IN winter time years, when hurricanes rage outside the window, the hills of snow turn white, it’s nice to have a colorful corner flowering plants at home. Such bright representatives of decorative indoor flowers include.
In nature, cyclamens grow in the Mediterranean part of Europe and Iran. They are perennials that produce colorful flowers from late autumn to early spring. Flower growers also grow them at home, obtaining not only a wonderful oasis in the middle of winter, but also a valuable medicine.
, or alpine violet, is easily recognized by its flowers located on long stems, ranging in color from pink to purple. The heart-shaped leaves are silver on top and dark red underneath. Looking at the plant, it seems that this beautiful Spaniard is showing off her proud posture in front of the audience. Her silver fluffy skirt emphasizes her slender figure with a bright headdress.
The European type of flower has small inflorescences, but the Persian type is characterized by large, butterfly-wing-like petals with white and pink shades. They spread a pleasant smell far. The root of the plant is a tuber of both oval and flat shape.
Cyclamen begins to bloom in mid-autumn and ends at the end of the winter season.
Each flower lives up to ten days, giving way to its fellow flowers. The seeds of the plant look like buckwheat grains and are collected in a miniature box. In spring, the flower goes into hibernation, since the tuber lives and breathes above the ground, and the leaves and stems freeze for a while. Methods of propagation of cyclamen - tubers and seeds. The second method is most often used. Plant seeds can be purchased from a specialized store or collected independently from indoor flower.
Basic rules of preparation:
- Seed material is shaken out of dry boxes and soaked before sowing in water, to which Epin-extra or Zircon is added to stimulate growth. The drug is diluted as follows: four drops per half glass of liquid. After twelve hours, you can spread the seeds on a moistened cotton pad, covering it with a damp bandage. In a day, the seeds will swell and be ready for sowing.
- The soil for an indoor flower should be loose, nutritious, and well-permeable to air and water. This can be a purchased substrate specifically for decorative floriculture. Preparing the soil yourself is not difficult. You need to mix garden soil with peat, adding a little river sand. Steaming the soil is mandatory. It is poured with boiling water or kept in the oven for several minutes. Disinfection is carried out two weeks before planting the seeds.
- For containers for planting, choose either small flower pots, or plastic containers. It is necessary to make holes in them to remove excess moisture. A drainage layer assembled from pieces of foam plastic, small expanded clay, and clay shards is placed on the bottom.
Many people try to germinate the seeds first and then plant them in pots. To do this, place the material on the moistened gauze, covering them with a layer of fabric on top. Then, after a day, the seeds are planted in a container at a distance of three centimeters, sprinkled with a little soil. Containers are placed in dark place, constantly moistening the soil.
As soon as the shoots appear, the pots are placed on light windowsills. After three months, you can replant the overgrown small flowers, each in a separate container. Small soft purple sprouts require a sensitive attitude.
Landing: terms and rules
So, the pots with seeds were in the dark and cool, they quickly sprouted, within a month, at a temperature not lower than ten degrees and not higher than twenty. A room that is too hot is not for sprouts, otherwise they will appear much later.
The timing of sowing plays an important role in the beginning of alpine violet flowering.
By planting them at the end of June, you can be sure that the plant will bloom in the fall. Planting in August will result in later blooms. It is not necessary to cover the top of the planting. If this measure is taken, you will have to ventilate them daily. The main care requirement at this time is soil moisture. It is better to do it with a pipette, delivering moisture to the root of the plant.
A flower can bloom when three or four leaves have appeared. Perform the procedure carefully, trying not to damage the nodules. We must not forget that root system must be above the ground. Severe deepening can destroy the plant. If this happens, then they remove it. upper layer soil, exposing the tubers. Afterwards it begins to actively develop aboveground part alpine violet. Six months after sowing cyclamens, they take on a real adult appearance.
And then it’s time to feed the houseplant. Universal complexes for decorative flowers will also be effective. Proper watering also important for the formation of a rosette of leaves and inflorescences. It is important that the liquid does not get on the tubers, otherwise rotting will occur. If the plant has gained strength a year after sowing, this indicates that the growing procedure was successful.
