Management Methods and Care Points After Sowing Cyclamen
Cyclamen is propagated by sowing, and the management from sowing to the germination stage is especially important for its development.
1. Germination stage management
Substrate: peat and perlite with good air permeability mixed in a certain ratio are required, with a pH of 6 to 6.5, an EC value less than 0.5, and moderate moisture; avoid excessive wetness. Temperature: 18°C.
Light: the germination stage (about 21 days) requires no light, complete darkness. The air humidity required for seed germination is 95% (a germination room is best), and the plug tray should be covered with plastic film.
Covering: after sowing, cover the seeds with vermiculite or perlite, with a thickness just enough to cover the seeds.
2. Management after germination:
Relative humidity: keep it at around 85%; if necessary, mist to increase relative humidity.
Light: when the outside light intensity exceeds 35 klux, it is recommended to use a shade net, or cover the seed plug tray with non-woven fabric to keep the seeds moist.
Fertilization: according to the growth of the seedlings, start fertilizing from the 5th week after sowing, with an N:P:K ratio of 1:1:1. The seedling leaves should be glossy; if they turn dark red, fertilization is needed.
Irrigation: water temperature greater than 14°C, water from above. The optimal substrate EC value is 0.8, with a maximum not exceeding 1.2. The pH is 6 to 6.5.
Transplanting: transplant from the 10th to 11th week after sowing; super micro and mini types can be potted directly.
Potting:
1. The substrate should be mixed with peat with good air permeability, a certain proportion of clay (10%) and perlite, with a pH of 6 to 6.5; adding appropriate calcium fertilizer to the substrate can achieve this. Use disposable or easily disinfected plug trays, do not use wooden plug trays.
2. The transplanting soil should just cover the root system, leaving the small corm exposed outside; never press the seedlings and surrounding soil downward with your hands.
3. Growing conditions: Relative humidity: keep it between 65% and 85%; humidity can be increased by misting. Light: when the outside light intensity exceeds 35 klux, it is recommended to use a shade net. Fertilization: according to plant growth, start fertilizing from the 1st week after transplanting, with N:P:K at 1:1:1, and after two weeks the N:P:K ratio is 1:1:2. Applying nitrogen fertilizer can achieve a large plant type, and applying potassium fertilizer can achieve a compact plant type. Irrigation water temperature greater than 14°C; during this period, water from above. The optimal substrate EC value is 0.8, with a maximum not exceeding 1.2. The pH is 6 to 6.5.
Management of Cyclamen Sowing and the Germination Stage
Cyclamen, also known as radish begonia and rabbit ear flower, is a perennial herbaceous plant with persistent roots. Its flowers come in white, pink, purplish red, carmine and national flag red, and some also have serrated edges and fragrance. Its flowering period runs from autumn to spring, making it a very good flower for the Spring Festival.
This article introduces in detail the technical points for cultivating cyclamen in a greenhouse. The first part introduced is:
I. Preparation before sowing:(1) Sowing time: when cultivated in a relatively well-equipped greenhouse (with facilities for heating, cooling, shading, misting and ventilation), the sowing time of cyclamen is not limited by season, but is determined by the time the finished flowers go on the market and the growing period of the variety. In order to save energy and obtain higher profits, while also considering the effect of environmental conditions on growth speed, sowing from September to November is recommended. (2) Sowing method: if the production scale is relatively large, sowing with a seeding machine saves more labor and time and helps germination be more uniform; for small horticultural farms, manual sowing is more cost-saving. (3) Seedling plug tray model: because cyclamen has a relatively long germination period, it is recommended to use 128# or 288# plug trays for seedling raising, to save space and energy and to reduce poor seedling growth caused by too many transplanting times. (4) Substrate preparation: the choice of substrate is very important. Special seedling-raising substrate peat can be used, or a mixture of 90% ash peat (or domestic peat) and 10% fine gravel can be prepared. 500 grams of nutrient fertilizer can be added per cubic meter of substrate, and care should be taken to keep the substrate pH between 5.6 and 5.8. A certain fungicide can also be added to the substrate to reduce the occurrence of diseases.
