The cyclamen enchants with its pretty flowers all year round. Thanks to the frequently offered species such as Cyclamen persicum or Cyclamen purpurascens, which bloom at different times of the year, there is a real bloom even in winter. But as with all ornamental plants, there comes a moment when the “violets” wither and droop. Is it then advisable to remove the flowers or rather leave them on?
When are cyclamen withered?
It is important to remove old inflorescences after flowering. After the flowering period, the cyclamen species need all their energy to form new buds inside the tuber. Old inflorescences counteract exactly this process and ensure that the tuber does not have enough energy and nutrients available. This results in weaker flowering in the following flowering season, which is not a health problem for the primula crop, but a lush flowering cyclamen is every gardener's goal. Typically, the various most commonly offered species wither at the following times:
- Cyclamen (bot. Cyclamen persicum): from May
- Cyclamen (bot. Cyclamen purpurascens): from the end of September
- Early Spring Cyclamen (bot. Cyclamen coum): Early to late April
- Ivy-leaved cyclamen (bot. Cyclamen hederifolium): from the end of October
- Greek cyclamen (bot. Cyclamen graecum): from November
You can recognize faded cyclamen by the hanging flower heads, which dry out and darken over time. In addition, the shoots discolour, also in a dark color, and become thinner. The plant actually sheds the faded parts of the plant by itself, but if you detach them from the tuber beforehand, the "violet" can save valuable energy for the formation of new buds. For this reason, it is advisable to pinch off the faded stands. You will not damage the primula growth even if you cut off the entire shoot. Above all, it is important to care for the tuber, not the faded inflorescences, during the rest period.
tip: When caring for Cyclamen species, it is essential to ensure the correct temperature of 15 °C to 18 °C during the flowering period. If the temperatures are too warm, the plants will wither faster because they can only withstand the heat to a limited extent.
Removing flowers: instructions
When the cyclamen have faded, you can easily remove the flowers. You don't even need tools for this, since the shoots of the flowers do not become woody and are formed anew every year. You don't need any preparation either, just your hands and gloves. Because cyclamen are extremely toxic and can cause allergic reactions, redness, and tingling on the skin if touched, gloves are a must when detaching the buds. Although the plants do not have a milky sap, the concentration of toxins is very high. Then proceed as follows:
1. Prepare tuber
Wait until all of the upper parts of the plant have withered. If this is the case, you can prepare the tuber for the rest period in the garden with little work. At the same time, it is normal for the inflorescences of the "earth bread" to wither completely at the same time.
2. Gloves
Put on the gloves and make sure that there are no children, dogs, cats or other animals that could consume the poisonous parts of the plant.
3. Remove flowers
Now press a flower down a bit together with the leaves, which should also have dried up by this time. Now grab around the stem and twist the cyclamen out of the tuber like a screw. Don't tear or pull, just twist until the stem comes loose. Repeat until all inflorescences have been removed. Since the primula plants are not that big, this work can be done in a short time.
4. Discard flowers
Finally, dispose of the parts of the plant in the household waste and prepare the tuber for the dormant period. If you discover faded cyclamen during the flowering period, simply unscrew them. This has no effect on the healthy bud sites and often ensures a longer flowering period. In any case, at the end of the flowering period, all bud sites, stems and leaves should be removed to stimulate the formation of new buds.
