All about taking care of cyclamen at home

Cyclamen is a herbaceous, perennial plant, belongs to the Primroses family, uniting up to 55 species of this plant. Places of its growth - Central and Mediterranean Europe, Asia Minor.

The thick root of cyclamen has a tuberous form. Leaves on long stalks grow directly from the horse system. A beautiful silvery pattern is often found on the leaf plates of the plant.

The tops of tall peduncles are crowned with flowers with drooping lines. Cyclamen blooms in winter or spring. For growing at home, cyclamens are not complex flowers. With proper care, one plant blooms for several years and pleases its owners.

If at least one window in your apartment is not sunny and the coolness remains, then you are recommended to start a cyclamen. Hot and sunny windows will provoke the death of the plant.

Breeders have done a great job, breeding a large number of species of this crop, many of which are excellently grown at home.

Cyclamen: briefly about growing

• Blooms: October-March.
• Location: with diffused but bright light.
• The preferred temperature in summer is from 20 to 25 ° С, in winter - from 10 to 14 ° С.
• About watering: the plant is watered only from below, abundantly - during flowering. The main indicator of proper watering is moist soil. Watering is reduced as flowering decreases. By the time the foliage dries up, watering should be minimal, just so as not to dry out the soil.
• High humidity when growing cyclamen is the main condition for plant health. Until the buds appear, the cyclamen should be constantly sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle. A plant with buds or flowers must be placed in a pallet with damp pebbles.
• Fertilize cyclamen from the time of young foliage to budding. Once a month, fertilize with complex dressings. With the appearance of buds and the entire flowering period, fertilizing is used for a flowering indoor plant.
• The dormant period for cyclamen is May-June.
• The plant is transplanted annually from the moment the foliage appears on the tubers.
• Peat with humus and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1 and leafy soil (2-3 parts) are added to the soil mixture.
• Cyclamens are propagated using tubers and seeds.
• About harmful insects. The plant can be attacked by weevils and cyclamen mites.
• Cyclamen is susceptible to gray rot disease.
• You can not eat it, because due to the poisonous juice in the cyclamen tubers, diarrhea, vomiting and convulsions can develop.

Cyclamen - home care

In order for the cyclamen to be healthy and pleasing with its flowering, it is necessary to perform the care measures that are listed below.

The right lighting for cyclamen

For any plant, the importance of proper lighting is undeniable. For cyclamen, the best option is the west or east window. In this case, he will not get bright sunlight, which can seriously harm the plant.

If all your windows face the south side, then the cyclamen must be shaded or choose a place for it not on the windowsill, but in the shaded part of the room. Nordic windowsills are also not suitable due to poor lighting.

The nuances of the temperature regime

In winter, cyclamen needs from 10 to 14 ° C for normal development and lush flowering. For the warm season, the optimal temperature values ​​are from 20 to 25 ° C.

How to water cyclamen correctly

You need soft water about a couple of degrees lower than the temperature in the room.It is good to collect water in a vessel so that the water settles. A day is enough for this. The main thing to learn about watering cyclamen is abundance. Overdrying the potting mix and, on the contrary, stagnant liquid are unacceptable!

You can moisten the soil with bottom irrigation (using a pallet). This option is the most preferable for cyclamen. Since through the bottom watering, moisture does not directly touch the tuber, core and buds. Just do not forget to empty the pan from excess water a couple of hours after watering.

As soon as the flowering period comes to an end, water less and less each time. And by the time the foliage dries up and the tuber is exposed, it is watered less and less and little by little.

Maintaining air humidity

It is important to remember here that high humidity is required for cyclamen before the budding period. Humidify the air with ordinary spraying using a spray bottle. Rainwater or well-settled water will do.

As soon as the buds appear, they stop splashing, and the humidity is maintained with the help of wet peat or pebbles (they fill the pot tray with them). It is important that water does not touch the bottom of the container.

How to fertilize cyclamen

Cyclamen is fed from the moment the leaves appear with the help of mineral or organic fertilizers. During the flowering period, the plant is not fertilized. Initially, substrates with the lowest nitrogen content are chosen in order to prevent the appearance of putrefactive processes on the tubers.

