How to Care for Cyclamen
How to Care for Indoor Cyclamen
Temperature
- Cyclamen prefer a cooler growing condition than other houseplants. They can withstand temperatures down to zero.
- The cooler Cyclamen are kept the longer each flower will last before you will need to remove the finished flower (called deadheading).
- Cyclamen go well with Azaleas, Hyacinths, Citrus and Cymbidium due to similar temperature requirements.
Watering
- Incorrect watering is a major issue with Cyclamen causing sickly plants with yellow leaves, poor flowering and even plant death.
- When watering never get the leaves or flowers wet as this will lead to grey mould (Botrytis) forming on the leaves, flowers and corm (the bulb). Botrytis will cause the leaf stalks to rot and go mushy, and will eventually kill the plant.
- When watering with a watering can pull back the leaves and water the compost, avoid watering the centre of the plant. You can also water by standing the plant in a bowl of water and allowing the compost to absorb the water.
Maintenance
- Regular deadheading of finished flowers will be required to ensure that the plant is always looking at its best and to encourage repeat flowering.
- Dead heading of Cyclamen is achieved by twisting the flower spike with your fingertips as close to the base of the plant as possible before gently pulling. The whole flower spike should come away from the corm (the bulb) without leaving anything behind.
- If any amount of the flower spike is left then this becomes a perfect location for grey mould (Botrytis) to grow.
