Cyclamen: the birthplace of the plant. Cyclamen: varieties, cultivation and care at home

If you want something unusual and very bright in your apartment or house, then choose for this plant that has fragrant beautiful flowers - cyclamen. How to care for it and how to propagate is not a very complex issue, but it still requires effort. If you want to see the green all year round, then the best European cyclamen, if bright and abundant flowering, then the Persian. And in both cases, even a very experienced florist will cope with the cultivation. In addition to high decorative qualities, for cyclamen are characteristic and 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 to choose a form for his crown. Many variants were tried, but by pure chance, before the gaze of the ruler was a modest cyclamen, which he madly liked, it was the shape of his flower Solomon and gave preference.

Varieties

The room cyclamen belongs, as a rule, to one of the two most common types: Persian or European. Both are very decorative, but differ somewhat both externally and in how to grow cyclamen. Persian is also sometimes called alpine violet. He is very graceful, his flowers are not only decorative, but also leaves. The plant has a rest period. Can reach large enough for a house plant size - up to 30 cm in height. He is the progenitor of most modern species.

The European cyclamen is more simple in the indoor culture. In winter, it does not shed leaves and keeps the greens throughout the year. But the sizes are much less, flowers thus have beautiful, more often pinkish coloring and thin pleasant aroma. This variety is first of all suitable for those who are just beginning their acquaintance with cyclamen. It is simple enough to grow and survive, if suddenly created conditions do not fit it. In addition to these two species, there is one more - it's a Caucasian cyclamen, but to meet it in our apartments is a big rarity. It grows on the slopes of the mountains, the flowers are white or sometimes pale pink. It refers to early-flowering plants and pleases with bright colors from February, as soon as the first thawed patches begin to appear.

The root, like the other species, is a rounded tuber. Basically, it is used in the homeland as a garden primrose plant. Cyclamens of the Caucasus are 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

It can be safely called the four points on our planet, from where this flower spread: Asia Minor, Iran, Central Europe and the Mediterranean. The area of growth is quite wide, it grows in the foothill areas, on the fringes of the forest. Cyclamen is mentioned as a cultural garden plant since 1731, but it began to gain immense popularity only when breeders joined the case. Creating stunning varieties with large terry or simple colors of different shades, they for a long time provided him fame. In our stores, the Persian cyclamen is especially common. The native land of the plant is Asia Minor and Greece, where it grows in the open ground and in the spring one can come across whole glades, fragrant with a very strong aroma. Due to the fact that it blossoms 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 its own, closer European cyclamen (the birthplace of the plant - Central Europe) is not so common. Although it is easier to grow.

The place in the house and the lighting

Although the birthplace of the cyclamen room is the warm edge of the Mediterranean, he still prefers scattered light, without direct sunlight. If it is put on the floor, 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. Room cyclamen is extremely demanding of the temperature regime. This is its peculiarity and one of the nuances of cultivation. The temperature in the summer should be between 18-25 degrees, and in winter the most optimal and favorable is 10. Failure to comply with these conditions can lead to the fact that the cyclamen simply ceases to bloom or even die.

According to the teachings of feng shui, this plant contributes to the stabilization of energy in the house or apartment, brings a sense of community and unites the family. Frequent mood jumps or depression, according to experts in this field, are also subject to him. Well cyclamen will affect the working team and the atmosphere in it, because it will be a good choice for the office. If you want to bring bright feelings into your life, give preference to a bright raspberry cyclamen, for romance choose white or red.

How to prepare the soil?

If you buy ready-made soil, then no difficulties arise. In case there is a desire to prepare it yourself, it is necessary to take into account several important points. The homeland of the cyclamen of the room determines its appearance, and this must be taken into account when choosing the soil. For Persian experts advise preparing soil from leaf, turf, humus and sand in equal proportions. Very favorable effect is the addition of calcareous crushed stone or a small amount (1 part) of peat.

