Cyclamen plants flower through autumn and into winter and thrive in containers indoors. As well as producing a succession of attractive flowers in pastel tones of red, pink and white, Cyclamen have attractive green leaves often marbled with silver or white. As temperatures rise, your cyclamen will go dormant.
Brightly lit area, away from direct sunlight, heating or airconditioners
Water regularly, avoiding the leaves
Prefers well drained soil, premium potting mix
Grows as indoor plants in all climates
Growing Cyclamen in Pots
Choose a location & pot
Select a pot with a drainage hole and place in a warm position with indirect light.
Pot the cyclamen
Half fill the pot with good quality potting mix, place the Cyclamen and fill in with remaining potting mix. Water in well, avoiding the leaves.
Fertilising
Feed when plants are growing and flowering with a controlled release fertiliser such as PowerFeed Controlled Release for Flowers, Fruit & Citrus or Thrive Indoor Plants Liquid . Cyclamen also appreciate liquid feeding as they begin to regrow after their summer dormancy or throughout the growing season.
Pruning
Twist off spent flowers and leaves at the base
Why are my cyclamen leaves wilting or droopy?
This is usually due to watering issues. Check whether the soil is too wet or dry by poking your finger into the soil. Cyclamens can sometimes be attacked by mites, thrips, root rot, grey mould and powdery mildew.
Cyclamen Dormancy Care
Cyclamens grow and bloom during autumn/winter and start going dormant spring/summer.
Signs of Cylamen dormancy
One of the first signs of your Cyclamen entering dormancy is yellowing leaves. Stop watering the Cyclamen and move it to a cool, dark area. Leaves will eventually die and fall off. You may cut any stragglers off with scissors/pruners.
Check on the tuber
Your Cyclamens tuber health is important during dormancy! Take a look at the tuber, if it is shriveled or mushy your Cyclamen likely will not survive.
Never get the tuber wet during dormancy as the plant will not accept the water and this will lead to root rot.
Remove the top layer of soil to reveal the crown of the tuber, clean the soil off gently to allow your Cyclamen to breathe during the summer months.
Leave it undisturbed in a cool, dark place until the start of autumn/winter or when you notice new growth. The best way to care for your Cyclamen during dormancy is to not care for it at all!
New growth/end of dormancy
Once autumn rolls around and temperatures are cooler you can move the plant to a cool, bright area.
If you do not see any new growth you may need to soak the plant to revive the soil. Drench the plant, avoiding the leaves, until water is pouring out of the drainage hole. Leave the pot in a bowl to allow it to soak up excess water. Leave it in the bright location and do not water until you see new growth.
if you were lucky enough to have new leaves straight out of dormancy, you can start back to your regular Cyclamen care routine. To encourage blooming, give your Cyclamen half strength fertiliser every 2-4 weeks. New blooms usually appear 2-3 weeks after leaves.
