Plastic pots might be better to start unless you plunge clay pots in damp builders' sand. Pumice is thrown out by volcanoes here in the west so it's a common potting ingredient mixed with other ingredients such as fine or coarse fir or pine bark and other materials. Turkey grit would work as a substitute as most cyclamen are not hugely pH sensitive. You can get it in 50-lb bags at your local animal feed dealer or farm supplier. I don't know what clay beads are as I've not seen them. As the cyclamen tubers get another year's growth you could put them under conifers in your garden. You won't necessarily need to amend your soil to put cyclamen in the ground. Google Nancy Goodwin and you'll see she has tons of cyclamen in her garden. If you'll send your private email to me at the address below, I'll send an old catalog that has tons of information about where to put them and how to grow. I don't generally advertise the catalog on the PBS site as most members are aware of it. There are also some books and other information you can find. If you can grow orchids, you can grow cyclamen!!! Robin Hansen robin@hansennursery.com _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…