How to Make a Cyclamen Bloom

The dainty blooms of a cyclamen are worth the effort.

With its showy and colorful foliage, some gardeners may consider a cyclamen's blooms an extra treat. After its initial bloom, you may be able to coax a cyclamen to bloom again to produce a riot of brightly colored blossoms. With the right growing conditions and proper care techniques, you can make a cyclamen bloom with paper-thin blossoms that add extra beauty and delicate color to these showy plants.

Things You'll Need

• Water-soluble houseplant fertilizer

Instructions

1. Keep the growing environment cool to encourage blooming. Optimal daytime temperatures are below 70 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures should be between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If temperatures rise above 70 F, a cyclamen will respond with yellow foliage and lack of blossoms.

2. Provide strong, indirect sunlight, especially during late autumn and winter. Move a potted cyclamen to a western or eastern exposure window to give the plant some natural light.

3. Water the cyclamen when the soil dries slightly. Pour enough water over the soil to saturate it, keeping the water away from the center of the plant to prevent decay. If you water before the soil dries, you risk overwatering the plant, which may stunt the blossoms.

4. Fertilize the cyclamen once each month using houseplant fertilizer. Mix the fertilizer with water at half-strength and pour it carefully onto the soil.

5. Deadhead spent blossoms immediately by pinching them gently from the plant. Deadheading keeps the plant neat and encourages continued blooming. If the blossom does not remove easily from the plant, wait and try to remove it the next day.

6. Stop watering a cyclamen after it stops blooming because the plant will become dormant at this point. Move the plant to a cool and shady location -- between 40 and 50 F -- and allow the foliage to dry out completely.

7. Watch the plant for signs of new growth and begin watering it again when you see new leaves. Move the plant back to its indirect sunlight location and begin watering and fertilizing again to make the cyclamen bloom.

Tips & Warnings

• Move an actively growing cyclamen during the overnight hours to give it the cool temperatures the plant needs. During the day, place it back in a slightly warmer location with some natural sunlight.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension; Cyclamen Care; Jean Galligan; February 2001
• NDSU Extension Service; Questions on: Cyclamen; Ron Smith