How To Grow Cyclamen From Seeds At Home: Step By Step Instructions With Photos And Videos

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Cyclamen from seeds at home: growing and care

Cyclamen is a plant that pleases the eye. Bright large flowers will decorate the windowsill at a time when it is frosty outside, because it is winter that is the time of flowering of this handsome man. Delicate bizarre inflorescences differ in color depending on the variety. The most popular varieties of cyclamen, Persian and European, can be successfully grown directly on the windowsill with only seeds and suitable materials at hand. And after a year, the plant will reward you with the first flowers.

Content

• 1 A little about the plant

  1.1 Photo gallery: varieties of cyclamen

• 2 What is required for growing
• 3 Cyclamen from seeds: step by step instructions
• 4 Video: growing cyclamen at home
• 5 Follow-up care

A little about the plant

A bright flower with delicate petals of a bizarre shape is cyclamen, a perennial tuberous plant of the primrose family. Delicate pink, lilac, burgundy or snow-white - it is a real find for lovers of flowering plants. A big plus is that cyclamen is unpretentious, not afraid of cold weather and does not need a long day of light, since in the wild it grows in rather harsh conditions. Therefore, a cool windowsill and regular watering are all that he requires of you. Another name for cyclamen is alpine violet, but again, it can be credited with the fact that cyclamen suffers from diseases and pests less often than traditional violets. Therefore, it is definitely worth taking on the cultivation of cyclamen. There are dozens of shades of cyclamen.

Cyclamen is a perennial flowering plant for your home

There are two options: buy a ready-made plant from the store, or try to grow it from seeds yourself. The second method will require more effort from you, but it will also increase the likelihood that the plant will take root and will delight you with flowering for more than one season. Keep in mind that adapting a store plant for the home is also a whole science. And a flower grown with its own hands from seeds will literally feel at home, since it will ideally fit into the living conditions.

It is possible and necessary to grow cyclamen at home: it will not require any special efforts on your part. One has only to be patient, since the period of germination, first shoots, transplanting seedlings and the formation of an individual plant will drag on for about six months.

The color, size, doubleness of the flower depends on its variety. Suitable for home cultivation:

• European cyclamen - has pink medium-sized flowers with a pleasant smell; less popular with home growers.
• Persian cyclamen - has many varieties (Scarlet Moth, Charlie, Sylphide, Topaz, Flamingo, etc.), each of which differs in shade, size or shape of the flower.

Photo gallery: varieties of cyclamen

Cyclamen Victoria

Rococo Rose

Cyclamen Flamingo

Charlie

Cyclamen Scarlet Moth

What is required for growing

The most important point is the correct choice of seeds. Shop seeds from reputable producers show a germination rate of about 80%. It is believed that the highest germination rate is inherent in home seeds. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to borrow seeds from home cyclamen owners, do not neglect it. The cyclamen fruit is a capsule filled with ripe seeds. You just have to free the seeds from the box, dry them for two to three days, and they will be ready for use.

In addition to seeds, you will need:

1. Soil: a mixture of peat, leaf earth and vermiculite is suitable for growing cyclamen. You can use a combination of ready-mixed peat and sand. It is better to prefer sterile soil, for this, pour boiling water over it in advance. Do not add humus to the soil to avoid the appearance of parasites and fungi.
2. Pot or seed container: shallow boxes are preferred. It makes no sense to carry out initial seeding in deep, voluminous pots.
3. Drainage layer: expanded clay, pebbles, brick chips are suitable.

Cyclamen from seeds: step by step instructions

You can start sowing cyclamen at any time of the year, but the most suitable season is spring

1. Soak the seeds. To speed up the germination of seeds, you must first soak them in warm water for 1-3 days. If you want to additionally nourish the plant or protect it from diseases, you can soak it in a solution of Epin, Zircon or ordinary potassium permanganate. The best way to soak seeds is by placing them in a damp gauze or cotton pad. It is important not to forget to add water periodically so that the fabric does not dry out in any case.

   

   Soak seeds for 1-3 days by placing them in a damp cloth

2. Preparing the landing container. Choose containers with drainage holes to avoid stagnant water and waterlogging. Place a drainage layer up to 2 cm on the bottom of the container. Then fill it with prepared, previously disinfected soil. For the initial sowing, a soil layer of 7 cm is sufficient.

   

   Pour a layer of drainage and soil into the container

3. Make shallow grooves in the soil, sprinkle with water and spread the soaked seeds in them at a distance of about 3 cm. Sprinkle with soil on top. The optimum seed placement depth is 1.5–2 cm.

   

   Sow seeds 2–3 cm apart

4. Place crops in a cool, shady place. The optimum temperature for growing cyclamen is +10 - + 18 ° C. At temperatures above + 20 ° C, the plant is dormant, which means that the germination time is delayed. Under optimal temperature conditions, cyclamen germinates within 4 weeks. But if during this time shoots do not appear, do not panic: the plant may hatch only after three months, and this will be normal. Certain varieties of cyclamens are long-growing (Apple, Kiss and others).
5. Provide regular watering and ventilation for plantings. Watering the seedlings should be moderate. Wet but not wet soil is what you should strive for.

6. When cyclamen sprouts, purple loops appear on the surface, then a tiny tuber is formed, which takes root in the soil and loops with leaves grow from it. Usually the first leaf appears with a seed skin. She must fold herself. If this does not happen, help the plant to get rid of it with tweezers. Be careful: if you damage a single shoot, the seedling will die.

   

   The first shoots of cyclamen

7. During the growth of the seedling, pay attention to the tuber: it should protrude 1/3 from the ground in order to avoid decay of the growing point. If the plant was planted deeply, remove some of the soil from the surface of the nodule.

8. When 3-4 leaves appear on the plant, it is time to transplant it into a separate pot. This will take at least three months, as the cyclamen grows slowly. Carefully remove the seedling along with the clod and transplant into a small pot. Soil type and drainage layer are the same as above.

   

   Seedling with three leaves ready for transplanting

Video: growing cyclamen at home

Follow-up care

Now the most difficult part is over. It remains only to water the plant and make sure that it is away from sources of heat and direct sunlight.

At the age of 9 months, the first buds can be found on the plant, and by 1 year it is quite capable of blooming with the first flowers. Cyclamens are usually dormant in the summer, but modern varieties of Persian cyclamens often bloom all year round.

Cyclamen does not require frequent fertilization. However, from the age of 9 months, you can feed it with a weakly concentrated solution for flowering plants.

If the flower begins to shed its leaves, this indicates a transition to a dormant period. In this case, limit watering to a minimum and move the plant to a shaded area.

Growing cyclamens can be an exciting hobby. The variety of varieties allows you to endlessly experiment with interior floristry. Bright and gentle cyclamen will fill the house with colors and bloom all year round.