how to germinate cyclamen seeds Part 1

gardening demo

[@a.topher1195]

Sounded like I was watching a Gordon Ramsay cookoff

[@melissaa5199]

Thank you for your videos and advice! I just transplanted my baby cyclamen today and they are thriving! Was very rewarding germinating and growing from seed. 🎉

[@akramabuf9224]

Thank u, it was very helpful. I propagated lots

[@pinkelephants1421]

Hi Robbie. Just looked up your nusery's website. I wouldn't worry too much about whether or not it looks as professional as you might wish. Personally I was completely charmed by your informal use of language and your photography is just fine. The whole ensemble leaves website visitors with a wonderful sense of warmth and genuinity rarely found elsewhere; i.e. what you see is what you get. COOL!! Don't change a thing. 👌👌👌 I did note however that you may be being over generous with the pricing of your cyclamen seeds on eBay. That's an awful lot of seeds for such a low low price. The main reason I started growing my own cyclamen from seed was because in previous years the average price for a packet of TEN seeds was £4-00...... & of course I was far far too mean to pay those prices. You could cut the quantity in half & STILL be uber cheap. I discovered something completely new today. There's a cyclamen that has YELLOW flowers. Probably a Persicum type & not hardy but how cool is that? Never knew about a yellow flowered variety. Discovered it being sold as seeds & as live plants on Amazon and eBay. As someone who has a chronic case of Triffid Mania I thought you might find that tidbit interesting. 🌷

[@gailmitchell7170]

Thankyou from Rotorua ,NZ

[@dwreds01]

Thanks, Robbie, great information and explanations. Looking forward to parts 2 and 3 and giving this a crack in Australia.

[@louisbuchetto8303]

Excellent... Thank you

[@dw2624]

Brilliant explanation! Thank you. :)

[@atremblay4056]

Glad u found this. These are one of my favorite plants. I just found one of the seed pods but didn't know what it was. Now I've excited

[@trixietracey14]

So glad I checked this video - now I'm excited to give it a go. Would never have known about the goo, thanks!

[@thessak4056]

Most useful information that I've found on KZbin so far. Thank you very much!

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Thanks Theodora, it’s my pleasure, just trying to show how easy it all is really. All the best of luck Robbie 🌻

[@wendyrual7179]

Am catching up on your videos Robbie 👍 I've never noticed those springy things with the seed before! Well I never! Ha! & the ants take off with them, I've got a few new cyclamen that's come up.....now I know how! Thanks! I loved your laugh in this video 😄💕💕

[@lizbmusic11]

Lovely to find you. I've just cut seed pods from my cyclamen. We've had constant rain last few days and suddenly they're all seeding. It's early spring in NZ

[@MOJUSA]

Good tips.thank you for sharing Sir.God bless

[@-kattya-]

very helpful, thank you! I love your enthusiasm 😊

[@sukmayalimboo1314]

So beautiful flowers 👍🙏

[@lilisiska4702]

I love the patient and the respect you give for the plants. I think this is, what I try to do too. I get a cyclamen for my birthday, and now I'm so exciting about the seeds, and everything else about germinating the cyclamen etc...Thank you for all your videos!!

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Siska Lili it’s my pleasure, thank you for your kind words, Robbie 🌻

[@grahamthomas6283]

GT videos and information thanks for your time 🐞🐦👍

[@Vzroslye_Neposedy.]

Your flowers are so beautiful. Thank you.

[@tuamordelavida436]

My grandmother gave me all the seeds of one capsule of cyclamen like it's some kind of treasure. She was really excited but I could not make the seeds germinate, I thought that maybe because i am in a hot tropical country without seasons they will never germinate because i had read that the seeds need cold for finish the latency but i try this method and it worked. Thank you very much !!! :)

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

My pleasure, they really are magical plants to grow. Where are you in the world Can Cancion?

[@user-jv9qz2bu1r]

my favorite plant - were have a Fall blooming variety in the Puget Sound area of Washington state. Subbed.

