Raoul showed us around cyclamen collection. Some are woodland types and some like it drier. They can be distinguished roughly by leaf shape but these are very variable in patterns in the same species, flower shape, size and markings (which are all distinctive at the base) can help with identification, also coum difference and time of flowering.
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| Photo 1: Cyclamen hederifolium var. confusium |
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| Photo 2: Cyclamen mirabile |
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| Photo 3: Cyclamen coum types - almost rounded heart shape - Raoul scattered seeds in this bed and the leaf patterns are all different. |
Most Cyclamen according to Raoul don't suffer from drought and go dormant in summer. All of them even tender ones are grown outside at Kew. Likes a lot of grit in their soil mix - 50% of this and 50% J. Innes no. 2. C. africanum can take more water than C. hederifolium. C. balearicum is spring flowering. C. africanum flowers first - if they have water they will grow leaves - likes to be on the dry side. C. graecum & C. rohlsianum too are also drier ones that are watered every fortnight - the corms of the latter are irregular and split, they flower 3 times a year. There are also C. x wellensiekii & C. libanoticum. C. persicum needs more nutrients and water even though drought tolerant - this is more an indoor one here. C. africanum, C. persicum and C. hederifolium are watered once a week this time of year.
Garden centre ones are all tetraploids ones derived from C. persicum, sometimes C. africanum - the latter hybridises readily with C. hederifolium. Usually they are diploids. C. purpurescens is one of the ones scented - it is evergreen and should be watered regularly, this and C. colchicum - also another evergreen one. There is a flowering Cyclamen for every month of the year. C. mirabile is also scented - smells of coconut. C. cilium smells of vanilla. It is better when they're indoors to water them at the base and not on the leaves. Late May and June is when seeds are ripe for many of them. C. parviflorum likes it very cold. It is best to feed them fish, blood and bone. Woodland ones are usually found in beech based forests, where the leaf mould is a good growing medium and provides cover for summer scattering seeds. To propagate by seed in situ is best - they can then adjust themselves to the site and are good on slopes where they can get adequate drainage.
Good outdoor types are also C. repandum and and C. pseudibericum. C. coum like full sun. Remove leaves from outdoor types to help them along.
Then we helped tweezer out leaves and flowers that have passed over - they are very prone to Botrytis cinerea at this time of year - signs of this was already showing almost immediately after this has passed, so this helps prevent this from spreading further and getting worse.
Raoul also looks after or did the Lewisia collection - winter and summer are the resting seasons for these - they are good plants for cracks in walls.
Sarah left Hepatica watering and planting info (she's on work experience next week).