Cyclamen is a perennial herbaceous plant from the myrsine subfamily. The plant got its name due to its round tubers, since cyclamen is translated from Latin as “round”. In total, this genus includes about twenty species of plants. You can find cyclamen in its natural habitat in Northeast Africa and Iran, as well as in the Mediterranean. Now some species are grown at home. It is about such a cyclamen that we will discuss further.
General information
As already mentioned, cyclamen root is a round tuber that can reach fifteen centimeters in diameter. Each tuber has only one growing point. If this point is damaged, then the whole of it dies. Cyclamen has heart-shaped basal leaves, they grow on petioles, which reach a length of thirty centimeters. They have darkgreen color with a silver pattern. The flowers are shaped like butterflies. Their petals are bent back and slightly pointed towards the end. As for the color palette, it is very diverse: from white to purple. Flowering continues for three months.
Growing Requirements
Some people think that indoor cyclamen is a capricious plant. However, this opinion is erroneous. There are only a few requirements that are not at all difficult to fulfill. Their list includes the following:
- Cyclamen tubers should not be stored in the refrigerator, because in this case they will not wake up in the spring.
- Cyclamen does not like heat, but in cool places it feels great. The ideal temperature is from +6 to +12 degrees.
- Cyclamen is better not to put in places where direct sunlight will fall on it. There is a risk that the sun will burn the leaves.
- When planting, you can not bury the entire tuber in the ground. A third must remain on the surface.
- You need to fertilize the plant carefully. The flower does not like when there are too many mineral s alts in the soil.
- Don't put cyclamen in a big pot, he doesn't like it. Between the tuber and the wall of the pot, the distance should not exceed three centimeters.
Following these simple rules, you can easily grow cyclamen at home.
How to organize your care
Cyclamen is a plant that will feel good at low air temperatures (no more than +12 degrees), and it also does not like the sun too much. Sunlight should be diffused but bright. The room in which you placed the plant should be regularly ventilated, but the cyclamen should not be allowed to stand in a draft. He doesn't like it.
As for moisture, the important point is not only watering cyclamen at home, but also spraying it. This flower likes this procedure, in addition, in this way you will be able to increase the humidity in the room. And it is especially useful to spray the plant in the summer, because after that the air temperature in the room drops by several degrees.
Do not forget about top dressing, which absolutely all plants need. For this, it is recommended to use complex fertilizers for flowering plants. Pay special attention to consistency. Cyclamen is better to give less fertilizer than to overdo it.
How to properly water cyclamen
Particular attention should be paid to watering during the period of active growth. Watering cyclamen should be carried out regularly, but without fanaticism. Don't water your plant once and then forget about watering for a week or two. It is better to do this more often, but in small quantities.
If you do not know how to water a cyclamen flower, then it is better to use the bottom watering. This way you won't overwater the plant. It is enough to pour water into the tray,and the plant itself will determine how much moisture it needs today. You can also simply move the pot into a container of water and wait until the top layer of soil becomes wet. Then you can safely return the plant to its original place. This method of watering cyclamen is also good because in this way water will not get on the tuber and on the growing point, and this will significantly reduce the risk of rotting of the root system.
Cyclomen bloom
Flowering is a special period for every plant. At this time, they need special care and attention. Cyclamen will not be an exception. Usually flowering of this plant begins in summer or winter. Its duration will depend on how well you can organize the care.
In order for cyclamen to please you with its flowering for a long time, you must provide it with a maximum of bright light, but direct sunlight should not fall on leaves or flowers. The air temperature in the room should not fall below +10 degrees and rise above +20 degrees.
Also, many are probably interested in how to water cyclamen during flowering. Everything is very simple here. It is recommended to pour water into the pan or put the pot in a container of water. So moisture will definitely not get on the tubers, the growing point and the flowers themselves. And this means that you can avoid the appearance of various diseases both above and below the ground.
You need to water abundantly, but do not forget to control the level of soil moisture: it should not dry out or betoo wet. If you water cyclamen during flowering in the pan, then 2-3 hours after that, all excess water from the pan must be drained.
When the flowering process stops, the frequency of moistening the soil is reduced, and when the leaves dry up, it will be necessary to water even less often, since the cyclamen will have a dormant period.
And don't forget to remove any faded flowers so that new ones can form in their place.
Water for cyclamen
To properly organize care, watering cyclamen is the first thing you should pay attention to. Water should be taken soft, after allowing it to settle for a day. The water temperature should be several degrees lower than the air temperature in the room.
Resting period
The dormant period of cyclamen comes when its leaves begin to dry out and fall off. At this time, as already mentioned, watering is reduced, and later they can be completely stopped. The room where the cyclamen stands should be ventilated as often as possible, but it is better, if possible, to take the flower to the balcony or to another cool and dark place so that the light does not fall on it. There is another way to store a flower. When all the leaves fall from it, the pot should be turned 90 degrees and left in this position until the onset of autumn.
Approximately in August, cyclamen is brought back into the light and gradually begin to increase the frequency of watering.
Cyclomen seeds
Cyclamen is well propagated by seeds. They should be sown at the end of August. Pre-planting material should be poured5% sugar solution. All floating seeds must be discarded, as they are not suitable for planting. But the drowned can be safely planted in the ground. But soaking in a sugar solution is not the only way. After this procedure, they are soaked in a zirconium solution, and only then planted.
For planting, it is recommended to take soil, which will consist of one part of peat and one part of sand, or of peat and vermiculite in the same proportions. Seeds must be spread over the surface of the soil, and then sprinkled with a thin layer of earth of the same composition (layer no more than one centimeter).
The optimum temperature for seed germination is 18-20 degrees. The container where the seeds were planted should be covered with glass or a thick film. Do not forget about the mandatory ventilation and watering of cyclamen. When you see the first shoots, lower the air temperature to 17 degrees. You can also remove the film (glass) at this stage. Move the container with seedlings to a brighter place, but remember that direct sunlight should not be allowed.
After a while, you will see that cyclamen began to form tubers, and 2-3 true leaves will appear above the ground. This means that it is time to dive seedlings into new pots. The composition of the soil will change. Now the substrate will include 4 parts of leafy soil, one part of sand and two parts of peat. Small nodules should be completely covered with earth, which cannot be done with adult tubers. A week after transplantation, it is recommended to carry outtop dressing. To do this, use a special flower fertilizer, which must be diluted with water twice. At the end of spring, one more transplant will have to be carried out, already the last one. In these pots, cyclamen will bloom for the first time. And this will happen no earlier than 15 months after the landing.
Conclusion
As you can see, all the myths about the difficulties of growing cyclamen are fiction. This is a very unpretentious plant, the care of which can be organized even by a novice florist. If you know how to water cyclamen at home, and were able to find the right place for it, then you are guaranteed success. Also, do not forget that this plant does not tolerate heat well. Not so difficult rules to grow this wonderful flower at home. Its flowering will delight you and your loved ones for several months. In addition, cyclamen breeds easily, which means that you can share the seeds with everyone.
