Cyclamen - home care: photo and description of a houseplant, the most dangerous diseases and pests, as well as conditions in the pot

Cyclamen is an amazing plant that combines many varieties.

Each of them is distinguished by bright colors and heart-shaped leaves. In addition, its root is used to treat rhinitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, adenoiditis.

And although it is not difficult to take care of him, mistakes are not permissible, since they can ruin the flower.

So, what are the conditions necessary for the successful cultivation of cyclamen at home? And also, what diseases and pests should be feared?

Description

Cyclamen is a miniature tuber perennial. It is distinguished by bright flowers and beautiful wide leaves. Leaves are even, on their surface there are bizarre patterns. Peduncles rise above the leaves, carry small or large flowers. Sockets are different, it all depends on the varietal affiliation of the plant.

In nature, cyclamen is an ephemeroid plant. His leaves are formed only for a few months. After flowering, they slowly die off, and the tuber enters the dormant phase (how to care for cyclamen during flowering, how long it lasts and what to do after it has flowered, read here, and from this article you will learn about what should cyclamen care be at rest). Modern hybrids do not have such a pronounced phase of rest. Some of them are able to grow year-round.

By height, plants are divided into 3 types:

undersized - up to 15 cm;
medium-high - up to 20 cm;
standard - up to 30 cm.

You can find more information about the types and grades of cyclamen here.

Photo of a houseplant

Here you can see a photo of cyclamen.

The necessary conditions

Temperature

During flowering, the temperature should be 15 degrees during the day and 10 degrees at night. If the temperature indicators are above 20 degrees, then this will adversely affect the flower, because he will perceive it as a signal to rest. Flowering will stop, and the leaves will begin to fade.

Lighting

At home, cyclamen is grown in bright and diffuse lighting. In summer, place the flower on the eastern windowsills, and in the winter - on the southern.

Important! With a lack of light, the leaves begin to turn yellow. But also a glut will lead to the formation of burns.

Humidity

The humidity level should be 50%. Spray the flower daily using a small spray bottle. Moisten the air around the plant, while making sure that water does not penetrate the flowers and leaves. Maximum humidity level of 80%. To increase humidity, you can install a container of water in the room or use a special electronic humidifier.

How to properly care for him?

Watering

It is necessary to moisten the soil a little and regularly. Pour fluids directly onto the soil, avoiding penetration of the protruding tuber and foliage. Remove excess water from the sump immediately. Between watering, let the soil dry. Waterlogging of the earth is unacceptable.

We spoke in detail about the rules for watering cyclamen in our material.

Top dressing

Fertilize the soil after watering. Use mineral liquid compositions for this, but only reduce the dosage indicated on the package by 2 times. Feed every 14 days. Choose those compounds in which the minimum amount of nitrogen. With its excess, rapid growth of foliage will begin, flowering will weaken, and gray rot may occur.

Using mineral compounds, the following recommendations should be observed:

Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers will prevent flowering.
An excess of mineral composition in the soil negatively affects cyclamen, so that when preparing the substrate for a young plant, their concentration is minimized.
At the stage of development of cyclamen leaves and the formation of flower seeds, make mineral compositions with micronutrient fertilizers. In mid-August, reduce the concentration of nitrogen fertilizers in the nutrient solution. This will prevent bulb decay.
Stop applying fertilizer when the active flowering of the plant begins.
Dressing the flower is performed only in moist soil. This will prevent the accumulation of salts in the earth.
The first fertilizer application occurs after the emergence of sprouts.
Feed only healthy plants.
To regulate fertilizers taking into account the composition of the substrate in which cyclamen grows. For example, plants planted in special soil mixtures do not need additional nutrient additions (about what soil is needed for cyclamen and how to make it yourself, read our article).

Breeding

Cyclamen propagates by seed and tuber division. The plant is considered very sensitive to various interventions, so it is necessary to carry out reproduction very carefully.

Tubers

On a note. This vegetative method of division is considered traumatic for the plant, so it is rarely used indoors.

The root crop of the flower does not give shoots, so you need to cut the mother tuber. And this threatens the decay of the whole culture. Use old plants with a minimum age of 2 years for the procedure.

For a successful division process, follow these guidelines:

Wait until the leaves of the flower completely die away.
Carefully remove the tuber from the container and empty it from the ground.
Propagate the tuber with a clean knife, moving in the center from top to bottom so that each part has roots.
Treat the sprout with fungicides and allow to dry.
Seedlings in different pots (how to properly plant cyclamen can be found here).

Seed cultivation

This is the method of propagation of the flower more common and complex. To obtain cyclamen seeds, you need to artificially pollinate the plant. To do this, you need a soft brush. Use it to gently apply pollen from one flower to another. After some time, seeds appear. Cyclamen hides them in a small box under the leaves closer to the ground. Remove fruits before they penetrate the ground. Ripening occurs before the beginning of flowering cyclamen.

Sow the seeds in the spring, before this, pre-soak them in a solution of Epina. It accelerates the growth of flowers. Place the fruit in sterile, fresh soil. This will prevent the development of rot. The first shoots are expected 30-40 days after sowing. In this case, the temperature should be 18-20 degrees, the absence of direct sunlight and a moist substrate.

Pruning

This procedure allows you to get a magnificent flowering. It is necessary to remove withered leaves in the fall. When planting, remove all dead leaves and rotting roots.

Note! You can not prune while flowering cyclamen.

Possible problems

Like all indoor plants, cyclamen can be affected by diseases and pests. This is mainly due to non-compliance with agricultural regulations.

The following diseases and pests remain the most dangerous:

Cyclamen tick - This is the most dangerous pest for cyclamen. If she attacked him, then the leaves of the plant become stiff, a gray coating that resembles dust is noticeable. The leaves fall off or become lethargic, lifeless. Defeat is applied to the buds. The cyclamen tick is very small, so it is almost invisible.
To combat it, Agravertin, Fitoverm is used. Processing is carried out 2 times in 10 days. But to deal with the pest is effective only at the initial stage. If a colony of insects is observed, then the flower will have to be disposed of.
Thrips, aphid, spider mite. This is another lover to enjoy cyclamen. But they are not as dangerous as the previous parasite. The same drugs are suitable for dealing with them.
Sooty fungus. This ailment affects cyclamen after the invasion of aphids. To combat it, remove the affected parts and treat with fungicides.
Blight rot. It is formed due to excessive watering and high humidity. Carry out a fungicide treatment, reduce the amount of watering.

The maintenance will not be difficult, and problems can arise only due to carelessness or when the grower does not know how to care for cyclamen growing in a pot. If you strictly follow all agrotechnical rules, then the flower will answer you with bright flowering, lush leaves and give a lot of positive emotions.