Cultivation methods and precautions of colorful taro (colorful leaf taro)

How to cultivate colorful taro

Where to keep

Taro is a tropical plant that can only grow healthily in an environment above 20 ℃. It loves sunlight by nature. If there is insufficient light, the colorful spots on the leaves will become darker, and the leaves will become elongated and weak. Therefore, during daily maintenance, do not place it in one position, but move it around to ensure more than 3 hours of light per day.

Temperature control

Colorful taro is extremely cold-intolerant. The most suitable temperature for its growth is between 25 and 30 ℃, and the lowest temperature cannot be lower than 20 ℃. The temperature in winter should be controlled at around 15 ℃, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow and the plants will wilt. When the temperature is 22 ℃, the tubers will sprout new leaves. Therefore, the temperature in winter should be controlled between 15 and 20 ℃ to avoid high temperature affecting dormancy.

Water and fertilizer in place

Colored caladium likes water and humidity. It needs plenty of watering in spring and summer. Keep the soil in the pot moist, but avoid waterlogging. During the growth period of colored caladium, fertilizer should be applied once a week, with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium applied in combination, with nitrogen fertilizer as the main ingredient.

Change the pot in time

Colored caladium requires loose, fertile and well-drained soil. Since repotting is necessary, in fact, repotting the colorful taro is simpler than that of other plants, because the colorful taro is dormant in winter and needs to be replanted in spring, half of the soil should be replaced with new soil, and the tubers should be buried deeper.

Precautions for the cultivation of colorful taro

Beware of pests and diseases

Pests and diseases are rare, but care should be taken to protect the tubers. Dry rot is prone to occur in tubers during storage, so spray them with carbendazim if discovered. Leaf spot disease is prone to occur during the growth period, so prevention should be the main focus and fungicides should be sprayed every month to protect the healthy growth of the plants.

Protecting the tubers

April to August is the peak growth season for taro, so ensure that it has sufficient nutrients at this time. After September , the leaves will gradually wither. At this time, you should reduce watering and stop fertilizing to allow the tubers to safely overwinter in the soil. Wait until the spring of the following year when the flowers bloom and continue to grow.