Isn't this cyclamen in bloom just lovely? I have to say I can't remember the bloom of this pot ever having such upright stems, growing in a cluster, stunning! I have had this cyclamen plant/tuber for a food four plus years or so, and while it has re-bloomed in previous years, never quite like this! I wish I could say that I'd done something differently, but no, just the same procedure of keeping it as a plant until the leaves die and fall off, then watering much less, and then once the rainy season comes, possibly putting it in the rain, some of the time, but basically just leaving it alone, until new leaves start to grow. I should add that this plant has been outdoors under an overhang for most of its life with me......I may have enjoyed it inside when it was initially given to me, but after that, strictly outdoors.
People usually discard their cyclamen plants when they are done flowering, because they don't realize that the same tuber/plant can bloom year after year! The cyclamen does require a rest period and certain temperature conditions, but it really isn't difficult at all. Okay, lets learn how to get your cyclamen to re-bloom!
After the Bloom, A Rest period
In late spring, or early summer, after the plant has finished flowering, the leaves will start to turn yellow. This may happen quickly or over the course of a few months. At this time, stop fertilizing and gradually space waterings farther apart. Stop watering once all the leaves are yellow. You may remove yellow leaves but do not remove any leaves that are still green. This is the time when the tuber stores the energy it needs to rebloom. At this point, you can do what I do and just leave the pot in the same place, or you can move it to a cool location with not much light. Keep the pot dry, but not too dry that the tuber will shrivel.
How To Begin A Phase Of New Leaf Growth From The Tuber
At the end of the summer rest period, toward late August, repot the tuber in a slightly larger pot. The potting soil must have good drainage. When placing the tuber in the new pot, leave the top one third to one half exposed to the air. Resume watering and fertilizing, and increase the frequency of waterings gradually as new leaves form. Place the pot in a moderately cool room (about 20°C during the day and a bit cooler at night) with plenty of light but no direct sun. Cool night time temperatures and good lighting are a must for flower bud formation. Once the foliage is fully developed and the plant is in bloom, cooler daytime and nighttime temperatures will extend the blooming period.
Note: I have never done the above phase, I have simply left the pot outdoors through the summer, stopped watering it mostly, and then once fall arrives I start to water it once again. So, see what works for you and your environment. Since cyclamen is a native plant to Israel, and my area specifically, it likes the conditions outdoors, lucky me!
Above: This was the bloom last year on the same plant, but I also appreciate it, so be patient with your cyclamen tubers and who knows what the next year may bring!
This year I was gifted another cyclamen at Chanukah time, which I've been enjoying indoors, and it is still blooming, after 3 and 1/2 months, which is quite amazing! The blooms for the past two or so months are not the bright pink blooms that it had from the nursery, but actually soft pink ones, which I gather are its natural color, interesting! Very shortly I will be placing the plant outside and starting the cycle for re-bloom next year!
