Gardening Friends,
I have planted a hardy cyclamen this year and it grew nicely. I am worried about it dying this winter what precautions should I take? Covering it with leaves?? Making sure it is always covered with snow through winter?? We live in Georgetown. ( Just a little cooler than you in Toronto!.)THANKYOU for your time and valuable knowledge!
Hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium), common names Persian violet and sowbread, is native to western Asia and southern Europe. It is an easy care plant. with attractive colourful ivy-shaped leaves, which blooms in late summer.
Since your garden is in zone 5b, the lower limit of the zone for hardy cyclamen, you are wise to plan for its winter protection. Once a hard frost has cooled the ground and the leaves have died down, apply a 5 to10 cm layer of a mulch of shredded materials such as leaves or bark around the base of the cyclamen to help to protect its tubers from frost. If your snow cover reliably remains in place, this may be all that is needed. This winter protection is removed in the spring.
For more information,, please refer to:
https://www.thespruce.com/winter-mulching-in-cold-climate-gardens-1403588#:~:text=Why%20Mulch%20the%20Garden%20in,during%20a%20brief%20warm%20spell.
Enjoy your long-living hardy cyclamen