Does anybody grow these inground? BTW, Lowes (at least my Lowe's) had some on special for $2.97. I bought 3 and put in a basket. But I would really like to plant them inground.
Your input will be greatly appreciated, as always.
Cyclamens in Houston
Every fall we put these in and then, as with all annuals, we take them out when they get ugly. Always in the ground. Personally, I have learned that here we don't really want to put things in pots unless we want to constantly be watering. But if you want to fuss or to put them where there is not ground then by all means put them in pots. Depends on how much trouble you want to go to.
Ann
Ann, I want to plant them inground. are yours in full sun? near water source? Mine fade to nothing after a while (when it gets really hot), but recently I found one in an old pot with a couple of leaves. I suspect cyclamen would return if planted inground. That is why I am asking if anybody treats them as perennials in Houston. Like you, I treat them as annuals, but it kills me because I think they are so expensive.
This hanging basket I will leave as is, since it is close to the hose and not too much of a hassle.
I have nothing but sun here at this newer house but we were told to plant them where they would get morn. sun and aft. shade. I didn't notice that they needed extra water when they were in the ground but mostly I have a sprinkler system wherever I live so......? I have heard tell that they do come back. But I have also heard that tulips come back (yeah, but they don't bloom well). Things that are just annuals in this area sometimes cost quite a few $$ and that can cover, besides the 2 mentioned above, things like mandevilla. Good luck, whatever you do.
Ann
tulips, mandevillas, I lost those battles a looooong time ago. thanks for your help.
I see we are on the same losing page.....
Ann
I dig my Mandevillas up and put in a pot and store in my garage with my Plumerias..just let them go totally dormant and don't water...then plant back out in Spring and they come back to life...Jeanne
I guess I could put mandevillas in pots and then sink the pots. I hate to plant and then repot. Back breaking work.
Ann
Ann..I use to just sink my potted Mandevillas too..this was the first year I took them out of the pots and Planted....So we shall see how this works..seems they grow better in the ground for me ...My neighbor has HUGE Mandevillas growing up her posts on the front porch every year...and Blooms like mad..I have no idea what she is doing..if her husband wasn't such a so-and-so..I'd ask...Jeanne
Mandevilla always come back for me. Mine are planted close to the house, so I guess they stay a bit warmer than the rest of the yard.
You are in 8b in aggie land, 8b in Willis and we are in 8b in Houston. Must be the difference in dirt - I know it's supposed to be called soil - or something else. Exposure, elevation ....... Go figure.
Ann
That gives me an idea..why not heavily mulch the buggers?!?!...Jeanne
Nery, I grew them outside at my previous home in The Woodlands, in morning sun, and had them for several years. They don't like it too wet in the summer when they go dormant, so I didn't overplant them. Need good drainage.
CJ
Okay - we have morning sun, heavy mulching, good drainage - it sounds so simple. Will try again especially the mandevilla and see if I can keep from killing those ladies.
Ann
Ann..sounds like a winning combination!!...Jeanne
CJ, so why don't you have them anymore?
I moved.
vossner,
The cyclamens will do better in ground. I have them in the ground next to a south facing wall. They are not fond of light, but can take them up to 5 hours a day - in the winter. In the summer (which they aren't going to make it anyway) 5 hours of direct would be too much.
They are bulbs, so when they get crappy (April, May), pull them, bulbs in a bag, sprinkle some sulfur, in a closet, then - when your summer annuals get bad, or toward the end of the hot season, put them back in.
If you bought them at Lowe's, you are getting pinks and whites, and probably very few of the deep red cultivars. I like the deep reds, but only the nurserys seem to have them. They are about 5 or 6 bucks, but look TREMENDOUS in the ground.
Okay, enough said! Enjoy them -
- oh, you are in the woodlands, so you won't get much freeze, but if you do get frost, the petals will fall off, but will have new blossoms in a few days when it warms back up. Burlap will help prevent this, if you care
thanks sublimaze and everybody else.
BTW, Woodland is north. Richmond, where I live is SW
I was thrilled that my Lowes had them so cheap, like you said they're more like 5-6 bucks
Vossner, I have planted Cyclamen in the ground this time of year and they look great all winter, but as soon as it gets hot they disappear. They do add some nice color over the winter, just don't spend too much on them.
My Mandevilla have come back and they are not close to the house, I figure it was because of our mild winters, and not my gardening skills. lol
But the cyclamen do come back when the weather cools down again - if they didn't get too much water during the summer dormancy period. They are a cool weather perennial, if the rains (and the irrigation system) cooperate. Again - great drainage is necessary.
This will be the 3rd year I've grown cyclamen in the ground in an east facing flower bed that gets morning light and has good drainage. I am going to try sublimaze's trick described above. I hate to pay so much for annuals, but they are beautiful!
today I saw 4" pots of pink, red and white cyclamen for $1.99 at HD on fry rd. go get some!
I plant cyclamen every year, in raised beds where caladiums grow in the summer. The caladiums keep the cyclamen cool in the summer and most of them come back, and they always reseed.
This message was edited Nov 14, 2006 9:38 AM