watering cycle and prevent waterlogging in the pot.
Deformed Caladium leaves
What do you see?
The leaves of your Caladium plant have different leaf shapes e.g. they form round tips or the leaf is not uniform.
What is the cause of deformed caladium leaves?
Deformed leaves can have very different causes. Often it is simply a “freak of nature” and thus nothing problematic.
What can you do about deformed caladium leaves?
As long as the leaves are adequately supplied, you don’t have to do anything. Prevention is also difficult, since you can’t influence the genetics of your plant.
Colorless or pale Caladium leaves
What do you see?
The Caladium leaves are slowly losing their color and becoming paler.
What is the cause of yellow Caladium leaves?
Over time, individual leaves may slowly die on your Caladium.
What can you do about pale Caladium leaves?
As long as the plants sprout new leaves regularly and only occasional leaves fade, you don’t need to worry. The plant gets rid of individual leaves in its life cycle.
Caladium leaves not white but green
What do you see?
You have a white caladium species whose white leaves are not white.
What is the cause of green instead of white caladium leaves?
The white varieties only form their white leaves when there is enough light. If your plant is too dark, the leaves will discolor. As the plant ages, white leaves may also slowly turn green.
What can you do about green instead of white caladium leaves?
Try moving the plant to a brighter location. Here you have a better chance of the plant becoming lighter again in the new leaves.
Caladium loses all its leaves
What do you see?
The caladium plant gradually loses all its leaves in the fall
What is the cause of yellow caladium leaves?
In our latitudes, the caladium plant needs winter dormancy, which is initiated towards autumn.
What can you do?
You can’t stop hibernation. The plant will lose its leaves sooner or later. How to properly send your caladium plant into hibernation and what to watch out for during it you will learn in the next chapter all about caladium hibernation.
