When is the best time to plant cyclamens? Where to get seeds? What is artificial pollination method

What is cyclamen?

Cyclamens are one of the most common indoor plants. And it is clear why flower growers love them so much, because flowering cyclamen is amazingly beautiful. It has large, slightly strange flowers that resemble orchids - they are tilted down, and the petals look up and look like flames.

Exists big variety flower colors: white, various shades of pink and red, purple, there are hybrids with double petals.

And cyclamen is also loved because it blooms in winter, when other flowering plants are resting. However, at proper care cyclamen can delight in flowering all year round, moreover, 15-16 flowers can bloom simultaneously on a plant.

The leaves of cyclamen are basal, dark green with a beautiful silvery pattern.

In general, cyclamen perennial, forming a corm of an ideal round shape.

How to choose cyclamen?

If you buy cyclamen in a store, then be sure to pay attention to the tuber and leaves of the plant. The leaves on the cyclamen should not be sluggish or dried around the edges, and it is also important that they are not damaged.

Check that the tuber does not show signs of rotting - it should be elastic, not shriveled.

It is best to buy cyclamen in the fall, when the plant is just beginning to bloom. And it’s good if there are already a lot of buds on the cyclamen.

Choosing a place, watering and caring for cyclamen

Some flower growers consider cyclamen to be a capricious plant, but this is not at all the case. It's just that this flower does not like abundant watering, leaf spraying and high temperatures.

The best place for the plant should be sunny but cool.

Watering for cyclamen should be regular, and it is best to water through the pan or from above, but you need to direct the jet as close to the edge of the pot as possible.

Make sure that water does not fall on the middle of the rhizome, on the base of the petioles and on the buds of flowers during irrigation. After watering, after an hour and a half, you need to drain the excess water. Please note that it is best to use soft water for watering and never spray the plant.

Fertilizer is applied weekly - it is best to use a water-soluble fertilizer for indoor plants.

How to plant cyclamen?

For planting cyclamen, an earthen mixture consisting of leafy humus is suitable, sandy soil(a substrate for cacti is suitable) and peat in equal proportions.

It is very important to pay attention to one feature of cyclamen: its tubers cannot be completely buried. Best of all, the plant will develop and feel if the tuber is buried two-thirds, and one-third is above the surface of the substrate.

And remember that cyclamens do not like large pots. If for some reason your plant does not bloom, one of the reasons may be just too large a pot that you have chosen for planting. Moreover, in large pots, tubers may begin to rot.

Cyclamen transplantation can be carried out when the dormant period of the plant ends and before flowering begins. When transplanting, the earth should be replaced completely, while removing rotten roots. And 4 weeks after transplanting, you can start fertilizing.

Cyclamen should be propagated in spring. You can do this with seeds bought at the store. Please note that seed crops need to be covered with an opaque film

Features of caring for cyclamen during flowering

When cyclamen begins to bloom, more careful plant care is required. To prolong the flowering period, it is necessary to provide it with a temperature but not lower than 10 ° C and not higher than 20 ° C. Cyclamen loves a lot of light, but does not tolerate direct sunlight. In addition, during this period, the plant especially requires regular watering.

After flowering has completely ended, usually in late spring, the flowers and leaves of cyclamen wither, and a dormant period begins. The leaves must be carefully cut, but it is important not to hurt the tuber.

Watering during the dormant period should be reduced - it is quite enough to prevent the substrate from drying out.

The plant itself needs to be rearranged in a cool shaded place.

The state of dormancy will end when the cyclamen releases the first leaves - this will mean that the plant survived the "hibernation" well.

Some features in breeding cyclamen at home

If your cyclamen leaves turn yellow, and the flowers look healthy, the temperature is most likely too high for the plant - above 18 ° C. Another cause of such a cyclamen disease can be direct sunlight falling on it or insufficient watering.

If leaf petioles or flower stalks begin to rot, then the point is waterlogged soil - reduce watering and make sure that water does not fall on the tuber and petioles.

Cyclamen blooms quickly and has a short flowering cycle if the temperature for it ceases to be comfortable, that is, above 18 ° C, or the air in the room is too dry.

Propagation of cyclamens by seeds is the easiest and most cheap way, making it easy to get a lot of young plants. Having flowering specimens of cyclamen, it is very easy to collect seeds. This method of reproduction is very effective and is most common in indoor floriculture.

In the article, you will learn in detail how to grow cyclamen from seeds at home, as well as how to plant seeds correctly.

planting material

Seeds can be collected from the plant some time after its flowering has ended. Usually at this time there are many seed pods on the flower.

IN room conditions cyclamen seeds ripen 2-4 months. Planting material is also sold in flower shops.

Fresh seeds are the best for sowing.. It is impractical to store them, since when they dry, they significantly lose their germination capacity.

