How to grow beautiful cyclamen on your windowsill

A perennial herbaceous plant whose flowers resemble a flock of bright butterflies in beauty is cyclamen. Another name for cyclamen is alpine violet. He comes from the Mediterranean, is also common in northeast Africa, Spain.

Cyclamen has original flowers and a very wide color range. There are white, purple cyclamen, the whole range of pink shades, red and burgundy. And what is especially nice, flowering lasts up to 3.5 months.

Alpine violet blooms from the second half of October until the end of March. Cyclamen - the plant is not very fastidious, but some have the opposite impression. In fact, if you follow certain recommendations, the difficulties with the flower will not arise.

How to choose the right cyclamen in the store

Seeing in the flower shop a scattering of multicolored beautiful flowers, it is difficult to resist the purchase. According to the rules, the choice of a flowerpot depends not only on the color of the inflorescences, it is worth paying attention to other parameters of the plant. The procedure selects an inspection of the state of the roots, which are visible in the drainage hole of the pot. It is important that the roots are in good condition and that there is no rot on them.

A flowerpot should not have yellow leaves and it is good when there are a lot of unblown buds on it. The bigger the tuber the better. The leaves of the plant must be resilient, there must be no rotten flower stalks or their remnants in the pot.

Cyclamen care during flowering

Caring for cyclamen at home requires careful attention in choosing a place for a flowerpot, organizing a temperature regime, proper watering, timely feeding and observing the necessary humidity for the plant.

Choice of location and lighting

Cyclamen loves the light. It should be placed on the window sills of windows, which do not fall into direct sunlight, but with a lot of daylight. Usually the best place for cyclamen is the window on the north side of the house.

Temperature and humidity

Cyclamen during the flowering period should be cool. He will be comfortable temperature + 12-15 ° C. It is bad if the temperature drops below 10 degrees or rises above 20 degrees.

For better growth and well-being of the flower, the air around it must be humidified. This will help conventional spray. But it is necessary to ensure that the sprayed moisture does not fall directly on the plant itself.

Watering and feeding the soil

To the plant was comfortable during the flowering period, it should be watered regularly. When watering water should not fall on the sprout zone of corm, on the leaves and flowers of the plant. Good methods of watering - closer to the edge of the pot, or pour water into the pan. At any time during the life of the plant, it is important not to overwet the soil.

Feeding cyclamen in the flowering period is made every 2 weeks. For this, mineral fertilizers are used. For fertilizing, it is possible to prepare phosphate-potassium fertilizer: take 1 g of superphosphate and 0.5 g of potassium sulfate for 1 l of water.

Cyclamen care during rest

Many plants actively grow and develop in the summer, give flowers and fruits.But as for cyclamen, this plant blooms in the cold season. Caring for cyclamen in the summer is just as important as leaving during the flowering period. The correctness of care during the rest period will determine how the flower will bloom in its active period.

Preparing for the rest period, cyclamen can continue to form new leaves, while the old ones turn yellow and die. Dead leaves must be removed. At the same time, the tuber stores nutrients that will be consumed during the next flowering.

It is important to follow the rules of how to water cyclamen at home during rest. It is a misconception that cyclamen does not need to be watered during this period. If overdrying of the soil is allowed, and then watering the plant abundantly, cracks may appear on the tuber. These cracks are not dangerous, but only if they do not get water. If they are covered with crushed coal, the cracks will be covered with a thick crust after a few days.

During the rest period, moderate watering is required to prevent rotting of the tuber.Fertilizers for cyclamen during this period do not apply. To prevent rot, you can add a few drops of phytosporin to the water during watering.

In terms of lighting in summer, the plant should be protected from bright direct sunlight. Coolness is not necessary, but if it is possible to place a flower in a cool shade, then it will be comfortable there.

The dormant period lasts for 2-3 months, after which new leaves and buds begin to appear.

Correct Cyclamen Transplant

When buying, you need to be prepared for the need to have a cyclamen transplant. Dutch plants are usually supplied in a peat substrate, which is designed for transporting flowers, but is not suitable for long-term plant growth.

Repotting can be done once a year, before the flowerpot blooms. The most suitable time is considered the end of August and September, when the reduced air temperature has a beneficial effect on growth.

For transplanting you will need the usual purchased soil. It can be prepared from the following components: peat, humus, sand and leaf earth. Leaf soil in the mixture should be more than the rest of the ingredients.The plant must be removed from the pot and gently clean the roots of the excess peat left on them. If the process shows rotten cuttings, they must be removed.

Before transplanting, you need to determine which pot is needed for cyclamen. The size of the pot depends on the age of the flower. For cyclamen 1–1.5 years old, a pot with a diameter of up to 8 cm is selected. For a three-year cyclamen, a pot with a diameter of up to 15 cm is suitable.

At the bottom of the pot should be drainage holes, if they are not originally, you can do them yourself. After that, the bottom is laid drainage - expanded clay or pebbles. With the help of drainage, you can avoid overwetting plants.

Before planting cyclamen in a new soil, it is recommended to ignite it in the oven for one hour. Or you can do it in a pan or process the soil with potassium permanganate. Such measures are needed in order to protect the plant from possible infection with fungal diseases.

In the process of the transplant itself, the earthen mixture in the pot does not need to be tamped. From the plant you need to remove a few old leaves, which helps to strengthen the health of the plant.

The flower itself must be carefully placed in the middle of a new pot, holding it in place so as not to damage the root system. The roots must be straightened and gently covered with earth. The tuber itself does not need to be completely covered with earth, it should look out a little on the surface.

After transplantation, the soil is watered and allowed to absorb. Then watering is repeated, and earth is added to the pot. But even after this stage, the tuber must partially remain above the ground.