The rules for caring for cyclamen are simple:
- A comfortable place for a flower would be one where the sun's rays do not shine so brightly. He prefers diffused light, partial shade. The room should be well ventilated, but without drafts, which are contraindicated for cyclamen.
- Being a cold-loving plant, the flower does not like heat. It blooms well at temperatures of fourteen to sixteen degrees above zero.
- During the dormant period, the pot with the plant can be moved to the basement, but with sufficient lighting.
- High humidity air and soil - ideal conditions for a flower. But you need to be careful when watering. It is better to water through the tray in which the pot with the plant is located. The water in it must be changed daily. Drops of liquid should not fall on the stem, tubers, flowers, otherwise they will rot. Water for irrigation is taken only room temperature with preliminary settling.
- During the watering procedure, it is recommended to apply specially selected for flowering plants. You should not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizing - the foliage will grow, but flowering will stop.
- During the rest period, dry leaves and flowers are torn off from cyclamen. Strong parts are cut off closer to the roots. Watering is reduced, slightly moistening the soil.
- In summer, the alpine violet is transplanted into a pot. bigger size, leaving a third of the tubers above the ground. Watering begins ten days after the procedure.
The main ailments of cyclamen include fungal diseases caused by improper care:
- Abundant watering and waterlogging causes gray rot to appear on tubers. If a pathology is detected, carefully dig up the plant, cut off the infected areas of the root, and then wash them in a solution of potassium permanganate. After drying the tubers, cyclamen is planted in new pot with pre-steamed soil.
- A flower becomes infected with root rot if it is infected by fungal pathogens living in the soil. This disease occurs when seeds are planted in unsteamed soil. You can get rid of the disease using fungicides like Glyokladin by treating the plants with them. And the tubers must be thoroughly washed in a disinfectant solution and dried.
- Sooty fungi clog the stomata and ducts of leaves, destroying them. Fungal deposits on the plates should be washed off with a solution of green soap, then rinsed with warm water. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture will also help.
- Peduncles can also be damaged by fungi. This will cause them to become deformed and dry out. Damaged flowers are removed and cyclamen is sprayed.
Pests of indoor flowers:
The health of a houseplant is in the hands of its owner.
More information can be found in the video:
Propagation of cyclamens by seeds is the simplest and most cheap way, allowing you to easily obtain many young plants. Having flowering cyclamen specimens, collecting seeds is very easy. This propagation method is very effective and most common in indoor floriculture.
In this article you will learn in detail how to grow cyclamen from seeds at home, as well as how to plant the seeds correctly.
Planting material
Seeds can be collected from the plant some time after it has finished flowering. Usually at this time there are many seed pods on the flower.
IN room conditions Cyclamen seeds ripen in 2-4 months. Also planting material sold in flower shops.
Fresh seeds are best for sowing. It is not advisable to store them, since when they dry out they significantly lose their viability.
Having blooming cyclamen, seeds can be obtained by cross-pollination. When the box opens, you can collect the seeds and prepare them for planting.
You can see what cyclamen seeds look like in the picture above.
Only high-quality material is selected for sowing. The seeds are soaked in a zircon solution, and any that float are removed.
Germination conditions
The soil in the seed box should always be kept moist. This is done using a water spray. But if the soil is too wet, the seeds rot and do not germinate, so you should not fill the container.
Every day you need to open the container with the sprouts for ventilation, and then close it again. Ventilation will protect cyclamen seeds from rotting. The container is kept under film until shoots emerge.
The temperature for seed germination must be at least 20ºС. Under these conditions, the first seeds germinate within 1.5 months.
Temperature is one of the most important conditions for successful seed germination. If the thermometer is too high, the seeds may simply go into hibernation, and you will have to wait a very, very long time for germination. At the same time, at temperatures below 16 degrees, the likelihood of seed rotting greatly increases. In view of this optimal temperature for germination it 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 you have to wait up to 6 months for sprouts of some varieties!
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 a ready-made soil mixture with neutral acidity in the store. The substrate for growing tulips is also suitable. It is recommended to add a little vermiculite or sand to the purchased soil, which will increase water and breathability.
