Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Cyclamen Plant Care




Water:
~ When leaves are present, the plant is actively growing. Water whenever the soil feels dry. Avoid getting water on the crown of the plant.
~ As the flowers begin to fade, gradually allow the plant to dry out for 2-3 months. It's going into a dormant stage (see below) and any excess water will cause the tuber to rot.
~ New growth will probably start to appear around September. At this point, resume watering and feeding. Bring it back indoors before the cold weather.
Humidity:
~ High humidity, especially during winter, is crucial. Keep the cyclamen on a tray of water with a layer of pebbles or something else to form a shelf for the cyclamen pot to sit on. Do not let the cyclamen itself sit in the water.
Fertilizer:
~ Feed with a low-nitrogen fertilizer every couple of weeks while in full leaf.
Light:
~ Give cyclamen bright, indirect light in the winter. While your plant is dormant during the summer, keep it out of bright light.
Temperature:
~ Cyclamen do not like heat, but they are not frost hardy. Do not expose to temperatures below 50 degrees F. Avoid drafts as well as hot, dry air.
Dormancy Period:
~ Cyclamen generally go dormant for the summer. They don’t like the lack of rain and excess heat, so they take a siesta. By April cyclamen start getting tired and the leaves will begin to yellow and die. When they go fully dormant depends on their growing conditions. If they are houseplants and the heat is kept high, they’ll peter out more quickly. On the other hand, some don’t ever appear to go fully dormant. During the summer, dormant cyclamen can be kept indoors, in a cool, dark spot with good air circulation or outdoors, in a shady spot. If you put yours outdoors, be sure to turn the pot on its side to keep the rain out. If the soil gets too wet during dormancy, the tuber will rot. A little water isn’t going to do any harm, but you don’t want the soil to remain wet. You can repot with fresh soil and a slightly larger pot while the plant is dormant.
Begin watering again in September. By then you’ll probably be seeing new growth starting.
Make sure you bring the pot back indoors before a frost.

1 comment:

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