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C. persicum, also known as the Florists Cyclamen is grown indoors as a houseplant. They make excellent Christmas decorations around the home or office. They have very attractive silver marbled foliage and very showy flowers. Their petals are swept back and are slightly curved. Flower colours are red, pink or white. Christmas Cyclamen should be grown in a potting compost and medium horticultural grit mix. 75% potting compost and 25% medium horticultural grit.
They need to be kept in good light, but not direct sunlight, close to a north facing window location is ideal. They should be kept cool, avoid a position over or near a central heating radiator or fire. A cool conservatory or cool greenhouse, which is frost free, is an ideal place. They need a moist atmosphere so stand the pot on a saucer of gravel and keep it topped up with water. Make sure the water is just below the surface of the gravel so as the pot does is not standing in water. You will need to keep the compost moist, but not water-logged, the best way to do this is plunge the pot in tepid water once a week. Although Christmas Cyclamen prefer cool, moist conditions it will do them no harm if you have them displayed as decorations for a few days. Just make sure the compost is moist and if the room is centrally heated mist spray the Cyclamen a couple of times a day. But try to avoid positions directly over radiators or fires, this a just too hot and dry. In mid summer repot into a pot the same size or one slightly bigger. Use your 75/25 potting compost and horticultural grit mix and start watering again keeping the compost moist, but not water-logged. Grow them on as usual where they will be ready for your next years Christmas display. Collect seeds from your plants just as the seed capsules begin to open and soak the seeds for twenty four hours, keep then in a warm place during this time. Sow the seeds, immediately after soaking, in pots of seed and cutting compost mixed 75/25 with fine horticultural grit. Sow the seeds on the surface of the compost and cover with about 5mm of potting compost mix. Water thoroughly and cover the pots or place them in a propagator or a closed plastic bag to retain the moisture. Keep them in a temperature of around 16 deg C (60 deg F). They should be kept in low light levels, but not completely dark, in the center of a room that does not receive direct sunlight would be ideal. As soon as the seeds germinate remove the covering and move them into a well light position, but not in direct sunlight, a north facing window sill is ideal. Allow the seedlings to grow on until they are large enough to handle. Pot them on individually into pots of potting compost mixed 75/25 with medium horticultural grit. So that’s it then. Christmas decorations and free plants! Go to
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