Tips for gardeners on how to properly plant cyclamen
Everyone has their own hobby, for example, many people love to breed indoor plants. One of the most popular residents of window sills can be called cyclamen.
This is not surprising, because this plant with proper care will delight you with beautiful bright flowers.
Consider how and when to plant and plant cyclamen.
What is this plant?
Another name for cyclamen is alpine violet or gibberish.. Florists love this plant for beautiful flowers and a variety of varieties. It can be grown, like at home, in a pot, or in the open ground. You can find cyclamen in almost any part of the world. This is a perennial plant, so if you take care of it correctly, you can enjoy beautiful flowers from year to year.
Despite the large number of species, only two are most often used for growing a house - these are Persian and European. The choice is made precisely in their favor because they have beautiful bright inflorescences that appear even in winter.
How to plant - optimal conditions and time
A beautiful flower begins with a proper planting. The most favorable time for the cultivation of violets is considered to be the period from February to March.
Attention! The apartment does not have to be planted exactly at this time, the seeds will sprout in any month.What conditions do cyclamen need to please you with flowers?
- The room should be well ventilated and be fairly bright and, ideally, sunny.
- The flower really does not like drafts, but he does not care about low temperatures, he feels great even at 11 degrees.
- One of the most important criteria of a beautiful plant is loose soil, so do not forget about it if you want to achieve a result.
- Water the alpine violet a lot, it is difficult to tolerate drought. When the plant blooms, watering should be done more often, but it is worthwhile to ensure that water does not stagnate, as the roots can begin to rot.
Preparation: what soil and pot are needed?
It is important to prepare the soil that will be suitable for cyclamen. Since this plant loves air, the soil should be quite loose. Making land perfect for alpine violets is easy enough.
We mix two parts of the steamed soil with one part of the Tulip soil mixture or something similar, add a little river soil to make the earth less dense.
It is also necessary to choose a pot of the right size, it should not be very large so that the liquid does not stagnate, this will badly affect the roots of the plant.
The size of the pot depends on the age of the plant:
- Small flowers have a pot with a diameter of up to six centimeters.
- If cyclamen is a year and a half, then no more than eight centimeters.
- A plant older than three years - the diameter of the pot can be up to 15 centimeters.
Pot preparation:
- Be sure to make a hole in the bottom of the pot.
- Lay down pebbles or expanded clay to avoid excess moisture.
Action algorithm
When the pot and soil are ready, you can proceed directly to the planting of cyclamen. This is done easily. The main thing is to observe the sequence of actions.
How to plant cyclamen correctly:
- It is necessary to prepare the seeds. Soak the seeds for about 10-12 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or specialized preparations, for example, Epin.
- In the soil we make a furrow about a centimeter deep and water it abundantly.
- Seeds need to be spread out at a distance of three centimeters from each other.
- Sprinkle on top of the ground, cover with a jar or film.
While maintaining a favorable temperature regime (about 20 degrees), the seeds germinate in about a month or two.
Now that the first green shoots have appeared, you need to rearrange the flower in a well-lit place and remove the film. But you must try to avoid direct sunlight. As soon as a couple of leaves appear, seedlings can be transplanted in pots. 2-3 pieces each, completely covering the tubers with earth.
After about six months, you can transplant flowers into larger pots, but at the same time they need to be dug only by 2/3. It is very important that the soil is loose, the success of growing cyclamen depends on this.
How to plant at home?
Cyclamen must be replanted with too active development of tubers, and also, if necessary, change the soil. It is advisable to do this in late summer, when the flower is in a phase of low activity.
Important! Cyclamen does not like transplants, so do not do it too often, it is advisable to transplant no more than 2-3 times a year.Depending on the type of plant, you need to plant it in a certain way. As stated above, we most often have two species. In European cyclamen, the roots grow in breadth, therefore, it is important to deepen it well into the ground, but the Persian on the contrary grows down, so the very top of the tuber should be slightly above the surface of the earth.
Further, you can learn from the video how to transplant a plant:
On the beneficial properties of cyclamen tubers, as well as on the nuances of their planting, read here.
Transplant Care
You need to understand that even if you transplanted the plant correctly, but did not provide proper care after, the immature flower may die or become ill.
As already mentioned, watering is very important for cyclamen, especially when it blooms (for how to water cyclamen correctly, read here). Best of all, if you will be watering through a pan, that is, pouring some water in a saucer, but if for some reason watering is from above, then try not to touch the tuber and pour water from the side, carefully observing that water stagnation does not occur.
The plant will thank you if the air around is well humidified., arm yourself with a spray gun and spray around the pot without falling onto the leaves.
Do not neglect fertilizers, especially during the vegetative period, it is recommended to feed cyclamen about 2 times a month. Liquid fertilizers are best suited for cyclamen. You can use the same as when landing. To enrich the soil, half the cap is enough, you need to add them to two liters of water and let it brew. It is advisable to use warm water. Fertilize the soil after transplantation is not earlier, as the first sprouts appear.
Advice! Choose fertilizers in which there is no chlorine or its content is minimal, because cyclamen can be damaged by mineral salts.Details on the secrets of proper cyclamen care at home can be found here.
Thus, we can say that, following simple rules, you can easily and quickly grow cyclamen, which will delight you with beautiful flowers for a long time.