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A Popular
Christmas Houseplant -
The Florist’s Cyclamen. (Kyklamino):
Millions of cyclamen
must be grown annually to satisfy the worldwide Christmas market. They are
available in a multitude of flower colour, leaf markings and size, but they
are all derived from the Persian or Florist's Cyclamen (Cyclamen
persicum) which is
native to the eastern Mediterranean.
These plants are
found growing wild on Crete and other Greek islands, but are thought to have been
naturalized by monks or other religious orders who probably introduced the
cyclamen into these areas, since they are often found near old monasteries
or cemeteries.
In nature, it goes dormant
during the summer months, comes into growth as cooler, damper weather
starts, flowers in February - March, and goes dormant again as the summer
becomes warm.
Cyclamens grow from tubers –
storage organs that keep the plants alive during their summer dormancy –
that are round and rather flat.
When
choosing a cyclamen be sure to select one with only a few flowers open. The
flower stems should stand straight up, and there should be lots of buds
tucked underneath the foliage that will develop and bloom later.
Getting the Most Out of Your Blooming
Plant:
 After receiving a cyclamen, it's important to keep it cool and to
water it correctly, making sure not to under- or over-water. To prevent
disease problems, it is a good idea to maintain good air movement around the
plant. From late autumn to early spring, provide your plant with as much
light as possible, but avoid placing your cyclamen directly in front of a
south-facing window. Aim for temperatures between 40° and 50°F at night and
day temperatures less than 68°F.
A cyclamen won't be too happy in a
house heated much above 70°F, with the dry atmosphere that goes with it. If
you are unable to provide cool enough conditions, the plant will survive for
a time, but eventually it will develop yellow foliage and its blooming time
may be cut short. It will probably tolerate a less than ideal location for a
day or two as long as you return it to a better place shortly afterwards.
The plant will tolerate indoor conditions even better if you move it to a
cool spot at night. Make sure to provide as much light as possible in its
daytime location.
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Watering incorrectly, especially
over-watering, can cause many problems. Always wait until the soil surface
feels dry before you water, but don't wait until the plant becomes limp. Do
not water the centre of the plant or the tuber may rot. A cyclamen prefers
to receive a good soaking, and then dry out partially before receiving a
good soaking again. Allow the plant to drain over a sink or empty the water
collection tray beneath the container after a few minutes. This will help
prevent the roots from remaining too wet, which can lead to rotting.
Fertilize your cyclamen with a
water-soluble fertilizer recommended for use on indoor plants, mixed half
strength. Apply it every 3 or 4 weeks, starting about a month after you
receive the plant. Overfeeding is more likely to produce foliage than
flowers. Dead flowers or leaves should be removed by giving their stems a
sharp tug. If a sharp tug doesn't remove them, wait another day and try
again. You don't want to risk yanking out a chunk of the tuber along with
other healthy leaves.
After-Blooming Cyclamen Care:
Rather than discard the plant
when it has finished flowering, it is possible to persuade it to flower
again the next year. Try keeping the pot dry during the summer and
re-potting it in the autumn and coaxing it back into growth with water. The
plant is unlikely to match its first season’s display, however, so why not
try it in the garden? The wild plant is, after all, naturalised on Crete. I
would suggest that it should be planted in the springtime in an area where
it will not receive any water (as per Mother Nature intended) and it should
provide a display in February – March.
Let me know
if you have had any experience of growing cyclamen outdoors. This, and
previous, articles can be found on my blogsite:
http://www.quality-gardens-crete.blogspot.com where you can pass comments
and leave me any queries that you may have.
Palm Trees, a Reminder:
Many of you will recall an article in the
April edition of The Khronicles by Yiannis Zithianakis where he
reported on a problem with the introduced red beetle, which is a serious
pest of palm trees. Unfortunately, I have noticed a number of ‘open umbrella’
shaped trees (which are dying trees). Mr. Zithianakis’ advice was to prune
your trees from mid-December to mid- February and to clean out all debris
from their heads. Cuts into green branches must be kept away from the trunk.
The aim is to keep the crown clear and open to discourage the female beetle
from laying her eggs. It is the beetle grubs that eat away the tree.
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