As a classic houseplant, cyclamen add a cheerful splash of color or decorate the garden in spring, summer and autumn. Of course, the Mediterranean perennial bloomers want to be courted a little. Questions about the requirements of the pretty bulbous flowers receive a practical answer here.
How do I properly care for my cyclamen?
Cyclamens (cyclamen) are demanding, perennial house or garden plants. They need a bright, cool environment, slightly moist soil without waterlogging and regular fertilization during the growth and flowering period. Be careful not to wet leaves and flowers when watering.
Planting cyclamen correctly
For the planting of cyclamen in beds and pots to be successful, the tuber must not be damaged. Work the bed soil until it is nice and finely crumbly. Potting soil for the planter is optimized by adding compost, sand or lava granules. The root tuber is only inserted so deep that its upper third protrudes from the substrate. When watering, make sure that leaves and flowers are not wetted with water.read more
Care tips
Since the tuber of a cyclamen is not completely buried in the soil, this fact must be taken into account when caring for it. If the roots are damaged, the sensitive ornamental plant will no longer recover.
- Mulch cyclamen in the bed with fern leaves, leaves or compost
- Water regularly without getting the leaves and flowers wet
- During the growth and flowering period, fertilize liquidly every 2 weeks
- Cleaning up wilted flowers extends the flowering period
We recommend supplying water from below in the flower pot. To do this, pour the lowest possible limescale water into the saucer and leave it there for 20 minutes. The capillary force ensures that the moisture rises into the substrate so that the tuber is not immediately moistened.
Which location is suitable?
The more than 20 cyclamen species largely agree on the expectations of the location. These light and temperature conditions should be given:
- Sunny to semi-shady location, without direct sunlight
- In the bed, preferably along the edge of the wood or in protected stone areas
- In the room at temperatures of 15-18 degrees, maximum 20 degrees Celsius
Do not expose cyclamen to locations with cold drafts, pelting rain and strong winds. In the flower pot, the little diva doesn't want to constantly move from one location to the other.read more
The correct planting distance
So that a cyclamen can spread its shapely foliage unhindered, a planting distance of 25 centimeters is considered ideal. The colorful ornamental flowers are particularly effective in small tuffs with 3-5 specimens.
What soil does the plant need?
Cyclamens mostly thrive as tuberous plants, so the soil should be structured as follows:
- Sandy-dry to fresh-moist, without risk of waterlogging
- Depending on the species, slightly acidic, neutral to alkaline pH value
Cultivated as a houseplant, commercial compost-based potting soil meets the expectations of the substrate. Add a little sand or expanded clay to ensure unobstructed water drainage.
What is the best time to plant?
For cyclamens in the bed, spring has proven to be a good time to plant them, when ground frosts are no longer expected. Plant the winter-flowering Cyclamen persicum in the flowerpot in August.
When is flowering time?
Thanks to the multi-faceted biodiversity, you don't have to go without the bright splashes of color of a cyclamen at any time of the year. Combine the graceful primrose plants like this:
- Spring cyclamen (Cyclamen coum): flowering period from March to
- Summer cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens): flowering period from July to September
- Autumn cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium): flowering period from August to October
- Room cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum): flowering period from September to March
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Cut cyclamen correctly
Only cut off the yellowed leaves close to the ground once the rhizome has absorbed all the nutrients from them. If you do not want to sow cyclamen in the bed, cut off the withered flower heads in good time with scissors or twist out the entire flower stalk. Please don't forget your gloves!
Watering cyclamen
Since the tubers are not completely covered with soil, they react sensitively to too much moisture. Water a house or potted plant from below by filling the saucer with water for a few minutes. Cyclamen in the bed receive a 2-3 centimeter thick layer of mulch made of leaves, gravel or bark mulch and are only watered when the natural amount of rain is not sufficient. It is important not to overwater the leaves and flowers, as the plant could react by rotting.read more
Fertilize cyclamen properly
In order not to injure the sensitive tubers, liquid fertilizer is preferably used in the bed and planter. Use a commercially available preparation for flowering plants, which you administer every two weeks during the flowering period. Where the smell doesn't bother you, plant manure or worm tea serve as organic fertilizer.read more
Diseases
If the care is out of balance, the cyclamen turns out to be susceptible to the following diseases:
- Foot spot disease: dark brown spots on leaves and stems
- Gray mold: gray-white, wet mushroom lawn on the leaves
- Fusarium wilt: leaves yellowing from the edge and a rotting tuber
The focal spot disease often affects cyclamen in locations that are too warm and wet. Infected plants are disposed of immediately. To ensure that gray mold does not attack the ornamental plant, the location is ventilated regularly. In particular, foliage and flowers must not be sprayed with water. The partially exposed tuber in conjunction with nitrogen-reduced fertilization serves as an effective prevention against Fusarium wilt.read more
Pests
Unfortunately the black weevil likes to eat cyclamen in the bed. If you discover the typical feeding holes in the leaves, the clearly visible beetles are regularly collected in the early morning hours. As a helpful control method, specialist retailers offer poison-free bait traps prepared with nematode gel.
