Ashwood Nurseries

In the Garden

In the open garden, cyclamen prefer a position which is slightly shaded in summer, and moist during autumn through to late spring. An ideal site can be found around the base of mature shrubs and trees, but they also do well along north-facing walls, in stone troughs and in the rock garden. They look superb when planted beneath silver birch trees. Above all, the site must be well drained and the addition of copious quantities of shredded leaf mould will create a perfect medium in which to grow your cyclamen. Top dressing with leaf mould and grit during the dormant season can also be beneficial. Very little fertiliser of any kind is required, but do remember that most cyclamen are dormant during the summer, so be careful with the hoe!

Once established, hardy cyclamen should be left undisturbed for many years and they will just keep getting better. The number of flowers will increase year by year and in time, young seedlings will appear which may be left in situ to mature, or be transplanted to other parts of the garden. The twenty or so cyclamen species flower at different times throughout the season and apart from mid-summer, we nearly always have at least one or two species in flower. All have exquisite flowers and often have quite distinct fragrances, but even when not in flower, the foliage of many of these cyclamen species is outstanding.

In the Alpine House

All cyclamen are suitable for alpine house cultivation, especially the more tender species. The autumn-flowering species fill a gap in the year where very little else is in bloom in the alpine house. The alpine house should receive maximum light, but will require shading in summer. Good air circulation is crucial and extra vents are a must. We advise growing your cyclamen in clay pans, using a suitable compost. This may be made up by mixing two parts (by bulk) of John Innes compost N^o2, one part of Perlite and one part of shredded leaf mould. Top dress all tubers with a layer of grit, except C. persicum, which should be potted with the tuber just half-covered. Give just enough heat to exclude frost in very cold weather. Otherwise, plunging your pots in sand or covering with horticultural fleece during very cold spells will give an amazing amount of extra protection.

Seed Sowing

Hardy cyclamen seed should be sown as soon as possible in pans of John Innes Seed Compost, to which has been added a little extra perlite and (if available) some shredded leaf mould, preferably beech or oak. Sow thinly and cover the seed with one centimetre of potting grit. Water well and stand the pans out-of-doors in a shady place to germinate naturally. Please be patient as seed germination is erratic - anything from six weeks to fifteen months!

To obtain the quickest germination of your hardy cyclamen, try to keep your pans evenly moist and dark, at around 15^oC (60^oF) until the seedlings begin to emerge. If sown thinly, young plants may be left in the pans for up to two years, allowing the late-comers to make a start. Plant out or pot on when dormant, ideally in July or August. Full instructions are sent with every seed order.