A somewhat different ratio of the components of the composition requires a European cyclamen. The native land of the plant is alpine meadows. Therefore, a good drainage is very necessary, and the mixture of turf, leaf land, humus, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 2: 1 is best suited. Soil mixture must be steamed or calcined in the oven to prevent the emergence of various pests and diseases. You can also add 1 kg of finished soil superphosphate (1 g.), Phosphorite flour (4 g.), Ammonium nitrate (0.4 g). Cyclamen at home does not require a large pot, it is best to choose shallow, 10-15 cm in diameter.

Of great importance is the depth of planting. The European cyclamen roots grow along the entire circumference of the tuber, so you can safely plant it completely in the ground. But his Persian congenitor is best left over the surface of the soil.

The European cyclamen is too often not to be replanted. If the pot is large, it can rot, or, at best, stop blooming. Large specimens are replaced by a pot (1-2 cm larger than the former) once every 2-4 years.

Water regime

The question of how to water a cyclamen is very important. Observance of the water regime is already half the success in the matter of cultivation. The plant at low temperatures (10-15 degrees) does not need high humidity, it will feel comfortable enough, so you do not need to spray it. This is only required if the room is hot. That's just spray it is necessary not the plant itself, 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 a cyclamen at home is that it does not tolerate excess moisture at all. Watering should be extremely neat, but abundant during flowering, the drying of the earth coma should not be allowed. Water should not fall on the leaves, or even more so the tubers, 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's good to use thawed water, if you take water, then before watering the cyclamen, you need to let it settle. Time for this will take at least 12 hours.

Fertilizers

To feed cyclamen at home is necessary in the period of active vegetation, when intensive growth begins, buds are formed. Do not water the fertilizer just bought a flower in the store, first let it acclimatize and get used to the new conditions. Periodicity - 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 minimal. Now in flower shops you can find special fertilizers for each plant species, they have chosen the most optimal balance of mineral and organic substances, it is best to buy just such. Concentration should not be determined by eye, follow the instructions. Otherwise, it can lead to an excess of nitrogen in the soil, and this will lead to the fact that the leaves will develop more actively, in other words, the green mass will start to build up, 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 below 10 ° C - this is the pledge of abundant and long flowering. Cyclamen at this time requires abundant watering, but it can not be flooded. Therefore, excess water from the pan should be drained in 10-15 minutes. It is also necessary to monitor the leaves and remove dry on time, otherwise it can lead to the development of rot. When the flower sprouts, it must be carefully removed. To do this, you need to crank it and pull it lightly.

The rest period

As a rule, it comes after 3-4 months of abundant flowering. And this is one of the answers to the question of why cyclamen withers. First, new buds cease to form, and then gradually the leaves wilt and wither. At the Persian cyclamen it occurs in April, at this time it is necessary to reduce watering. And when the leaves do not remain completely, then you need only slightly to maintain moisture in the soil. At this time, the pot with the flower should be removed to a cool and shaded place. In many countries the Persian cyclamen is grown as a one-time plant, it is given for Christmas or New Year's, it safely pleases the owners with abundant flowering, and then it is simply thrown out. And this makes sense, because, having bought a flourishing Persian cyclamen in the store, you are unlikely to achieve the same re-flowering at home. All of them are grown in the conditions of greenhouses and get used to the indoor microclimate very, very difficult. Therefore, before buying, think about how to grow a cyclamen, whether you have enough time for it, whether there is a suitable place in the apartment. If you dare, then be careful when choosing. It is necessary to give preference to those cyclamens that are just beginning to blossom, the soil should be moderately moist, the leaves - with a normal turgor, roots and tubers - without rot and signs of damage by insects.

After a period of rest, the Persian cyclamen returns to life in the beginning of winter. As soon as it is noticeable that the leaves appear, it is necessary to start watering and transfer the plant to a bright place.

