Hi
I need some advice on a cyclamen I've received as a gift please.

The plant is in its' original plastic tub and surrounding ceramic pot. I've watered it once in the two weeks I've had it, although unbeknown to me at the time I shouldn't have watered its' soil but watered the pot it's sitting in.

I've drained all the excess water from inside the pot, have ensured it's not near a radiator (which are currently off anyway), ensured it is in a fairly well lit position (but not in direct sunlight) and I was pulling the dead heads off until I realised that I'd be left with hardly any if I continued.

A lot of leaves are now yellow and almost all remaining flowers are drooping lifelessly.

I read somewhere about a dormant stage. Could this be the stage my plant is entering? What else could /should I do to try and revive it or should I leave it alone ? Should I remove the plastic tub and plant it solely in the ceramic pot ?

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi, I am sorry to hear you are struggling with your cyclamen.

Firstly you need a cool position with lots of natural sunlight. Don't let you plant dry out, you can water from above but water with a watering can and lift the leaves up with your hand and water in the top of the pot. Has your flower pot got drainage holes? If so make sure you lift the plastic pot out of the ceramic pot when watering so that excess water can be drained away.

When removing flowers you don't dead head, you remove the dead flowers by holding the stem and giving a quick down up action and pulling the flower completely out of the bulb. You should have the entire individual stem in the hand.

The yellow leaves are due to underwatering i would say. If you water every few days, have a light not too hot position and remove the dead flowers as described you cyclamen can last years.

Good Luck!

Many thanks for your reply and clarifying a few things for me. I'll have a go at reviving it this week and let you know how it goes.
Many thanks again.

I've found that buying indoor cyclamen is down to luck (or good choice of a supplier). If the place it came from hasn't been looking after it very well, or the conditions are too different from yours, then a few days after you get it, all those wonderful flower buds shrivel up and dry up, and the leaves go yellow. Just continue to treat it nicely, and it will produce new ones.

By nicely, I mean follow the advice you've been given. Watering from above is OK if you don't leave water standing around on the corm. If you forget to water and it dries out, it'll usually flop like a dead jellyfish, but watering will restore it. So I think your yellowing leaves are more to do with the care it had before it came into your possession.

The other thing worth looking out for is vine weevil grubs - they will eat through the roots where they emerge from the corm, and without roots the plant won't get any water. So if it's flopping as if you haven't watered it, it's worth wobbling it with your finger and seeing whether it's still firmly rooted.

On Oct 5, 8:45*pm, cyberdyne
wrote:
Hi
I need some advice on a cyclamen I've received as a gift please.

The plant is in its' original plastic tub and surrounding ceramic pot.
I've watered it once in the two weeks I've had it, although unbeknown to
me at the time I shouldn't have watered its' soil but watered the pot
it's sitting in.

I've drained all the excess water from inside the pot, have ensured it's
not near a radiator (which are currently off anyway), ensured it is in a
fairly well lit position (but not in direct sunlight) and I was pulling
the dead heads off until I realised that I'd be left with hardly any if
I continued.

A lot of leaves are now yellow and almost all remaining flowers are
drooping lifelessly.

I read somewhere about a dormant stage. Could this be the stage my plant
is entering? What else could /should I do to try and revive it or should
I leave it alone ? Should I remove the plastic tub and plant it solely
in the ceramic pot ?

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

--
cyberdyne

Sorry but it sounds to me as if it's on its way out. Sounds to me as
if it has been left standing in water.