Cyclamen (in Latin - Cyclamen) is a plant of the genus of herbaceous perennials of the Myrsinaceae family, but some experts refer it to the Primrose family. The flower gets its name from a word that means "round" in Latin, as its bulbs are shaped like a circle. The genus has an average of 20 species.
In the wild, the plant grows in Northeast Africa and Iran, but is more common in Turkey. Several types of this flower have been successfully used as a house plant. Next, we will look at what kind of plant it is - cyclamen, growing and caring for it at home.
Features of growing cyclamen
The tuber of this flower resembles a flattened round bulb about 15 cm in size. If the tuber is damaged, the plant will die. The leaves grow from the root, are shaped like a heart, the length on the petioles can reach 30 centimeters, a green tint with a grayish pattern. Unusual in appearance, cyclamen (we will consider cultivation and care later) resembles a butterfly - sharpthe tips and slightly inverted petals can be like a fringe, the range of colors is varied: white and various shades of red. The flowering period lasts more than three months.
Some people think that cyclamen is a wayward plant. But it's not. It is quite unpretentious, only there are a few rules that must be taken into account when caring for a flower. So:
- should not store flower tubers in the refrigerator - the plant will die;
- cyclamen does not tolerate hot air, a room with cool air is ideal - about 6-12 degrees;
- direct sunlight is completely undesirable - the leaves will get burned;
- plant bulb should be deepened into the ground only 2/3 of the part;
- do not overdo it with fertilizing - cyclamen will not accept an excess of minerals in the soil;
- it is better to choose a small pot so that there is a distance of no more than 3 cm from the bulb to the edge of the container.
Cyclamens: growing and care at home
Persian cyclamen is sometimes propagated by planting seeds - it is better to choose a month for sowing in February or March. Indoor cyclamen is sown all year round.
- Before sowing, the seeds must be placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours or in another special product intended for use before planting.
- Next, the seeds are planted in a mixture of soil: two parts of the earth to be steamed, one part of a special soil for flowers and half of the sand for looseness.
- In the ground to dodeep furrow one centimeter, pour plenty of water and put the seeds with a distance of three centimeters.
- Sprinkle with earth on top and cover with foil. Seeds will germinate in about 30 to 60 days, at the required temperature of about 20 degrees. But there are some seeds that can take much longer - up to six months.
How to plant cyclamen
When the shoots sprout, you need to remove the film and move it to a bright place, but not to sunlight. When the leaves break through, the shoots are transplanted three pieces into a separate container, the bulbs are completely planted in the soil. The earth needs porous, similar to the one where the seeds were planted. After about six months, the plants are planted in a separate pot, but then the bulb is deepened by two-thirds of the part. If you provide care for cyclamen, then after a year and a half you can observe flowering.
How to properly care for indoor cyclamen
It is important to ensure proper care of the cyclamen flower.
- The plant prefers a cool microclimate and scattered rays of light.
- It is necessary to arrange ventilation more often, but try to do without a draft.
- Irrigate the plant more often with water, the flower loves moist air, it will even allow you to slightly lower the temperature in the room.
- Don't forget about fertilizer, but you need to be careful not to overfeed the flower.
How towater
In the stage of rapid growth, one should not forget about constant watering, but most importantly, do not overdo it. In order to make sure that the plant has enough water, you can use this method of watering: put the container with the plant in water until the soil on top becomes wet, then remove the flower from the water and let the excess moisture drain. This method will not let the flower rot.
Methods of reproduction
Cyclamens, the care of which we will consider later, are propagated by seed germination, this method was described above, as well as vegetatively. For this, tubers are divided, which have several points of growth, but this is quite rare. Unfortunately, this method is considered difficult, and often it is not possible to transplant successfully, which is why the only option is propagation by planting seeds.
Cyclamen: post-purchase care at home
Due to a sudden change in environment, flowers and leaves may drop. It's not scary - this is how the flower reacts to the move. The plant should get used to it, and you need to create comfortable conditions for it. It is better to choose a place where there is enough light and cool air. If the soil is dry, the plant needs to be watered by pouring water into the pan - then cyclamen (we consider care after buying at home in the article) will take the amount of water it needs. You can spray the flower on top. There is no need to fertilize it for a couple of months, because the plants are already fed enough in the store.
