How to Care for Cyclamen Pot Plants

Cyclamen prefers cool temperatures.

A member of the Primrose family, the cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) plant produces sweet-smelling, half-inch pink, red or white blooms that reside on the end of long shoots. Preferable to cooler temperatures, the cyclamen works well as a houseplant and thrives in room temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (F). If you grow cyclamen plants in pots, you can easily move the pots outdoors when the temperature is within the preferred range. The cyclamen plant requires diligent care. In fact, the slightest failure to fulfill its needs can lead to the quick demise of the plant.

Things You'll Need

• 10-inch pots with drainage holes
• Pebbles
• Organic potting soil
• Water
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Choose 10-inch pots for your cyclamen plants that contain drainage holes at the bottom. Place the pots on a tray that contains a thick layer of pebbles. The tray will collect the water and also provide humidity for the plant. Empty the tray when the water level becomes too high.

2. Fill the pots with a soil-based potting soil. An airy, organic potting soil will allow for good drainage and provide the roots of the cyclamen plants plenty of breathing room.

3. Water the cyclamen plants daily to maintain constant moisture. Soak the soil with each watering, allowing the water to flow through to the bottom of the pot and out the drainage holes.

4. Provide your cyclamen plants with plenty of bright, indirect sunlight during the winter. Because cyclamen plants prefer cooler temperatures, their growing season is during the winter. During the summer, their dormant period, keep the plants away from bright sunlight.

5. Feed the cyclamen plants a healthy diet of nitrogen-based fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer according to manufacturer's instructions. Most cyclamen plants prefer fertilizing every few weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• You will know that your potted cyclamen plants have entered dormancy when they drop their leaves.

• During the summer dormancy is a good time to change the potting soil and move up to a larger sized pot, if necessary. Plants that dry out quickly or begin to grow their roots outside of the drainage holes usually require a larger pot.

• Discontinue watering during dormancy.

• Do not expose the potted cyclamen plants to temperatures above 65 degrees F or below 50 degrees F. Do not display the pots in areas that contain a draft or heating vent.

References

• The Garden Helper: How to Grow and Care for Cyclamen
• Backyard Gardener: Cyclamen

Resources

• The Cyclamen Society: What Are Cyclamen?