I have a Cyclamen that blooms in the fall, so I think it would be
C. hederifolium. Right now there is a clump of 1/2 in. diameter
“seeds” attached to curly spirals. I’m wondering if I can harvest those seeds and give them to others. In the book I’m reading, they say it is propagated by corms, which I assume I
would find if I dug them up. What should be done at “cleanup time,” which seems to be about
now, as there are only a few dried up leaves left, and all those
“curls and pods.” I’ve had it several years and have done nothing to it. It
blooms beautifully in the fall each year with deep pink flowers. I
do see tiny starts at various places in the yard, so some seeds
have moved around.
Propagation by seed is the most commonly recommended method according to the following resources:
American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated
Plant by Plant Manual of Practical Techniques by Alan Toogood, The Royal
Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants by Christopher
Brickell, The Complete Book of Plant Propagation by Jim Arbury, Richard
Bird, Mike Honour, Clive Innes and Mike Salmon, The Plant Care Manual by
Stefan Buczacki and Cyclamen; A Guide for Gardeners, Horticulturists and
Botanists by Christopher Grey-Wilson. Apparently propagation from corms
is technical and difficult. However, if you choose to give it a try, the
title Cyclamen, mentioned above, does go into some detail about the
process.
You can thank the ants for the tiny starts you are finding in your yard,
they eat the “sweet and sticky mucilage” that covers the seed, they
then leave the seed alone where it lies, ready to germinate on its
own afterward. Here is an article by Rebecca Alexander from the Spring 2017 Washington Park Arboretum on . (Cyclamen) As for the clump of seeds you are finding on
your plant, their dark brown color indicates they are ripe and ready for
sowing. They require dark, cool temperatures for germination (43-54 F)
for C. hederifolium. It is recommended that the seeds soak for a minimum
of 10 hours (a small amount of gentle detergent can be added) and rinsed
thoroughly. They can be sown at the end of summer and produce flowers in
about 14 months. (The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of
Garden Plants and American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation).
Unfortunately I couldn’t find much information for your question
regarding clean up. However, I would suggest that it would be perfectly
acceptable to remove the dead leaves and seed pods, including the curly
spirals that are attached to them. You can choose to sow the seeds
or give them away to friends. As long as you don’t disturb the exposed
curled tubers that may be present at or near the surface of the soil, I
think you’ll plant will be fine. You may also want to consider adding
additional plants that show their true colors in the summer when your
Cyclamen is dormant. This would mask the appearance of your Cyclamen and
perhaps dissolve any need for clean up.