Brighten
your spirits and indoor décor with a colorful Cyclamen
By Melinda Myers
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[December 16, 2019]
Add
some unique beauty to your indoor décor or give the gift of low
maintenance splendor with the easy-care cyclamen. You’ll enjoy the
colorful plain or ruffled white, pink, rose or lavender flowers that
look like shooting stars hovering over heart shaped leaves with
silvery highlights.
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Best of all, there’s a size for every home and
occasion. Use miniatures as a place card holder at your next
gathering, for added color in a terrarium or to brighten any small
space. Dress up the dinner table, mantle or side table with one of
the larger varieties. Large or small, they make wonderful party
favors and hostess gifts. Place the plants in a decorative
container, basket or colorful tin for an even more impressive
display.
Grow your cyclamen in a cool bright location. These Mediterranean
plants thrive in cooler temperatures and should be kept out of
drafts of hot and cold air. Consider moving your plant to an even
cooler room at night to extend the bloom time.
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Use your finger to monitor soil moisture. Water thoroughly when the
potting mix that’s just below the soil surface is starting to dry.
Pour off any excess water that collects in the saucer, decorative
basket or foil wrap. Allowing plants to sit in water leads to soggy
soil and the decline of the plant’s health and beauty.
Or set the plant on a saucer of pebbles. The excess water will
collect in the saucer while the pebbles elevate the pot above the
water. You’ll reduce the risk of root rot and save time by
eliminating the need to pour off this excess water.
Remove any yellow leaves to keep your plant looking its best. Adjust
watering frequency and growing conditions if this is a frequent
problem. Overwatering or allowing the soil to dry to the point of
wilting can cause the leaves to yellow. Low light and drafts of hot
and cold air can do the same.
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Remove flowers as they fade. Gently twist and pull
off or cut spent flower stems back at their base in the foliage.
Regular deadheading will increase the number of flowers and length
of bloom. With proper care, you will be enjoying flowers for four
weeks or more.
Don’t be alarmed when the leaves yellow and dry soon after the plant
stops flowering. It is entering a natural dormant period. If you
like a challenge, try forcing it into bloom a second time.
Simply cut back on watering when you notice the leaves begin to
yellow. Then stop watering once all the leaves have dried. Move the
plant to a cool dark location for several months. After the rest
period, bring your plant out of dormancy and encourage it to bloom.
Begin watering, fertilize once new growth appears and place it in a
sunny window. Then wait for a beautiful floral display.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including
Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses How to Grow
Anything DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden
Moment TV and radio segments. Myers’ website,
www.MelindaMyers .com,
features gardening videos, podcasts, audio tips and monthly
gardening checklists.
[Photo credit: Melinda Myers, LLC]
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