Flowering cyclamen easy to maintain
Q: I received the sweetest plant for Valentines. It’s wearing a tag that says “cyclamen” but the “how to care for” information was cut away. (I think the price was on the back side.) So how do I care for this charming plant? — G.C., Albuquerque
A: Lucky you! You have received, in my opinion, one of the easiest to grow, longest lasting, near continually blooming houseplants you can get. The cyclamen’s dark green, sometimes patterned heart-shaped leaves grow in a thick mound. Then, magically, bloom stalks pop up well over that mound sporting blooms that when open remind me of shooting stars. Some cyclamen blooms can be quite fragrant, too, so get up close and personal to the flowers and breathe in.
Anyway here’s how I’d suggest you care for it. First, if the plant is wrapped with decorative foil or sitting in a protective wrapper, remove it. You can cut away the bottom of the wrapping to expose the actual pot if you’d like but the very bottom of the pot needs to be exposed so the plant can drain. Then you’ll need an inchdeep saucer for the potted cyclamen to sit on. The saucer will have a two-fold job at this point. Not only will the saucer protect your furniture from water damage, but pouring water in the saucer is how you’ll water your new treasure. That said, you will never water your cyclamen from overhead. The plant grows from a tuber that can suffer dreadfully if kept too wet or wet too often. The leaves and stems can suffer if watered from overhead, too, so that’s why you’ll need a saucer. Every third to fourth day pour water into the saucer allowing the pot to suck up as much water as it will. If the pot quickly sucks up all of the water you’ve just offered, give it a bit more until the plant has pulled up its fill and there is water standing for more than an hour. At that point you’ve got saturation and need to dump away the excess water so the plant doesn’t suffocate.
Now placement for your new treasure matters a lot, too. Your aim is to find a place that’ll offer bright but filtered light. Don’t keep your cyclamen in a hot, sunny location ever. As the blooms fade you can give the stem a good tug and it usually pops right away or gently trace the bloom stalk deep into the plant and cleanly snip it off keeping the plant tidy. That’s a secret, too, if you allow a spent bloom to stay on the mother plant most plants think, “Well, I’ve done my job, so I can quit flowering.” So watch for and remove all finished flowers and your cyclamen will be more apt to continue this bloom cycle. Just remember that cyclamen are easy to grow. They don’t want to be spoiled, just cared for consistently. Enjoy.
Q: A co-walker and I walk each day at lunch in the area just west of Downtown. It’s an enjoyable way to spend the hour, admiring the old homes and the landscaping. In a couple of yards I’ve been noticing shrubs that are starting to wake up. I know the usual spring plants like lilacs and forsythia but these ones have dark pink, ballshaped buds that look like apple blossoms and they have thorns. Do you know what shrub we’re watching? — D.W., Albuquerque
A: I believe you and your friend are describing an easy-to-grow shrub for these parts called a flowering quince. You’re correct in that the buds on the quince look a lot like apple blossoms because the flowering quince is in the same family as apples. The buds right now are a darkish pink-red color and just starting to plump up getting ready to explode to a lighter reddish-pink five petal flower as the season advances.
Here in the metro area are you can plant the flowering quince in several areas of the yard from full-sun atmospheres to places offering partial shade. This creature isn’t too fussy about soil either. Given an annual fertilization in the spring after the blooming is complete and consistent watering, the flowering quince will live happily here. They are a longliving plant, too. I know of one that is at least 20 years old and still growing strong. Keep watching the flowering quince on your walks and enjoy the show. Happy Diggin In!
Need tips on growing your garden? Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send your garden-related questions to Digging In, Rio West, P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103.