Homemade cyclamen: care and growing from seeds. Growing cyclamen at home: important nuances of planting and caring for a demanding beauty

A wide variety of animals that came to us from overseas regions are suitable for home breeding. In particular, this includes the Kos breed, the very description of which already makes you think about breeding it at home. Let's take a closer look at this amazing representative flora and understand its basic requirements for cultivation.

Botanical description

Lighting

Despite the fact that cyclamen Kos is quite light-loving plant, hitting its leaves straight sun rays threatens to cause burns.

Therefore, window sills on the western or eastern side of the house are best suited for its placement. In case of emergency, you can place pots with plants on southern windows, only in this case you will have to block them.

Temperature characteristics and air humidity

When growing Kos cyclamen at home, it is important to provide it with optimal temperature regime. IN winter period Temperatures can be reduced to +11...+14 °C, but in summer it will be better if temperatures remain at +18...+25 °C. The most comfortable values ​​for sufficient plant growth and flowering are +11…+14 °C.

Until the buds form, cyclamen must be regularly sprayed, but as soon as they appear, this procedure is stopped, otherwise they may rot. Water can also be added to the pan, but only if it is filled with expanded clay or pebbles.

Growing substrate

The composition of the soil mixture also plays an important role in successful cultivation flower. Therefore, to obtain timely and abundant flowering, it is so important to prepare the correct substrate.

The ideal option would be a mixture of leaf and turf land(in equal proportions) with the addition of crushed limestone or old plaster. We also must not forget about, since plants often suffer from even a slight excess of moisture.

Planting at home

Planting cyclamen at home can be done in two ways: by seeds and by dividing the tuber. Both processes cannot be called too complex, but to obtain the most optimal result, you should approach the preparation competently planting material and remember some of the nuances of the landing itself.

Seeds

All seed material must have an integral structure, and it is not necessary to buy it, because if you have a flowering cyclamen, then you can collect seeds from it.

Important! The shelf life of both purchased and homemade planting material is very limited and is no more than 2 years. If the package you choose has erased inscriptions or is slightly damp, this indicates improper storage conditions.

Having made a decision self-cultivation seeds, be prepared for artificial cross-pollination. To do this, use a brush to transfer pollen from one flower to another, which in principle is not difficult, since its structure makes it easy to carry out this procedure.

When the pollinated plant forms a capsule over time (it matures in about 4 months), all that remains is to extract the seeds from it and plant them in the prepared substrate. The main thing is that the container should not be too deep and there is no need to pour in a lot of soil mixture.

The grooves for the seeds are also made small - no more than 1 cm long. A gap of 3 cm is left between individual seeds. The seed material is covered with a small amount of earth, and it is very important to control the level of soil moisture. The first shoots will appear in a month.

Important! Do not be alarmed if the sown seeds do not appear immediately - at first the flower grows quite slowly and is recommended only, without adding any. As the first (performed no earlier than a month after planting) you can use.

Bloom young plant, planted by seed, is observed no earlier than after a year, and sometimes after three.

By dividing the tuber

Propagation of Kos cyclamen using tubers is possible, but not advisable at home. This procedure is performed during the plant's dormant period and will require some special knowledge from you.

Before dividing the onion, it is removed from the soil and thoroughly dried, after which it is cut into several parts (it’s better to start with only two). It is very important that each piece obtained contains a kidney.

All removed parts are crushed and dried again. Next, the whole process follows a standard scenario: each shoot is planted in a separate pot, deepened by several centimeters.

If you decide to purchase ready-made parts of the tuber, be sure to pay attention to the buds: they must be intact and without damage. Such a tuber is treated with a growth accelerator and left for a while in a bright place.

A young plant needs to be watered periodically, but not flooded, otherwise rotting may begin.

Propagation of cyclamen by dividing the tuber is a rather problematic process, especially for novice gardeners, but there is still a chance. As alternative option Children can also be used as planting material (they take root much faster).

Did you know? IN In the 18th century, cyclamen was called “pig bread” because it turned out that pigs deliberately tear up the ground in search of tubers and roots of the plant.