If you want to prepare the earthen mixture yourself, you can choose from several options:
Sowing seeds can be done both in individual pots and in boxes. In the first case, young specimens do not need to be replanted 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.
The pot for cyclamen should be selected 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, the cyclamen will bloom very quickly without gaining enough leaf mass. If, on the contrary, the pot is too big, you will have to wait a very long time for the buds.
Sowing cyclamen seeds
A container or box with light and nutritious soil is suitable for sowing. 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 quantities.
How to plant cyclamen from seeds? The seeds are placed on the surface of the soil and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth on top.. After this, the entire container is covered with an opaque film.
This promotes 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 ends and the adult cyclamen grows leaves.
After planting cyclamen seeds at home, proper care is required.
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Caring for cyclamen seedlings
As soon as the seeds have sprouted, 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 also be grown at normal room temperature. A flower grown in such conditions will be fully adapted to high room temperatures.
When the seedlings have 2 leaves, you can plant them in a common container with soil for cyclamens.
When transplanting small cyclamen tubers, you need to free the upper growth point 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 seedlings are pink-purple small sprouts. A tiny tuber with a root appears from the loop, which first takes root in the ground. And only after this the loop unfolds and 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 carefully 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 seedlings grow very slowly. This is explained by the fact that young specimens grow tubers, and only after that, after 3-4 months, they will be pleased with the appearance of new leaves.
Growing cyclamen with seeds is a long process that requires patience and attention.
Description of plants and species for indoor keeping
Cyclamen is a perennial herbaceous plant with a tuberous root system, belonging to the Primrose family. It grows naturally in Asia Minor and Central Europe, in the Mediterranean and Iran.
The root system of the plant is a corm, which 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 and very decorative because they have an original grayish or silver pattern.
Single flowers on long stalks have five bent and pointed petals. They resemble butterflies in shape. They can reach 8 cm in diameter.
Their color varies depending on the species: it can be red, white, pink, yellow, burgundy, purple, lilac. Flowering indoors lasts about 3 months.
More than 20 species of cyclamen are known. However, only 2 of them are suitable for indoor keeping:
- - the most popular type. 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 marble pattern. The flowers have 5 curved petals that can be colored various colors. During the dormant period it sheds its leaves.
- European cyclamen is similar to Persian cyclamen, but smaller in size. The round, heart-shaped leaves are dark green with a silver pattern on top and purple underneath. Their diameter does not exceed 5 cm. The flowers are small, up to 2 cm, white, red or pink. Has a weak rest period.
Caring for an adult plant
Cyclamen is quite demanding in care, so it will take a little effort to grow a beautiful flowering plant.
The flower is light-loving, but does not tolerate scorching sun rays.. Therefore, the optimal place for it will be eastern or western window sills. In the southern ones, shading will be needed, and in the northern ones - artificial additional lighting.
An important condition and at the same time common problem When growing cyclamen, it is necessary 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 regime is not followed, the plant will gradually stop blooming, begin to wither and may even die.
Cyclamen should be watered sparingly. Water should not get on the tuber and shoots, so watering should be done either along the edge of the pot or through a tray. To prevent the roots from rotting, the water should be drained from the pan an hour after watering.
It is recommended to use settled water, which is 3-4 degrees below room temperature. It is important to consider that cyclamen is very sensitive to waterlogging of the soil, so it is important not to overdo it with watering. In summer, during the dormant period, when the foliage dries out, 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 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 increase humidity environment– place the pot in a tray with damp sphagnum moss, expanded clay or pebbles.
Fertilizing can only be done during the growing season. Their regularity is once every 3-4 weeks. You can use liquid fertilizers with a low nitrogen content. The concentration should be 2 times weaker than indicated on the package.
Other ways to propagate cyclamen
Cyclamen does not propagate by cuttings or leaves. Except seed method, propagation by “children” and division of the tuber is also used. This kind of manipulation is carried out after flowering, when the plant is at rest.
The babies are carefully separated from the mother tuber. Each specimen is planted in an individual pot, half-deep into the soil. After this, moderate watering is carried out. Feeding should begin when young cyclamen have new leaves.
