Solving the Mystery of Cyclamen Care

I will be honest– despite their reputation as easy-care houseplants, Cyclamen confound me. They seem to wilt the second they get too dry, and when I try to compensate for my neglect by overwatering them, their ungrateful leaves turn yellow.

I have to concede that cyclamen have lots of great pluses. The flowers float like butterflies over their deep green foliage. Even the heart-shaped leaves, with their silvery-green markings, are beautiful.

I'd like to do better by my cyclamen. It's not just a gardener's pride on the line. They're cheerful houseplants to have around in the dead of winter. They don't mind bright, indirect light and that makes them the perfect choice for my kitchen windowsill.

So I used this post as an excuse to learn a bit more about cyclamen care and will share some of the tips I've discovered along the way.

Cyclamen that are sold as houseplants at this time of year are often referred to as "florist's cyclamen".

In their Mediterranean homeland, Cyclamen persicum are a winter flowering plant. They come into growth in the autumn and bloom through the winter and early spring. Then they go dormant as the dry summer months approach.

Here are a few basics:

Light: Cyclamen like bright, indirect sunlight.

Temperature: Too much sunlight and heat will only serve to encourage your cyclamen into early dormancy. They prefer cool conditions, but they are not frost-hardy. An indoor daytime temperature of 65-70 degrees (18-22 Celsius) is perfect. Most homes are a little cooler at night and that's their preference too.

Water: Watering is where most people, myself included, go wrong. As I have discovered the hard way, cyclamen are very sensitive to soil moisture levels. When you do water, soak the soil thoroughly and let the excess water drain out of the pot. Then allow your cyclamen to dry out somewhat. More cyclamen die from overwatering than they do from drought. Water only when the soil just below the surface is dry to the touch.

One way to improve your success with cyclamen is to water from the bottom. That way you are assured that the moisture will reach right down to the bottom of the plant's roots. To water from the bottom, find a deep saucer or a container large enough to accommodate your cyclamen's pot and fill it halfway with water. Place your cyclamen into the container of water and wait until the soil in the cyclamen's pot is evenly moist (about 20 minutes).

If you opt to water from above, water the soil directly and avoid the foliage and central tuber. Water can rot the crown of the plant (particularly when the plant is in a dormant state).

However you choose to water, make sure you allow excess water to drain away completely. Like so many plants, cyclamen don't like soggy soil.

Dead leaves or flowers can be removed by simply giving them a sharp tug.

Humidity: Cyclamen like high humidity. If your house is as dry as mine, this can be a challenge. Setting the plant down on a shallow tray of water filled with pebbles can help keep the air around your plant moist.

Soil: A good quality all-purpose potting mix is best. If you peek through the leaves, you can see that cyclamen are planted with the tuber just slightly above the soil line.

Fertilizer: Fertilizing once a month with a water-soluble fertilizer is plenty. Too much fertilizer and your cyclamen will not rebloom.

Common problems:

Yellow leaves: Overwatering and too much heat will cause the leaves of your cyclamen to yellow. Yellow foliage in late winter/spring may also be a sign that your cyclamen is going into dormancy.

Wilted leaves and flowers: Wilted flowers and foliage are a sign of improper watering. The sudden onset of wilting may be an indication that the soil is too dry. Water your plant thoroughly and pinch off any leaves or flowers that do not respond.

Faded Foliage: Cyclamen are pretty resistant to indoor houseplant pests, but foliage that looks faded may be a sign of a spider mite problem. Look for fine webbing and check the undersides of the leaves for these tiny insects. If your cyclamen is infected, check your other houseplants as well. Spider mites often spread from one houseplant to another.

Depending on the severity of the infection, I'd consider disposing of the plant.

If you've caught things early, gently rinse or wipe the foliage clean. Isolate the cyclamen from other houseplants until you have the infestation under control.

Dormancy: After a cyclamen blooms, it will transition slowly into a dormant state. The leaves will begin to yellow and wither. At this point, you should stop watering your plant, and allow the leaves to die back. Then place your cyclamen in a cool, dry place for 8-10 weeks.

To bring a rested plant out of dormancy in the fall, move it back into the light and resume your normal watering regime.

I think what I need to do now is focus on getting my watering right.  How about you? What's your experience with cyclamen? If you have any great tips, please share!

The Silver Lining

What will many flea market and antique dealers tell you is a tough item to sell these days? Silver. 

No one wants to have to polish it!

I certainly couldn't see myself polishing silver, but then these two champagne buckets caught my eye. They were $10! How can you beat that for affordable elegance? (I must point out here that the champagne buckets are only silver plate and not sterling silver, but hey, I was after style on a budget.)

After that, I started to see silver in a whole new light.

Let me state at the onset of this post, that I am not suggesting you take up polishing silver knives, forks and spoons as a hobby. I am sure you have way better things to do with what little free time you have available. 

I think that you are smart to pass on any small, high maintenance items like cutlery. 

A few larger pieces however, might light up your holiday table or add some panache to your mantel display. Silver is classic. It adds sparkle and a touch of sophistication. 

And the best reason of all that I can suggest for reconsidering silver? Because it is not popular at the moment, you can often find silver for a song.

I don't imagine that I will use my two $10 silver buckets not for champagne. How often do I serve champagne after all? Instead, I will use them to dress up potted plants and bulbs.

Here, I just dropped the plastic pot in and let it catch on the sides of the silver bucket. (To water the cyclamen, I would suggest that you carefully remove it from the silver champagne bucket, water the plant, and let the it drain in the sink before re-interting it back into the silver bucket.)

Just image how great the silver bucket will look with a potted amaryllis this holiday season!

 This is an old silver pitcher that was probably used in an upscale restaurant to serve fresh ice 

water to patrons. Cost $7.

Spring flowers look great in it.

Add some white mums, evergreen boughs, a few stems of red berries and the water pitcher becomes a nice arrangement for the holiday season.

This large silver tray cost $8 (again silver plate, not sterling silver). In my house, it will probably never be perfectly polished. I like the way a bit of patina brings out the decorative pattern of the tray (or at least that is my excuse anyway). 

We often watch television in the third floor attic, and so I use trays to carry drinks or a snack to the third floor. 

A silver tray might also be useful for serving coffee in the living room after a holiday meal or perhaps might be used to group cups or glasses into an orderly presentation on a buffet table.

While I can be fussy to buy for, when it comes to perfume, I like just about anything. So for years my husband gave me perfume for Christmas. The collection of bottles began to looked messy on the top of our bureau, so I organized them in a small round tray. Silver tray $2.

I may not be willing to polish knives and forks, but I am up to polishing a fancy serving spoon in order to impart a bit of glamour into a store bought pie. I personally don't think it even matters if the spoon matches the rest of your flatware.

For those of you reluctant to do even the smallest amount of silver polishing, mercury glass makes a great stand-in and has all the same holiday sparkle.

I got these little glass vases at the local grocery store for $3.99. They came decorated with a pinecone and faux evergreen bough that was tied onto the vase with a piece of raffia.  I think that a group of these vases would look great scattered down the length of a holiday table.

Where can you find similar silver pieces? Watch for silver items at flea markets, thrift stores and even garage sales (my $2 tray was a garage sale find).