If you want something unusual and very bright in your apartment or house, then choose a plant for this that has fragrant beautiful flowers - cyclamen. How to care for it and how to propagate is not a very difficult issue, but still requires effort. If you want to see greens all year round, then European cyclamen is best, if it is bright and plentiful, then Persian. In both cases, even a not very experienced grower will cope with the cultivation. In addition to high decorative qualities, cyclamen is also characterized by medicinal properties. Its use in medicine has been practiced since the time of Hippocrates. Cyclamen is also called the flower of King Solomon. According to legend, he hesitated for a long time which form to choose for his crown. Many options were tried, but by sheer chance, the ruler was struck by a modest cyclamen, which he really liked, it was Solomon who gave preference to the shape of his flower.
Varieties
Indoor cyclamen belongs, as a rule, to one of the two most common types: Persian or European. Both of them are very decorative, but somewhat differ both externally and in how to grow cyclamen. Persian is sometimes also called alpine violet. He is very elegant, he has decorative not only flowers, but also leaves. The plant has a dormant period. It can reach sizes large enough for a houseplant - up to 30 cm in height. He is the progenitor of most modern species.
More simple in room culture is European cyclamen. In winter, it does not drop leaves and preserves greens throughout the year. But the size is much smaller, while the flowers have a beautiful, most often pinkish color and a delicate pleasant aroma. This variety is primarily suitable for those who are just starting their acquaintance with cyclamens. It is quite simple to grow and tenacious, if suddenly the created conditions do not suit him. In addition to these two species, there is one more - Caucasian cyclamen, however, it is very rare to meet it in our apartments. It grows on the slopes of the mountains, the flowers are white or sometimes pale pink. Refers to early flowering plants and pleases with bright colors since February, as soon as the first thawed patches appear.
The root, as in other species, is a rounded tuber. It is mainly used at home as a primrose garden plant. Caucasian cyclamen is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation as a vulnerable species, the number of which is steadily declining.
Cyclamen: the birthplace of the plant
We can confidently name four points on our planet from where this flower spread: Asia Minor, Iran, Central Europe and the Mediterranean. The habitat is wide enough; it grows in the foothills, on the edges of the forest. Cyclamen has been mentioned as a cultivated garden plant since 1731, but it began to gain enormous popularity only when breeders got involved. Creating stunning varieties with large terry or simple flowers of various shades, they for a long time provided him with fame. Persian cyclamen is especially common in our stores. The birthplace of the plant is Asia Minor and Greece, where it grows in open ground and in spring you can come across whole glades, fragrant with a very strong aroma. Due to the fact that it blooms closer to Christmas, in Europe it is grown on an industrial scale, especially in Germany, Holland, Italy and France. And not only as a houseplant, but also for loggias, patios and gardens. But his own, closer European cyclamen (the birthplace of the plant is Central Europe) is not so common. Although growing it is easier.
Place in the house and lighting
Although the homeland of indoor cyclamen is the warm edge of the Mediterranean, it still prefers diffused light, without direct sunlight. If it is put on the floor, then it is likely to be visually lost, so the best place will be the western and eastern windows in the house or special flower racks in a slightly shaded place. Indoor cyclamen is extremely demanding on temperature conditions. This is his feature and one of the nuances of growing. The temperature in the summer should be between 18-25 degrees, and in winter the most optimal and favorable - 10. Failure to comply with these conditions can lead to the fact that cyclamen simply ceases to bloom or even die.
According to the teachings of Feng Shui, this plant helps to stabilize energy in a house or apartment, brings a sense of community and unites the family. Frequent leaps in mood or depression, according to experts in this field, is also subject to him. Cyclamen will have a good effect on the work team and the atmosphere in it, because it will be a good choice for the office. If you want to bring vivid feelings to your life, give preference to bright raspberry cyclamen, for romance choose white or red.
How to prepare the soil?
If you buy ready-made soil, then no difficulties arise. If you want to cook it yourself, you need to consider several important points. The homeland of indoor cyclamen determines its appearance, and this must be taken into account when choosing soil. For the Persian, experts advise preparing soil from sheet, sod land, humus and sand in equal proportions. The addition of calcareous crushed stone or a small amount (1 part) of peat is very beneficial.