[@b.carrie837]

I am going to try it out this weekend! 🤞

[@user-yx7dp2pl8t]

Place is a gardeners dream, thanks for the vid

[@marshamasneh2611]

Great tips, thank you so much.

[@susantocchini6232]

Terrific videos thankyou for all the information

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Susan Tocchini it’s my pleasure, just trying to fill the world with flowers, all the best Robbie

[@madooly]

Just got a plant and really like the video and really find it informative, and makes me want to get more plants

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

madooly growing thanks for watching and so pleased to have sparked your enthusiasm. Very addictive hobby growing cyclamen but so rewarding, Best of luck Robbie 🌻

[@emmafraid5577]

Useful info and great storytelling haha, subbed. Would this be the same for other varieties like Cyclamen Persicum? Cyclamens are so stunning, they remind me of rainy days in the forest as it grew wild in the med 😊

[@majaber1]

Lovely simple direct clear tips...thanks have subscribed.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

berniew1 thanks for the sub. The vids were my kids idea a couple of years ago, I just want to show how easy it all is. Must admit I’m astonished by how many people watch! All the best Robbie 🌻

[@endive4]

After watching your video we did this almost a year ago and we now have trays of C. hederifolium for the park I work in on the way. Trying to keep the seedlings in growth for as long as possible. Apparently first year seedlings will not go dormant in their first year if kept moist.

[@user-yx7dp2pl8t]

The spring thing still cool!

[@wendychandler8304]

Great stuff - how do people work out these mysteries I wonder. (I wanted to see you fly down the garden and spit the seeds out!! )

[@kennethreister7619]

Thanks for the tip about the hormone coating. I haven't heard that from other folks, but it sounds logical. This should help me with the 1000+ Hederifolium seeds I've collected from my plants. Do not apologize for providing technical information. How else is knowledge passed on or interest stimulated?

[@ashtonalex3813]

i know I'm kind of randomly asking but does anyone know a good place to watch new movies online ?

[@kynggregory1936]

@Ashton Alex Flixportal :)

[@ashtonalex3813]

@Kyng Gregory Thanks, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :) I really appreciate it !

[@kynggregory1936]

@Ashton Alex happy to help :)

[@453421abcdefg12345]

At what point are the seeds ready to sow? My seed pods are still on the plant but have not yet split, or dried out, do the seed pods need to dry out before you take the seed, mine have been flowering since last October without going over, but they are on a cool window sill, they seem to have both seed pods and flowers. Chris B.

[@jamessharp4615]

Don’t apologise for sharing knowledge.... it’s my first adventure with growing own cyclamen from my own plants.... so thank for informative n fun videos.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

James Sharp it’s my pleasure, glad to be of help, all the best Robbie

[@Andy_Babb]

Do you have to wait for the seed pod to curl back? I have been pulling them off once the flower looks poor… also the heads do NOT look anywhere near the size of what you showed. They’re more the size of like a large BB or small marble

[@andrelin4345]

delightful

[@byambasurenzorigt8057]

I LOVE CYCLAMIN

[@ikswej]

Don't ever stop rambling, l have sown lots of cyclamen seeds and wondered why they never came up. Now l know. Going to use your method today as l have hundreds of saved seeds.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

All the very best of luck ikswej, they germinate well at this time of year, you should have some sprouting soon🌻

[@kennethreister7619]

I find that a little spritz with NEEM OIL keeps mold from growing on the seeds while they are in the germination process. Thanks for your education.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Kenneth Reister, I was unaware of Neem oil. I just googled it. Thank you for the education! I will give it a go. All the best Robbie 🌻

[@tiferetsarid6901]

I like where you say, " if you are not interested in this then stop watching." said so nicely. I am interested!!! I have my seed pods all ready and just need to know what to do with them.

