What are the cultivation methods and precautions for cyclamen?

SummarySoil: choose fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Fertilizer: use dilute organic fertilizer during the growing period; apply phosphorus fertilizer and monopotassium sulfate during the bud stage; use phosphorus and potassium fertilizer during the growing period; for excessive vegetative growth, use superphosphate or wood ash extract. Water: keep moist but not waterlogged. Temperature: suitable around 20°C. Light: requires plenty of light during the growing period. Pests and diseases: pay attention to preventing and controlling gray mold, soft rot, leaf spot, etc. Precautions: fertilizer solution must not splash onto the leaves; when watering, do not pour water on the tuber.

Cyclamen, also called Persian violet, primrose, one-flower crown, rabbit ear flower, fire basket flower, etc., is a perennial herbaceous bulbous flower belonging to the genus Cyclamen in the primrose family. It has a flat round or spherical fleshy tuber, generally called a bulb. The plant is 20cm-30cm tall. The tuber of a one-year-old plant is pale dark red, while the old tuber is purple-black, and its outer covering is corky. Cyclamen has abundant flowers and lush leaves, a very distinctive flower shape, and a long flowering period. It is outstanding among plants used to decorate living rooms and is deeply loved by everyone.

I. Cultivation Methods for Cyclamen

1. Soil

(1) Cyclamen loves fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil, with a PH value of 6-7 being better. The culture soil for planting can be prepared from humus soil, forest leaf mold, furnace ash cinders, sandy garden soil, and decomposed compost in a ratio of 3:2:2:2:1, and an appropriate amount of superphosphate and other chemical substances should also be added to the soil.

(2) When planting, the prepared culture soil must be strictly sterilized at high temperature by fumigation. The planting pot should be selected according to the size of the tuber; do not, for convenience, directly use a larger pot to plant small cyclamen seedlings.

2. Fertilizer

(1) Cyclamen likes fertilizer but does not like concentrated fertilizer, so fertilization should follow the principle of light fertilizer applied frequently. Generally, in addition to applying some base fertilizer when repotting and changing soil, during the growing period apply decomposed dilute human and livestock manure or cake fertilizer water and other organic fertilizers once every 10 days, and during the bud stage apply quick-acting phosphorus fertilizer and 0.1% monopotassium sulfate.

(2) After the Beginning of Autumn, cyclamen enters the reproductive growth period, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be applied. If the plant grows excessively, switch to applying superphosphate or wood ash extract, which can control vegetative growth, promote flower bud differentiation, and make it form buds and bloom.

3. Water

Cyclamen can tolerate drought. During the growing period, the pot soil should remain moist but must not become waterlogged. During drought and in summer, spray water on the leaf surface and the ground, which helps increase air humidity and promote growth. In winter, the pot soil should be somewhat dry; once a week, spray clear water on the leaves and the environment, which can increase humidity and keep the leaves clean.

4. Temperature

(1) Winter: the suitable growing temperature for cyclamen is 18°C-20°C. In winter, the temperature should be controlled at 10°C-22°C, and the temperature must not be lower than 10°C. If the temperature is too low, the flower color of cyclamen will become dull and the flowers will easily fall. If it is lower than 6°C, it will be unable to bloom.

(2) Summer: the temperature should be controlled at around 25°C. When the summer temperature reaches 28°C-30°C, cyclamen will go dormant. If it is higher than 30°C, the leaves will turn yellow and fall off and the flowers will fade. If the temperature continues to rise above 35°C, the tuber of cyclamen is prone to rotting.

5. Light

Cyclamen likes light. When it is a seedling, it needs less light. During the growing period and when the temperature is below 28°C, it should be placed in a place with relatively sufficient sunlight. In hot weather, appropriate measures such as shading, ventilation, and spraying water should be taken.

6. Pest and Disease Control

(1) Nematodes: use pesticides such as carbofuran to disinfect the pot soil, with 2g-3g per pot being O.1% of the soil weight, and mix evenly with the soil.

(2) Gray mold: ventilate in time to reduce air humidity, immediately remove diseased leaves to reduce sources of infection, and spray broad-spectrum fungicides such as zineb and carbendazim.

(3) Soft rot, leaf spot, fungal wilt disease, and anthracnose: spray with a 0.01% concentration aqueous solution of thiophanate-methyl or 0.15%-0.2% aqueous solutions of formycin and chlorothalonil.

III. Precautions for Cyclamen

1. When fertilizing, be careful not to let the sprayed fertilizer solution splash onto the leaves. Fertilizing is not suitable during the flowering period or in summer and winter.

2. When watering, do not pour water on the bulb; water can be poured onto the pot soil. When watering, also pay attention to water temperature and water quality. The watering temperature should be close to room temperature, and the water should be softened water that has been left to settle.

3. For cyclamen that has entered dormancy when the temperature is above 35°C, use a shade net, increase ventilation, and spray water around the plant to lower the temperature.

4. Loosen the leaves irregularly so that the bulb is ventilated and airy; otherwise, the bulb will easily become moldy and rot. When removing old leaves and excess small leaves, use your hands, not scissors, because scissors have rust and the like, which can easily cause the flower stem to rot.