The advantage of propagation by dividing the tuber is that new plants can bloom in the same year. However, this is enough dangerous method, since it is possible not only not to grow young specimens, but also to destroy the mother tuber. The reason is that a cut tuber does not heal well and can easily rot.
The tuber can be cut if it is vigorous and healthy and has several buds or “eyes.” The tuber is removed from the ground and dried a little.
Then, with a sharp, disinfected knife, it is cut into several parts so that each of them contains roots and at least one bud. The 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 dividing the tuber is watering. It should be sufficient for parts of the tuber to heal and begin to grow, and at the same time moderate so that they do not begin to rot.
Replanting cyclamen
The best time to replant cyclamen is late summer - early autumn, when the plant begins to grow young leaves after a dormant period. Young specimens, as a rule, are replanted every year, adults - once every 2-3 years.
In addition to the planned procedure, A transplant can be carried out if:
- The flower is sick;
- He felt very cramped in the old potty;
- There was a need to replace the old soil with new one.
Cyclamen should not be replanted during flowering.
It is better to carry out transplantation using the transshipment method.. This way 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. 1/3 of it should be left above the surface, otherwise the flower will die.
A pot for replanting needs to be 2-3 cm larger in diameter than the size of the tuber. It is important to place on the bottom good layer drainage. Then - a light, nutritious substrate. After transplantation, cyclamen should be watered moderately and placed in a place protected from direct sunlight place.
Now you know everything about growing cyclamen from seeds at home.
Cyclamen (dryagna, earthen radish, earthen bread) is a decorative perennial about 15 cm high. The rhizome is tuberous. Long-petioled, heart-shaped leaves are collected in basal rosettes.
The flowers are drooping, located on long stalks, which after flowering twist in a spiral. The corolla is five-parted, the lobes are slightly bent. The color of the flower can be purple, pink, white. The countries of Asia Minor and the Mediterranean are considered the homeland of cyclamen.
Cyclamen after purchase
It’s done: you have purchased a beautiful cyclamen or been given it as a gift. it looks great, completely covered in flowers, and is a little scary to disturb. But if you delay the transshipment, you can lose this handsome man or he will simply get sick, losing all his attractiveness.
Therefore, gather your courage and carry out simple procedure transferring the plant from a pot with temporary soil into a new spacious pot with nutritious soil (we take universal soil for flowering plants).
The video will tell you about transshipment of cyclamen after purchase:
Conditions for growing cyclamen at home
The condition of cyclamen directly depends on temperature regime: grows actively when it is cool and humid, and begins to prepare for a dormant period as temperatures rise. IN heating season this feature makes caring for cyclamen difficult. But having overcome all the vagaries of this plant, you will enjoy bright flowering for many years.
Watering
The main rule with cyclamen is accuracy and moderation. The earthen ball cannot be over-moistened or over-dried. A flower can often be affected by root rot, so it is better to use bottom watering: place the pot with the plant in a pan of water and remove it after 15 minutes. You can pour water from above, but in small portions, moving along the edge of the pot. During the flowering period, you need to water a little more abundantly. After flowering, watering is reduced, and by the dormant period (begins in March) it is stopped altogether.
Thermal and light conditions
Do not keep cyclamen near heat sources - this will cause the leaves to drop and go into dormancy mode. Maintain moisture. You can place a tray with wet pebbles or an aquarium near the plant. Spray occasionally until buds appear.
Direct sunlight causes burns to the plant. Cyclamen needs diffused light or partial shade. The best option there will be western or eastern window sills. On northern windows, the flower will suffer from a lack of light, and on southern windows, shading is necessary.
The soil
For normal growth, cyclamen needs nutritious, drained soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. You can prepare an earth mixture from turf, leaf soil, humus and sand in equal proportions. Soil acidity can be determined using special test strips.
You need to stir a pinch of earth in water, wait until a precipitate appears, and dip a test strip into the resulting solution. Check the result with the scale on the packaging. In the absence of such test strips, you can determine the approximate acidity by reacting with vinegar - pour it on a handful of soil. If there are few bubbles, then the reaction is neutral; if there are many, the soil is alkaline; if there are none at all, the soil is acidic.