[@nadimahbogart2705]

I’ve fallen in love with these things as well, I’m not a fan of flowers but those striking leaf patterns really enchant me. I was wondering if there’s any tricks to getting the leaves bigger? Would taking the flowers off have any effect do you think? And what happens if they never go dormant will it do any harm?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Nadimah Bogart, removing the flowers will definitely channel more energy into leaf growth. To make the leaves grow bigger maybe a bit more tricky. I have found that with my cyclamen the leaves seem to get larger when they are potted up into bigger pots and given nutrients. Some of the cyclamen persicum (the indoor variety) don’t seem to go completely dormant, it’s probably because they have been bred over many generations to grow quickly so are quite a long way from their natural ancestors. Saying this I know that if they are happy they can live for many years. Just water less in summer. I hope this helps Robbie 🌻

[@zarakhan9731]

i bought this plant it was soo pink n in one day they trun white..idnt know y

[@emzraven666]

Just found your video as I was thinking of growing the seeds. I have 2 cyclamen and only one has ever had seed pods. Only really get one seed pod at a time. The cyclamen it comes off I have had for 11 years. I will try and propagate this year. The seed pod it grows has never been on a spring like stem. Just grows straight up and as it ripens starts to droop. Does that mean it's a different variety to what you grow? Also, how often and how long do they usually go dormant? Usually both of mine flower for a really long time then die off but start growing again almost straight away. Last year both had gone dorment for a few months. I thought maybe they had died and they eventually started to sprout again. This year I've had the most flowers on them than ever before. I have to admit I very nearly gave up on them. I was repotting all my succulents so decided to do those as well and that was when I noticed one start to sprout again. The other hadn't but after a month or so of repotting them the other one started to sprout. So glad I didn't give up on the second one! I bought both them when they looked like they were dying, the tubers were shrivelled up etc but managed to bring them back. Apart from my succulents they are my favourites.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Emma Raven, it sounds like you have a couple of cyclamen persicum there. They are the house plant variety that has been bred for 70-80 years now. The main aim of this breeding has been to produce plants that grow from seed to a flowering plant as quickly as possible. It’s been very successful, I grow the natural form of the species and they take 3 years from seed to flower. The bred varieties take only 7 months! They have also been bred to flower for long periods, almost ignoring the natural need to rest. I have found that over the years they seem to slip back to a more natural cycle, going dormant for a few weeks in summer. The fact that you have kept them alive for so many years shows you are doing everything right! The seed pods on persicum don’t curl like most cyclamen varieties so that’s quite normal. You may only be getting a few seed pods because the flowers are not being pollinated, this is usually done by small hover flys, try doing it by hand. When they are in full bloom have a look in the flowers and see if you have pollen, at the right time in the flower’s life you can tap them and see yellow pollen falling. With a small paint brush you can transfer pollen from one flower to another, it’s just a case of getting pollen onto the female part of the flower, I think I did a vid about it. I definitely did a vid about breeding hellebores, same principle applies. I hope this has been of some help and best of luck with creating your own baby cyclamen, try crossing your plants and see what you get. If you can’t find the answer to any of your questions in my vids please feel free to message. Just a quick word of warning though, growing cyclamen from seed can be very addictive, it sounds like succulents have already caught your imagination so cyclamen from seed may do the same! All the very best Robbie 🌻

[@jeevankhadka4745]

Hello Stinky Ditch Nursery im very grateful to your video and because of this valuable information im able to grow cyclamen at home. i have a querry that does it produce different colour offspring? i have light pink flowering parent plant and it have sweet fragrance too and offspring are giving different colouring flowers.... its amazing experience for me... and i would like to keep this plant for my whole life... once again thanks a lot for such amazing informative video.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Jeevan, nature is the most fascinating of things to watch unfold, if you have the patience. The mother plant you have maybe a bred F1 plant, it may have a specific mother and father but it’s own offspring may be different again if it pollinated by it’s own flowers. It’s all in the genes, sometimes even with carful breeding a gene can pop up that has been dormant for many generations and produce a flower never seen before, try as we might the plants have their own plans. All the very best of luck Robbie 🌻

[@jeevankhadka4745]

Dear Robbie Thank you very very much.... all this came as because of your video... Keep rocking

[@rana8440]

Thank you so much

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

R Tanti it’s my pleasure 🌻

[@btcorvus]

I’m about 3 days short of 2 weeks and I’m not noticing any sprouts, should I be worried

