Plant of the Week - Cyclamen

NAME...

Cyclamen (Cyclamen)

DESCRIPTION…

Autumn means cyclamen time and what a joyful time it is. Cyclamens come in white, pink, coral, mauve, purple, burgundy, speckled or striped, big or small, fragrant and non-fragrant. You name it, there is a cyclamen for everybody.

CARE…

Dead-head to promote more blooms by grabbing the flower stem towards the base, twist and pull away from the corm (the brown bulb type thing that they grow out of). When they look like they have finished flowering and the leaves start to yellow, put the pot in a shady spot in the garden and forget about it until it shows signs of reshooting in early autumn. Then start to fertilise them with a half strength liquid fertiliser every two weeks.

PROBLEMS…

The important thing to remember with cyclamens is do not overwater and never leave them in a saucer of water if they are in a pot. Try not to wet the flowers or leaves either as this encourages mould.

WHERE TO BUY…

Visit your local Bunnings to find a pastel pink and white Blush cyclamen for ($22.88).