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Bulbs/Hardy cyclamen bulbs

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Expert: Long Island Gardener - 6/14/2008


Question
Hi, I live in NJ (zone 6), and I ordered hardy cyclamen bulbs online late May.  I immediately planted them into my flower bed, but I have yet to see any growth.  My other bulbs (lilies, ferns, spiderworts) are already coming out of the ground.  Should I expect any growth this spring, or should I get a refund?  Thanks!

Answer
These plants are Autumn or late Summer bloomers, not Spring or Summer.  Here's what Garden Genius Ed Hume says about these hardy bulbs on his website:

'Hardy Cyclamen are a nice addition to the autumn garden, providing a spot of color at a time when there is not much flowering in the garden.  The unusual shooting-star-like flowers begin appearing during the Autumn months of September, October and November.  A few species flower earlier and others into the months of January and February.'

See the whole rap sheet at:

www.humeseeds.com/efcycl.htm

Plant the tubers just under the surface of the Soil, as you would Dahlias.  Of course, this is not to say your Cyclamen will survive.  Much depends on where you purchased the Bulbs from.  If they still don't appear, don't be too sure it isn't hungry neighborhood squirrels looking for a free meal.

L.I.G.  

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Expertise

Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.

Experience

Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.

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