When thinking about taking care of your cyclamen plant, it all starts with the correct temperature. In the wild, cyclamens grow in cool, humid environments. If the temperature of your house is over 68 F. (20 C.) during the day and 50 F. (10 C.) at night, your cyclamen will start to die slowly. Temperatures that are too high will cause the plant to begin to yellow, and the flowers will fade and fall off rapidly.
At VW Home and Garden well only sell the Hardy cyclamen and are great for for outside use here in Whatcom County.
The next vital part of taking care of your cyclamen is to make sure that it is properly watered. Cyclamen are sensitive to both over and under watering. Make sure your new plant has excellent drainage with a potting medium that holds water well. For example we sell, Black Gold potting soil. Water your cyclamen plant only when the soil is dry to the touch, but do not leave the plant in this dry state too long. It if starts to show visible signs of not being watered, such as droopy leaves and flowers it can be harmful.
When you water your cyclamen, make sure to only water below the leaves so that the water does not touch the stems or leaves. Watering on the stems and leaves can cause rot. Be sure that when you water the plant, you carefully soak the soil and let any excess water drain away.
The next part of cyclamen plant care is fertilizer. Only fertilize once every one to two months with a water soluble fertilizer mixed at half strength. When cyclamen receive too much fertilizer, it can affect their ability to rebloom.
Cyclamen Care After Blooming
After a cyclamen blooms, it begin it’s dormant state. Going into a dormant state can look very much like the plant is dying, as the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. But don’t worry your cyclamen is not dead, it’s just sleeping. With a little love and care, you can help your cyclamen through its dormancy so it will rebloom in a few months. (Please note that hardy cyclamen planted outdoors will go through this process naturally and do not need extra care to rebloom.)
When taking care of a cyclamen after blooming, allow the leaves to die and stop watering the plant once you see the signs that the leaves yellow and fall off. Place the plant in a cool, somewhat dark place. You can remove any dead foliage, if you would like. Let sit for two months.
The Steps Necessary to get your Cyclamen to Rebloom
Once your cyclamen has finished its dormant period, you can start to water it again and bring it out of storage. You may see some leaf growth, and this is okay. Make sure to completely soak the soil. You may want to set the pot in a filled sink of water for an hour or so, then make sure any excess water drains away.
Check the cyclamen tuber and make sure it is not too big for the the pot. If the tuber seems squished, repot the cyclamen to a larger pot.
Once the leaves start to grow, you can resume normal cyclamen care and it should rebloom shortly.
