Cyclamen is a perennial that has the advantage of flowering in autumn and all winter. Follow the advice of Roland Motte, our gardener, to take good care of it.
If you love flowers and want to have colorful blooms all winter long, cyclamen is yours. Roland Motte, the gardener of France Bleu Lorraine and France Bleu Besançon, advises you to maintain this perennial which can bloom again every year!
The origins of cyclamen
The genus Cyclamen is part of the Primulaceae family. There are about twenty species, tuberous perennials that are native to the Mediterranean and Asia. We especially know the Persian cyclamen, Cyclamen Persicum, which grows naturally in countries around the Mediterranean. There it blooms during fall and winter, when the season is cooler and wetter.
This Persian cyclamen has given birth to many hybrids called the florists’ cyclamen. It flowers from September to March, that’s when we will find it in stores. For the flowers you have the choice. They can be simple or fringed. And you will find a very wide choice of colors: red, white, variegated, there is a bit of everything.
– Roland Motte
A winter flower but it fears extreme cold!
Persian cyclamen and their hybrids are a little afraid of extreme cold. When it is very cold, we will bring them inside, but above all put them in the light, very far from heat sources and if possible, at a temperature of around 10-15 degrees. They really fear overheated apartments.
If you are in an area where the temperature does not drop below zero, you can leave them outside in the light, on a balcony, they will not be afraid of small frosts.
Caring for cyclamen
During the flowering period, watering must be regular. Make sure the potting soil is always moist. For maintenance, we will remove the yellow leaves and faded flowers. There it is very simple: we grab the rod and pull a little sharp so as to remove the entire rod. If you lift the leaves, which are also very decorative, you will see the departure of new flowers, it means that your cyclamen is in good shape.
In spring, flowering decreases, the leaves may begin to dry out. From this moment, we will leave the cyclamen in its pot to rest. It is usually during the summer. Preferably leave it in a room cool enough so that the plant does not get too hot, it will be watered from time to time.
If you have followed these treatments well, from the fall, the plant will re-vegetate and give again flowers.
– Roland Motte
Find Roland Motte on France Bleu Lorraine and France Bleu Besançon and on his site www.rolandmotte.fr.