A slightly different ratio of the components of the composition requires European cyclamen. The birthplace of the plant is alpine meadows. Therefore, good drainage is urgently needed, and a mixture of turf, leafy soil, humus, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 2: 1 is best suited for it. The soil mixture must be steamed or calcined in the oven to prevent the appearance of various pests and diseases. You can also add superphosphate (1 g), phosphorite flour (4 g), ammonium nitrate (0.4 g) per 1 kg of finished soil. Cyclamen at home does not require a large pot, it is best to choose shallow, with a diameter of 10-15 cm.
Depth of landing is of great importance. In European cyclamen, the roots grow around the entire tuber circumference, so you can safely plant it completely in the ground. But in his Persian relative, it is best to leave the tip above the surface of the soil.
European cyclamen does not need to be transplanted too often. If the pot is large, then it can rot or, at best, cease to bloom. Large specimens change the pot (1-2 cm more than before) once every 2-4 years.
Water mode
The question of how to water cyclamen is very important. Compliance with the water regime is already half the success in the issue of cultivation. At low temperatures (10-15 degrees), the plant does not need high humidity, it will already feel quite comfortable, so you do not need to spray it. This is only required if the room is hot. But it is not the plant itself that needs to be sprayed, but the air around it, so that moisture does not fall on the leaves or the protruding tuber. Or you need to put the pot on wet gravel or expanded clay for a while.
The first thing to remember when growing cyclamen at home is that it does not tolerate excess moisture. Watering should be extremely accurate, but plentiful during flowering, the drying of an earthen coma should not be allowed. Water should not fall on leaves or tubers, moreover, this can lead to decay of the roots. Therefore, you need to water near the edge of the pot in which the flower grows. It is good to use melt water, if you take tap water, then before watering cyclamen, you need to let it settle. This will take at least 12 hours.
Fertilizers
Cyclamen should be fed at home during the period of active vegetation, when intensive growth begins, buds are formed. You should not water with fertilizer the flower you just bought in the store, first let it acclimatize and get used to new conditions. Frequency - once every two weeks. Fertilizers can be organic and mineral. With the latter, observe the measure and choose those in which the chlorine content is the lowest. Now in floriculture shops you can find special fertilizers for each type of plant, the most optimal balance of mineral and organic substances is selected in them, it is best to purchase just such. Concentration should not be determined by eye, proceed according to the instructions. Otherwise, this can lead to an excess of nitrogen in the soil, and this will lead to the fact that leaves will develop more actively, simply put, the green mass will begin to grow, and you will not see flowers.
Cyclamen: how to care during flowering?
It is important to maintain the correct air temperature in the room, not more than 15 ° C, but not lower than 10 ° C - this is the key to plentiful and long flowering. At this time, cyclamen needs abundant watering, but it must not be poured. Therefore, excess water from the pan must be drained after 10-15 minutes. It is also necessary to monitor the leaves and remove dry ones in time, otherwise this can lead to the development of rot. When the flower stalk fades, then it must be carefully removed. To do this, turn it and pull it slightly.
Rest period
As a rule, it occurs after 3-4 months of abundant flowering. And this is one of the answers to the question why cyclamen wilts. First, new buds cease to form, and then the leaves gradually wither and wither. In Persian cyclamen, this occurs in April, at which time it is necessary to reduce watering. And when the leaves do not remain at all, then you only need to slightly maintain moisture in the soil. At this time, the flower pot should be removed in a cool and shaded place. In many countries, Persian cyclamen is grown as a one-time plant, it is presented for Christmas or New Year, it safely pleases the owners with plentiful flowering, and then it is simply thrown away. And this makes sense, because, having bought a flowering Persian cyclamen in a store, you are unlikely to achieve the same flowering at home. All of them are grown in greenhouses and get used to the indoor microclimate is very, very difficult. Therefore, before buying, think about how to grow cyclamen, if you have enough time for this, whether there is a suitable place in the apartment. If you decide, then be careful when choosing. We must give preference to those cyclamens that are just starting to bloom, the soil should be moderately moist, the leaves should have normal turgor, the roots and tubers should be free of rot and signs of damage by insects.
After a period of rest, the Persian cyclamen returns to life at the beginning of winter. As soon as it becomes noticeable that leaves appear, you need to start watering and transfer the plant to a bright place.