Features of caring for Kos cyclamen

Watering, fertilizing, pruning and replanting the plant into a new substrate play an important role in its cultivation. Proper care always ensures the harmonious development of any flower, which is why it is so important to know about all the possible nuances.

How to water a flower

Kos cyclamen, like many of its hybrids, requires regular but dosed watering, especially in. Liquid application is usually done by immersion, and when watering from above, it is important to control this process so that water does not get on the leaves and tubers.

It would be more correct to pour the liquid over the edge of the pot. During the dormant period, the plants reduce the amount of moisture, but do not allow the soil to dry out.

Top dressing

During the process of active flowering and growth of the plant, it must be fed once every 2 weeks, using a complex one (usually the required dosage is indicated on the package). After sowing the plant (when grown from seeds) in the first 6 months, together with mineral compounds you need to enter and .

Plant pruning

Pruning is practically not required for cyclamen Kos, but for its normal growth and development it is necessary to promptly remove faded flowers and wilted leaves, and the bases of the pedicels, which are prone to rotting, also need to be removed.

Correct transplant

Replanting cyclamen (not only Kos) should be done regularly: every year at the same time, before budding begins. Usually this time occurs in the middle of summer, when new leaves gradually begin to grow.

Do not underestimate the importance of this procedure, since within 12 months the soil in the pot is greatly depleted, which also deteriorates its structure. When replanting, you are required to completely replace the old soil mixture with a new one, with the obligatory removal of rotten and dead roots.

Important! If your plant is no more than 1.5 years old, then a pot with a diameter of about 8 cm is ideal for it, while for a three-year-old plant ideal option will be 15 cm.

If you want your cyclamen to live for a long time and delight you with its color, it is important to prepare the right soil mixture, which is most often created from leaf soil, sand and peat.

You will need a little more leaf soil than the other ingredients, which are taken in equal proportions. If you do not want to prepare the substrate yourself, then it can be purchased ready-made at any specialized store.

Having dealt with the new soil and selected the appropriate container for the further development of your cyclamen, make small holes at the bottom of the pot and lay drainage in the form of ordinary pebbles or expanded clay, which will protect the plant from waterlogging.

When pouring new soil into a pot, there is no need to compact it, and to improve the health of the cyclamen, simply remove (unscrew) a few old leaves before placing it in a new container. The replanting procedure itself requires carefully removing the plant from the old pot and equally carefully transferring it to the new one.

Growing cyclamen from seeds at home is a troublesome task, but not very difficult. True, the amateur gardener will have to be patient: it will take about a year from the moment the seed is sowed to the start of flowering, but the end result is worth it.

Features of growing cyclamen from seeds

Growing cyclamen from seed material It has whole line Features:

• the seeds will sprout within a month if the air temperature is no higher than +15ºС; at higher degrees, the seed germination period may take up to 3 months;
• a wide selection of seed types contributes to the creation of a unique, healthy and luxurious flower garden;
• You can plant seeds throughout the year, although it is preferable early spring or end of summer;
• It is best to grow cyclamen by seed in a dark room.

Preparing and sowing seeds - step-by-step instructions

Growing cyclamen from seed material takes place in several stages.

Seed preparation

They are pre-soaked in any stimulant for 18 hours. Most often they use Zircon, Epin-extra or Etamon, which are sold in any flower shop. The drugs are diluted according to the instructions supplied with the drug.

You can soak the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or simply in warm water. Soak a piece of gauze folded in several layers or 2 cotton pads with the prepared liquids. Soak the seeds for 14 hours, and you must constantly monitor them so that they do not dry out.

At this stage it is advisable to use different methods treatment for several groups of seeds in order to further draw conclusions about optimal option soaking.

Landing

In a special indoor greenhouse, which can be used as an opaque container, the prepared soil mixture is placed in a layer of 6–7 cm. The substrate is prepared from a mixture of leaf soil and peat in equal quantities. The soil is compacted well. The treated seeds are laid out at a distance of 2–3 cm, then sprinkled with a mixture of sand and peat in a layer of about a centimeter and watered generously.

For supporting high level humidity, cover the container with the sown seeds with an opaque film or lid. Better conditions for germination – air temperature not higher than +18ºС and a darkened room.

