Caladiums can grow in Bernalillo, with some shade

Q: As a child, I can remember my mother and grandmother always having plants called caladiums growing in both pots and in some of their flower beds back East. With the lush large leaves, they were always so colorful. I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone here growing them. Is it possible to grow caladiums here? Our home is in Bernalillo. — M.C., Bernalillo

A: I have good news for you, if you can offer any plantings of your beloved caladiums shade.

I have grown caladiums for years, with one brief exception when the property was too sunny all the way around.

Your description of them wearing lush foliage and being colorful is spot on. If you’ve never grown a caladium, know that they aren’t grown for their flowers, it’s the color offered by the large arrowhead-shaped leaves that these plants are known for. The leaves can be green and white; pink and green; and red and green. But in this climate with the intense sunlight we have, don’t disappoint yourself by aiming to grow them in brightly lit spots. Grow them in shady spots. Maybe a bit of dappled morning sun, but not much more than that.

I have always treated mine as annuals, replanting every spring after the last threat of frost, but you can “lift” and store them each autumn. Lifting the tubers is a bit of an art, and I could offer suggestions about that later as the seasons advance.

If you have good shade, you can plant in pots or directly into the ground, promising to never allow them to dry out but not keeping them soggy. I’ve learned that they do well when fertilized with a liquid fish fertilizer once a week during the growing season. I’m not sure about the selection of tubers available at a retail level, but I believe you could still find some available to allow you months of enjoyment this year. Just remember, plant these treasures in the shade. Enjoy and happy memories!

Q: I’m so sad! I planted five tomato plants this year and only one has managed to make some tomatoes. The other four plants did grow some blossoms, but then all of those flowers shriveled up and have died. What am I doing wrong? — W.T., Albuquerque

A: Since you say it’s just the blossoms that have shriveled, I don’t think it’s you having done something wrong, except, perhaps offering too much sunlight.

In the past I have suggested that there be some sort of airy tent built to deflect the harsh sun, especially at midday, for most anyone attempting to grow a healthy crop of tomatoes around here. You could erect a shade structure out of a picnic tent or even a large patio umbrella. Just be sure that the frame of the tent or the pole of the umbrella is securely fastened into the ground. You know how the winds sometimes, out of nowhere, can howl.

I suggest the roof of any tent be replaced by shade screening. You want good airflow and allow any monsoonal moisture offered to be able to move around easily. No canvas or plastic sheeting for this project.

Once the breathable shade has been offered to your tomatoes, being surgically precise, snip off all of the shriveled bloom clusters to healthy green stems. Offer fertilization and within a week to ten days the sun-buffered plants should start to grow a new series of blooms for you. Tomatoes are pretty tough, but the sunlight we’re getting is tougher. Give the plants a helping hand and I believe you’ll get fruit this season.

Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.