You don’t have to worry and buy ready-made soil for cyclamen or just a universal soil, available in any specialized store.
How to make cyclamen bloom
Necessary conditions for cyclamen flowering:
- the size of the pot must be suitable: in a spacious or cramped container, flowering will slow down;
- sufficient amount of nutrients;
- suitable soil acidity;
- correct planting: when planting Persian cyclamen, you need to leave the top of the tuber above the ground, for other types - bury the roots completely;
- it is necessary to ensure a period of rest and proper exit from it.
Start feeding cyclamen. For leaf growth, apply complex mineral fertilizers every two weeks. With the appearance of buds, reduce the dose of nitrogen, and the amount of potassium and phosphorus should be slightly increased.
Growing cyclamen from seeds
Cyclamen can be propagated by seeds and by dividing the tuber.
It is better to purchase seeds at a flower shop, paying attention to their expiration date, because they are viable for up to 2 years.
How to collect seeds?
To collect seeds at home, you need to pollinate the plant yourself. By using cotton swab or brushes, transfer pollen from one flower to another, carry out pollination on sunny days in the morning, it is better to repeat the procedure several times. It is recommended to store ripe seeds for a couple of months. Then soak them in Zircon and sow.
How to prepare zircon seeds for sowing, watch the video:
How to sow
- To do this, use a mixture of peat or leaf soil with vermiculite in equal proportions.
- It is enough to spread the seeds on the surface of the soil and cover them with a thin layer of soil.
- It is necessary to maintain a temperature of 20º C; at a higher temperature, the seeds will go into hibernation, and at a lower temperature, there is a high probability of rotting.
- Periodically moisten and ventilate the plantings.
- After 4-6 weeks, shoots will begin to appear. After this, the bowl with the seedlings should be placed in a well-lit place without direct sunlight, maintain the air temperature at 15-17º C.
- When the seedlings have small tubers and the plants grow, transplant them into separate containers.
- A week after transplantation, you need to apply mineral fertilizers, reducing the dose by half from that indicated on the package.
Plants need to be handled carefully, trying not to disturb the integrity of the root system. Do not bury the tubers; leave the planting level the same as before transplanting. This way the flower will develop correctly and will not be susceptible to various diseases or growth inhibition.
The video will tell you about growing cyclamen from seeds:
Cyclamens will bloom in a year and a half. But flowering can begin much later - after 3-4 years. Keen flower growers are not upset: the longer you wait for the result, the more pleasant it is to reap the fruits of your labor. And the flowering of the beautiful cyclomen is worth the effort!
Propagation of cyclamen by dividing the tuber
- In spring or summer (during the plant's dormant period), dig the tuber out of the ground and cut it into pieces so that each section has a bud and roots.
- Dry the sections and treat them with fungicide or crushed charcoal.
- Plant the cuttings in separate pots and place them in the greenhouse or cover them with a plastic cup.
- When choosing tubers for planting in the store, pay attention to their condition: they should be elastic, not wrinkled, and without rotten spots.
Replanting cyclamen
- It is better not to replant a flowering plant, as this may destroy it.
- It is ideal to transplant at the beginning of the active growing season (August-September). That is, after a period of dormancy, when leaves begin to appear.
- The new pot should be slightly larger than the old one.
- Be sure to lay drainage from crushed crushed stone and expanded clay.
- Before planting, it is advisable to water the soil with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
- Tubers of Persian cyclamen are buried 2/3 into the soil, and all the rest - completely.
- Place the transplanted plant in a warm, bright place, increasing watering as new leaves grow.
The video will tell you how to transplant cyclamen:
Cyclamen dormant period
- By the end of spring and beginning of summer, after the end of flowering, cyclamen will begin a dormant period.
- Wilted flowers and leaves need to be trimmed, watering reduced to a minimum, preventing the soil from completely drying out.
- The pot with the tuber should be placed or placed on its side in a cool place with good ventilation. Store this way until autumn.
- At the beginning of autumn, you need to bring the plant out of hibernation - take it out into the light and gradually increase watering.
How the cyclomen falls asleep, look at the video:
Why does cyclamen turn yellow and what to do?