About the dormant period

The moment of drying and dying off of foliage is a signal of the beginning of a dormant period. This indicates the need to reduce the frequency and abundance of irrigation. But you need to reduce it gradually. After a while, the cyclamen becomes completely naked, and then it needs to be watered very rarely and little by little.

The room where the cyclamen grows must be regularly ventilated. Occasionally, the plant must be placed on the balcony (preferably not sunny).

In late summer or early autumn, the cyclamen is rearranged in a bright place and standard care begins with an increase in watering.

It is often recommended to lay the cyclamen pot horizontally during the dormant period (without foliage) and keep it that way until the end of summer. Then they put it in the light and gradually water it.

How to care during flowering

It is interesting that domestic cyclamens are able to grow safely and delight with their beauty up to 15 years in a row. Each year, one plant produces about seven dozen original flowers.

It must be remembered that after flowering, the pedicels cannot be cut off, but carefully pinch off at the base of the tuber. Crushed charcoal is poured into the place of the "operation".

Cyclamen transplant at home

The transplant is carried out every year in late summer or early autumn, as soon as young leaves appear. The cyclamen pot needs a wide one. A loose substrate is poured into it, consisting of humus, sand and peat (1: 1: 1) and leafy soil (1: 2 or 1: 3). You can also fill up a container for cyclamen with a different composition - from sand, humus and leafy soil in a ratio of 1: 2: 4.

The pH value of the soil should be monitored. If this value exceeds 6.5, then the cyclamen will be affected by a fungal disease.

Then the plant is removed from the pot, the affected roots are carefully cut off, trying not to hurt the rest.

The tubers are planted so that a third of it rises above the soil. This will help a more lush bloom. Also, don't forget about the drainage layer.

Growing cyclamen from seeds

To grow cyclamen from seeds, they must be properly harvested and prepared.

How seeds are harvested

First you should do artificial pollination. You will need a brush that has soft bristles. With its help, it is necessary to transfer pollen particles from the flowers of one plant to the flowers of another. If you have only one cyclamen, then transfer pollen from one flower to another flower. Please be patient, because you may not be able to achieve the desired result the first time. In addition, the procedure is best done on a sunny morning.

For effective fruit setting, cyclamen is fed with a nutrient solution (potassium sulfate 0.5 g and superforsphate 1 g per 1 liter of water).

When the seeds are harvested, remember that you do not need to dry them, otherwise germination will be poor. Seed material from the store can vary dramatically from batch to batch.

Sowing and care

Cyclamen is sown at the end of the last summer month. Before sowing, the seeds are prepared:

• first placed in a five percent sugar solution;
• those that have sunk to the bottom of the container are left for planting, and those that have emerged are thrown away;
• the second solution in which the seeds need to stand a little is zircon.

That's it, now the seeds are ready! Now we are dealing with the land. You need a mixture of sand and peat (1: 1) or peat and vermiculite (1: 1). Place it evenly over the seed and sprinkle with a layer of soil (1 cm). Next, cover with opaque polyethylene. Do not forget to regularly water the planting and ventilate the room. The required temperature regime at this stage is 18-20 ° С.

The sprouts will appear in about 30-45 days, after which we remove the film and put the planting in cool (15-17 ° C). In this case, the place should be bright, but protected from direct sun.

With the appearance of small nodules and two or three leaves, a pick is necessary. Small seedlings are moved into small pots with specially prepared soil (peat, sand and leafy soil - 2: 1: 4). The tubers should be completely covered with soil.

A week after the picking, the sprouts are fed with flower fertilizer, half diluted with water. At the end of spring, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place in pots and expect flowering. It happens after about 15 months.

Possible problems you can face when growing cyclamen

• Leaves turned yellow... The reason lies in the increased hardness of the water. Against the background of yellowing of the leaves, the petioles may not change in color.
• Rot has appeared... Rot in the cyclamen tuber can appear due to systematic stagnation of liquid associated with insufficiently good drainage.
• Stalks rot... This is due to too much watering. For this reason, not only flower stalks, but also leaf plates rot for this reason. If watering is not reduced, the flower may die.
• Foliage flies... The reason may be too high room temperature in excessively dry air.
• Defeat by gray mold... This disease occurs when the temperature is below normal. The main reason is a cool, unventilated room.