Cyclamen propagation
This can be done in two ways: from seeds and division of the tuber. The latter method is very traumatic for the plant, which leads to its low efficiency and therefore it is practically not used at home. Growing cyclamen from seeds is a more suitable method of propagation, and for the Persian species it is the only acceptable way. If you have several varieties growing at home, and you want to get copies identical to them, then it is better to abandon this idea. Seeds obtained at home are unlikely to preserve the phenotypic properties of their parents. This is due to the fact that all store plants are hybrids in the first generation, their further reproduction leads to the splitting of characters. Therefore, seeds must be bought, and preferably from a reliable producer.
Planting cyclamen with seeds is possible all year round, but it is best done in early spring. Use a commercially prepared, sterile primer. Seeds must be pre-soaked in a solution of a growth biostimulator, for example, the Epin preparation, as described in the instructions for use. The box is not very deep. In the ground, make grooves (1 cm), pour them gently from the watering can and spread the prepared seeds. Then you need to close the container with opaque polyethylene, since darkening is necessary for germination. Do not forget to maintain moisture in the soil and a sufficiently high air temperature - 20 ° C. After shoots appear in a month or a half, you need to remove the film and rearrange the box in place with bright diffused light. When the young plant will have two or three true leaves, it must be dived into a separate pot, and after 6-7 months transplanted into a larger container with a diameter of 8-10 cm. It is noteworthy that in the first year cyclamen does not "rest", but blooms in about 2 years. Growing cyclamen at home from seeds is quite troublesome and requires a thorough and careful approach.
Primrose in the garden
Cyclamen is most popular as a houseplant and completely forgotten as a garden flower. It is possible to grow it in the open ground, but still it needs to be done in the warmer regions of Russia, with mild winters and long summers. Best of all, of course, European cyclamen is suitable for these purposes. It will look great in rock gardens, in group plantings with crocuses and other primroses. Some professional gardeners manage to grow it even in the Urals. If you want to decorate your site with cyclamens, then it is worth remembering a few basic nuances:
- the landing site should be protected from drafts and rains, for example, under garden trees;
- the soil should be well-drained, allow moisture to pass, preventing water stagnation;
- if there is little snow in winter, then cyclamen should be slightly covered with fir spruce branches;
- the tuber should be planted in the ground completely, without leaving the upper part above the surface;
- Do not change the place of the plant on the plot too often, as this will weaken it, cyclamen can grow for a long time without planting.
Diseases and Pests
Most often, the plant is affected by bacterial or fungal diseases due to improper care, namely:
- too dry air, excess moisture in the soil, improper lighting - all this weakens the immune system;
- improperly selected substrate;
- too big or, conversely, a small pot;
- excess fertilizer containing nitrogen;
- improper location in the apartment.
Consider the most common diseases that cyclamen is prone to at home.
- Fusarium It has a fungal nature and affects primarily the vessels of the plant. Therefore, the grower should be alert when the leaves begin to turn yellow from the top and gradually fade. You can save the plant by spraying and watering under the root with solutions of special fungicidal preparations.
- Gray rot. Its cause is the Botritis fungus. The development is promoted by high humidity and cold air, as well as the ingress of water into the outlet of leaves and buds when watering. The cyclamen, whose photo is presented below, is affected by the Botritis fungus. If similar signs of the disease are found, the first thing to do is to isolate the infected plant from healthy specimens. The second step is to remove and destroy the damaged parts, and then treat cyclamen with a fungicide.
- Anthracnose. This fungal disease, on the contrary, occurs in a warm climate and an excess of moisture in the soil. It first affects the leaves and peduncles, and then the entire cyclamen. The photo clearly demonstrates that when the damaged buds open up, they lose any decorative effect, and the leaves dry out.
- Of the pests, aphids, thrips and cyclamen mites should be noted. If the first two pests can be seen upon careful examination, the latter is not. The cyclamen tick is very small, it is possible to understand that the plant is infected with it by several signs: the affected growth point, the petiole of the central leaves becomes bent and does not grow, remaining short, the buds do not bloom and dry out. An infected flower needs insecticide treatment. Thrips can be easily seen with the naked eye. Adult insects and their larvae damage the plant. They are mainly dangerous for leaves and buds; in the process of life they leave noticeable “paths”. The spread of thrips contributes to high room temperature and dry air.
Special preparations will undoubtedly help in the fight against pests and diseases of a fungal or bacterial nature: Oxychom, Fundazol, Fitosporin, Topaz, Agat-25K, colloidal sulfur.
And remember that the spread of diseases can be avoided by observing the correct irrigation system and promoting air circulation in the room, preventing its stagnation.