Flowering and transplanting
Blossomscyclamen in summer or winter. The duration of flowering depends on how the cyclamen was cared for.
The plant is transplanted into the renewed soil every two years. Do this when the dormant period ends. It is important to know: a flower needs a cramped pot, when the distance to its edge is no more than three centimeters. By the way, for a bulb that is one and a half years old, a pot with a diameter of eight centimeters would be ideal, and for a three-year-old bulb, fifteen centimeters.
It is necessary to lay drainage in a new container, then a layer of fresh soil, then the onion together with the earth on the roots, pour the required amount of soil so that the onion is deepened by 2/3 of the part, tamp the soil with your hand. You can fertilize after one month.
Pests and diseases of cyclamen
If you provide proper care for cyclamen at home, then no pest or disease will threaten the plant. And if you do not care according to the rules, then rotting of the bulb may occur - in the case of constant excessive watering, or pests will appear with poor watering.
Cyclamen is a rather delicate flower, so it needs good care and attention to the appearance of various pests and diseases.
The main problems are as follows:
Aphids. Aphids are one of the most annoying pests. She eats the leaves of cyclamen, because of which they change, become crooked and ugly. If a plaque appears on the leaves, like dandruff, then the plant is affected by aphids. To rid the flower of parasites, you need to treat the leaves with an insecticidal agent
Thrips. Another type of parasite is thrips. They are easy to detect on the flower, they are quite noticeable. A sign of the invasion of thrips is the appearance of gray stains. The parasite very quickly harms the flower. Cyclamen begins to hurt: spots appear, the flower does not grow, its leaves change. To get rid of thrips, special sticky tapes are used. Then it is necessary to treat with an insecticidal agent
Cyclamen mite. It is difficult to detect a tick on cyclamen, its length is only 300 microns. The parasite eats the inside of the leaves and looks like dust from the side, this is the area affected by the mite. If you do not take action, the flower will begin to die. To get rid of the tick, you need to cut off the affected flowers and leaves. Next, treat with a chemical agent
Cyclamen turns yellow. If the plant was watered according to the rules, and the cyclamen turned yellow, most likely, the air is too warm for it. It is necessary to often irrigate from above with water and transfer to a room where the air is not so hot. Variant of the norm - the leaves of the plant turned yellow after flowering, which means the flower goes into a dormant stage
Cyclamen does not bloom. If the flower is poorly watered, do not monitor the level of humidity and temperature in the room, then cyclamen will probably not bloom. But it happens that after a while the plant gets used to the warm microclimate and blooms
Cyclamen after flowering
When the flowering stage ends, the yellowed leaves must be removed by twisting until they themselves separate. Watering should be less frequent, and it is advisable to rearrange the flower in a less lit place untilthe plant will not actively grow again.
Types of cyclamen
There are 2 types of this plant for indoor growing: European and Persian.
European Cyclamen. The plant has small leaves, flowers of a pink or lilac hue, sometimes there are other shades. European cyclamen (flower care is simple) is the most unpretentious and calmly withstands room temperature, but also prefers a room with cool air. In this type of plant, additional bulbs can grow, with the help of which the flower can be propagated. The flowering stage falls at the end of spring and continues until winter itself, in the summer the plant can be moved to the garden or to the balcony, but protected from the sun
Cyclamen Persian. The most common type, it is distinguished by incredibly beautiful flowers and unusual flowering: the petals seem to turn inside out and hang down until the cyclamen drops them. The color of the flowers is pink, lilac, white. The leaves of the Persian cyclamen are large and beautiful, unlike the European ones
Recently, the dwarf Persian cyclamen has become widespread (home care is no different from other species). It is much easier to tolerate room microclimate. The flowering period falls at the end of autumn until the beginning of spring, and then the plant goes into a dormant stage for nine months.
In addition to these two types of indoor plants, there are several more varieties of wild cyclamen in nature: African, Kos, Greek,Cypriot, Cilician and many more.
