Freshly bought cyclamens are a total standout on any windowsill. Those delicate blooms are just stunning with their vibrant colors and lush petals. But let’s be real—it’s super frustrating when your plant starts losing its spark after just a few days. Sometimes it’s just a bit too warm in your house, but other times, you might be dealing with diseases or even pests.
Common Cyclamen Diseases
If your cyclamen starts looking a little under the weather, it’s usually down to a few “oops” moments in its care routine. Things like overwatering or the wrong temperature can make your plant a magnet for trouble. Here are the usual suspects:
- Gray Mold (Botrytis)
- Tuber Rot
- Cyclamen Wilt (Fusarium)
Gray Mold
This looks exactly like it sounds—a fuzzy, moldy coating on the leaves. This fungus usually crashes the party when your cyclamen is sitting in a spot that’s too warm and too wet. If you don’t act fast, the plant might not make it. Your best bet for “first aid” is to repot it into fresh, slightly damp soil. Move it to a cooler spot (ideally under 68°F) and only water it when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch.
Tuber Rot
This happens when your cyclamen gets too much water. Leaving wilted leaves on the plant only makes things worse. Unfortunately, once tuber rot sets in, it’s usually game over for the plant. The best defense is a good offense! Here’s how to prevent it:
- Stick to a regular watering schedule
- Be stingy with the water (don’t soak it!)
- Water from the bottom (using a saucer)
- Pluck off wilted leaves and spent blooms immediately
Cyclamen Wilt
If your plant starts wilting, the leaves turn yellow, and you notice brown or reddish spots inside the tuber (that’s dead tissue), you’re likely looking at Cyclamen Wilt. This is a tough one that usually leads to the plant dying. It’s often caused by poor-quality potting soil, plant stress, or soil that’s too acidic. You can prevent this by using high-quality substrate and keeping your plant happy and stress-free.
Pests
The Vine Weevil and the Cyclamen Mite are the two main pests that love to snack on these plants. Vine Weevils are night owls—they come out in the dark to munch on the leaves. The best way to catch them? Grab a flashlight at night and pick them off by hand. To make sure you get rid of any larvae hiding in the dirt, repot the plant and give the roots a thorough rinse.
Then there’s the tiny Cyclamen Mite (we’re talking 0.1 to 0.5 millimeters small). These little guys feast on new growth, causing misshapen leaves and flowers. Their larvae also hang out in the soil, eating away at the tuber and roots. Repotting and rinsing the roots helps here, too. If you’ve got a serious infestation, try using insecticide spikes in the soil. The mites ingest the treatment through the plant’s sap, which should clear things up.
