Cyclamen

Description

Cyclamen are long-blooming, easy to grow plants that add color to winter homes. With a little extra care, they make beautiful houseplants all year. Cyclamen prefer temperatures between 60 and 65 degrees. Keep the plants away from drafty windows and doors and heating vents. They bloom best in bright, indirect light. Water when the soil feels dry to the touch. Water from the outside rim of the pot, not in the center of the plant. Fertilize every two weeks with a high-phosphorus fertilizer for sustained blooming. Multiple buds will shoot up from the center of the cyclamen. As the flowers fade, pinch them off at the crown of the plant and new buds will grow up to replace them. Cyclamen usually bloom from mid-autumn to early spring. When blooming slows in the spring and the foliage dies down, keep the tubers in the pot in a cool dry spot and let the soil dry out. In mid-summer, re-pot the tuber with new soil, water and place in a warm spot to encourage root growth. As the plant grows, gradually return it to a cooler environment to encourage blooming in the late fall.