Wintering
A few cyclamen species have sufficient frost hardiness to overwinter in the bed. The native summer cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens) is one of them, as is the autumn cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium). However, these species and varieties should not survive the cold season without winter protection. Spread a blanket of mulch, spruce branches or garden fleece over the plants, which also serves as protection from strong winter sun.read more
Propagate cyclamen
The propagation of tuberous plants always raises questions among hobby gardeners. In this regard, cyclamen is no exception. A practical method is to divide the rhizome. During the dormant period, remove the tuber from the soil and cut it into two or more segments with at least one shoot bud. Planted in growing or transplanting soil and regularly watered from below, the tuber parts root within 2-3 weeks.read more
How do I transplant correctly?
In order to cultivate a cyclamen indoors for several years, annual transplanting is the top priority. In this context, a time sequence must be taken into account in conjunction with the following care plan. This is how it works:
- The summer break in the open air ends in August
- Bring the cyclamen into the house and remove the largely dry tuber from the substrate
- Fill the flowerpot with fresh potting soil over the drainage
Plant the rhizome so that the upper third of the tuber still protrudes from the soil. Initially fill the saucer with just a little water to gradually initiate the new growing season. When fresh shoots begin, fertilization begins again.
Cyclamen in a pot
As a winter-flowering houseplant in a pot, the cyclamen has established itself as a crowd favorite. The ornamental plant unfolds its most magnificent blossoms on the bright window sill in the cool bedroom. Normal compost-based potting soil is sufficient as a substrate. This is how you care for the cyclamen in an exemplary manner:
- To water, fill the coaster with water for 20-30 minutes
- Administer liquid fertilizer every 14 days from September to March
- Unscrew withered flowers and yellowed leaves including stems
At the end of the flowering period, gradually reduce the amount of irrigation water and stop fertilizing. The cyclamen ideally spends the largely dry rest period until the next shoots in a partially shaded location in the open air.
Is cyclamen poisonous?
The cyclamen comes across as a poisonous beauty. Toxic ingredients such as saponins and cyclamine require special care when planting and caring for plants. Since even minimal amounts cause extreme symptoms of poisoning, allergy sufferers should refrain from cultivating it. Cyclamens have no place within the reach of children and pets.read more
Cyclamen not blooming
If a cyclamen in indoor cultivation refuses to bloom, it is too warm for it. For flower induction, temperatures should be between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. If there is no flowering in the bed, fertilization that is too high in nitrogen will occur, which will cause fattening growth. Switch to an organic fertilizer or a less nitrogen-emphasized NPK preparation.
How do I care for a cyclamen after flowering?
Remove wilted flower stems and yellowed leaves regularly by not cutting off the shoot, but twisting it and pulling it out with a jerk. In this way, the cyclamen blooms for what feels like an eternity. If there are no more new flowers, cut the plant off close to the ground when all above-ground parts of the plant have died down. Reduce the amount of irrigation water gradually to a minimum and stop adding fertilizer.
Winter-flowering houseplants spend the summer in a shady, sheltered spot in the garden. If growth starts again in autumn, take the tuber out of the pot and shake off the old soil. Now plant the cyclamen in fresh substrate and place it in a bright, cool location. Increase the amount of irrigation water and fertilizer gradually.read more
Beautiful varieties
- Silver Leaf: Spring cyclamen with delicate pink flowers and silvery marbled foliage
- Summer cyclamen: native Cyclamen purpurascens, hardy and robust, with crimson flowers
- Album: white-flowering autumn cyclamen with decorative, tapering, triangular leaves
- Pearl carpet: pure white flowers from September to November, hardy and easy to care for
- Ivy Ice Purple: impresses with purple flowers in autumn and grows up to 15 cm high
