This question is about the cylamen sold in small shallow depth pots in
supermarkets and otherwhere.

I have read that the above come in two types, autumn flowering and
winter flowering, and that both types often die thereafter regardless
of the care afforded them.

I bought two about five years ago for a pound each. One lasted the
season and dutifully pegged out while the other lived on. Both were on
the same north-facing windowsill and had the same care (lor lack
thereof).

The survivor lived on in the same location until a year or so ago when
it moved to a south facing windowsill with lots of full sun and in a
larger, full depth pot (repotted twice).

It began flowering in mid october 2016 and is still flowering. It used
to have an average of half a dozen flowers at any one time but now has
about fifteen. Two more months and it will have been in flower for the
entire year.

My question is obvious but the answer less so. Is this an autumn or
winter flowering cyclamen?
Historically, it flowered from about November to March.


--
Asha
minnies.opcop.org.uk
nature.opcop.org.uk
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In article ,
Chris Hogg wrote:
On Wed, 2 Aug 2017 16:10:20 +0100, Asha Santon
wrote:

This question is about the cylamen sold in small shallow depth pots in
supermarkets and otherwhere.

My understanding is that in the past there were three sorts of
cyclamen generally available: cyclamen hederifolium, hardy and autumn
flowering; cyclamen coum, hardy and spring flowering, and cyclamen
persicum, not hardy, winter flowering, and often sold around
Christmas, usually very cheap in the New Year sale, to clear.

Sort of. C. coum, at least, flowers in either spring or autumn,
depending on what it feels like. I discovered by accident that
its preferred habitat in the UK is under conifers or in the rain
shadow of eaves etc. Mine is in the latter, it grows in spring and
autumn, and dies off in seriously cold or dry conditions (i.e. in
most winters and summers). That's what it does in the wild, but
the differences from there may be why it sometimes flowers in
autumn.

Only C. europeum can take the wet of a typical British winter, as
far as I know, and that probably doesn't like it much. Exactly
what conditions anything other than C. coum prefers, I don't know.
The standard garden centre and supermarket cyclamen is definitely
mainly C. persicum, and is not hardy, even when they say it is.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2017-08-02 15:10:20 +0000, Asha Santon said:

This question is about the cylamen sold in small shallow depth pots in
supermarkets and otherwhere.


Some more information having read the two replies so far.

I assumed it was a C. persicum.
It is currently in a 15cm pot. It has a 25cm spread of leaves and the
top of the flowers is 21cm above the top of the pot.

I read that they go dormant if the temperature is often above 20Ëš but
this thrives in full sun through double glazing where it is so warm, it
has to be watered daily. It does not so much go dormant as burst into
life.
As an example, the north window of the room was open today and the
temperature on that side of the room was over twenty. I didn't put a
thermometer on the south windowsill but it was very sunny and hot there.

It has white flowers. The one which died was pink.


--
Asha
minnies.opcop.org.uk
nature.opcop.org.uk
pictures.opcop.org.uk

On 02/08/2017 20:35, Asha Santon wrote:
On 2017-08-02 15:10:20 +0000, Asha Santon said:

This question is about the cylamen sold in small shallow depth pots in
supermarkets and otherwhere.


Some more information having read the two replies so far.

I assumed it was a C. persicum.
It is currently in a 15cm pot. It has a 25cm spread of leaves and the
top of the flowers is 21cm above the top of the pot.

I read that they go dormant if the temperature is often above 20Ëš but
this thrives in full sun through double glazing where it is so warm, it
has to be watered daily. It does not so much go dormant as burst into life.
As an example, the north window of the room was open today and the
temperature on that side of the room was over twenty. I didn't put a
thermometer on the south windowsill but it was very sunny and hot there.

It has white flowers. The one which died was pink.


The indoor cyclamen has larger flowers than the hardy types.
In the past you would place it outside in late |June or July placing it
somewhere sheltered laying it on it's side and then left to dry out and
go dormant, then at the end of August it would be brought back inside
and watered to start it into growth, ocasionally it would be repotted.
This would bring it back into growth to start flowering in time for Xmas,
Using this method My late mother had one which lasted for over 20 years,

Many thanks for the replies and all advice appreciated.

If we get any summer in what remains of the year, I may put it outside
for a while. Given the amount of pollen it produces, the insects should
enjoy it.

I won't deliberately force it into dormancy however but will hope for
all-year-round flowering instead.
Perhaps a large pot and regular plant food will assist in that.


--
Asha
minnies.opcop.org.uk
nature.opcop.org.uk
pictures.opcop.org.uk