The germination process takes a very long time; the first shoots may appear in 30 - 40 days. At first they are a root with a small tuber. It takes root in the soil, after which pink-violet loops unfold from small nodules.

When sprouting, quite often a slight difficulty arises in that the first leaf does not manage to shed the seed skin for a long time, and it cannot unfold. Usually, with sufficiently high air humidity, seedlings solve this problem on their own, gradually shedding their scales, but sometimes they remain there for quite a long period.

There is no need to be afraid of this, since the next leaves will come from the nodule located in the soil. However, you can help the plant, for which the sprout is carefully covered with moistened cotton wool and left for an hour and a half. After this, the seed will become soft and can be easily removed from the shoot. Another method is to use tweezers to remove dried scales, but this risks damaging the sprout.

As soon as the first shoots appear, the container must be moved to a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. If you have difficulty finding such a place, then the plants need to be slightly protected from sunlight. Young seedlings need daily moistening from a watering can with a fine strainer, or using a spray bottle. It is equally important to observe the temperature regime in the room, maintaining it at +18ºС.

Picking seedlings

Cyclamen seedlings dive when one true leaf is finally formed and a second one appears. At this point, the plant has already formed a small tuber. Seedlings are planted in pots or seedling boxes filled with soil consisting of equal parts of sand, leaf and turf soil.

You can place 2–3 seedlings in one bowl; they are placed in boxes according to the “6 by 6” pattern. You need to dive carefully, picking up the seedling with a lump of earth. The resulting nodules must be completely covered with earth. After the seedlings are planted, the plant begins to grow faster.

The planted young plants will take root in about 3 weeks, and a comfortable temperature for them should be maintained no higher than +20ºС.

To prevent the petioles from stretching and curling, it is necessary to provide the plants with bright lighting. If for some reason it is impossible to arrange lighting, you need to lower the temperature. This step will slow down the growth of the flowers and protect them from deformation.

Transplantation to a permanent place The bowl for rooted cyclamen should not be large, because as the seedlings grow, they are transplanted several times. The container must contain drainer

. The bottom is covered with a two-centimeter drainage layer (expanded clay, brick, pebbles or foam), then an earthen mixture is poured. In addition to peat, sand and leaf soil are added to the soil.

The seedlings are planted so that the nodules rise above the soil by a centimeter to one and a half. Water the flowers through a tray or carefully along the edge of a bowl, being careful not to wet the tubers and leaves.

What you need for self-sowing

• To independently propagate cyclamen from seeds you will need:
• high-quality seed material purchased in a store, from flower growers who grow this plant, or obtained independently from a home flower;
• growth stimulants - Etamon, Epin or Zircon; ready-made earthen substrate, or clean calcined peat river sand
• and leaf soil;
• drainage material (expanded clay, pebbles, etc.);
• a watering can with a fine strainer or a spray bottle;
• mineral fertilizer;
• seedling box for sowing seeds.

Subsequent care of crops

The most difficult stage is behind us. Now the main thing is to water the plant on time and make sure that there are no heat sources nearby and that direct rays of the sun do not fall on it. Important rule watering: to avoid rotting, water should not get on the tuber; it is better to water the cyclamen along the edge of the bowl.

A nine-month-old plant can delight with the first flower buds, and by the end of the first year it may already bloom. As a rule, this flower has a dormant period in summer, but newest varieties Persian cyclamens are often pleased with flowers all year round

. Cyclamen will announce the onset of the dormant period by dropping its leaves. If this happens, it is necessary to limit watering to a minimum and move the flower to a dark place.

This flower does not require frequent fertilization; cyclamen is not fertilized in the first 6 months. In the future, it can be fed at 9 months with a weak solution of mineral fertilizer for flowering plants.

Necessary conditions for young plants

For the successful development of the plant in the future, several conditions must be met.

• Upon landing: Pots intended for young growth
• , must have holes at the bottom to drain excess water; The bottom of the pot is always covered
• good drainage layer; When transplanting, the transshipment method is used
• , in which the root system is captured along with a decent lump of earth; Seedlings grown from seeds are planted in pairs
• into one landing container; When replanting adult plants, you need to monitor

so that the upper part of the tuber protrudes halfway above the surface of the ground.

