First, a small but vital botanical clarification: I am not grown from a bulb. I grow from a corm. While similar in function, we are structurally different. A bulb is a modified leaf base, like an onion, while my corm is a swollen, solid stem that serves as my storage organ. This hard, flattened tuber stores all the energy and water I need to survive periods of dormancy. When you plant me, you must identify my top and bottom. My top has a slight indentation or may show some dried remnants of previous growth, while my bottom is rounded and smooth. Planting me upside-down will cause me great distress as my shoots and roots will emerge in the wrong direction, wasting my precious stored energy.
I thrive in conditions that mimic my native woodland habitats. I demand exceptionally well-draining soil; my corm will quickly rot if left sitting in waterlogged earth. A spot beneath deciduous trees or shrubs is perfect, offering the dappled sunlight I crave. The falling leaves in autumn provide a natural mulch, protecting me and enriching my soil as they decompose. When planting, place my corm about an inch (2.5 cm) deep, and space us about 4-6 inches apart. The most critical step is to ensure my top, with its growing points, is facing upwards. Cover me gently with soil and water me in to settle the earth around my form, but do not drown me.
My life cycle is opposite to that of many garden plants and is key to understanding my care. For most hardy cyclamen, like Cyclamen hederifolium or Cyclamen coum, I flower in the autumn or late winter/early spring, respectively. My flowers emerge first, shooting up on slender stems, often before any significant foliage appears. After flowering, my beautifully patterned, heart-shaped leaves unfurl and remain throughout the winter and spring, photosynthesizing to replenish the energy in my corm. As the weather warms and light intensifies in late spring or early summer, my leaves will yellow and die back. This is my signal that I am entering my summer dormancy. Do not be alarmed; this is my natural state to conserve water and energy. I am simply resting beneath the soil's surface.
My watering needs align with my growth cycle. Water me moderately when I am in active growth (from flowering through leaf development) and during dry spells in the autumn. As my leaves begin to yellow, gradually reduce watering. During my summer dormancy, I prefer to be kept almost completely dry. I am not a heavy feeder. A top dressing of well-rotted leaf mould or compost in the autumn is all the nourishment I require; this mimics the natural leaf fall of my forest home. Over time, I will naturalize and form beautiful colonies. I propagate myself in two ways: my corm slowly enlarges, and I also produce seeds. My flower stems will coil after pollination, drawing the seed capsules down to the soil surface where ants will disperse them, leading to delightful little seedlings nearby.
