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 Cyclamen
These highly versatile houseplants like plenty of light but must be protected from full sun, so an east facing window sill is ideal. Their temperature should be 7-15°C (45-60°F) in the day, 2-10°C (35-50°F) at night, so they are better suited to the hall than the living room. Keep the plants away from strong draughts and gas fires. Keep the soil moist and ideally stand the pot in a saucer of wet pebbles or an outer pot of peat to ensure the correct humidity. When the plant is growing and flowering, water twice a week, always from below so that the corm doesn’t get wet, adding liquid feed every 14 days. Do not spray or use leaf shine.
Once the flowers have died down allow the plant to rest in a cool, frost-free place and water not more than once a week. Do not allow the compost to dry out completely. Once new leaves start to sprout water more frequently and keep in a cool, airy place. This is the time to repot if required using a John Innes number 2 compost and carefully removing dead flowers or leaves. Cyclamen flower better if slightly pot bound so do not use too large a pot. Cyclamen can be planted outside in the summer.
Problems
Leaves shrivel & collapse: Too hot and dry.
Leaves turn yellow: Too hot and too dark. Gas fires may cause yellowing of leaves.
Scorched leaves: Direct sunlight on leaves.
Leaves distorted and sticky: Greenfly, spray with insecticide.
Grey mould on leaves: Spray with systemic fungicide.
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