Cyclamens for Winter Blooms | The Peterborough & Space Grasp Gardeners
By Lois Scott, Grasp Gardener
I all the time take pleasure in flowers in the home at the moment of yr and Cyclamens (Primula household) are a stunning and accessible plant choice to fulfill that need. Available for the vacation season these crops could proceed to bloom for weeks afterwards.
The florist plant that’s offered in the course of the winter is a hybrid of Cyclamen persicum originating in southern Europe, and the Mediterranean to Iran. In its native vary it comes into bloom within the cooler temperatures of autumn going dormant in the summertime.
Cyclamen is a stunning plant that you could be discover in sizes starting from 15 to 30 cm. Its coronary heart formed leaves could also be darkish inexperienced or mottled white or silver and bears flowers of white, pink, mauves or reds. Flowers could also be double, bicoloured or frilly. The flowers have 5 petals that reflex again trying considerably like badminton birdies. Very charming!
As an indoor plant it does want a cooler setting starting from 15 to 18C and though I’ve learn and skilled the truth that in the present day’s hybrids will tolerate hotter temperatures, a cool windowsill for instance can be perfect. Cooler temps will assist delay blooming time.
Cyclamen like a brightly lit spot and our winter solar is tolerated. Maintain the soil moist by backside watering to keep away from getting water within the crown as which will trigger rot. Fertilize with diluted houseplant fertilizer each 2 weeks. Deadheading will encourage steady blooming. To deadhead twist the stem and pull sharply to take away it from the crown.
Cyclamen will naturally cease blooming in late spring and go into dormancy for two to three months. Dormancy signifies that the leaves will fade and drop off. If you wish to save the tuber you may plant it exterior for the summer season in a shady spot or retailer it in vermiculite for six to 12 weeks. Repot your saved tuber with the higher half of the tuber above the planting medium. Water because the tuber begins forming new leaves and fertilize till flower heads type.
Usually, cyclamen is handled as a short-lived plant if one doesn’t have the best mild situations to get it to rebloom. The photograph under with the bicoloured petals was bought in December 2024.
After blooming it sat dormant in a pot, was not watered after which began sprouting in late 2025. Watering was resumed and it has been blooming since then.
Second yr cyclamen generally is a bit leggy with maybe fewer blooms however can nonetheless present a vibrant accent which is all the time appreciated at the moment of yr!
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