Cyclamen

finla

Hi, just wondering if anyone would know if you are meant to deadhead cyclamen. They're outside in a window box, doing well but some flowers are done. Thanks.

looksee

Yes, you can. If you catch then just as they have died off the stem will pull out of the corm quite easily, if you leave them longer the stem is inclined to go slimy. Or you can snip them off with scissors. Its really just for appearances, they look fresher with just live flowers. Sometimes one develops seed heads, you can leave it or snip it as you prefer. Presumably if you leave it the plant will decide its flowering days are over, so you may wish to snip it. The seeds may or may not germinate (I have never found it a valuable way of propagating cyclamen!)

standardg60

Deadheading cyclamen is very much advised if you want them to continue flowering.
But it's also important how it's done because as looksee says if you just snip the flower head off the stem rots and can turn the rest of the plant to mush.
What you do is roll the stem between your fingers to twist it off, it will then detach right at the base.

New Home

If it's of any use to you, those seed heads can produce lots of new plants. I found that the secret is to leave them on the plant until they burst open, even better if you let them curl up into themselves (they "plant" themselves into the soil) and transplant them only when they're as big as a child's fingernail and have developed a leaf or two.

The seed heads will cause the parent plant to stop flowering, though.

loco-colo

Got some lovely Super Series Cyclamen - They are a bit larger than others I had - Will be interesting to see how they go - I always follow the stem down to the base with my fingers without even looking and then twist out when deadheading.