| Cyclamen house plant, after flowering do the leaves continue to grow during the winter months? Thank you. |
| After flowering, these plants will lose their leaves and go dormant. Florists' cyclamens such as yours are very difficult to keep over time, mainly because they need much cooler temperatures (say 45 degrees at night and 55 degrees in the day) than most homes offer, along with far more humidity than is commonly found. Ideally the blooms can last for several months -- but they rarely do at home! Normally the plants do go dormant after blooming. If your plant is entering dormancy (and not simply complaining your house is too hot and too dry) you should stop watering and allow it to dry, then remove any dried stems and foliage, and set it somewhere cool but not freezing to rest (such as a cool basement) until the end of summer or so. When the time comes, repot it into a very rich and humusy soil and start watering it again. Use a dilute water soluble fertilizer and take care to keep the crown dry. At home, an east window is probably best. With any luck, starting it under "cool greenhouse" conditions in October should give blooms around Christmas. Good luck with your cyclamen! New Search |