Having flowering cyclamen, you can get seeds by cross pollination. When the box is opened, you can collect the seeds and prepare them for planting.

What cyclamen seeds look like can be seen in the picture above.

Only high-quality material is chosen for sowing. Seeds are soaked in a solution of zircon, all pop-ups are removed.

Germination conditions

The soil in the seed box must always be kept moist. This is done with a water sprayer. But in too wet soil, the seeds rot and do not germinate, so you should not fill the container.

Every day you need to open the container with sprouts for ventilation, and then close it again. Airing will protect cyclamen seeds from rotting. The container is kept under the film until germination.

The temperature for seed germination should be at least 20ºС. Under these conditions, the first seeds germinate after 1.5 months.

Temperature is one of the most important conditions for successful seed germination. When too high rates thermometer, seeds can simply fall into "hibernation", and it will take a very, very long time to wait for seedlings. At the same time, at temperatures below 16 degrees, the likelihood of seed rotting greatly increases. In view of this optimum temperature for germination will be 18-20 degrees.

Germination of cyclamen seeds is a long process. Even under ideal conditions for them, the first shoots appear no earlier than a month and a half later. And sprouts of some varieties have to wait up to 6 months!

Choosing a pot and soil for planting cyclamen

The soil for planting cyclamen should be light and loose. A slightly acidic substrate, with a pH of 5.0, is suitable. You can buy ready-made soil mixture with neutral acidity in the store. Also suitable substrate for growing tulips. It is recommended to add a little vermiculite or sand to the purchased land, which will increase water and air permeability.

If you want to prepare an earthen mixture yourself, then you can choose from several options:

Sowing seeds can be carried out both in individual pots and in boxes. In the first case, young specimens do not need to be transplanted until they grow well and the pot becomes too small for them. In the second case, seedlings are picked into separate containers when they have 3-4 leaves.

A pot for cyclamen should be chosen depending on the size of the tuber. There should be no more than 3-4 cm between it and the edge of the pot. So, for young plant the diameter of the pot should not exceed 8 cm. Adult specimens, the tuber of which has grown to 13-15 cm, need a pot with a diameter of 16-17 cm.

If the pot is too small, cyclamen will bloom very quickly without gaining enough foliage. If, on the contrary, the pot is too big, the buds will have to wait a very long time.

Sowing cyclamen seeds

For sowing, a container or box with a light and nutrient soil. It is necessary to make drainage in it so that the seeds, and then the young seedlings, do not rot. Peat and vermiculite can be used as soil in equal amounts.

How to plant cyclamen from seeds? Seeds are placed on the surface of the soil and sprinkled on top with a thin layer of earth.. After that, the entire container is covered with an opaque film.

This contributes to rapid germination, since in nature the seeds of a flower fall under its leaves and germinate in the dark.

If the seeds fall into the soil when the plant has no leaves and is at rest, the seeds remain in the light and do not germinate until summer is over and the adult cyclamen grows leaves.

After planting cyclamen with seeds at home, proper care is necessary.

This article is often read:

Caring for cyclamen seedlings

As soon as the seeds have germinated, the dark film is removed, and the container is moved to a lighted place without direct sun.

Seedlings grow best at around 16ºC. But they can be grown at normal room temperature. A flower grown in such conditions will be fully adapted to the high temperatures of room content.

When the seedlings have 2 leaves, you can dive them into a common container with soil for cyclamen.

When transplanting in small cyclamen tubers, the upper growth point must be freed from the ground.

If the seeds were sown at the end of September, then the seedlings are transplanted into separate pots after 5-6 months. And young plants bloom 14-15 months after sowing.

Cyclamen shoots are pink-purple small sprouts. A tiny tuber with a root appears from the loop, which first of all takes root in the ground. And only after that the loop unfolds, and the leaves appear.

Interestingly, cyclamen sprouts, like adult plants, are not afraid of temperature changes and drafts.

Sometimes, due to insufficient moisture, the leaf is not freed from the peel. You can help him with this. Spray the sprout with a spray bottle for 30-40 minutes to soften the peel, and then slowly remove it with tweezers.

Cyclamen shoots grow very slowly. This is due to the fact that young specimens grow tubers, and only after that, after 3-4 months, they will delight with the appearance of new leaves.

Growing cyclamen from seeds is a long task that requires patience and attention.

Description of plants and species for indoor maintenance

Cyclamen is a perennial herbaceous plant with a tuberous root system, belonging to the Primrose family. IN vivo grows in Asia Minor and Central Europe, in the Mediterranean and Iran.

The root system of the plant is a corm that has one growth point and reaches a diameter of 15 cm. The leaves of the plant have a dark green color and long petioles. They are leathery, very decorative, because they have an original grayish or silvery pattern.