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi btcorvus, sorry for the late reply, please don’t worry about your cyclamen seeds, they really do set their own agenda. Sometimes they take a couple of weeks to start sprouting, sometimes a few months. Just keep checking them once a week, so long as they are damp and at a pretty constant temperature they will sprout in the end. Patient is all you need really. A few years ago I became a bit frustrated by how long some seeds were taking to germinate, I consulted the lady that taught me how to grow these beauties and all she could say was ‘they will germinate when they are good and ready and not before!’ It’s a waiting game to get them started but well worth it in the end. So, worry not, they will sprout in the end! I hope this helps Robbie 🌻

[@JkrJolt]

Thank you for the informative video. I just cut off the seeds from my Cyclamen because it dried out and went in hibernation. It is spring here in the beginning of May but it's quite cloudy and rainy this year. I took the plant off my yard and saved the pot in order to grow back in Autumn. I followed the instructions with the seeds. Should I save them on the fridge or somewhere else? Is June the best time to plant them? Please help. 🙏

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

bee bee the best time to germinate cyclamen is when the seed is fresh, straight from the pod! I have done a video on how to germinate them that will give you a high success rate, the seeds need to be soaked etc. Hope this other video can help its on my channel, about 6mins long, all the best and thanks for watching Robbie 🌻

[@JkrJolt]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 Thank you so much. I have already sub and watch other informative videos too. I love cyclamen, I have three pink, deep red and white. I definitely want to have more. Thank you.

[@JkrJolt]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 pardon my dump question, but soaking for 24 hours must be done in fresh seeds too, or is this step necessary for dry seeds only. My seeds are fresh.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

bee bee the soaking is to get off the sticky stuff that stops the seed from germinating so even with fresh seeds it will give you a better germination rate than not soaking, hope this helps Robbie 🌻🌈🦄

[@JkrJolt]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 Thank you so much. I have already put them in a moist towel paper in the bag. Can't wait to see them sprout. 😊😊

[@sukmayalimboo1314]

From India

[@threeeyedraven9778]

Hi. Can you create videos about cyclamen propagating via corm division? There are not a lot of videos about this technique.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Threeeyed Raven, sorry for the late reply. I haven’t tried splitting corms before, all the advice I can find says that it works but except quite a few failures. I think the main problem is infection due to the wound caused by splitting. I’ll do a vid about it and see if we get any success, thanks for the idea, I really hope it works 😃 all the best and happy new year, Robbie 🌻

[@karlitobergkamp8082]

If my seeds look like they’re a bit dry in the bag in the airing cupboard after one week should I mist the kitchen roll they’re in and re-seal the bag?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Karlito Bergkamp yes, give them a good misting, reseal the bag and check again next week. 🌻

[@karlitobergkamp8082]

stinky ditch nursery thanks 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@ShahadetHossain786]

Hi, I bought 2 cyclamen plant in my house. I take care of them properly(light,temp.,water, fertilizer). But the flowers I'm getting are too small than the original bloom. Whenever I buy and bring it at home, flowers starts to become tiny. In Germany it's not too much hot outside.Can you please help me?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Shahadet Hossain there are a few different types of cyclamen, I’m guessing that the ones sold in Germany are the same as Britain (available from every supermarket and hardware store from late summer and through the winter) these are cyclamen ‘persicum’. They can’t take the cold and have been mass produced in ideal conditions. They are pumped with chemicals to make the flowers larger and more abundant and almost designed to die. They are grown to look good in the shop and at home for a few months. Cyclamen also have a natural cycle of rest where the leaf yellows and dies at the start of summer, the bulb sits waiting for the autumn, the mass produced ones quite often don’t know what time of year it is and just keep going until exhaustion. It’s not you, it’s the plants that are at fault! If you want plants that will come back each year (for over 20 years!) look for naturally grown cyclamen ‘hederfolium’ (autumn flower) or cyclamen ‘coum’ (winter flower) they are fully hardy taking a -15 C frost. Someone must be growing them in Germany, if you can’t find any I sell them on my website but I think the postage would too much. Or grow some from seed, it takes a couple of years to get a flower but well worth it, they almost become like pets that live for longer than a cat or dog! I hope this helps, if you want to grow some from seed and can’t find anyone selling in Germany just message me and I’ll work something out, all the best Robbie 🐞🦋