• Fertilizing and watering plants: Young cyclamens are fed for the first time only 6 months after sowing.
• , using half the dose of mineral fertilizer solution for ornamental flowering plants; In the first year, cyclamen must be watered frequently and regularly.
• , for more established plants, watering should be moderate, once every few days; Avoid getting water on the plant

If this suddenly happens, the moisture from the leaves and nodule should be carefully blotted with a napkin.

• Temperature: Young cyclamen plants at home do not tolerate high temperatures well
• , the ideal temperature for keeping them up to a year is from +5 to +10ºС; Cyclamens grown in spartan conditions have a stronger and more compact rosette
• and will be more resistant to temperature changes in the future; high temperatures , the socket is loose.

Seed selection criteria

Selecting seeds for self-growing cyclamen in home environment you must be guided by the following parameters:

• Careful selection of plant variety, suitable for indoor propagation;
• A thorough check of the quality of seed material, which consists of inspecting it for the integrity of the seeds, for the absence of structural damage, deformation, signs of freezing, infectious diseases;
• If seeds are purchased in a store, you need to pay attention to the expiration date., this parameter for cyclamens is limited to 2 years;
• No less important is and choice of seed producer;
• The integrity of the packaging and its appearance are also checked: erased inscriptions, traces of wetness indicate that the planting material was stored in improper conditions and good results You shouldn't expect anything from him.

Seeds from homemade cyclamens

Cyclamen blooming at home can produce seeds very High Quality. Seed setting occurs during the process of self-pollination. For artificial self-pollination, a cross method is used: pollen from one plant to another is carefully transferred using a small brush. After the seed pod is formed, the seed material is removed from it, which then needs to be dried for several days.

Homemade seeds provide almost 100% germination, grow very quickly and amicably, which is fundamentally different from store-bought ones.

Basic mistakes

When growing cyclamen from seed material, it is necessary to take into account the main mistakes made by inexperienced gardeners:

• The soil should always be moist so that the seeds do not dry out;
• Must be watered daily, but in no case should water stagnate;
• To avoid drying out, you can cover the seedlings with glass., while not forgetting the need for ventilation;
• During the first 3 months, cyclamen roots grow rapidly, leaves appear later;
• At the tuber indoor cyclamen there is only 1 growth point, damage to which can lead to the death of the entire flower;
• The plant needs to be fed only after the first half of the year. using a weak solution of fertilizer for flowering plants.

To achieve a positive result when propagating cyclamen by seeds, you must follow the following recommendations:

• take only high quality seed planting material;
• strictly follow the above rules and the sequence of planting stages;
• keep soil moisture under control; both excessive and insufficient watering is harmful for cyclamen seedlings;
• Apply fertilizers 3 – 4 months after the leaves appear.

The cyclamen flower, nurtured from a seed, is unpretentious, as it was originally grown at home. Such plants are resistant to infections and pests and can withstand temperature differences without problems. In addition, sometimes you may not find a plant of the variety and color you like in stores.

Cyclamen or dryweed - perennial ornamental plant.

The countries of the Mediterranean and Asia Minor are considered its homeland.

The genus Cyclamen (Cyclamen L.) includes about 15 species.

Of these, the most commonly found on sale are Persian, European, Kos, and Neapolitan cyclamen.

Cyclamen persica native to the Eastern Mediterranean. It has dark green, heart-shaped leaves with a marbled pattern. Blooms from September to March, double or simple flowers. Flower color varies from white to various shades of red. The rest period is May-June.

European cyclamen V wildlife found in Central and Southern Europe. It is also called alpine violet. Its leaves are smaller than those of the Persian. Flowers emit a fragrance, the intensity of which depends on the color of the flower: what lighter shade, the more subtle the smell. This species is the only one of all cyclamens that does not fall leaves during hibernation.

Cyclamen Kos named after the island of Kos where it was first discovered. It has its own peculiarity: the petals expand sharply from the base and have a dark spot.

