Wondering where the seeds will appear on my cyclamen?? are they in a pod?? when can i collect?? i read that it takes a while for the seeds to ripen?? my cyclamen are indoors so i cant just leave them for nature to take care of
I have never tried to save the seeds but was curious about the process a couple of years ago when I had some in the garden for the winter. The seeds are in a pod and I have read that hederifolium and other autumn blooming ones, take up to a year to ripen while repandum, and other spring bloomers take a shorter time. And it appears that they ripen on the plant in mid-summer no matter when they bloom. When the pods feel firm but with a little give to then when squeezed they are ready to pick off of the plant. You can put them in a warm place to finish ripening, they go from white when unripe to orange/brown when ripe. Then you can remove the seeds and save or replant.
I am pretty sure finding out about the long wait for blooms is one of the reasons I never bothered to save them and the fact that I had never started a plant from seed before
patience isn't really my strong point. i'll find a spot for them in the garden and if they self seed . . bonus!! :-D
Hmmm, I got some of these in the form of seeds and small corms/bulbs. I planted them outside in the garden, shaded area. I don't think 2 years is that long. I was willing to wait many years for some Magnolia grandiflora seeds to.... bloom. Not sure it's good/bad none of the seeds germinated
Cyclamen hederifolium seeds (outdoors in Britain) ripen in July (ish). You can tell when they are ready as the pod goes a bit papery and begins to split. You need to be quick as ants will soon take the seeds away. They are the main dispersion agents fro cyclamen as they love the sweet sticky coating on them. Soak the seeds over night in warm water with a tiny drop of liquid soap and sow fresh for best and quickest germination. I sow in normal seed sowing compost and cover the seeds lightly with grit. they do not need any heat and will germinate within days. Do not be in too big a hurry to prick out the tiny corms, they do better if left to get to about half an inch across, so thin sowing is better. OR. After soaking the seeds sprinkle them on a patch of gravel in the garden and leave them to it. Not sure what to do with C. hederifolium grown indoors. They are so hardy there is no need for that sort of protection here. Same advice applies to all Cyclamen by the way. Flowering can be had in as little as 16 months from sowing.
2 years is a mammoth time to wait in my opinion. it could be because my garden is so bare at the moment, i just want instant results. if my garden was already established i wouldn't mind throwing something in there i had to wait for as i'd have other things to concentrate on