Cyclamen is a capricious plant; it reacts sharply to errors in care. Cyclamen leaves may turn yellow for the following reasons:
An attack by the cyclamen mite is indicated by the ugly shape of the leaves, they become hard, the plant’s growth stops, the flower stalks become bent, and the flowers wither. Conventional insecticides will not help here. The plant will have to be destroyed.
Due to overdrying or waterlogging of the earthen clod in combination with low temperatures, flower stalks can grow shorter than the leaves and bloom under them.
Gray rot appears from waterlogged cold air and poor ventilation. The leaves turn yellow and become covered with gray mold. Infected parts of the plant must be carefully removed (mold spores spread through the air when moving). Treat with fungicide. For prevention, reduce watering and ventilate the room.
A sharp wilting of the leaves and a putrid odor of the root system indicates the appearance of wet rot. There is no escape from it. Infection occurs through contaminated water or another diseased plant.
Fusarium fungal disease affects vascular system plants. It manifests itself as yellowing of the leaves, usually on one side of the plant. Over time, the disease spreads completely. On initial stages can be saved with special preparations from a flower shop.
Types of cyclamen with photos and names
The genus Cyclamen (Cyclamen L.) consists of 15 species. Let's look at the most common ones in indoor floriculture.
Persian cyclamen Cyclamen persicum
A native of the Eastern Mediterranean. Heart-shaped leaves dark green with marble pattern. Flowers can be simple or double, ranging in color from white to all sorts of shades of red. Flowering begins in September. The rest period lasts 2 months: May-June.
European cyclamen or blushing, purple Cyclamen purpurascens
The natural habitat is the Central and Southern Europe. This species is also called alpine violet. Interestingly, flowers emit aroma depending on the color of the flower: the darker the shade, the stronger the aroma. It is the only species that does not shed its leaves during hibernation.
Cyclamen Kos or Caucasian cyclamen coum subsp. caucasicum
It was first found on the island of Kos, after which it was named. It is also found in the Caucasus. A distinctive feature of the species is the petals, which sharply widen from the base, and also have a dark spot on them.
Cyclamen ivy or Neapolitan Cyclamen hederifolium
The leaves have notched-toothed edges, making them similar to ivy leaves. Flowers appear before leaves in September and November.
In indoor floriculture, the most popular is Persian cyclamen. Many varieties have been bred from it, divided according to the height of the peduncles into low-growing (up to 15 cm), medium-growing (15-22 cm) and standard (20-30 cm).
The most popular varieties of homemade cyclamen:
Spring Moth, Scarlet Moth, Charlie, Rose, Lilu, Flamingo, Topaz, Selphide, Rembrant, Bellissima, Elf.
Cyclamen is a tuberous plant of the primrose family. Different from most indoor plants winter flowering. There is an opinion that he is capricious and difficult to care for. If you know his needs and comply with them, then making friends with him is quite simple.
Choosing the right seeds
As soon as you go to a flower shop, you will notice packs of Persian cyclamen seeds with beautiful pictures. There is an immediate desire to have such flowers at home. And questions arise: “How to grow cyclamen from seeds?”, “Is it worth getting involved?” In practice, it turns out that there is nothing complicated about this; you just need to be patient, since seedlings take a long time to emerge and grow slowly at first.
The benefits of seed-grown cyclamen
The cyclamen you grow from seeds will be initially adapted to the climate of your home, therefore, will have a much greater chance, unlike store-bought ones, to live a long life.
Sowing
Before sowing, seeds should be soaked for 24 hours, for example, by spreading them on a damp cloth or cotton pad. Prepare the seed container by making holes in it. Spread a layer of drainage about 2 cm and disinfected soil (it is preferable to use ready-made “Terra Vita Floral”) at least 6 cm. Spread the seeds on a moistened surface of the ground, sprinkle a 1.5 cm layer of soil on top.
Conditions for seed germination
It is advisable to place the container with the crops in a cool place with a temperature of up to 20 0 C; in such conditions, the seeds will germinate within 4 weeks. At higher temperatures, it will take twice as long to wait for seedlings. Depending on the variety and freshness of the seeds, they can germinate for up to three months. This process does not require light. The crops can be covered with something, they can be left under open air. It is imperative to monitor the soil moisture; neither flooding nor overdrying should be allowed.
