Looking for hardy cycleman whats best seeds

Or bulbs

And where is best place to source these.

I am wanting to build up a carpet of these under my shrubs.

Garden centre are pricee.

 

I've found the seed quite hard to germinate ... needs to be in the dark at constant, but quite low, temperatures (9C I think) and germination is erratic.

I don't now what happens when you need to prick some out, and the others aren't ready - you can't do that in the dark!

Moles have Cyclamen coum and neapolitanum / hederifolium as bulk seed purchases - roughly £10 for 100 seeds

They will self seed, and spread, once you get them established.

I've bought pots from garden centre when they are 50% discounted at end of season. That's just at the point that the flowers have gone and they are making their spring-loaded seed pods, so may well self seed as soon as you plant them!

 

I had a little google for coum / hererifolium prices each for qty around 5-10

Anglia Bulbs £1.10 (I've bought other bulbs from them)
J Parkers £1.20, £0.90 40-off
Sarah Raven £1.50
Euro bulbs £1.65 (I've bought snowdrops from them)
van Meuwen £1.80
Shipton bulbs £2.50 each
de Jager £3.80
Dobbies £1.99
Avon Bulbs £2.40
Direct Bulbs £2.60

 

Be careful when buying the corms, if they are dried out then it is very hard to get them to grow. More often than not they are dead.
Bought seeds are a bit of a problem, in that they are dried. BUT they will germinate if you soak them overnight in warm slightly soapy water. Then they need to be kept cool, but not cold, and dark. I usually get 100 % germination from FRESH seed, not tried bought seed for many years.
If you can wait until June I can send you a few thousand seeds of both Cc hederifolium and coum.

 

I'd definitely be up for that ... I've tried "dried seed" and not had much success, and I'd love to naturalise a large area of Cyclamen here.

Many thanks ... you'll probably have a long queue forming in a moment!

 

I bought mine from EBay last year. As already stated they need darkness to germinate, but I had a really good success rate with them.

Rusty

 

That's a good idea. Buying off eBay shortly after flowering time is going to be fresh seed - ideal.

I do "worry" when buying from seed companies that the timing of my order might mean I am a couple of days early and get last-years instead of this-years .... but I probably worry the details about far too much!

 

You would have to remind me, I will definitely not remember. Start reminding me in May as they are sometimes early. I don't normally bother collecting the seeds these days, just leave them to the ants to spread and dig up the corms when I need them.

 

I'll put it in my diary. Many thanks.

 

I sowed seeds for Cyclamen Hederifolium 'Winter Cheer' at the beginning of August in a multi purpose compost, in the last week two seedlings have appeared. The pot, from the start has been sitting on my patio, so they obviously don't need darkness to germinate. I will move them into my greenhouse tomorrow now the chilly weather is here and a risk of frost.

The packet states the following: Sow in trays of a good moist seed compost in a cold frame or cool greenhouse, 13-15C (55-60F), covering the seed with 6mm (1/4") of compost. Do not firm too heavily, germination 30-150 days. Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle 5cm (2") apart into trays and grow on without check, planting out the following spring in clumps. Helpful hint: Seed is slow and erratic to germinate and may benefit from soaking for 24 hours in tepid water.

 

Me too please

 

Hi Scotcat.
don't bother with all the stratification and buy pre-treated seeds (unles you want to experiment and don't mind if only a few seeds come up or only after 2 years or never...:-)
I haven't tried the cyclamen yet, but the primula poisonii and bulleyana (all really complicated stuff usually) have come up straight away, as supposed to
the website is: jelitto seeds
look for gold nugget seeds
you don't sow these now but only in spring, when the stratificated ones would come up, but all sowing instructions are on the jelitto website anyway
I have bought quite a few seeds of jelitto and can really recommend the quality

 

Interesting

I'll give them a try in the spring.

link to the website: https://www.jelitto.com/haupt_en.html