How to care for cyclamen during its dormant period? Master these management tips
Everyone knows that cyclamen is a flowering plant that is fairly sensitive to heat, and under normal circumstances it enters a dormant state once summer arrives. But sometimes we encounter plants that remain in bloom after summer begins instead of going dormant. What is going on here? Actually, in this case, we can only say that the growing environment is suitable for it to bloom; there is no other reason.
Under normal circumstances, cyclamen can bloom for 2-3 months. If we care for it well, we may be able to extend the flowering period by regulating the bloom cycle, thereby making the flowering period last as long as 5 months, which is already a very good flowering result. However, the case the editor encountered today is a cyclamen that bloomed continuously for 8 months, and by midsummer it still had not finished and entered dormancy, and even showed a tendency to keep blooming.
Obviously, this is a very peculiar phenomenon, since under normal circumstances it would long since have stopped blooming and entered its dormant period. However, observant growers will also notice that the plant shows some signs of dormancy, for example the leaves are noticeably fewer than before. And in another 2 months autumn will arrive, and autumn is precisely the growing season for cyclamen, immediately followed by the next round of blooming. If this cycle continues, it might even achieve year-round blooming!
No matter what, getting a potted cyclamen to keep blooming continuously is exactly what we dream of. Back to the point, below let us share with you the care and management methods for cyclamen during its summer dormant period!
In summer, first of all we should place the pot in a cool, ventilated spot, and especially it must not be exposed to direct strong light or scorching sun. Under normal circumstances the plant should go dormant in summer, and its leaves will gradually be consumed and sacrificed. In fact, for a pot of cyclamen like this one that has been blooming for months on end, it still has not entered dormancy in summer, and its leaves are already much fewer than before, with the whole plant no longer as lush as before; it is just that it is still blooming.
And when in summer the plant develops quite a few withered yellow stems and leaves, we should cut them all off, as this can save a good deal of nutrients. The few leaves in midsummer look relatively green and fresh, and together with the flowers, the potted plant's ornamental effect is naturally still quite good. And after placing it in a cool, ventilated spot, do not forget to water it in time, because cyclamen has relatively poor drought tolerance, and it also rather likes water and tolerates it.
Therefore, in normal times you should keep the potting soil at a suitable moisture level, and especially for a cyclamen that is blooming, it must not lack water. But watering should also be moderate, and must not cause water to accumulate in the pot, otherwise root rot easily occurs, and the plant will die before the next blooming period arrives. When autumn comes it will gradually resume growth, and at that time you should repot it in time.
And right after that, you should also fertilize in time. Generally, when growth resumes in autumn, first apply an appropriate amount of quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and as blooming approaches switch to potassium dihydrogen phosphate, generally applied by drenching the roots. But since we are currently in the summer dormant period, do not apply any fertilizer to the cyclamen. Wait until autumn, after repotting and after the plant has settled in, then gradually fertilize it.