New cyclamen plants ................................Carol Ann Harlos

Were you lucky enough to be gifted a cyclamen over the holidays? I happily received three—one red-, one white-, and one pink-flowered. I remember my first cyclamen well: I thought I’d killed it, so I tossed it. I later learned it wasn’t dead, just resting. Since I want you to enjoy these primrose relatives for a long time, I’m devoting this month’s column to their care.

Look at and appreciate your plant. What shape are the leaves? Do you notice a pattern on them? Most likely, the leaves are heart-shaped, indicating a Cyclamen persicum, the most sold cyclamen this time of the year. Take a close look at an individual flower. Exquisite!

As I noted above, when your cyclamen stops blooming, it doesn’t mean you’ve killed it—yet. (Did I really write that?) Many plants—mums in autumn, lilies at Easter, and poinsettias at Christmastime—are forced to bloom out of season in greenhouses in order to make them commercially available at certain gifting times. Cyclamen plants are different; they flower when it’s cool (winter) and are dormant (resting) when it’s warm.

I keep my cyclamen plants in our dining room window. It is bright and a bit chilly, so they thrive. People frequently put cyclamen plants in warm places, where they begin to yellow in a short time. This is because these cool-loving plants think it’s time to go dormant, leading poor humans to feel like plant killers!

After about two months, the leaves will naturally start to yellow. This does not mean the plant needs water (unless, of course, you’ve never watered it!); it indicates oncoming dormancy. Watering the plant now should be done carefully—if you overwater, you will indeed risk killing the plant, as the roots can rot instead of absorbing the water. I water when the soil dries out down to about an inch. If you’re unsure, stick a finger into the soil to check. Place cyclamen plants in a dark place and, after about six weeks, give the plant a little water and move it to a cool place with bright light. Don’t water again until you begin to see new growth. I like to feed my plants compost tea when they break dormancy—an exciting moment!

If you are successful growing cyclamen plants, there will come a time when it’s necessary to repot, usually when the plant is dormant. Carefully remove the plant from the pot and repot in African violet soil mix made of one third parts peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite. Replant at the same depth as the original pot. The new pot should be only about an inch in diameter wider than the original.

When repotting, you will notice that cyclamen plants grow from tubers (like tiny round potatoes). If you don’t want bigger plants, make more plants by separating the tubers and repotting each in a smaller pot. Plant the tubers in the same direction they were originally oriented. (This ensures the roots grow downward more easily.) Little cyclamen plants are adorable!

I understand that one can grow cyclamen plants from seed, but I haven’t done that…yet!

I love hearing from you: caharlos@ verizon.net FY

Carol Ann Harlos is an award-winning retired math and science teacher, Master Gardener, beekeeper, writer, and speaker. She tends extensive gardens, including herbs, and loves learning from others and sharing her knowledge.

Photo by Carol Ann Harlos