Cyclamen should continue to bloom for weeks — with proper watering

Q: While I was looking for a few stocking stuffers for the gardeners in my life at a garden center, I fell in love with a plant called a cyclamen. The blooms remind me of shooting stars or comets, and the leaves look like they are wearing a gray-green spotted leopard print. Such a lovely plant! Trouble is, I don’t know how to take care of it! Would you be so kind as to guide me? — L.C., Los Lunas

A: Lucky you! Cyclamen are, in my opinion, very easy blooming plants to take care of.

First thing I want you to arrange is a saucer that the pot can sit on. Cyclamen are defined as a corm and if that disc-shaped paper looking thing that the leaves sprout out of is kept wet, the whole plant will be very unhappy. Meaning that every time you water you will pour tepid temperature water, not hot but certainly not cold water, into the saucer and allow the soil the corm is planted in to absorb the water. In other words, no watering from overhead.

Then get in the habit of watching for water that isn’t absorbed. If after a couple of hours, half a day for sure, if all the water hasn’t been sucked up, I’d recommend pouring it away. Sitting in a puddle for an extended period of time would be nearly as bad as being watered from overhead. But know that cyclamen do not like to dry out ever. So if you need to offer a saucerful of water every other day, so be it.

Next, I’d aim to find a brightly lit spot in the house, as they really like that. I’m not saying direct sunlight, just a bright place to live. If that spot is relatively cool, that’ll be all the better. As the blooms fade and the supporting stem gets sort of soft and squishy, I’ve always just sort of plucked them off the mother plant. If you have a very skinny pair of very sharp scissors and can see into the depths of the plant, you can snip out the spent blooms. Just be very careful to not cut willy-nilly and perhaps damage other leaves and bloom stems.

I know that your new addition should throw up new blooms for weeks yet, especially as long as you never let it dry out, but it will complete this cycle eventually and need a period of rest. I want to do a bit of reading up before I go into that type of care, so meanwhile, enjoy this charmer with its shooting star-shaped blooms for weeks to come.

Q: I want to get the book that you refer to often in your articles for my novice landscaper this Christmas, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it’s called. Help! — W.I., Albuquerque

A: I’m hoping that you mean my “bible” that I use for looking up things often and in turn offer you all great information. Sunset Publishing Corporation’s book is “Western Garden Book.” The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) my edition wears is 0-376-03891-8. Mine is an older edition, but with each edition their information gets better and better in my opinion. It is so chock-full of pertinent information aimed at the challenging garden environment we have in this area.

Two things I rely on most are their breakdowns of climate zones and the fact that you can look up plants by either botanical or common name. I find it the most helpful book I own for gardening. The photos and hand drawings are remarkable, so is all the rest of the information and guidance it offers.

I’m confident any book store would either have it on hand or be able to get one for you quickly. Those of you that are comfortable with internet shopping, there’s that way too. It’s a grand book.

Hope that helps, and Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.