New Cyclamen

[Tindomul]

Hi all,

I have not owned a Cyclamen in about 16 years. We didn't have much luck keeping it alive for more than a few months. Any advice is most welcome. I got this for $14.00 at a sale at the New York Botanical Gardens.

Thanks!

Cyclamen by tindomul1of9, on Flickr

Cyclamen by tindomul1of9, on Flickr

[euplusia]

Cyclamens are very cheap here, 2-5 Euro, and sold by thousands from now on to Christmas in the garden centers.
2 species are hardy and grow in my garden, Cyclamen hederifolium and coum. Hederifolium flowers in September, coum in January often covered with snow.
Yours is probably a persicum hybrid.
I have two old hybrids for indoors that survived 30 years now.
But they are not the easiest to grow over a long time. Most important is that they grow in wintertime and rest leafless over the summer. In the wintertime they are best grown under conditions suitable for cool orchids like Masdevallias and Draculas, with bright indirect light, but no direct sun. Even in the summer rest they should not be kept bone dry, but on the dry side. In dry warm air indoors the are susceptible to spider mites.

[Tindomul]

Thanks!! Did not know any of the info!

[euplusia]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

Thanks!! Did not know any of the info!

It's my pleasure.

[orchidsarefun]

I had a magnificent specimen in an 8in pot that I summered outdoors - the old "place the pot on its side in the shade technique" - but unfortunately it was TOO dry and died, and that was with an occasional spraying. Maybe it got too hot ? over 100f for a few weeks....
They are relatively cheap in the USA, maybe I will get another one and summer it in the basement.

[Paul]

Cyclamen are difficult. As Euplusia mentioned, they like it cool and go dormant when the heat of summer hits. Been a while, but remember reading in a horticultural book years back the author saying that cyclamen used to be much easier to grow as houseplants before the advent of well insulated homes. Apparently the cool -- even drafty -- windowsills common during the winter in old homes worked well for cyclamen.

[Tindomul]

THanks. I will def try to keep this one cool.