Growing hardy cyclamen
C. hederifolium is a hardy robust plant. It will grow under a large range of conditions but in the wild it is essentially a woodland plant. It will tolerate full sun and heavy shade but seems most happy in partial to light shade like that found in a woodland. In that setting it will tend to naturalize rather better. Dappled or part shade will provide self-sown seedlings a longer growing season before the heat of the summer season induces them to go dormant.
In it's summer dormancy it can survive nicely in even very hot sunny spots. It seems a cool night or two is needed to break that dormancy and bloom, so it will not grow well in tropical areas like south Florida. It easily survives low winter temperatures, and grows quite happily where the winter temperatures have reached as low as -28 ºC (-19ºF).The literature lists zones 1-9 as it's growing area. It will also grow in pots under glass.
Like a woodland plant, it prefers the open leaf-mouldy soil. It will tolerate a reasonably acid or alkaline soil and like most plants it likes a free draining soil. Whether dormant or in leaf, the tuber is planted in the same manner, it should be placed in the soil with the top at the surface to 1/2 inch deep. It is important to plant the dormant corms right side up.
An examination of the top side of the tuber reveals a small rough area in the center, where roots and stems sprout from, while the bottom is round and very smooth.
The proper distance to place them depends on the size of the corm and how long they will remain in place. Undisturbed, leave one foot between each corm.
Fertilizing isn't necessary but a light application of raw bone meal worked into the topsoil is beneficial. If you do wish to fertilize after the plant is established, small, light applications of liquid preparations to the foliage in fall might be the best method. When the leaves die down and dormancy begins it is helpful to cover with an inch of leaf mould, compost or fine mulch.
The plants should be kept moderately moist during the growing season and enough moisture applied during dormancy to keep the soil in a loose condition. I find there isn't any maintenance required of these fine plants. The leaves die down and fall off with so little remaining it isn't necessary to clean up. Raking should be avoided as it could cause damage to the shallow corm. If left alone to seed freely a sizable colony will form in just a few years.
Pests and disease are rare. I have found slugs and snails may take a bite but generally leave them alone. The only pest I know of is the grub of the black vine weevil. The adults avoid the foliage so there isn't any telltale notches in the leaves to alert you to their presence. They are usually only a problem if you are planting them in an area that is infested with them. The grubs bore into the tuber and cause their damage. The best remedy is an application of beneficial nematodes, Nemasys H, to the soil in fall and spring. Both pests are abundant here in western Oregon and neither have been a problem for me.