[@laurastout1827]

I planted some white seeds and the next generation was pink. Do you know why?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Laura Stout, it’s all in the genes. The seeds will have their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc, etc genes. Some genes are dominant, some dormant. To get cyclamen to come ‘true’ from seed can take many generations of just cross pollination between the plants that are the same as the parent’s , white flowers in this case. I find that after about 3 or 4 generations of careful cross breeding I get 90% coming true, but even then still having a 10% of surprises. Nature always likes to mix it up a bit, this is how plants and animals are able to adapt to new situations they find themselves in. We can try to nudge nature in the direction we want it to go but it always has its own agenda! I hope this answers your question, all the best Robbie 🌻

[@DanWilliamsKILLR0Y]

Do i have to wait for the pods to split to collect the seed? I found a cyclamen in my garden and the pods are very firm atm

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Dan Williams keep an eye on them, a daily check will do. A bit of a light squeeze to the pods. When the pods are ripe they loose their firmness becoming a bit squishy, I leave mine to pop by themselves and then scoop them up with a teaspoon, just need to get to them before the ants,etc. Hope this helps Robbie 🌻

[@DanWilliamsKILLR0Y]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 you're a star, i read that they like the dark so i potted it up and put it in the shed. For the pods to ripen does it need sun?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Dan Williams they like partial shade, so against an east, west or north facing wall, the shed will be a little too dark. In the wild they have mainly evolved under trees so as with all plants try and mimic their natural habitat and you can’t go far wrong. In pots drainage is key, corm rot is the main reason they fail. I’ve done a couple of vids on how to make a cyclamen compost mix if that helps. In summary, dappled shade and good drainage, I’m guessing it’s a hederfolium if it came out of your garden, just the seed pods on spring like tendrils. All the best of luck Robbie 🌻🐞

[@henrikhelmsmadsen445]

Do you place the bags in a place without daylight?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Henrik, yes , somewhere dark is best, dark, damp and a constant temperature works well. I hope this helps Robbie 🌻

[@henrikhelmsmadsen445]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 Thank You. 👍

[@seasons0123]

What's an airing cupboard??

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Angela, it's where the clothes dry, usually got the hot water tank in it. I'm in the UK and I've got one, but calling it the 'airing cupboard' maybe something I got of my mother! But all you need is a constant temperature really, that's the main factor. The back of a kitchen cupboard out if the sun may work also, you are trying to stop any sudden jumps or dips in temperature to get good germination. 🌼🏵️🌺🌸🌻Hopes helps all the best Robbie Phoenix

[@johnhummer265]

Yes, I never heard of one, .....and is all that wetness time imperative for cyclamen seed....n btw, my cyclamens stems after flowering do NOT curl up like a 'spring' you showed us on your plants, but the pod n seed are the same.........Hope Stinky Nusery will give us an answer about 'airing cupboard'!

[@jikoelewyn8147]

When you say plant in June does that mean summer? Im in Aus

[@jikoelewyn8147]

Oh your sainsbury bag and accent probably answers that!

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Ji Koelewyn, yes, I’m in the UK. This was one of the first vids I did several years ago. I had no idea it would get so many views, in my naivety I didn’t think people from all over the world would watch! I pay more attention to talking in seasons now, thanks for watching and best of luck Robbie 🌻

[@elbatissera5471]

Me nacieron hace 3 años pero no florecieron nunca, que les faltará

[@ktaarnia]

0:55 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@matwhite6481]

Never heard of a sicklamen!

