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elenska_gw

cyclamen - to repot or not to repot?

elenska
12 years ago

Hello,

I brought a cyclamen from my office to my home and it's not doing that great. I believe the reason is the cold nights and overall cooler temperatures in my office. It has good light at both places.

Now the summer came and it is just really warm in my home anyway, I was expecting the cyclamen to go to the dormancy. Well it decided it won't go just yet and keeps producing flowers, but they just look really bad, they sometimes die before the flower is open, the leaves look bad too. I realized that I have not repoted it since I got it 3 years ago.

Should I wait with repotting until when its dormant or should I go ahead now?
{{gwi:91595}}From kvety

Comments (11)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    12 years ago

    Not sure what went wrong with your link but I don't go to a picture when I click it, just an error message. It may have something to do with the security settings for the picture. Maybe someone more familiar with picassa can help, or picassa might have a FAQ with help for this.

  • birdsnblooms
    12 years ago

    Elen..Are you fertilizing? If so, stop. After Cyclamens flower, they start going into dormancy. Withhold fertilizers and reduce water. After a certain amount of times goes by, as old leaves die back, new grow in.
    Actually, a cool room is better than hot. I keep my Cyclamens out until first frost..once they're back indoors early November, 'chilly room,' they start budding. The cold promotes blooms in December.

    By regular waterings and fertilizers, it's the same as forcing your Cyclamen to flower. That's the reason your blooms are spindly.

    Allow your Cyclamen to go into full dormancy..once you see new growth, if it's root-bound, repot one-size up. Cyclamens flower when roots are tight.

    Can you place your Cyclamen outside? Toni

  • elenska
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hopefulauthor, I actually do not fertilize at all. What I can do though is to water less.
    In my small appartment there is no cool room, I know they like that but unfortunately that is not an option. I could put it on my balcony, but again, should I do it now when it's going to go dormant or later in the fall?

    Here the pic again, hope it works.
    {{gwi:91596}}From plants

  • birdsnblooms
    12 years ago

    Elen, what's amazing is your Cyclamen still looks good. When you said it was growing poorly, I expected to see a half-dead plant, but not so.

    Normally, when Cyclamen begin dormancy, leaves to yellow and grow spindly. That's a sign to withhold fertilizer and reduce watering. Since you've never fertilized, well, I don't have an answer. lol.

    Your plant is stubborn, that's for sure. lol. When did it start blooming?
    Also, are new leaves growing? Toni

  • elenska
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hopefulauthor, this Cyclamen was great while in my cold office. I brough it home last Christmas, shortly it stopped blooming and nearly all the leaves went yellow. I changed the location then to more light and then after a while the flowers came again. However that was also when it started to get warmer and thus the current state (I think that's the reason).
    And yes, the new leaves are still growing too. But they do get yellow quickly. I get rid of the yellow once, that's why you don't see them on the picture.

  • birdsnblooms
    12 years ago

    Elen. How much time lapsed between flowering?
    I can see new leaf growth, but a second flower is very rare.
    It happens w/Christmas/Thanksgiving Cactus, but that too is unusual. They sometimes flower as late as July. lol.
    I'm using Holiday Cactus as an example because they and Cyclamen need cold to produce, and grown as winter bloomers.

    Yellow leaves..Do you bottom water? I find bottom-watering Cyclamen is better suited...moreso, since Cyclemen tend to rot if over-watered or the crown stays wet for prolonged periods.

    Well, good luck, girl. Toni

  • elenska
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Toni, time between flowering- about 5 months or so. I do not bottom water cause I just stuck the cyclamen into a pot with no drainige holes ( I know I know...) and it's been like that forever, still I do take care not to overwater it. That's also why I am wondering about repoting now and not wait for dormancy(which is not coming anyway). Also the soil must be really bad by now. It was just a regular potting soil. Now I will try to mix something. Do you know what is the best mix for cyclamen?

  • birdsnblooms
    12 years ago

    Elen...no drainage!! Aha! lol.

    For a plant w/o drainage, yours is doing well. I think your Cyclamen hasn't gone dormant because the soil is moist. It might be dry on top, but have you stuck your finger or stake deep within, middle/bottom soil to see if it's dry or wet?

    My mix consists of MG/Succulent soil, Perlite, half handful of Peat and half a handful of true potting soil, mixed well. Not too large pot..a little larger than the rootball. Like many other flowering plants, roots need to fill a pot before flowers production.

    Question...has the soil dried completely over a couple weeks' time, or been in a cool/cold room? Toni

  • elenska
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I just tried the soil and no-its not wet at the bottom or in the middle. i am really careful with watering.
    thanks a lot for the info on your mix. i will try to repot when i have some time. now all the bigger leaves got yellow but it already has about 5 small leaves (about 1/2 to 1 inch) so it is still not dormating...

    i dont understand the reason for your last question - no it has never dried out for 2 weeks, and it has not been in the cool room. i am assuming this would bring it to dormancy but if it doesnt want to go, should i force it at all?

  • deecohen6
    7 years ago

    I have a gorgeous white cyclamen that just broke off from the root ball. I repotted ir and hope it was right thing to do. I will be sad to lose it. Any suggestions to save it, other than what I did?

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    7 years ago

    Be patient and be very careful to avoid over-watering. Use a 'tell' to determine when the planting actually DOES need water - don't guess. Keep it in a cool spot. Let me know if you want tips that will help you reduce the amount of water your soil can hold. The plant does not like wet feet.

    Al

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