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Sign up nowHow to stop indoor cyclamen wilting
Keep your cyclamen houseplants looking at their best
You’ll find both large and miniature cyclamen with flowers in shades of red, pink, purple and white. The leaves can also be very attractive and they often have silvery markings. When buying plants, look underneath the leaves to check for plenty of flower buds arising from the centre of the plant. Cyclamen can be kept after winter but as they’re fairly inexpensive, you may prefer to buy fresh plants each year.
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Why has my indoor cyclamen wilted?
One reason cyclamen wilt is lack of water. To rehydrate a plant, stand the pot in a saucer of tepid water and let it soak up moisture from the base. After a couple of hours, tip out any water left in the saucer. In heated houses, wilting is often due to high temperatures. Try to keep plants at around 10-15°C.
If the plant still wilts, then vine weevils could be to blame. Check the corm to see if it’s infested with white, maggot-like grubs about 9mm long. They can quickly eat their way through the corm, often severing the plant just below soil level. Plants with severe damage are best discarded, along with the compost. If damage is restricted to a few roots, tease out the roots and wash them carefully to make sure no grubs remain. Repot in fresh compost. Keep an eye out for adult vine weevils and destroy them.
Secrets of success with indoor cyclamen
- Cyclamen need cool conditions to thrive – an unheated porch or conservatory are the best places – as they will quickly turn yellow in warm, centrally heated rooms.
- Place in a well-lit spot out of direct sunlight and away from radiators.
- Remove faded flowers by twisting the stem and giving a sharp pull.