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Matt White, they are slow growing but fascinating plants. Only small but can live for 100 years !! thanks for watching Robbie 🌻

[@amonglaimsong7729]

If I saw the seeds in the month of July will it be okay.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Amongla Imsong yes, any month of the year is fine 🌻🐞

[@amonglaimsong7729]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 actually I'm from India and it is a hot climate.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Amongla Imsong cyclamen grow naturally around the east side of the Mediterranean Sea, Greece, Turkey, etc so hot is what they like, I’ve had a lot of messages from India, cyclamen seem to be a popular plant to grow at the moment. Good luck and any questions please message me and I’ll try to help, all the best Robbie 🌻

[@amonglaimsong7729]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 thank you.

[@bhooryanuk08]

Hello brother I am from India please tell me seed germination temperature

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Deep Kumar, between 12C-18C works well but it’s more to do with a constant temperature.A dark place that stays at a level temperature is key, they can still take weeks or months to sprout so patience is required but worth it. hope this helps Robbie

[@nallelymejia2599]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 Once they are in the bag waiting to germinate, do you wet the napkin in between to keep them moist?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Nallely Mejia so long as the bag is sealed or folded so no water can escape just check them every couple of weeks to see if they have sprouted, they can take from a few weeks to a few months but when they do sprout they all do it at about the same time. Just keep checking them and wait, I do find this the best time of year to get them going though, best of luck Robbie 🌻

[@nallelymejia2599]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 Thank you! Love your videos!

[@taufikaagustian6400]

Can you send it to indonesia. Just one. I really want that. Help me please😁

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Taufika Agustian, I can send seeds to Indonesia and maybe dormant cyclamen in the summer when they are just corms, but live plants can get held up in customs and die. I’ll check with Indonesia government’s website and see what the rules are, all the best Robbie 🌻

[@taufikaagustian6400]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 thank you very much🙏🙏🙏🙏 Do you have an online shop

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

@@taufikaagustian6400 I have an online shop, I should have it up and running again soon, i wasn’t too well last summer so had to shut shop for a bit. It’s www.stinkyditchnursery.co.uk I’m hoping to get back up soon, all the very best Robbie 🌻

[@Moonstorms]

Can you not talk in months but talk in seasons August is spring in Australia

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Sorry Julie-Anne, I'm amazed people are watching me at all, let alone globally! Will be more aware of southern/northern hemispheres seasonal differences in future posts, thanks for the pointer. All the best Robbie

[@pinkelephants1421]

I get it. You're doing this to make a living so horticultural techniques might make sense but ignorance must be bliss. I've NEVER used any of these techniques because I'd never heard of them and yet I have hundreds of seedlings sown in the usual way that's common to most seeds, i.e. lightly cover & lightly H20, allow to drain excess, placed (these being Cyclamen) in a cool shady spot and that's it. Just come back in 3-4 weeks & keep checking on progress, then take it from there. No washing, soaking or anything. Just covered with whatever you've got to hand to keep the furry four pawed frauds from using the tray as their own personal private outdoor loo. Might save you some time given that running a commercial nursery is very busy. I've got Hederifolium & Coum varieties with no difference in treatment. Oh & before I forget, mine weren't sown fresh. They were dried out like yours in the video.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Peter S it sounds like these little beauties have caught your imagination as much as mine! They are truly the most addictive plant I grown. The sticky hormone covering the seed encouraging ants and wasps to move them about and it’s germination inhibitor that ensures rain has come before cells start to split is the most elegant peace of nature. I was taught my germination technique by the previous proprietor of my nursery, she has been retired for some time now but grew cyclamen for many decades. She continues to feed me with knowledge that I can’t find in any books. You are right, just sow the seeds and they will grow, this is how cyclamen have been doing it for thousands of years without human intervention and got on fine! I start the seeds off in the airing cupboard to give them a head start, I grow a thousand or so every month and it helps me to keep track of what’s happening underground (even after they have sprouted they can take a few months for the first leaf to appear) As they can live for up to 100 years you really feel like you are playing a part in a the much bigger picture of nature. I must admit I do find it hard to sell my older plants, after a few years they become so familiar it’s like selling a pet a you have had for 5 years!! Please forgive me if you already know but if you are planting hederfolium and coums don’t mix them together, it makes sense for a longer flowering period but the hederfolium will eventually overwhelm the coums. Planting in patches a meter apart works, or mixing in some cilicium with the coums. Must work now, getting the next generation of coums going and choosing which of my hellebores are to become this years parents. All the very best and thanks for watching Robbie 🌻

