Cyclamen Care Instructions

Light - Blooming plants tend to like and need natural light in order to bloom and maintain the blooming cycle, however, cyclamen prefer cooler environments and don’t fare well in intense sunlight. (Hence why you see them around during the holidays.) Make sure they’re set back from direct beams, in a space that receives moderate light.

Water - Whenever possible, water cyclamen from the bottom up by setting them in a container with a few inches of water and allowing them to soak it up. The more water in the container the faster it’ll soak it up. Once soil is sufficiently moist and you can feel a weight change in the plant, remove it from the container, allow the excess to drain momentarily, and replace the plant back into it’s decorative container. If the plant is so dry to the point that it has become droopy, water can be added to the top of the soil to hasten recovery. If the plant is potted directly into a container, water onto the top of the soil, giving just enough of a drink that won’t leave the soil on top wet for days. The great thing about cyclamen is that you do have a grace period where it will become floppy, alerting you it needs water, instead of just perishing. 

Cyclamen blooms will come and go over the period of its blooming cycle. The blooming cycle can last up to a few months. When blooms fall, trim the stalk down to the base. Plants that flower and fruit generally have to go through a period of dormancy in order to regenerate enough energy to go through another bloom cycle. During this time the plant will most likely have dropped all its blooms and just be green. Keep taking care of it like you normally would, adding fertilizer into the watering schedule if possible. This will help restore the plant’s energy in order to re-bloom.

Because of the cyclamen’s aversion to hot temperatures, if it starts to struggle once the warmer weather hits, that’s not uncommon. Chances are you’ve made it a lot farther than most people, so congratulations! You can try and keep up the good work by moving it back to a spot farther away from the heat and light. 

*Just like people, each plant is a unique living thing and may have varying needs, especially in their individual locations. These are basic guidelines that may have to be augmented slightly depending on the environment you place your plant in, as well as frequency and amount of water given.