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When should hardy cyclamen seedlings be planted?

14 years ago

Hi, everybody. I grew some mixed hardy cyclamens from seed this year. And, although they came up well, I suspect they won't get very big this summer. Should I try to keep them somewhere protected over the winter, and plant them out next year?

I should mention that we do have a rodent problem here--mostly chipmunks--and even full-sized cyclamen tubers that I've planted in the past tend to disappear. Probably because they have to be planted so shallowly. If anybody has any advice on how to prevent the rodents digging them up, I'd love to hear that too. Thanks!

Comments (4)

coolplantsguy
14 years ago
I'm not so sure about the rodent question, but my general understanding is that their hardiness is somewhat relative to tuber size, so I would suggest protecting your new seedlings this winter and planting them next spring.
audrey_gw
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks! What would be the best way to protect them? (I don't have a cold frame.) I do keep some plants under grow-lights over the winter, but they are mostly tropicals.
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I grew some from seed last year, which doesn't make me an expert. But I didn't keep them in the dark at all. I left them near an eastern window and put them in a rather shady spot in the garden for the summer. They spent the winter jammed up against an eastern window so they could stay rather cool. They are all still alive and relatively healthy although still very small. Hope this helps some.
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C. hederifolium/neopolitanum usually puts up its flowers first. Check for little bumps on the surface in the centre. They're probably on their way around now. Think of the way beans or peas emerge from the ground - they look similar to that - in miniature. Hope you have something gorgeous in the way of falling leaves to show them up. Good yellow or wine colour, perhaps. As they get older in years expect to have dozens of flowers to the plant. Leaf litter and some blood and bone are both good for them, but use something different as a fertiliser if you have dogs or rodents. Too attractive. Don't be surprised if the 'bulb' starts to look very lumpy as it ages. It won't affect flowering.
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You can find potted C. hederifolium in flower at this time, and probably C. coum when they come into flower. Those can go straight in the garden. You can also find dried packaged tubers but these don't always establish. Mail order from a specialist will get you fresh tubers, probably with roots and possibly also with some shoots. The dried tubers are probably the cheapest route, but is it still cheap if half of them die? My preference is for the mail order route. I like to order in spring for immediate planting or during the summer to plant out in autumn. Make sure you go to a specialist grower or you will just be wasting time and money to order the same dried tubers you could have bought at HD :)
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Wyndyacre -- I started to fertilize when the leaves were about 1/3" across and just used a regular fertilizer for flowering plants (about equal NPK) at about 1/4 the recommended concentration about once a week. I applied this in liquid form from above (since that was the setup I had). I noticed the leaf and corm size increased noticeably quicker within a few weeks compared to earlier batches which I hadn't fertilized at all. Once I put them outside, I stopped fertilizing (just because I hardly fertilize anything, other than spreading compost or manure). Just yesterday I was checking on these outdoor cyclamen and they have grown a lot and are still green and growing, perhaps because they are in shade and I have been watering. I'm not sure if they will go dormant soon.
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sheltieche
14 years ago
Plant them out in dry shade, water well for several weeks. Make sure shade is DRY, it is essential. Cyclamen is hardy enough but will hate wet feet in the winter. I have done experiment by keeping some seeds potted and planting it out first season. As long as they dry there is no difference.
coolplantsguy
14 years ago
If you want to keep some potted over the winter, just keep them in a cool (just above freezing) and lighted area.

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