[@pinkelephants1421]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 Hi Robbie. Really enjoyed hearing from you. I already knew about the sticky hormone covering/natural dispersal methods from an item on Gardener's World some years ago. A couple were featured that had a sloping woodland area planted with Cyclamen. They'd developed a colony by digging up the seedlings & spreading them around. What a lucky bloke you are to have such a lovely & valuable source of information. She sounds as though very much like the keen amateur gardeners I encounter - plenty of generous, kindly meant, helpful but unsolicited advice; except of course she has the benefit of plenty of professional experience. 😀😀😀 BUT a THOUSAND a month. YIKES!!! The mere thought of that just makes my head hurt!!! 😵😵😵😱😱😱 I can easily understand why you find it so hard to sell the mature ones. So much patience goes into getting them to that stage. Thanks for the tip about not mixing the two species but this is definitely where the term AMATEUR comes in as I didn't know & just merrily sowed everything together willy nilly. So I'm afraid it's too late. I've only ever encountered Hederifolium & Coum but you've mentioned Cilicium, so as we've been talking about hardy varieties, I presume they're also outdoor UK hardy. ? to what extent. Good luck with your Hellebores. I always used to wonder why they were so expensive in garden centres - that is until I started propagating my own. The sheer length of time from seed to flowering feels like an epoch! Well worth it but for a commercial entity, they're definitely going to want to 🐝 adequately compensated.🐝🌷🌻🍃🌳☀️

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Peter, cyclamen cilicium are fully hardy in the uk. The leaves are similar to coums and they have the same growing rate so work well together. They flower September-November giving a display before the coums kick off. They have the most delightful scent that I have found to be stronger in the evening. Currently there are 24 species of cyclamen with masses of varieties within each species, different colour flowers and leaves. The ones that are widely available in every supermarket over the winter are all bred from cyclamen persicum, a tender variety, it’s almost as if the retailer wants them to perish so you come back next year and buy some more! Your hederfolium and coums mixed together will end up as just hederfoliums after a few years if left as they are. I know how much time and care it takes to get to where you are with them and it would be such a shame to loose all your coums. To keep them going for many decades you can mark where they are somehow towards the start of summer and lift them whilst dormant. They can be moved without a problem to form a few patches just hederfolium or coum under the trees. These patches will grow and maybe overlap but the coums will not get swamped by the brutish heders! Hope this helps, all the best Robbie

[@pinkelephants1421]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 So very kind & generous of you to get back to me as I realise that you're very busy. I totally agree that you're not wrong about garden centres stocking Cyclamen Persicum wanting to sell you the same varieties year after year. Still, if you're a crafty & tight ( as am I) gardener, if you have a frost free greenhouse or cool conservatory they'll be with you for many years. Normally in the past I've always avoided buying Persicum as I didn't have the correct overwintering facilities but this year I've finally been able to get myself a proper greenhouse. Happened to poke my nose in there the other day only to find that they're still flowering despite being @ the bottom of the greenhouse in the shadiest position. Ironically global warming has meant that I might have gotten away with leaving them outside for me to enjoy them fully as here in Sth Wales we haven't had a true winter this gardening year. Normally in this area if you haven't completed planting by the end of the 2nd week of December, well, that's just tough as the ground is frozen for the next 3 - 3½ months. But worryingly my Spring bulbs are regularly starting to come into leaf mid to late November, clematis (not the winter varieties) are budding in January, & it's not unknown to see the odd daffodil in flower in January also. This year a lady told me her geraniums & some other of her bedding plants have continued to do well as have some of mine & I noticed a neighbour's geranium is also flourishing. Those who say manmade climate change isn't real or that it's years away wouldn't recognise a gigantic pimple on the end of their noses. I'll gratefully take your advice about growing Cyclamen Cilicium & thanks again. Have a great growing year. 😀🌷🌻😀