Cyclamen ivy or Neapolitan differs from other species in the shape of the leaves: due to the notched-toothed edges, they are similar to ivy leaves. Blooms in September-November. Flowers appear before leaves.

IN indoor floriculture Persian cyclamen is mainly grown. He has bred many varieties. According to the height of the peduncles, they are divided into standard (20-30 cm), medium-sized (15-22 cm) and low-growing (up to 15 cm). The most popular varieties: Charlie, Scarlet Moth, Spring Moth, Lilu, Rose, Flamingo, Sylphide, Topaz, Rembrandt, Elf, Bellissima.

Cyclamens are highly dependent on temperature conditions: They begin to actively vegetate when it is humid and cool. As the air temperature rises, they prepare for a period of rest. This creates a certain difficulty in caring for cyclamen at home, especially in heating season. However, if you follow certain rules for caring for this capricious one, you can admire the bright butterfly flowers for more than one year.

Cyclamen: care at home - reproduction, transplantation, dormant period

Reproduction

It is not very easy to propagate cyclamen at home. It can be grown from seeds and tuber divisions.

If seeds are purchased in garden stores, then when purchasing, you need to look at the expiration dates on the packaging: the seeds remain viable for up to 2 years.

If available in the house blooming cyclamen To get his seeds, the gardener will have to work as a “pollinator bee”: transfer pollen from one flower to another with a cotton swab or brush. To ensure success in pollination, the procedure is repeated several times. The best time for this is the morning hours of a sunny day.

Ripe seeds are stored for 2 months and then sown, having previously soaked them in Zircon.

As a substrate, mix peat with vermiculite or leaf soil in equal parts. There is no need to deepen the seeds into the soil: spread them out on the surface and sprinkle them thin layer soil. Optimal temperature for germination it will be +20ºС (at a higher value the seeds will go into hibernation, and at less than +18ºС there is a high probability of their rotting). Plantings must be periodically moistened and ventilated.

Shoots begin to appear after about 4-6 weeks. From this moment on, the bowl with seedlings is placed in a well-lit place (but without direct sun) with a temperature of +15+17°C. When the seedlings have small nodules and 2-3 leaves, they are planted in separate containers. A week after this, the plants are fed with mineral fertilizers (the dose is reduced by 2 times from that indicated on the package). Cyclamens grown from seeds bloom 12-18 months after planting. It happens that flowering begins even later (after 3-4 years).

Reproduction of cyclamen dividing the tuber carried out like this:

During the plant's dormant period (spring-summer), the tuber is dug out of the ground and cut into pieces;

Each such division must have a bud and roots;

The sections are dried, treated with fungicide or crushed coal;

The delenki are planted in separate pots and placed in a greenhouse or covered plastic cup.

When choosing planting material in garden stores, pay attention to the appearance: the tuber should be elastic, not wrinkled, and free of rotten spots.

Transfer

Cyclamen, especially flowering ones, do not respond well to transplantation. Therefore, purchased potted plant or your own can be replanted when it fades. It is better to postpone this procedure until the beginning of the active growing season (August - early September) - the growth of new leaves after a period of dormancy will be a sign. New pot they pick up a little more than the old one. At the bottom, a layer of drainage made from different-sized fractions of expanded clay or crushed stone is required. Before planting, it is advisable to spill the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide. The depth of the cyclamen tuber during planting depends on the type of plant. Thus, in Persian cyclamen the tuber is planted only 2/3 into the ground, while in other species it is completely buried. The transplanted plant is placed in a cool and bright place. Watering is gradually increased as new leaves grow.

Rest period

At the end of spring - beginning of summer, after flowering, cyclamen begins a dormant period. Withered leaves and the flowers are picked off, watering is reduced to a minimum (so that the soil does not dry out completely). The pot with the tuber is rearranged or placed on its side in a cool, ventilated place and stored in this way until autumn. To bring the plant out of hibernation (beginning of autumn), take it out into the light and gradually increase watering.

Cyclamen care at home - soil, lighting, conditions for flowering

Lighting

Cyclamens love diffuse light, it is better to keep them in partial shade - direct sun causes burns on them. The optimal direction will be western and eastern. On north windows cyclamen does not have enough light, and shading is needed on the southern windowsill.

