The Greeks called the flower sleeping in summer “cyclamen”. Caring for it requires knowledge of the flower itself. It is a beautiful perennial plant that forms a corm on an almost perfect round shape.
It is in the tuber of cyclamen that the whole life of the plant is concentrated. After all, as much as 8 - 9 months. in a year, the cyclamen plant sleeps, completely getting rid of leaves and flowers.
In winter, when there are so few bright colors around, and most plants usually do not bloom, it is cyclamen that will delight connoisseurs of beauty. The popularity of this wonderful houseplant is growing every year. Many people compare cyclamen flowers with wonderful exotic butterflies that flutter above the heart-shaped dark green leaves.
The flowers of the plant are curved back, pointed. There is a huge variety of colors: white, various shades of red and pink, purple, there are also hybrids with beautiful terry petals. Leaflets are located on slender long petioles and bear a decorative silver pattern.
Indoor flowers bloom cyclamen for a long time. It also depends on the variety and quality indoor conditions: flowering plants can begin in the second half of October and last until the end of the month of March.
How to choose cyclamen
Be sure to pay attention not only to the leaves of the plant, but also to the tuber itself when buying. The leaves should not have any damage, be sluggish to any degree and at least slightly dried around the edges. On a round tuber must necessarily be absent any signs of decay, and in no case should it be somehow wrinkled. Cyclamen, care of which is not interesting to new owners in the summer, is best acquired in the fall, at the beginning of its flowering. At the same time, it is desirable that the flower has a huge number of buds.
Cyclamen: Care
Many believe that it will be difficult to care for cyclamen. But this is not so. The main thing to know is how often to water cyclamen. Subject to simple rules of care, it will delight for more than 20 years with its lovely flowering.
The most common mistake of gardeners is the complete instillation of a round tuber of a plant. This cyclamen does not like. It feels great when 1/3 of the tuber is freely above the main surface of the soil. They do not like cyclamens and large pots. They bloom poorly in them, and sometimes they rot.
Cyclamen: flowering care
The main condition for leaving during the flowering period is the optimum, cool temperature - up to 12 - 15 ° C, but not below 10 ° C and in no case above 20 ° C. Despite the fact that cyclamen needs a lot of light, protect the plant from direct sunlight.
For excellent health, this plant needs regular plentiful watering, in which it is necessary to ensure that water does not in any way fall on the sprout zone of the corm itself, flowers and leaves.
Care after the end of periodic flowering
From late spring, cyclamens usually have a long rest period. Flowers and leaves fade. Still not fallen leaves are removed in the usual mechanical way - they are carefully twisted or lightly cut with scissors, being careful not to touch the tuber itself. In such a period, it is necessary to significantly reduce the watering of the plant. And it’s enough just to prevent drying out of the earthen coma in the pot. It is also recommended to transfer the plant to a cool, shaded place. Remember, cyclamens really do not like dry air and high temperature. The appearance of new leaves is a sure sign that the plant has already woken up and has passed the "hibernation" safely.
A transplant of this plant is done at the end of the "sleepy" period and before flowering begins. At the next transplant, the entire earthen lump is completely replaced. Unnecessary rotten roots are removed from a tired plant. 4 weeks after this procedure, you can begin to actively feed the soil.