How to Water Cyclamen Plants

Cyclamens are beautiful flowering plants with round green leaves and long flower stalks that sprout up from the center of the foliage. 

If you’re wondering how often you need to water your cyclamen, that’s going to depend on the temperature, location of the plant and the type of soil.

In this article I’ll share my tips for watering cyclamen plants to ensure that your plants stay healthy and happy for many years.

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watering cyclamen plants

Cyclamens grow best in high quality, easily draining potting soil, so that the soil doesn’t become waterlogged.

If you’re potting up a new cyclamen plant, ensure that the container has a few drainage holes in the bottom to allow the excess water to drain out.

How to water cyclamen plants

Cyclamens don’t like getting their leaves wet so the best way to water cyclamens is to place the plant in a large bowl or in the bathtub with a few inches of water.

This is a technique known as bottom watering.

Leave the plants to soak for an hour or two to allow the soil to absorb as much water as it needs.

Watering cyclamen plants from the bottom also encourages the roots to grow down towards the bottom of the pot.

You can also water cyclamens using a watering can with a narrow spout as long as you take care to avoid wetting the leaves.

Give the plants a thorough watering about once a week and then allow the soil to dry out slightly before you water them again.

Use filtered or rain water if it’s available.

You can also add some liquid fertilizer to the water every two weeks during the active growth phase.

pink cyclamen plant

How often to water cyclamens

It’s generally recommended that indoor cyclamen plants are watered once or twice weekly depending on the temperature.

Before watering, use your finger to check if the top layer of soil has dried out.

If the soil is still fairly moist, you can wait another day or two before watering again.

Overwatering

Cyclamen plants don’t like to be overwatered and the flowers will droop if they’re overwatered.

They can also be affected by crown rot if the soil stays waterlogged for too long.

How long can cyclamen plants live without watering?

Cyclamen plants can last for a couple of weeks without watering but they’ll be droopy and take a while to recover from the lack of water.

If you’re going on a long vacation you’ll need to ask someone to water your plants or repot the plant into a self-watering container so you can be assured that it won’t dry out while you’re away.

Tips

Cyclamens don’t like their leaves to be wet so avoid watering them from the top and don’t mist their leaves.

If the water sits on top of the soil and takes a long time to soak in, the plant may be root bound and need repotting.

Can you water cyclamens with tap water?

Ideally it’s best to use filtered or rain water for cyclamen and other house plants because they can be sensitive to chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals that are added to tap water.

If you only have access to tap water, let it stand in the watering can for a day or two to allow the chemicals to disperse.

Do cyclamens need watering while they’re dormant?

You can stop watering your cyclamen when the flowers have faded and the leaves are starting to turn yellow.

Cut the leaves back when they turn brown and place the plant in a cool, dark spot for about three months.

Don’t water the plant while it’s dormant.

After three months you can bring the plant out into the light and give it a thorough watering.

You’ll soon start to see new growth appearing.

cyclamen plant

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So there are my tips for watering cyclamen plants.

Cyclamens are beautiful houseplants and by watering them the right way you can ensure that they’ll rebloom and stay healthy for many years to come. 

Do you have any other watering tips for cyclamens? Let me know in the comments below.

Are you on Pinterest? I have boards dedicated to Indoor Gardens and House Plants that you may enjoy. You can also find me on Facebook.

watering cyclamen plants

Kelly Martin

Hi, I'm Kelly Martin, a landscape gardener and designer with over 10 years experience. I have a passion for small space gardening and I love designing and creating beautiful outdoor spaces that maximize the potential of small urban gardens. Read more

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