The soil

Cyclamens for wellness you need drained and nutritious soil with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction (pH 5.5-6.0). The substrate is made from a mixture of leaf and turf soil, sand, and humus in equal parts. To determine the acidity of the soil, you can use special test strips. The procedure is carried out as follows: a pinch of soil is mixed with water, the sediment is left to settle, and a test strip is dipped into the resulting solution. The result is checked against the scale on the packaging.

Sequence of actions for determining soil acidity

If there are no such test strips, then you can roughly determine the acidity by the reaction with vinegar - pour it on a handful of soil and evaluate the result. If there are a lot of bubbles, then the soil is alkaline; if there are few, the reaction is neutral. If nothing happens, then the soil is acidic.

Conditions for flowering

In order for cyclamen to delight with its flowering, certain conditions must be met:

Suitable pot size - flowering is inhibited in a cramped or too spacious container;

Lack of nutrition;

Unsuitable soil acidity;

Incorrect landing: Persian cyclamen planted, leaving the “crown” of the tuber above the ground; other species need deepening of the root. The distance between the tuber and the edge of the pot is maintained at two to three centimeters;

The plant needs a period of rest and the right way out out of him.

Cyclamen care at home - feeding and watering

Watering

The main rule when watering cyclamen is moderation and accuracy. It is important to avoid over-moistening and drying out the soil. This flower is often affected by root rot, so only the bottom layer of soil needs to be moistened. It is better to water the cyclamen along the edge of the pot (so as not to get into the center of the rosette, on the leaves and buds) or through a tray: place the pot with the plant in a basin or bucket of water, and remove it after 15 minutes. During the flowering period, the tree is watered with plenty of settled water. After the plant has flowered, watering is gradually reduced, and at the beginning of the dormant period (from March to August) it is stopped altogether.

Air humidity

Cyclamen likes it to be humid and cool. You should not keep it near heat sources - the plant will shed its leaves and go into hibernation. To increase air humidity near the plant, the pot can be placed in a tray with wet pebbles. Before the buds appear, cyclamen can be sprayed occasionally.

Fertilizer

They begin to feed cyclamen during the period of active growth and flowering. With the beginning of active growth, for the growth of leaves, they are fed with complex mineral fertilizer every 2 weeks. When buds appear, reduce the dose of nitrogen and increase the amount of potassium and phosphorus.

Cyclamen at home: why does it die?

Cyclamen – demanding plant, acutely reacting to errors in care. Yellowing of leaves is possible for several reasons:

Lack of moisture in the soil and air;

The plant is starving - it needs to be fed during the flowering period;

Damage by pests or diseases;

Cramped pot;

The natural state of the beginning of the dormant period.

If the leaves take on an ugly shape, stop growing and become stiff, flowers wither, peduncles become bent, then the cyclamen mite has come to visit. Conventional insecticides approved for use at home do not work on it. The plant will have to be destroyed to prevent the spread of the pest.

Damaged thrips leaves are covered silvery spots. These insects are carriers of the leaf bronzing virus, which becomes deformed and brown “stains” appear on them. Over time, the leaf blades become necrotic. A diseased plant cannot be treated and must be destroyed. Insecticides are used against thrips (Fitoverm, Aktara, Agrovertin).

Cyclamen leaf damaged by thrips

If flower stalks grow shorter than leaves and flowers bloom under them, the reason is an incorrect watering regime: waterlogging or overdrying of the earthen clod in combination with low temperature.

Cyclamens often die from fungal and bacterial diseases. Wet and cold air coupled with its poor circulation contribute to the appearance gray rot. At the same time, the leaves turn yellow and mold appears on them. gray. The affected parts of the plant must be carefully removed (mold spores spread easily with air movement) and the plant must be treated with a fungicide (Skor, Fitosporin-M, Fundazol). For prevention, ventilate the room more often and reduce the amount of watering.

Wet rot is manifested by a sharp wilting of the plant and a putrid odor of the root system. Infection occurs through infected water or a diseased plant. It cannot be treated.