How does cyclamen grow from seeds?
In a month and a half, the shoots will appear. Cyclamen germinates from seeds in the following way: first, a root with a tiny tuber appears, it takes root in the soil, then a shoot loop with a leaf unfolds. Sometimes the seed coat does not come off the leaf. It’s better not to touch the “hat”, it will come off on its own. But my hands are itching, I want to take it off. You can try to do this using nail scissors, but first spray it and let it swell. The operation may not succeed, and the leaf will come off. Unpleasant, but not fatal. The next leaf will grow from the tuber.
The first years of a plant's life
If the seedlings are planted deep, then it is necessary to free the tuber from the ground by 1/3 so that the growing point does not rot. For the first three months, cyclamen from seeds seems to grow very slowly. At this time, it actively grows the tuber and roots. The second leaf may appear a month after the first. The main thing is not to dry out the seedlings during this period; the soil should always be moist, but not wet. It is better to water along the edge of the pot, without getting on the tuber.
Picking
When the second or third leaf appears, the plant must be planted in separate containers. Be sure to dive with a clod of earth. As a rule, the transplant is painless, and growth accelerates after it.
A few words about care
Seedlings do not need to be fed for up to 6 months. After six months, you can use mineral fertilizer for flowering plants. Such plants grown from seed may flower within the first year, but often do so later. Persian cyclamen from seeds is not afraid of low temperatures and drafts. If it is contained in cold room, then its rosette of leaves forms compact, and if it is warm, it becomes looser. It does not require additional lighting, it only needs a cool windowsill and proper watering.
Finally
Cyclamen from seeds is an interesting and inexpensive way acquire a whole collection of beautiful plants.
Instructions
Homeland so beautiful flower are the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean. Interestingly, the alpine violet has several forms. The large-branched form involves numerous peduncles with big flowers- terry or simple. There is also an elegant and miniature cyclamen with small but also numerous flower stalks. Wild species are also found in nature. Alpine violet You don't have to buy it in a store. You can grow it from seeds. However, the process is complex and time-consuming. Sowing is done in the spring: in February-March. Although experienced flower growers claim that it is possible to plant cyclamen all year round.
Before planting, soak cyclamen seeds for 12 hours in the preparation "Epin", "Zircon" or in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. It is recommended to prepare special soil for sowing. The earth mixture must first be steamed: this is a kind of disinfection. In addition, additionally purchase ready-made soil “Tulip” or “Terra vita” in the store. Now prepare the following composition: 2 parts steamed earth, 1 part soil, 0.5 parts river sand. Sand is necessary for ease of loosening. For seeds, make grooves 1 cm deep, spill with water and place 1 seed at a distance of 2-3 cm. Then cover the grooves with earth.
For growing light will do well ventilated area. The temperature should not be too high during germination: +18 +20°C is enough. There should be no drafts in the room. Cover the pot with seeds with a lid or film. The peculiarity of cyclamen seeds is that they germinate for a very long time: from 30 to 60 days. The varieties KISS and APPLE are particularly slow-growing: seedlings can appear only after 5 months. So don't dig up your crops in advance to see what's going on. As soon as the shoots appear, move the pot to a sunny place and shade it. Root tubers in Cyclamen form very quickly after germination.
When young plants have 2-3 leaves, drop them into a separate small container. The soil mixture should be the same as when planting, or use the one you buy in the store. And only after six months, replant the strengthened cyclamen into a pot with a diameter of 6-7 cm. When watering, use settled water at room temperature. This is necessary in order to keep the flower healthy. Mineral fertilizers apply to the soil in minimal quantities, since Cyclamen does not tolerate excess mineral salts. Also, do not use fresh rotted manure as a top dressing: this can cause the cyclamen to quickly rot. Although during flowering it is necessary to double the application of flower fertilizers. The calculation is as follows: 0.5 caps per 2 liters of warm water. When fertilizing, make sure that such water does not get on the flowers and leaves.