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Hardy Cyclamen

Many cyclamen species are declining rapidly in their wild habitats but raising from seed is not difficult. Brian Halliwell explains how to go about it.

Cyclamen are amongst the most popular of plants with growers of alpines. Their dainty flowers, often appearing at times of the year when there is relatively little for the alpine enthusiast to enjoy, combined with their attractively mottled foliage make them great favourites.

In their natural Mediterranean habitats cyclamen have been collected by unscrupulous dealers and their numbers in the wild have declined alarmingly. Their import is now subject to stringent regulations. But they are not difficult to raise from seed and seed of most species is available from commercial seed companies or the seed exchange schemes of specialist societies. Garden plants also usually set seed well and this may be collected for future use.

Collecting your own seed

Gardeners with their own plants should collect seed as soon as the capsules split in summer and sow immediately. Following pollination, flower stems elongate and in all species except Cyclamen persicum coil like a spring, drawing developing seed capsules down to ground level where they sit whilst the ripening process continues, even after the leaves have died away. There is always a better seed set if a number of plants of the same species are planted together. Plants outside in the garden usually set seed which will develop and ripen readily and if it is not collected it will often self sow.

Cyclamen coum, which is winter flowering, may fail to set seed in the garden if adverse weather conditions occur at flowering time or immediately after. Ripe seed of most species is usually ready for collection in summer. July in the UK, and with some late summer and autumn flowering species like C. hederifolium it may be nearly 12 months after flowering before seed is fully ripe.

When seed capsules split the seeds show as a tightly packed mass of seeds covered with a brightly coloured sticky substance which is attractive to ants; the ants then distribute the seeds by carrying them away from the parent plant.

Pot grown plants in the home, greenhouse or frame benefit from some help with pollination. Use a camel hair brush or gently pass the back of the hand across the mouths of the flowers. Following pollination some species such as C. libanoticum, C. persicum and C. rohlfsianum benefit from somewhat higher temperatures than normal to aid seed set and development.

Seed sowing

Fresh seed germinates evenly and relatively quickly (4-6 weeks) but germination of old seed can be erratic and may take several months. Fresh seed is best sown as soon as it is collected but old seed is best sown in winter, December or January in the UK, if a temperature of 50-60F (10-15C) can be maintained. If there is only a frame or unheated greenhouse available, sowing should be delayed until early spring (March in the UK). When seed is not to be sown immediately, spread it on a sheet of paper in a warm, airy place and allow it to dry before packeting.

Seed which is bought from a seed company or obtained through a seed exchange scheme will be of unknown age so to speed germination soak for 24 hours in cold water before sowing.

Use a soil based compost such as John Innes Seed Compost for sowing

Fill clean pots or trays with compost, firm with the fingers and prepare a level surface. As the seeds are quite large it is possible to space them individually ½-1 inch (12-25mm) apart. Press them into the compost and cover with ¼inch (6mm) of sieved compost. Lightly firm, label, water and put the container in a polythene bag and place somewhere warm; a heated greenhouse, propagator, airing cupboard or near a radiator are suitable places.

Care of seedlings

Once the seedlings have produced three leaves, they should be potted singly into 3in (7.5cm) pots using a soil-based compost. Use one of the proprietary mixes prepared for seedlings or rooted cuttings such as John Innes Compost No. 1.

If it is intended that young plants will be planted in the garden when large enough, ensure that the tiny tuber is covered with compost during potting; when plants are going to be grown permanently in pots or pans, let the tuber sit on the surface of the compost.

Once the seedlings have become established in their pots, they should be transferred to a frame and plunged to their rims in sand. A frame in partial shade is ideal with full sun preferable to total shade. Plunged pots dry out more slowly and there is the protection from freezing of the roots during the winter.

As seedlings begin to produce more leaves these will shed rain so inspect the compost at frequent intervals, watering whenever necessary. In the initial years up to flowering keep plants growing; do not dry off. Although frames will have to be covered during the winter to protect against cold, rain or snow in most areas, lights should be propped open in all but the most severe cold.

From seed of C. coum and C. persicum sown in gentle heat in the winter, plants can be in flower within a year. Most other species will flower in their second year although C. rohlfsianum and sometimes C. libanoticum can take three years. When no heat is available, flowering will take a year longer.

Pests and diseases

Aphids

These are most usually seen on the undersides of the youngest leaves. At the first sign of infestation spray with a suitable insecticide.

Slugs and Snails

These are most troublesome in unclean areas where rubbish has accumulated or weeds allowed to establish in or near the frames. Cleanliness is important to remove places where these pests rest during the day before feeding at night. When they do appear, scatter slug pellets around the frame.

Vine weevils

Some gardeners are fortunate in never seeing or being bothered by vine weevil whereas in other gardens it is a pest of major importance. Plant damage can be caused by adults or grubs. The adult weevils attack a wide range of plants and not only alpines; rhododendrons, lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) and species of Bergenia are some of the other plants which may be attacked. Feeding is usually around the edges of the leaves resulting in scalloping which is no more than unsightly.

It is the soil living larvae, especially troublesome on pot grown plants, which cause the most damage. These large white grubs, which can be present singly or in numbers, feed on the roots of the plants. Often their devastation is unnoticed until a plant droops and on inspection it is found that all the roots have been eaten. Whenever these grubs are discovered drench all pots and not only cyclamen, with a suitable deterrent.

Botrytis (grey mould)

This is most troublesome in shady, damp, dank conditions and where there is poor air circulation, so ensure that plunged pots are well spaced and that lights are opened whenever possible. This disease will result in a black rot on the leaves which become covered in grey mould. If neglected this disease can spread from a single leaf to the others and even kill the plant. At the first sign of infection, remove the source taking care to remove leaves in their entirety and not to leave the base of the leaf stalk attached to the tuber. When flower buds begin to appear, if botrytis is present these too can become infected and although they may appear to be healthy, they never develop. After removing any infected material, dust the plants with flowers of sulphur.

Hardiness

Some species are hardy enough to be grown outside in the open garden, others need the protection of a frame. The species are separated into four groups according to their winter hardiness. As a guide to the treatment of the seedlings as they mature these groups are given below. For the benefit of American readers, those species for which hardiness zone ratings are available have these ratings given in brackets; they seem to me to be a little optimistic.

Most of the UK is in zone 8 or in the colder zone 7.

Group 1 (the hardiest): Cyclamen coum (z6); C. hederifolium (z6); C. purpurescens (z7)
Group 2: Cyclamen cilicium (z7); C. mirabile (z7); C. parviflorum; C. pseud-ibericum (z7); C. repandum (z6)
Group 3: Cyclamen balearicum; C. creticum; C. graecum (z8); C. libanoticum
Group 4 (the least hardy): Cyclamen africanum; C. cyprium; C. lersicum (z9); C. rohlfsianum

Hardy Spurges Hardy Annuals: Part 2

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