Fusarium – fungal disease, affecting the vascular system of the plant. It manifests itself as yellowing of the leaves, often on one side of the plant. Over time, the fungus affects the entire plant. IN initial stage cyclamen diseases are watered with a solution of foundationazole, the ground part is sprayed with Topsin-M.

Fusarium wilt of cyclamen

Among the variety of indoor plants, there are flowers that are often used as gifts. Get a pot of beautiful flowering bush cyclamen, violet or anthurium are doubly pleasant: such flowers cannot be compared with a bouquet, because it will quickly wither, and the bush will still for a long time will be pleasing to the eye, and may even produce “offspring.”

The favorite cyclamen is a herbaceous perennial from the Myrsinaceae family with a very bright and abundant flowering. Its original colorful inflorescences in the form of butterflies with raised wings proudly rise above the foliage on long stalks and form a lush flower cap that is simply impossible to pass by. And the leaves themselves, with their rounded shapes and light patterns on dark background also very decorative. Thanks to the spectacular appearance and long-term (more than 3 months) flowering, cyclamen has long won its place in the hearts of home plant lovers.

Planting and caring for cyclamen seems difficult only at first glance; in fact, this flower feels quite comfortable on windowsills and is able to decorate them with its blooms more than once. The main thing is to know some of the nuances of growing and create it favorable conditions. How to do it correctly, that’s what we’ll talk about today.

Features of planting cyclamen

Root system plants are significantly different from the roots of most representatives of indoor pets, which plays a major role not only during planting, but also in further care behind the flower. Cyclamen is somewhat reminiscent of bulbous crops: its root is a large flattened corm round shape. Its average diameter is about 15 cm, with only one growth point.

When planting an adult cyclamen, the tuber cannot be completely buried in the ground: at least 1/3 of it must remain on the surface. The exception is European look a plant in which roots grow not only in the lower part of the bulb, but throughout its entire surface.

The soil for the flower must be light and nutritious. The store sells ready-made substrates specific to this plant. A soil mixture for Saintpaulias is also suitable for him.

If desired, soil suitable for cyclamen can be made independently by mixing in equal parts:

• leaf soil;
• sand;
• turf land;
• humus.

There is one more nuance on which both the development and future flowering of the plant directly depend. A pot for cyclamen should be chosen with a small volume (of course, taking into account the size of the corm itself).

When choosing a flowerpot, you need to be guided by the fact that there should be no more than 3 cm from the tuber itself to the walls of the planting container. Only in such “close conditions” will cyclamen soon be able to bloom.

What does cyclamen love and what is it afraid of?

When planning to grow a plant, it is worth considering what it prefers:

• coolness;
• Fresh air;
• enough high humidity air;
• diffuse lighting.

Most comfortable temperature for a flower - up to 20 degrees Celsius, but not lower than 10 degrees. For it to bloom in winter, you need even less - up to 14 degrees Celsius. Frequent ventilation allows you to provide cyclamen with an influx of fresh air, especially in heating season. You can also refresh the bush with regular spraying; in addition, it will raise the humidity and lower the temperature in the room.

When ventilating the room, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of a draft - it is detrimental to the flower.

Another important point in caring for cyclamen at home concerns watering. The best way to moisten the soil in a pot is by bottom watering, lowering the pot into a bowl of water. Keep it there until the substrate is completely saturated with moisture, and upper layer won't get wet. Then you should remove the cyclamen and allow the excess water to drain. The liquid from the pan must be drained so that it does not stagnate.

Bottom watering of cyclamen will eliminate the possibility of moisture getting on the top of the corm, as well as directly on the flowers and leaves. If you water the bush directly into the pot, there is a risk of flooding the growing point, and this usually ends in rotting of the tuber and, accordingly, the loss of the entire plant.

Cyclamen can also be watered directly into the pan, not forgetting to drain it afterwards. excess water out of him.

Regarding application, cyclamen is one of those indoor plants, which are better to underfeed than to overfeed.
The flower responds well to complex preparations for flowering plants, especially in liquid form, but the working solution should be prepared strictly following the recommendations for its use, sometimes even reducing its concentration.

