Sowing your Cyclamen seed

When to sow Cyclamen seed?

For optimum results Cyclamen seed is sown straight after harvest in summer or early autumn using fresh seed. It is recommended to sow by mid-autumn otherwise it is best to store your seed in the fridge and then sow in the spring taking into account that germination may be a lot slower.

How to sow Cyclamen seed?

• Soak the seeds in tepid water with a couple of drops of washing up liquid for 24 hours.
• Dry them on a paper towel
• Sow the seeds on the surface of a well-drained compost (about a third of the compost should be grit or perlite)
• Cover the seeds with potting grit
• Place the seeds in a shady place and keep the pots damp
• The seeds should germinate in about a month or two but some can be erratic and take up to a year to germinate so keep hold of your ports (except for C. purpurascens and C. colchicum which will germinate the following summer.)

When to prick out Cyclamen seed?

Keep them in the same pots until the following summer. They are ready to prick out when the tubers turn brown (some seedlings may need longer than this and can be kept in the same pots for up to two years). This is best done at the end of the following summer before they come into growth again.

When potting on, use a similar well-drained mixture. Place the tuber level with the surface of the compost and cover with grit. Water