Insect pests

When a cyclamen mite appears on the plant, it should be disposed of. No cure is possible. Signs of tick damage - foliage shrinking, peduncles become crooked, flowers and buds wither.

From the settlement on the cyclamen of the grape weevil, the plant begins to break and die off the stems. In this case, you need to check the soil for the presence of the larvae of this pest in it.

Types of cyclamen

The types of cyclamen, their characteristics and growing environment are described below.

Persian cyclamen

Feels great even in areas with moderate winter temperatures, for example, in northern Italy. Also, the favorite countries of this species are Ethiopia, Cyprus, Sudan, Iran.

Persian cyclamen: Photo of the variety

In ancient times, healers treated rheumatic pains, sinusitis, diseases of the central nervous system with the help of the Persian cyclamen, and got rid of the problems associated with snake bites.

This plant blooms for a rather long time, and in the summer it is freed from foliage. His growth period lasts about four months.

The color of the leaves is green shades, the shape of the leaves is in the form of a heart. The color of the flowers is from white to purple. The roots accumulate nutrients, they are useful for cyclamen during the rest period.

Breeders from the Netherlands have developed many hybrids that bloom much longer. In addition, there are those that have up to 20 shades of petals and have larger bushes.

European or Blushing

Found in Slovenia, Italy, Macedonia. In this type of cyclamen, the tuberous root is flat-round, it has one growth point. But, after a while, there will be several of these points.

European cyclamen: Photo of the variety

Heart-shaped greyish-green leaves have a jagged edge and a sharp tip. On the seamy side, the leaves are greenish-purple. On high peduncles, there are single five-petal flowers. Flowers of different colors - white, all shades of pink, purple, red.

European cyclamen has a strong but delicate aroma. The growing season of this species is quite long - the entire warm season.

African cyclamen

A very popular type of cyclamen. It is known that the place of growth is Algeria, Tunisia. He loves thickets of bushes, he has a lot in common with ivy cyclamen. It is divided into 2 varieties - tetraploid and diploid.

African cyclamen: photo of the variety

The first has smallish leaves and fragrant flowers. Leaves and heart-shaped, greenish-silvery shade. The leaves are pulled out from the depths of the tuberous root. The leaves can be up to 15 centimeters long.

It is this form that is used for home cultivation. It blooms from spring to autumn, and new foliage appears only in autumn. The color of the petals ranges from pinkish to bright pink.

When choosing this flower for your home, remember that it is toxic to pets. It is frost-resistant, so winter protection is required. You also need to protect this plant from direct sunlight.

After the foliage is thrown off, this cyclamen is rearranged into dry conditions with a temperature regime of 15 ° C.

Alpine cyclamen (Cyclamen alpinum)

There are various legends about him historically. When this cyclamen was discovered (XIX century), it was immediately brought into the Mersin subfamily. After some time, it was taken to an extinct species, and so it was until 1956. This type of cyclamen was confused for some time with the Intaminatium cyclamen, but when the confusion was revealed, the Alpine cyclamen was given a new name, Trochotherapy.

Alpine cyclamen: Photo of the variety

In the 60s of the XX century, the version about the disappearance of the Alpine cyclamen was refuted. And at the very beginning of the XXI century, 3 expeditions were organized, the purpose of which was to study the Alpine cyclamen. The results of these expeditions confirmed the fact that the Alpine cyclamen was found in nature today.

This type of cyclamen has the peculiarity of the arrangement of the petals of the flower. They are at 90 °, and not like ordinary ones - at 180 °. The color of the petals is from light pink to rich. The base of the petal is decorated with a purple speck. The color of the oval leaf plates is gray-green.

This species is easily recognizable by its characteristic pleasant honey aroma.

Colchis cyclamen (pontic)

It is known that this Caucasian type of cyclamen is often found in mountainous areas (300-800 m) next to tree roots. The second name of this species is "Caucasian" or "Abkhazian". This species blooms at home from mid-summer to late October, and in nature - half of autumn.

Flowers and leaves appear at the same time. The shape of the petals is elliptical, the color is dark pink, the length is no more than 16 mm. The whole tuber is covered with roots.

