Need help harvesting cyclamen seeds

14 years ago

Hi everyone,

I have a large cyclamen growing happily on a cold north-facing windowsill. It has set a few seed pods, but most of then begin to wilt and soften at the base of the stem right before the stage where the stem curls up close to the ground. The plant itself isn't rotting - the leaves are perfectly fine, aside from the occasional old yellow leaf. Any one what I'm doing wrong? Too cold? Too warm? Thanks in advance,

elbereth

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Comments (8)

remy_gw
14 years ago
Elbereth,
I have a feeling there's nothing wrong. I believe it to be from no fertilization of the flower. You will often see pods form on plants and then the pod falls off because the stem below had died. This happens when the flower was not pollinated.
For cyclamen inside, you need to pollinate using a small paint brush because there are no insects to do the job.
Hope this helps,
Remy
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elbereth
Original Author
14 years ago
I think the flowers were pollinated because the seed pods formed and were getting fairly large before the stems rotted. I should also mention that the stems rotted right below the seed pods, not at their base as is usually the case.
Thanks for the tip though!
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The Cyclamen Society has a web site devoted to Cyclamen propagation (below) that may be helpful. I assume from your description of the seed peduncle, that you have Cyclamen persicum. I grow the species (not the large-flowering Florist's type) in my garden and I have seldom found seedlings of them. That is in stark contrast to 3 other species that bloom at the same time and produce an abundance of seed (and seedlings). I suspect that conditions(temp/light/moisture) are not right for winter seed germination of this species in my garden. All Cyclamen seedlings require a high level of light (not long exposure to direct sunlight) to prevent enlongation of the leaf petiole (spindly growth). Once germination occurs and true leaves develop, i place the hardy species outdoors in a shady, protected location to develop into mature plants. They are also placed in a screen enclosure to deter predators. Hope this helps and good luck! Rb Here is a link that might be useful: Propagation of Cyclamen
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Yes, you will see some little nubs start expanding on top of the tuber, don't be surprised if they turn out to be blooms first and then leaves. Sometimes the leaves come first, sometimes the flowers (although the other will soon follow), sometimes they come together, and it can vary from year to year. If you don't see anything happening by October or so, you can go ahead and repot, then water carefully just to keep the soil barely moist and that will kick-start it. If you find yourself turning into a Cyclamen nut, there are also two hardy ones that are readily available in the fall as tubers and that do quite well in zone 7, Cyclamen hederifolium and C. coum. The former puts out flowers in October-November (for me, in Maryland) and then leaves which persist through the winter before dying back in spring; the latter will put up its leaves first in late fall/early winter, then start blooming in February before also dying back in late spring. Flower color for both is in the white-pink-magenta-lavender ranges (like the florist types) - color is variable for the species although there are named cultivars for both with known flower colors. There are other species which will also do well in our zone, but the two mentioned above are the ones you are most likely to be able to find. They're great for planting under the canopies of trees because they get the winter sun when they need it, are shaded by the trees during the summer which helps keep the tubers from drying up, and the trees will take up all the water during the growing season so the tubers won't rot. - Steve
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Bottom watering is best..the longest I was able to keep Cyclamen was 2 years.. It's normal for leaves to yellow after flowering..they then go dormant..during dormancy, water only when soil is dry..as mature leaves die back, new fill in.. Whie they're resting, no fertilizer.. Resting period is 6-8 wks. So, either you've overwatered, OR leaves lived their full life. Did your cyclamen flower? They require a cool room..if possible, during spring/summer months set outside in a shady spot. Once new growth starts, add a well-dilluted fertilizer. Toni
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the seed will ripen in the center of a protective coil that the stem forms after the flower blooms. the plant holds it close to the ground. the trick would be in figuring when it's ripe, but before the plants lets go of it. i'd start checking a month or so after it blooms and keep an eye on it to figure out when to grab them. i read somewhere that ants carry off the seeds because the coating is sweet and that's how they get distributed in nature. i'd think that if you picked them fresh you wouldn't need to rehydrate, but you may need to remove that coating. my hederifolium has started reseeding some in nature. since they are so tiny the first few years, and were all too close, i grabbed as many as i could last year and put them in cell packs to wait a year or two in pots while they size up. i was happy to see that even with the drought and my sporadic watering through the fall, most of them came up in late fall on schedule. the are so tiny they're adorable. the little bulbs were only the size of an 'o' in a sentence last year- long ways to go til they get to the 1/2 dollar size+ that is typically sold. pam- that's pretty cool about the florist's one managing 2 winters. maybe it'll start to reseed for you and you'll end up with a colony. does it bloom in fall or now for you? that would help narrow down which hardy genes are in there.
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remy_gw
14 years ago
Humm...well I'm not sure now. Though some plant pods can get quite large even if nothing viable is developing. Did you check to see if there were decent sized seed in pods?
I can also see a stress to the plant make pods fall off, but as you noted it seems nothing else seems odd about the plant. Where the stem dies below aborted pods seem to vary with types of plants also.
Remy
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elbereth
Original Author
14 years ago
I'll just wait and see then. Thanks for your help, Remy!
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jfguchi
14 years ago
I can say I have collected seed from my cyclamen plants not knowing if they were viable or not. I saved the round seed pods (1/4" - 1/2" across) and let them dry out. A couple opened up on their own - the others I had to open myself. The seeds are brown and sort of wrinkley.(I have more if you want to see).
Last February I planted some of the seeds to see if they would sprout (as I killed my plant and wanted more to replace it). I was suprized when most of the seeds sprouted and are still alive (no flowers yet - but plants are getting bigger :) ) They seem to do better in pots with no drainage holes to keep the soil moist, and plenty of sunshine.
Good luck and let me know if you want to see pictures or have more questions.
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lindawolfe_live_com
13 years ago
I have a cyclamen and it is my first, I got it about a year ago and it has bloomed and bloomed, it is very healthy and big. I have noticed over the last couple weeks that I have pods growing on the plant. Now I know nothing about this sort of thing so I need some help. What do I do with them? Please help I dont want my beautiful plant to die....Thank you
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tass50
10 years ago
how to take cyclamen seeds
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
10 years ago
Is that a question tass50? Not sure what you mean. Do you mean harvest, sow or what?
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Need help harvesting cyclamen seeds

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elbereth
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Need help harvesting cyclamen seeds

Comments (8)

remy_gw

elberethOriginal Author

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remy_gw

elberethOriginal Author

jfguchi

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tass50

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elbereth
Original Author

elbereth
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