Cyclamen Winter Care Methods and Precautions

Cyclamen is commonly known as “yipinguan”, “rabbit flower”, “radish begonia”, etc. Its flower shape is distinctive and its flowering period is long. Moreover, the cyclamen flowering period falls in winter and spring, making it an important potted flower during the Spring Festival. Cyclamen is a flower with a “fairy-like” elegance, standing gracefully. During the Spring Festival, placing a pot of cyclamen at home brings lively and festive colors, with flowers and leaves enhancing each other's beauty and an elegant posture in countless ways. Although cyclamen is beautiful, it is also delicate, so how should cyclamen be cared for in winter?

1. Soil ratio

The soil should be loose. A cultivation soil mixed with 2 parts leaf mold, 1 part garden soil and a small amount of superphosphate can be used. Sun-dried and crushed river mud can also be used.

2. Temperature management

Temperature has the greatest impact on cyclamen. In winter, especially in January and February, temperature management during this period is quite important. Cyclamen likes a warm environment, so in winter it should be moved indoors for care. When caring for it indoors, be careful to keep it away from heating equipment and do not place it at the air outlet of an air conditioner, otherwise it may cause dehydration.

The ideal temperature for cyclamen is 18~22℃ during the day and 10~12℃ at night. The nighttime temperature in winter is very low, so special attention should be paid to keeping it warm at this time.

In addition, the diurnal temperature difference should be controlled within the range of 10~15℃. Also, the nighttime temperature must be kept above 10℃. If kept at 7~8℃, it can still continue to bloom, only the flowering period will be slightly delayed. Below 5~6℃, it cannot bloom normally.

3. Water control

The climate of cyclamen's place of origin is relatively humid, so sufficient humidity must be maintained, especially during the flowering period. A sprayer can be used to lightly spray water on the leaves every day, and more water can be sprinkled in the air for adjustment.

When the potting soil of cyclamen becomes slightly dry, it should be watered. When watering, it must be watered thoroughly, until water flows out from the bottom of the flower pot. Water must not be poured onto the corm, to prevent the occurrence of soft rot.

In winter, water evaporates slowly, and since cyclamen has a corm, accumulated water in the pot can easily cause rot. Therefore, when planting cyclamen, we should choose potting soil with good air permeability, and when the temperature is high at noon, it can be ventilated at regular times.

4. Light requirements

Cyclamen is a light-loving plant, especially during the flowering period, when its demand for light increases greatly. Lack of light makes the flower stalks weak and the flower color poor, and in severe cases it cannot bloom. During this period, flowers that are about to wither should also be removed to prevent them from absorbing nutrients; the direction of the flower pot should also be changed to make the blooming even.

5. Fertilizer management

In winter, cyclamen is in full bloom and has a large fertilizer demand, so timely fertilization is very necessary. In the early seedling stage of cyclamen, nitrogen fertilizer is mainly applied; later, attention should be paid to applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, with 1 topdressing every 15d. The concentration should not be too high,

Keep the potting soil moist. Before flowering, 1~2 applications of liquid fertilizer can be concentrated, but no fertilizer should be applied during the flowering period, so as to avoid excessive vegetative growth of cyclamen and affect flowering.