Reproduction of cyclamen

This can be done in two ways: from seeds and dividing the tuber. The latter method is very traumatic for the plant, which causes its low efficiency and therefore it is practically not used at home. Cultivation of cyclamen from seeds is a more suitable way of reproduction, and for Persian species - the only acceptable. If several varieties grow 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 retain the phenotypic properties of their parents. It is due to the fact that all store plants are hybrids in the first generation, their further multiplication leads to splitting of characters. Therefore, seeds must be bought, and preferably a reliable manufacturer.

Cyclamen planting by seeds is possible all year round, but it is best to do it in the early spring. Use the purchased ready-made, sterile primer. Seeds should be pre-soaked in a solution of any growth biostimer, for example, the drug "Epin", as written in the instructions for use. The box is not very deep. In the ground, make grooves (1 cm), pour them gently from the gum and arrange the prepared seeds. Then it is necessary to close the container with opaque polyethylene, since it is necessary to darken for germination. Do not forget to keep moisture in the ground and a sufficiently high air temperature - 20 ° C. After a month or a half sprouts appear, you need to remove the film and move the box to a place with bright scattered light. When a young plant has two or three real leaves, it must be dived into a separate pot, and after 6-7 months it is transplanted into a larger container, 8-10 cm in diameter. It is noteworthy that in the first year the cyclamen does not "rest", but Blossoms in about 2 years. Growing cyclamen at home from the seeds - it's quite troublesome and requires a careful and careful approach.

Primrose in the garden

Cyclamen is most popular as a houseplant and is completely forgotten as a garden flower. You can grow it outdoors, but you still need to do it in warmer regions of Russia, with mild winters and long summer. Best of all, of course, for these purposes is suitable European cyclamen. 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 cyclamen, you should remember a few basic nuances:

• The landing site must be protected from drafts and rain, for example under garden trees;
• The soil must be well drained, allow moisture to pass, avoiding stagnation of water;
• If there is not enough snow in winter, you should slightly cover the cyclamen with spruce bark;
• The tuber should be planted in the ground completely, without leaving the upper part above the surface;
• Do not change too often the place of the plant on the site, as this will weaken it, the cyclamen can grow long enough without sitting down.

Diseases and pests

The most common damage to the plant by bacterial or fungal diseases contributes to improper care, namely:

• Too dry air, excess moisture in the soil, improper lighting - all this weakens the immune system;
• Improperly selected substrate;
• Too large or, conversely, a small pot;
• Excess fertilizer containing nitrogen;
• Wrong location in the apartment.

Consider the most common diseases to which cyclamen is exposed at home.

1. Fusarium. It has a fungal nature and affects primarily the vessels of the plant. Therefore, the flower grower should be alerted 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.
2. Gray rot. Its cause is the botrytis fungus. Development contributes to high humidity and cold air, as well as getting water when watering the rosette of leaves and buds. Cyclamen, the photo of which is presented below, is struck by the Botrytis fungus. If you find similar signs of the disease, 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 the cyclamen with a fungicide.
3. Anthracnose. This fungal disease, on the contrary, occurs with a warm climate and an excess of moisture in the soil. It affects first the leaves and peduncles, and then the entire cyclamen. The photo demonstrates clearly that with the breaking of damaged buds, they lose any decorativeness, and the leaves wither.
4. Of pests, it should be noted aphids, thrips and cyclamen tick. If the first two pests can be seen on closer examination, then the latter is not. Cyclamenic tick is very small, it is possible to understand that the plant is infected by it, it is possible on several grounds: the affected point of growth, the petiole of the central leaves becomes curved and does not grow, remaining short, the buds do not dissolve and dry up. Infected flowers require treatment with insecticides. The thrips can easily be seen with the naked eye. The plant is damaged by adult insects and their larvae. Basically they are dangerous for leaves and buds, in the process of vital activity they leave behind themselves noticeable "paths". The spread of thrips contributes to high room temperature and dry air.

Undoubtedly, special preparations will help in the fight against pests and diseases of a fungal or bacterial nature: Oxych, 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 the circulation of air in the room, not allowing its stagnation.