How to Grow Indoor Cyclamen
Cyclamen persicum
Indoor cyclamen is a cool-season flowering houseplant that blooms from autumn through spring with elegant swept-back petals in shades of pink, red, white, and purple above marbled heart-shaped leaves. Keep in a cool bright room (10-15C), away from direct sun and radiators. Always water from below to prevent rot on the tuber crown. When leaves yellow in late spring, reduce watering and let the plant rest dormant through summer. Resume watering in early autumn when new shoots appear from the tuber.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Feed every two weeks with a half-strength balanced liquid fertiliser while in active growth and flower (autumn to spring). Stop feeding entirely when the plant enters summer dormancy.
Watch For
- Grey mould (Botrytis) on flowers and leaf stems
- Cyclamen mite causing distorted leaves
- Root rot from overwatering or water sitting on the tuber crown
- Yellowing leaves from warm temperatures
Pet Safety
Care Requirements
Light
Bright indirect light, no direct sun
Place in a bright north- or east-facing window. Direct sunlight scorches leaves and shortens flowering. In winter, a few hours of gentle morning sun is tolerable.
Watering
Water from below, keep moist but not wet
Stand pot in a saucer of water for 15-20 minutes, then drain completely. Never let water sit on the tuber crown. Reduce watering sharply when leaves die back in summer.
Fertilizing
Half-strength feed every two weeks in active growth
Use a balanced liquid fertiliser at half the recommended strength every two weeks from autumn through spring. Stop feeding entirely during summer dormancy.
Pruning
Remove spent flowers by twisting at base
Twist and pull spent flower stems cleanly from the tuber rather than cutting. Remove yellowing leaves the same way. This prevents stubs that can rot.
Spacing
One tuber per 12-15 cm pot
Plant one tuber per pot with the crown sitting above the compost surface. Repot into a slightly larger pot only when roots fill the current one, typically every 2-3 years after dormancy.
Support
No support needed
Indoor cyclamen are compact and self-supporting. No staking or support is required.
Growing Tips
Water from below
Stand the pot in a saucer of water for 15-20 minutes, then drain. Never pour water over the tuber crown or into the centre of the plant as this causes rot.
Cool rooms extend flowering
Cyclamen flower longest in cool rooms (10-15C). Near a radiator or in a warm living room, they finish flowering weeks earlier. A cool hallway, porch, or unheated bedroom is ideal.
Dormancy is not death
When leaves yellow and die back in late spring, the plant is entering its natural summer rest. Move to a cool shaded spot, stop watering almost entirely, and wait for new growth in autumn.
Keep the tuber crown above soil
When potting, ensure the top third of the tuber sits above the compost surface. A buried crown invites rot.
