Cyclamen persicum and its hybrids are also known by the name florist's cyclamen. They are unusual plants with dark green or variegated, heart-shaped foliage and butterfly-like flowers in colors ranging from white to light pink, lavender, hot pink and purple. Native to rocky, Mediterranean soils, Cyclamen persicum is a tender plant appropriate only as a houseplant in our area. One of its greatest charms is its winter-flowering habit.
While these plants are often kept only for one season of bloom, that season can be extended (up to about three months) with good care and, though challenging to accomplish, the plants can re-bloom in later winters. Buying a plant full of buds, early in its growth cycle and keeping it in a cool and humid position away from strong direct light will increase your chances of success. Learning the technique of watering from below to avoid rotting of the half-exposed tuber is an important trick.
Bright light all day but away from direct sunlight is ideal as long as the exposure is not too hot. An east-facing window or further from the window in a south-facing room usually work well.
Cyclamen dislike both wet and dry soil and both will cause leaves to yellow. If possible, water cyclamen from below, as the corm-like tubers are partly exposed and can easily become waterlogged. Do this by setting potted plants in a shallow, water-filled bowl. After about 15 minutes take the plant out of the bowl and let it drain. Do not keep this plant in a saucer filled with water or the soil will stay excessively wet. If you need to water from above, water as close to the edge of the rim of the pot as possible; this will avoid any accumulation of water in the center of the plant.
Let the top of the soil dry to the touch before watering again. If the top of the soil is still damp, wait to water.
Cyclamen grows best when temperatures can be kept cool during the day, between 55º and 65º F. with a temperature dip to 50º and 55º F. at night. Short lived cyclamen are often the result of warm growing conditions. Keep the plant away from heat vents.
A relative humidity above 50% is preferred to successfully grow cyclamen. Provide additional humidity by standing plants on shallow trays filled with moistened pebbles and/or using a humidifier. This stable air moisture will improve the longevity of cyclamen flowers.
Fertilize every two weeks with a water soluble, high phosphorous, liquid fertilizer after the dormant period is over.
In their native habitat, Cyclamen persicum experience a dry summer season in which they become dormant. In your home, your plant will do the same and may resume growth in late summer if you support its dormancy. Timing is late spring but will vary with the conditions in which the plant is grown. It can be difficult to bring the plant back to the healthy growth of the previous year because growing conditions in the home are often inferior to those of a nursery setting and the tuber has less energy stored in it as a result.
When a cyclamen has finished flowering and the leaves show signs of yellowing, reduce the water given gradually over several weeks. Leaves will turn yellow and when leaves are all yellow, water can be stopped. Remove all leaves gently from the tuber after they have dried. Keep the plant, in its pot, in a cool (about 50º F.), dry location. (Alternatively, remove the tuber, clean and dry it, and store it in vermiculite.) In late summer, after a 6-to-8-week rest, the plant will resume growth. (If you do not see signs of growth after 8 weeks, bring the plant back to an area where temperatures are in the 55º and 65º F. range to see if it will stimulate regrowth.)
Repot the tuber, in a fresh potting soil, burying the tubers halfway. Bring the plant back to its position of bright but indirect light in a cool room. Water only lightly until there are enough leaves to photosynthesize effectively.
Yellowing leaves may indicate too little sun, too warm a location or either too much or too little water. Leaves also become yellow gradually in late spring as the plant enters dormancy. Scorched leaves indicate that the sun is too strong.
Remove the flower and its stem after it fades and droops. Cut off any yellowed leaves.
Buds fail to develop into flowers in a room that is above the indicated temperature range.
Always select plants with the most buds, as the blooming cycles will last longer.
In warm, dry, indoor environments, cyclamen can be attacked by cyclamen mites. Be sure to keep the night temperatures as cool as possible and provide extra humidity.
The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual by 
The Propagation Handbook by 
Not Another Jungle by 
The Unexpected Houseplant by 