The purchased plant does not need fertilizing for the next 2-3 months: usually store-bought soil contains a large amount nutrients, with which the plant is “seasoned” so that it blooms profusely and has a beautiful “marketable” appearance.

How often to repot a plant?

Cyclamen does not grow very quickly, and a young corm can sit in a pot for two years. During this time, it will increase in volume and it will be possible to transplant the cyclamen into a larger pot, at the same time changing the substrate to a fresh one. It is better to replant using the transshipment method, without completely clearing the old soil from the tuber, so as not to damage it. The first feeding after this procedure is done a month later.

Cyclamen should be handled at the end of the dormant period, before it starts to grow, but you don’t need to take a very spacious container, otherwise you may not see the next flowering.

Gifted or purchased in a store flowering plant(even if it is absolutely clear that the transport pot is too small for it) you cannot replant it - you must wait until it blooms and rests.

How does cyclamen rest?

When the bush finishes flowering and the inflorescences fade, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and over time, only one tuber remains in the pot. Many gardeners think that the plant is lost, and often even throw it away. However, this is completely in vain, because this is how cyclamen prepares for a period of rest.

Fading leaves can be carefully removed without waiting for them to dry out completely. To do this, simply twist the petioles clockwise without using scissors.

Caring for cyclamen during the dormant period is simple:

• with the beginning of yellowing of the foliage, the frequency of watering begins to be reduced;
• the pot with the “naked” round tuber remaining in it is moved to a darker place, where it will receive less light, but will not be hot;
• hibernating cyclamen is watered occasionally to prevent completely dry soil and corms.

Most often, plants hibernate in winter, when the room is too warm and dry for them, because it is known that cyclamens bloom profusely only in cool and dry conditions. wet conditions, although the spring-summer break is also typical for them.

Flowers rest for three months. This time is enough for them to recover and gain strength before the next abundant flowering.
After the specified time has passed, the pot with the corm is returned to a bright place and watering is resumed. Soon leaves will appear from the bulb, then buds will form and everything will repeat all over again.

Preferred method of reproduction

As already mentioned, the cyclamen corm has only one growth point. True, sometimes there are specimens in which several of them are formed, but this happens very rarely. For this reason, it is almost impossible to obtain a new plant by dividing a tuber, especially since even if it is possible to carry out such a procedure, the divisions take root extremely reluctantly and in most cases die.

The seed method is the most realistic and positive-resulting method of propagating cyclamen.

You can sow seeds at any time of the year, but it is better to start working in early spring. Then the daylight hours are long enough, which makes it possible to provide the seedlings with good lighting and avoid them being stretched out.

Before sowing, it is better to pickle the seeds for disinfection purposes by soaking them in a solution of potassium permanganate. Instead, you can use any growth stimulator.

Fill the seedling container with nutritious soil mixture, make shallow grooves in it and spray them well with a spray bottle. Lay out the prepared seeds, leaving a distance of at least 2 cm between the seeds. Lightly sprinkle the crops with soil and cover the top with film or glass to create greenhouse conditions. They will remain in this form for 12 months until they germinate. At this time, it is necessary to periodically ventilate the greenhouse and spray the soil, and also not allow temperatures to be too high, otherwise the seeds will “fall asleep” instead of germinating.

If after a month the seedlings have not yet hatched, there is no need to rush to throw them away: the seeds of certain varieties of cyclamen can “sit” in the ground for more than 5 months.

When the seeds germinate, the film is removed and the seedlings are grown without it. After the plants have formed a pair of true leaves and their own small nodules, they are picked into separate cups. It is noteworthy that you can plant them in pairs or even 3 pieces, since each young bulb will not need much space.

When picking plants, young corms are completely covered with soil, unlike adult cyclamens.

In such small groups they will “sit” and grow for about six months, after which the bushes are individually transplanted into flowerpots with a volume of no more than 7 cm. The first flowering of young cyclamens can be seen no earlier than 18 months from the moment of sowing the seeds, and some specimens take as long as three years to prepare for this. They can bloom in summer or even winter, depending on the time of sowing and growing conditions.