Does the cyclamen bloom also in summer? A simple question, but the answer may surprise you: the flowering of the cyclamen is not as obvious as you think. What if it was possible to see it blossom even in the hottest months?
There is something curious in thinking about the cyclamen while the sun breaks out the stones. Usually you imagine it in the cold months, on a somewhat mocked windowsill, near the glass. But perhaps it is appropriate to question this idea. Because mother nature loves to confuse cards on the table.
Some cyclamen, if put in the right conditions, manage to flourish even when you don’t expect it. And no, it’s not magic. Just a combination of robust varieties, a little observation and a pinch of luck. Those who have a minimum of confidence with plants senses it immediately: not all follow the same script. It is really worth trying. Why basically, what satisfaction is there to see a flower blossom when everyone expects them to do it?
The cyclamen and the myth of winter
It is often repeated: Cyclamen is a cold plant. And it’s true, for many varieties. They stand out just when autumn begins to be felt and winter is around the corner. But not all species bend to this cliché. There are varieties that live a slightly more independent life outside the box. The Cyclamen purpurascensfor example, or the Cyclamen hederifolium:: they come forward right at the end of the summer, when nobody expects them. They sprout in the middle of the green now cooked by the heat, with an almost impertinent lightness.
These are plants that do not ask for too much. Shadow, a little air and no stress. If in July a cyclamen seems to be off, it could only be on pause. A bit like us, who sometimes we need to detach and then return with more energy. Each plant adapts to its own way: it changes with the environment, with water, with light. It is a game of balance. But when you find the right combination, even a cyclamen can do the impossible.
How to make the cyclamen flourish in the summer
Asking a cyclamen to flourish in the summer is not like asking for the moon. It requires patience, yes, but it is one of those green challenges that repay.
The first step is simple: observe it. Each cyclamen has its own character. Most leaves, too dry land, turned out colors … they are small signals, which they put together they tell how it is. And then there is hot stress: a silent enemy, but always lurking.
You don’t need a high-tech greenhouse. A balcony in the shade is enough, a sheltered corner, a little more attention on torrid days. And some precautions that, over time, becomes automatic:
- Fresh and shaded location: no direct sun, especially at noon. Better a kind light, perhaps filtered by a light tent.
- Careful irrigation: not too much, not little. The water must be dosed as if it were a delicate ingredient. Better a little at a time than to flood everything.
- Land renewed at the right time: If the plant is resting, it is the good opportunity to give it new lymph. A more airy vase, a fresh soil.
- Targeted fertilizer: phosphorus and potassium are like an energy breakfast. No excesses, only the necessary to give the right push.
- Eye to the leaves: They are the cyclamen thermometer. If they change appearance, there is something to fix.
There are those who say that lowering the night temperature a little and reducing exposure to light functions. A kind of “spring on command”. A trick from expert gardeners, but easy to replicate at home.
The varieties that also surprise in summer
Some cyclamen seem to be made on purpose to upset expectations. The Cyclamen hederifoliumfor example, snorts when the others surrender. The Greek Cyclamen – As the name suggests – comes from Terre hot, and the sun knows it well. Then there is the Cyclamen amazingwith those striated leaves that seem hand -painted.
They are not the classic Christmas nursery cyclamen. These are character. They resist where others give up. Perfect for those with fiery terraces, stony gardens or simply wanting something different.
After all, it is not written anywhere that the cyclamen should only live in winter. And perhaps for this reason, when he decides to flourish in summer, he does it with even more authentic beauty.
It is worth leaving him a space between seasonal plants, even just to see what happens.
Maybe he won’t do fireworks, but that flower that appears when nobody expects him … well, that is that he leaves his mark.
Photo © Stock.adobe
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