Caucasian cyclamen loves shaded areas with moist soil. This slow growing plant exudes a strong yet pleasant scent. The seeds ripen in a year.

This type of cyclamen is actively used to decorate bouquets. In addition, it is used in medicine as a healing raw material.

Recently, the Colchis cyclamen is listed in the Red Book. Experts emphasize that this species is found in natural conditions, but every year it becomes less and less.

Greek cyclamen

Greek Cyclamen: Photo of the Variety

It is known to be found in the highlands (over 1000 m above sea level), where there is a lot of moisture and shade.Found in Cyprus, Rhodes and Crete, on the Turkish coast and on the Greek mainland. Differs in a variety of leaf shapes - oval, more round, heart-shaped. The leaves have shades - from lime to rich bright shades. On the leaf plates, grayish or creamy spots contrast.

In this species, flowers may appear before the leaves (or at the same time). Petals - from the most faded pink to the brightest shade. Closer to the base, the petals of the flower are decorated with a speck of purple color.

In the Greek Peloponnese in the 80s. XX century found white Greek cyclamen. They were immediately listed in the Red Book.

Kosky cyclamen

Directly related to the Greek about. Kos. It is known to start blooming in winter or March. It is also found on the territory of Georgia, Syria, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey.

Kosky cyclamen: Photo of the variety

The leaf plates are pulled from the tuber around November, perhaps even in winter. The leaves range in color from gray to all shades of green. The petals are of a wide variety of shades: red, pink, purple, and white. Closer to the base, the color of the petals is more saturated.

The roots on the tuber grow only at the bottom.

According to the observations of experts, the color of petals, leaves, size, etc. directly depend on the territory. For example, in Lebanon or Syria, the cyclamen is distinguished by bud-shaped leaves and pink flowers, in Turui - the cyclamen flowers are bright pink, and the further east, the larger the flowers, and the narrower the leaves. In Iran and Azerbaijan, cyclamens have large flowers with heart-shaped leaves.

Cypriot cyclamen

The symbol of the island of Cyprus (it belongs to the Mirsinovs). It is known to grow in the highlands (up to 1000 m above sea level). It can be found on about. Cyprus, in the Troodos mountains, Kyrenia; on rocky ground, under the foliage of bushes or tree crowns.

Cypriot cyclamen: Photo of the variety

The growth of such a cyclamen is from 8 to 16 cm.The petals are pinkish or white. This type of cyclamen is distinguished by the aromatic smell of honey. At the base of the petals there are purple or purple specks. The leaves are heart-shaped, the color is olive and various shades of greenish to intense.

Flowers appear from the third decade of the first autumn month to the last days of February.

Cypriot cyclamen is very popular in different countries.

Cyclamen ivy

It is also called Neapolitan. It is known that its favorite habitat is the middle latitude. Back in the 18th century, this type of cyclamen received its first name - "cyclamen hederifolium", and in the 19th - it was called Neapolitan ("cyclamen neapolitanum"). The Neapolitan cyclamen can easily be confused with the European one, so be careful when buying.

Ivy cyclamen: Photo of the variety

In order not to get confused, it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the description of the plant in detail. So, ivy cyclamen originates from the Mediterranean (from the Turkish coast to the French). It is quite frost-resistant. In southern European countries, it is used for park decor. In the central and northern latitudes, this cyclamen is used only as a home potted flower.

The name is directly related to the shape of the leaves. They are roundish, ivy-shaped. The flower really looks like a European cyclamen, but the difference is in the spectacular horns near the base of the petal.

The root system is usually located at the soil surface. The color of the petals is exceptionally pinkish. True, breeders have developed multiple varieties of this species. There are dwarf ones, there are those that bloom all winter. And some varieties exude a strong but pleasant aroma and are distinguished by an unusual color.

Conclusion

For growing at home, cyclamens are not complex flowers. With proper care, one plant blooms for several years and pleases its owners.

If at least one window in your apartment is not sunny and the coolness remains, then you are advised to start a cyclamen.Hot and sunny windows will provoke the death of the plant.

Breeders have done a great job, breeding a large number of species of this crop, many of which are excellently grown at home.