Single flowers on long pedicels have five recurved and pointed petals. They are shaped like butterflies. They can be up to 8 cm in diameter.

Their color varies depending on the species: it can be red, white, pink, yellow, burgundy, purple, lilac. Flowering in room conditions lasts about 3 months.

More than 20 species of cyclamen are known. However, only 2 of them are suitable for indoor maintenance:

• - the most popular type. It has very decorative leaves and flowers. Depending on the variety, it reaches a height of 15 to 30 cm. The leaves are large, velvety, heart-shaped, about 15 cm in diameter. They often have an interesting marbled pattern. The flowers have 5 curved petals that can be dyed in a variety of colors. Drops leaves during dormancy.
• European cyclamen - similar to Persian cyclamen, but smaller in size. The rounded heart-shaped leaves are painted dark green above with a silvery pattern, and purple below. Their diameter does not exceed 5 cm. The flowers are small, up to 2 cm, white, red or pink. It has a mild dormant period.

Adult plant care

Cyclamen is quite demanding in care, therefore, in order to grow a beautiful flowering plant, it takes a little effort.

The flower is photophilous, but does not tolerate scorching sunlight. Therefore, the eastern or western window sills will be the best place for it. On the south you will need shading, and on the north - artificial illumination.

An important condition and at the same time common problem when growing cyclamen is to maintain a favorable temperature for it. In summer, it should not go beyond 18-23 degrees, and in winter - 10-14 degrees. If this mode is not observed, the plant will gradually cease to bloom, begin to wither and may even die.

Cyclamen should be watered sparingly. It is impossible for water to fall on the tuber and shoots, so watering should be done either along the edge of the pot or through the pan. So that the roots do not rot, one hour after watering, the water should be drained from the pan.

It is recommended to use settled water, which is 3-4 degrees lower room temperature. It is important to bear in mind that cyclamen is very sensitive to waterlogging of the soil, so it is important not to overdo it with watering. In the summer, during the dormant period, when the foliage dries up, watering is reduced to a minimum.

Cyclamen does not tolerate dry air and heat very well.. Therefore, in summer it is important to humidify the air around it with a fine-grained spray bottle several times a day. In this case, drops of water should not fall on the tuber.

Spraying should also be stopped during flowering. Another way to raise the humidity environment- put the pot in a tray with wet sphagnum moss, expanded clay or pebbles.

Top dressing can only be applied during the growing season. Their regularity is 1 time in 3-4 weeks. Can be used liquid fertilizers with a low nitrogen content. The concentration should be made 2 times weaker than indicated on the package.

Other ways to breed cyclamen

Cyclamen does not propagate by cuttings or leaves. except seed method, reproduction by "children" and division of the tuber is also used. Such manipulations are carried out after flowering, when the plant is at rest.

Children are carefully separated from the mother tuber. Each specimen is planted in an individual pot, half deepened into the soil. After that, moderate watering is performed. Feeding should begin when young cyclamens have new leaves.

The advantage of propagation by dividing the tuber is that new plants can bloom in the same year. However, this is a rather dangerous method, since it is possible not only not to grow young specimens, but also to destroy the mother tuber. The reason is that the cut tuber does not heal well, and can easily rot.

The tuber can be cut if it is strong and healthy, and also has several buds or "eyes". The tuber is taken out of the ground and dried a little.

Then, with a sharp disinfected knife, it is cut into several parts so that roots and at least one kidney remain on each of them. Delenki should be dried for several hours and sprinkled with crushed charcoal or ash. Then they are planted in light soil.

The main thing in caring for cyclamens obtained as a result of tuber division is watering.. It should be sufficient for the parts of the tuber to heal and begin to grow, and at the same time moderate so that they do not begin to rot.

Cyclamen transplant

The best time for transplanting cyclamen is the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, when the plant begins to grow young leaves after a dormant period. Young specimens, as a rule, are transplanted every year, adults - 1 time in 2-3 years.

In addition to the planned procedure, transplantation can be carried out if:

• The flower is sick;
• He felt very cramped in the old pot;
• There was a need to replace the old soil with a new one.

Do not transplant cyclamen during flowering.

Transplantation is best done by transshipment. So the plant quickly adapts to the new pot and substrate, and begins to grow.

When transplanting, it is also important to know one more feature of cyclamen. The tuber of an adult plant cannot be completely immersed in the ground. Above the surface, 1/3 of its part should be left, otherwise the flower will die.

A pot for transplanting is needed 2-3 cm larger in diameter than the size of the tuber. It is important to lay at the bottom good layer drainage. Then - a light, nutritious substrate. After transplanting, cyclamen should be moderately watered and placed on a protected from direct sunlight a place.

Now you know everything about growing cyclamen from seeds at home.