Cyclamen Care
Here’s what you need to know about growing Cyclamen.
Soil & Moisture
For success, pay close attention to soil moisture. If you’ve grown Cyclamen before and had problems, it was most likely due to too much moisture. So, here’s the most important tip to Cyclamen care: let the soil dry pretty thoroughly before watering. Remember this and you’re half way down the road to success!
There’s a balance between too much and too little. Too much water causes root rot and too little, wilting. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, though. The balance is not hard to learn with a little practice and when in doubt – error on the dry side. A Cyclamen will bounce back to life remarkably well if let to wilt a time or two, though I don’t recommend making a habit out of the wilt-before-water method. Cyclamen are incredibly resilient to dry soil, but frequent wilting can cause bud damage and end bloom time early.
To simplify – a few wilts when practicing the perfect balance of moisture is fine. It’s safer to err on the side of too dry and after a few tries, you’ll get the hang of things. After a few tries, you’ll be able to gauge the balance and
Watering Methods
When you water, it can also be helpful to water along the edge of the pot so water is not left sitting on the corm or bulb Cyclamen grow from. Too much water on the bulb can cause rot. To avoid this, some people bottom-water by setting the plant in a dish or tray of water to let the plant soak up the water it needs. This can be helpful, but whether you water from top or bottom, be sure to water thoroughly so that the soil is completely and evenly moist throughout the pot. The important dry-between-watering period is intended to let the soil dry thoroughly so when you water – water well.
Potting
Always grow Cyclamen in a pot that has good drainage so excess moisture does not accumulate. This could mean growing your plant in a cheap plastic nursery pot and setting it inside another decorative container or in a pot of your choosing that has at least one good drainage hole with a saucer underneath. The nursery pot can be removed for watering (to a place like your kitchen sink), then replaced after excess moisture has drained and any well-draining pot with saucer can easily be emptied. Simply dump the excess water collected in the saucer.
Either method works well as long as your plant does not sit in water and all excess is allowed to drain away.
Other than these top tips, Cyclamen are relatively easy-to-grow plants and with good care, can bloom for a very long time. Anywhere between 4 weeks – several months long.
Light Requirements
Grow in bright, indirect sunlight.
Temperature
Above freezing as most Cyclamen are not perennials, but aren’t sensitive to mildly cool temps like many houseplants. They grow happily in temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees.
Fertilize
Before flowering and is not necessary during bloom time. Most Cyclamen go through an annual semi to full dormant rest period. After this period, once you see signs of life emerging again, fertilize with a bloom booster or low-nitrogen fertilizer. Great options include: Jack’s Houseplant Special, Bloom Booster, or African Violet fertilizers.
Pest Management
Cyclamen are pest-resilient and well-cared-for plants usually don’t have pest issues. Though resilient, the occasional common pest problem can occur. Bugs like: aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips can easily be dealt with using Neem Oil, Insecticidal Soap, or an Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol.
Re-Potting
Not maturing to any great size, Cyclamen don’t need to be repotted very often. A plant outgrowing its pot, signs of root growth through drainage holes, or a plant drying unusually quickly are good signs of a needed repot. Find a container only slightly larger than the one before and increase container size gradually. Opt for something not very deep. Deep containers tend to hold more moisture and Cyclamen don’t put down a very deep root system anyway.
This was a long-winded care tip, but thanks for reading to the end! I hope you’ve learned a lot and feel fully empowered to grow Cyclamen with great success.