Delicate and bright cyclamen flowers often attract shoppers. Their popularity is great due to the fact that the flowering time falls on the darkest and coldest winter days. Lush buds and original coloring of leaves will decorate any home. However, some will be disappointed when the acquired plant suddenly dies due to improper care, because certain rules must be followed for its long lifespan.
Botanical description
Cyclamen (Cyclamen) refers to the genus of herbaceous perennial plants, its name is translated from Latin as "round" because of the shape of the tubers and leaves. In total, there are about 20 species in nature, which are common in Turkey, the Mediterranean region, Iran, and Northeast Africa. As a home flower, cyclamen is grown in 2 types: Persian and European, the first of which is the most common.
Its flowers are, as a rule, the color ofmany shades of pink, purple and red, there are varieties and variegated-colored. The flowering time is quite long: from October to the first spring month, some bloom even longer.
Seeing once what a cyclamen flower looks like, everyone will want to grow it at home. The height of the houseplant reaches 30 cm, the original rounded leaves with beautiful patterned veins are located below, their back side depends on the species and can be green, silver or purple.
Flowers with a variety of colors rise above the leaves, sometimes reaching 7-9 cm in length, but there are also miniature varieties, small in height (up to 15 cm), with small inflorescences up to 1.5 cm.
Most species of cyclamen are ephemeroids, that is, they have 2 periods of development: flowering and dormancy. However, hybrid varieties have now been bred, which are distinguished by a variety of colors, terry, sizes and are able to bloom for almost a whole year.
Homemade cyclamens, differences of the Persian species
In the store, these plants are most often bought already in bloom at the end of autumn. Those who do this for the first time should be aware that the rules for keeping a cyclamen flower, how to care for it at home, depend on the type of plant: European purple (Cyclamen purpurascens) or Persian (Cyclamen persicum). The latter is more capricious and whimsical in care and breeding.
Outwardly, both species are very similar, but there are differences:
- leaves and flowersPersian cyclamen is larger;
- the undersides of its leaves are green or burgundy;
- The European flower "rests" less capriciously and does not shed its leaves, unlike the Persian, which prefers to be at rest from March to September, requiring increased attention and special care.
European cyclamen
The common name for European or purple cyclamen is alpine violet, given for the similarity in flower shape. Cyclamen purpurascens has smaller inflorescences (2-4 cm) with a pleasant smell. The difference of this species is the formation of lateral tubers, which can later be used when propagating the plant.
European cyclamens bloom longer: in young plants, this period reaches up to a year, but decreases with age to 6 months. They also have a wider range of shades.
Recommendations on how to care for a European-type cyclamen flower are as follows: its dormant period lasts from early spring to the end of autumn, and the plant does not shed its leaves, but it is still better to lower the temperature of the content, you need to water a little.
Care for a flower during dormancy
The period of rest for ephemeroid plants begins in early spring. How to make sure that the home flower of cyclamen does not get sick and does not die, how to care for it at this time? The answer to these questions will be recommendations for the implementation of certain rules of care. Signal of the beginning of the rest periodserves as yellowing of the leaves of the plant after flowering and their death.
Rules for caring for cyclamen at this time:
- cut off all dry flowers and leaves, cut off stronger ones at the root;
- be sure to reduce watering during these months, keeping the soil in a state of slight moisture;
- transfer the pot to a shaded cool place;
- some gardeners advise cutting off dried leaves and transferring the tuber to fresher soil, sprinkled on top and placed in the shade.
Starting from June, watering can be increased and sprayed daily. By the beginning of September, with a strong weaving of the coma with the ground by the roots, the cyclamen are transferred to a larger pot, not deepening the tuber, but clearing its top, from which young leaves will later begin to grow. The plant is exposed to light in a cool place.
Some flower growers' guides advise storing dormant tubers in dry soil in the refrigerator, but this method is fatal due to overdrying. Most often, the flower does not wake up after this.
Buying a he althy plant
In order to have a he althy and beautiful cyclamen flower, for which home care will be successful, when buying in a store, you should carefully examine it and pay attention to the following nuances:
- instances with yellow leaves or spots on them, weak inflorescences are not unambiguously suitable;
- to check, it is recommended to press a little on the tuber at the base of the flower: it should not be soft to the touch; if onit shows damage or stains, then buying such a plant is not recommended;
- carefully inspect the leaves: if they are wrinkled or twisted, then this is a signal of illness or damage by pests and fungi, which will lead to the death of the flower;
- when buying only a tuber, it should be inspected for spots and wet spots that can lead to growing failure;
- often cyclamens are grown from seeds, when buying which it is necessary to check the date (no more than 2 years ago) and expiration date;
- for abundant flowering, it is better to purchase a plant already flowering, in which there are many buds;
- after purchase, the flower must be quarantined for 2 weeks.
Home flower cyclamen: tuber care and planting
Cyclamen prefers to grow in a cool place at a temperature of + 12 … + 16 ºС, placing on a glazed balcony or on a windowsill is ideal for it. Lighting likes diffused, direct sunlight may cause burns on the leaves. The soil is slightly acidic, loose and nutritious, you can buy a ready-made mixture for violets, place drainage below. The pot is shallow and small, an adult plant can be transplanted only once every 2-3 years.
Cyclamen does not tolerate drafts, but loves ventilation and high humidity. During the winter months, it is better to keep it away from the battery.
The tuber planting depth depends on the species:
- Persian roots are located below, so the top of the tuber should rise above the ground;
- in European it can be deepened, because the roots grow from all sides.