Two ways to breed cyclamen

There are two most common ways to breed cyclamen:

• seeds;
• division of the tuber.

When breeding seeds will have to wait longer for flowering than during reproduction by a tuber. For sowing seeds, the optimal period is August.

Before sowing, seeds are poured with 5% sugar solution. Only seeds that sink to the bottom are taken, the ones that come up are not suitable. Even for a day, the seeds are soaked in a solution of zircon.

Seeds are sown in a mixture of land and peat - they are laid out on the surface and lightly sprinkled on top of a thin layer of earth.The temperature for germination should optimally be 20 ° C. Above the planting area is covered with a transparent film, which is sometimes removed for irrigation and airing the soil. Seedlings should ascend in 30-40 days.

After the shoot, the shading is removed, the young plants are placed in an environment without direct sunlight and at a temperature of 15-17 ° C. After the appearance of two or three leaves and the formation of a small tuber, the plants dive. This happens around December. After picking a plant in a week, you can feed it with a flower fertilizer in a diluted dose.

In individual pots, cyclamen is planted from seeds in April - May. They bloom in 13-15 months after sowing.

In addition to breeding seeds, cyclamen can be divided by dividing the tuber. It is possible to produce such reproduction only in the period of dormancy of the plant. Onion is taken out of the ground, slightly dried. After that, it is cut into several pieces. Each part must have strong living roots and buds. All parts of the root are processed with crushed coal and dried again. Around the third day of the tuber can be planted in the ground, each in its own pot.

Reproduction by division of the tuber is not always successful, there is a risk of losing the plant irretrievably.

Medicinal properties of cyclamen

Cyclamen contains substances with healing properties. Among them are cyclamine, saponin, bitter substances.

Cyclamen juice has the following effects:

• destroys viruses;
• eliminates inflammatory processes;
• antiseptic action;
• inhibits pathogenic flora causing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Suppresses pain in rheumatism, gout, diseases of the joints and bones.

Fresh juice of cyclamen clear maxillary sinuses. It is prepared from fresh tubers, which are crushed to a mushy state. 10 parts of water are added to the pulp from cyclamen and they survive through gauze. The resulting medication can be instilled into the nose, 1-2 drops. The same mixture in the form of douching is used for gynecological diseases.

Mixed with vegetable oil, cyclamen juice is also used to treat sinusitis. This mixture causes sneezing and promotes the release of pus.

If the pulp from cyclamen pour alcohol or vodka and insist 2 weeks, you get an alcohol tincture. Tincture taken 15-30 drops up to 3 times a day. As a rubbing helps with rheumatic pain, joint pain and is used for rubbing.

Hot infusion is prepared by pouring 1 tablespoon of cyclamen roots with two cups of boiling water. It is necessary to accept in a warm look on 1 tablespoon after food. It is prescribed for sleep disorders, overstrain of the nervous system. Also effective hot infusion in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

Along with the beneficial properties of cyclamen can be harmful to health. Contraindications include the presence of allergy to the plant, pregnancy, breastfeeding and age up to 7 years. Cyclamen based medications can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.

In undiluted form, cyclamen can cause burns to the mucous membranes. Overdose causes poisoning with fever. In severe cases, the work of the cardiovascular system is impaired, pulmonary edema and bronchospasm appear.

Diseases and pests: features of treatment and care during this period

Cyclamen is prone to certain diseases and pest invasions. During such difficult periods, the plant requires special care.

Causes of cyclamen death:

• high temperatures;
• waterlogging;
• damage to the tuber;
• rotting peduncles and leaves.

In many cases, the plant can be saved if you notice the symptoms of the disease in time and take action.

Cyclamen diseases and their treatment:

• Yellow leaves. This disease occurs when the plant lives at temperatures above 18 degrees, and the air in the room is dry. To combat and prevent yellowing leaves, the air around the plant is moistened by spraying water, and the plant is placed in a place without heating devices to adjust the temperature.
• Rotting of leaf stalks. This disease is characteristic of plants that are over-moistened with soil. It is also more likely that the plant will rot if water gets on the top of the tuber. To combat this disease, you need to provide good drainage. The pot is put on a tray with pebbles and controlled so that the pebbles are moistened.
• Leaf deformation.This disease appears due to the presence of a pest - cyclamen mite. It is very small in size, similar to ordinary dust. The mite is located on the lower part of the leaf of the plant. With the advent of the cyclamen tick, plant growth slows down, the edges of the leaves are wrapped. The treatment is the removal of the affected leaves and spraying of the cyclamen insecticide.
• Fusarium Fungal disease affecting plant tissue and vascular system. Pathogens enter the soil through the root system. The upper leaves turn yellow, often on one side. The plant does not give flowering in sufficient volume and does not look very good. For the treatment of applied basement 0.1% for irrigation of the root and spraying with topsin-M 0.1%.
• Black fungus. If the plant lives on aphids, it leaves behind a sweet discharge on the leaves of cyclamen. Then a fungus appears on them. Its danger lies in the fact that the sheet does not receive enough light. The plant weakens and slows in growth. For treatment, the plaque must be removed with a damp cloth and the leaves treated with soap and copper solution.
• Anthracnose. Manifested during flowering. Anthracnose actively progresses with moisture and heat, affects leaves and flower stalks. Flowers wither, bloom does not occur.Next, the infection passes to the leaves, they twist into a tube, the old leaves die off. To combat anthracnose, it is first necessary to lower the humidity, remove damaged shoots and treat the pot 2-3 times as a fungicide.
• Wet rot This is a bacterial disease. The cyclamen withers, leaves fall, the tuber exudes a putrid odor. The roots of the plant rot. The disease gets through the places of leaves or wounds on the stems, and pathogenic bacteria can infect the plant through water. This disease is incurable, and the plant must be destroyed if it is damaged.