Expert: Long Island Gardener - 4/30/2008

Question
how often should I water caladiums that are just now blooming?  I hear water everyday but then Im afraid of rot?   also, how do i get rid of clover?

thanks

Answer
If your Caladium Soil is healthy and light, the roots will not rot -- but you can always let them dry out until they are near wilting, then drench to recover.  This is probably the way they should be watered any way.  Make sure the soil is well draining.

If these are potted Caladiums please let me know.

Clover in the soil is one of 3 things:

Black Medic,

Clover (red, white, pink), a Nitrogen-fixing Legume that's good for your Grass, or

Oxalis

www.msuturfweeds.net/details/_/yellow_woodsorrel_30/

'Trifolium' Clover is identifiable by studying the leaf.  If you see a faint 'watermark' across the leaf, you're looking at Clover:

www.msuturfweeds.net/details/_/white_clover_28/

Black Medic has yellow flowers and unmarked leaves:

www.msuturfweeds.net/details/_/black_medic_29/

Oxalis has heart0shaped leaves with yellow flowers:

www.msuturfweeds.net/details/_/yellow_woodsorrel_30/

Hybrids of Black Medic are cultivated by a handful of organic farmers, on huge plots in the midwest, as a self-reseeding Cover Crop.  Like other Legumes, Black Medic injects Nitrogen into Soil where it's growing.  In Australia, this practice is called the 'Medic Cropping System', and it is used extensively, with great success.  Here, it is less successful; the federal government hands out money to farmers under their subsidies programs, but they can't grow cover crops on fallow ground to qualify.  So although Black Medic is a great idea, sometimes, you can't fight City Hall.

As a non-farmer, however, you could take advantage of this.  Although I know this is not obvious, growing these 3 legumes is simply terrific for your Lawn.  You should not get rid of them -- you should let them grow.

Trifolium Clover actually wanes as part of a cycle while the Grass gets stronger.  Clover spreads and builds up N in the Soil; the Grass gets stronger due to the extra N, and shoves out the Clover; N peaks, Clover thins out, making less N.  The Grass thins out due to less N; now the Clover is back in business making N, getting stronger, spreading, making the Grass stronger, etc.

Bottom line:  Welcome Clover, Black Medic and Oxalis to your Lawn.  And stop wasting money on Nitrogen fertilizer.  They will do all the N feeding your Grass will ever need.

Just as a point of information:  In the 1950s, people commonly purchased Clover seeds to put on their Grass.  This was discouraged by companies that make Weedkiller because they could not figure out a way to make weedkiller that would not kill the Clover.  So they just rewrote the Rules of the Lawn:  Instead of 'add clover' they changed it to 'eradicate Clover'.  Problem solved.

What I'm saying here is, Don't be a slave to fashion.

If the fashionistas say wear violet, and it looks bad on you, don't wear violet.  If the fashionistas say, No clover, we don't make that, you do not have to listen.  Write your own rules.  Clover is cutting edge.

I hope you are converted.  Or at least less certain of those 20th century rules.  Thanks for writing; any followup questions, I'm happy to answer.

L.I.G.