Home care for the cyclamen flower depends on the season:
- during active growth, the plant is watered regularly without stagnation, using the immersion method or drip tray;
- the flower loves high humidity, so around it you can often spray air from a spray bottle;
- fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is used only during the flowering period once every 2 weeks, using ready-made complex mixtures intended for flowering plants;
- when leaves fade or turn yellow, fertilize with iron chelate by spraying the green parts or incorporating into the soil.
Correct watering
Cyclamen is a moisture-loving flower, therefore at home it needs regular and plentiful watering. Experts recommend pouring water not into a pot, but into a pan. This is due to the fact that moisture on the stems, inflorescences or the tuber itself can provoke the process of decay. At first, the cuttings are covered with brown spots, and then the flower dies.
Water for irrigation should be used only settled, at room temperature, it is better not to take tap water. In an extreme situation, you can take boiled water, cooled to the desired temperature.
Moisture in a pan or pot should not stagnate for a long time, it is better to pour out the excess when all layers of the soil have already been saturated. Watering Persian cyclamen can be done in the usual way, because the topthe tuber in them is above ground level.
Diseases and pests
If the leaves on cyclamen begin to turn yellow and wither, this means that the plant is uncomfortable: dry or hot indoor air, direct sunlight, lack of watering. With the right adjustment of conditions and care, the condition of the flower should improve.
Some inexperienced flower growers ask why cyclamen flowers and leaves begin to rot. The answer may be a possible waterlogging of the soil or regular ingress of water during irrigation to the top of the tuber, which must be corrected: it must be removed from the ground, cut off the rotten area, washed in a solution of manganese and dried. The tuber can then be replanted in soil that has been steamed or disinfected.
The cause of the plant fading too quickly lies in excessive heat in the room or a lack of nutrients. To help the flower, it is better to rearrange it in a cool place and feed it.
When the air is too dry, spider mites often appear, and cyclamen flowers can also be damaged by thrips and aphids. When pests appear on the plant, leaves and flowers begin to deform. In such a situation, treatment with special chemicals against pests should be done.
Useful and poisonous properties of cyclamen
Cyclamen is not only a beautiful flower, but also healing, energetic. Some signs and superstitions endow it with positive properties: itcan attract love, increase the material well-being of the owner, help him become more confident, protect him from evil spells and spirits, create a positive friendly atmosphere at home.
Useful properties of cyclamen are used in the treatment of rhinitis, sinusitis and sinusitis. The juice obtained from the tubers is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and 1-2 drops are instilled into the nasal passages. Water-based infusion has sedative, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, is used to treat the liver, gynecological diseases. The crushed mass helps with hemorrhoids.
However, care must be taken as the undiluted juice, as well as the seeds and roots of the plant, are poisonous and can cause burns or irritation, fever and sore throats.
Methods of propagation of cyclamen
Cyclamen flowers can be propagated in 3 ways: seeds, tuber division and babies. The simplest is the latter, but it is only suitable for European cyclamen.
For reproduction by divisions, it is necessary to divide the ripened tuber. To do this, you must carefully select a he althy plant that is in a dormant period. Remove its tuber from the ground, dry it and cut it into several pieces. Each division should contain a kidney and roots. The cut point should be dried in a shady place and sprinkled with charcoal (activated or other antiseptic). All delenki are seated in pots.
Reproduction and cultivation of seeds is more often used for the Persian species, because with the methoddividing the tuber often occurs its decay and death.
Artificial pollination
To get seeds from your cyclamen, you need to artificially pollinate it during the flowering period. Experts advise doing this in January in the morning with good sunlight.
This can be done in 2 ways:
- fold your fingers and click on the peduncle, after which a cloud of pollen spills out;
- Using a match, gently shake off the pollen on the nail, then dip the pistil of the flower into it so that it sticks to the stigma.
This pollination is best done several days in a row. After fertilization, cyclamen flowers in a pot quickly dry out, tilt their stems and hang down. During this period, it is placed in a bright place with a temperature of 18 ºС during the day and + 12 … + 14 ºС at night. A few weeks later, a box with seeds is formed, which gradually cracks. So that the seeds do not get enough sleep, you can remove it a little earlier and put it to ripen.
Seed propagation
Homemade cyclamen flower grown from seed produces a stronger plant and is better adapted to prevailing growing conditions.
Seeds of cyclamen can be bought at the store or obtained from your own plant by making artificial pollination. Sowing is carried out in early spring, after soaking them in a solution of "Zircon" or "Epin" overnight (it is possible in a solution of potassium permanganate). It is also recommended to disinfect the prepared soil. It can be prepared from a mixture of peat andsand, dolomite flour is also added as an oxidizing agent.
Plant seeds with a distance of 2-3 cm in the grooves, in a loose nutrient mixture, deepening up to 1 cm. The box is placed in a dark place, regularly moistening the soil. At a temperature of +18 … +20 ºС, they usually germinate up to 40 days, but the process can be longer - up to six months.
After germination, the container must be moved to the light, but without bright sunlight. When the first 2 leaves appear, the seedlings dive at a distance of 5 cm from each other, completely burying the nodules. As a rule, young seedlings grow quickly, without resting even in summer. During these months, they need to be regularly watered, sprayed and fed with small portions of fertilizer. After a few months, the seedlings are carefully transplanted together with the ground into small pots with drainage, carefully controlling the depth of the tuber: the top should protrude 1/3 above the soil.
Only after 1-1, 5 years after sowing, already grown cyclamen flowers can bloom, bringing a lot of joy to their caring owner.