II. Sowing: Compact the plug tray filled with substrate, press a small hole in the middle of each cell, sow the seed in the center position, then cover with about 5 mm of vermiculite, and water so that the substrate is fully moistened. Before this, the seeds can be soaked in 24°C warm water for 24 hours before sowing; dry seeds can also be sown directly. After sowing, place the plug tray into a germination room to promote germination, keeping the room in complete darkness, with the temperature controlled at 18°C and relative humidity at around 90%. To maintain humidity, the plug tray can be wrapped with plastic film. Germination and emergence can occur in about 20 days, and in this way the average germination rate can reach about 80%.
III. Young seedling stage:
Germination stage: the substrate pH value is required to be below 6.2, otherwise calcium ion toxicity is likely to occur. 3 to 4 weeks after sowing: the radicle appears. At this stage, cyclamen seeds are still in the germination room and need completely dark and high-humidity environmental conditions. 14 days after sowing, the plug tray should be checked every day to see whether the radicle has grown out. About 20 days after sowing, sprouts begin to emerge one after another. Due to differences in environmental conditions, the germination speed varies greatly. When most of the seeds in a plug tray have sprouted, the plug tray can be taken out from the dark conditions; there is no need to wait until all seeds have germinated before taking it out, otherwise some seedlings are very likely to become leggy.
During this process, the substrate needs to maintain extremely high humidity. When the substrate is gently squeezed, water should appear on the substrate surface. Never allow the substrate surface to dry out. If the temperature is too high at this time, it has a great impact on germination uniformity.
About 5 to 6 weeks after sowing: dark green cotyledons begin to grow. Humidity is quite important at this time; never let the plug tray dry out due to lack of water. If the seed coat dries and sticks to the seed, the cotyledons will not be able to emerge. Maintaining a relative humidity of around 90% helps the seeds shed the seed coat and is more conducive to the elongation of the cotyledons. To maintain temperature, the plug tray can be soaked in water, and the temperature should still preferably be 18°C to 20°C. After the cotyledons emerge, start fertilizing along with watering, applying 50 to 75 ppm calcium nitrate compound fertilizer every 2 to 3 waterings, or directly apply fertilizer suitable for seedling growth. At this time, the seedlings can receive partial light, but it should not be too strong, preferably not exceeding 15000 lux.
7 to 8 weeks after sowing: the cotyledons have fully unfolded, true leaves have grown, and the root system begins to extend deep into the plug tray. At this stage, the focus is on controlling plant moisture to prevent leggy growth. The substrate moisture should preferably feel moist to the touch, and the air humidity should be kept at around 85%. If at the beginning you sowed the seeds in 312# plug trays, then at this time you should transplant the seedlings. The seedlings can be transplanted into 72# plug trays, which can avoid the seedlings growing too thin due to overcrowding. When watering at this stage, be sure to water thoroughly, otherwise salt will accumulate at the roots and cause poor root development. The growing temperature remains unchanged, preferably 18 to 20°C. When it is observed that the seedling root system has extended out from the bottom of the tray, the nighttime temperature can be lowered to 18°C. After the first true leaf grows, fertilizer at 75 to 100 ppm can be applied once a week. If the plants grow too weak, some additional nitrogen fertilizer can be applied. At this stage, 25000 lux of light is sufficient.
Plants: when they have 3 to 4 true leaves, this is the key moment for whether the flowering plant type can be uniform, and also the key moment before transplanting. Never let the plants grow too crowded and become leggy. At this time, the seedling leaves have already completely covered the substrate in the cells, and the root system has tightly wrapped the substrate, but inter-cell roots have not yet become entangled with each other. The substrate moisture should still preferably feel moist, and the air humidity should be lowered to 75 to 80%. At this time, the nighttime temperature can be lowered to 16°C, and the daytime temperature to 18 to 20°C; the cooler the better. Light should not exceed 35000 lux.
Sowing and Propagation Methods for Cyclamen
The flowering period of cyclamen runs from November of the current year to March of the following year, with flowers blooming one after another on the flower stems drawn out from the corm, and the full flowering period is from late November to late January. It takes about two and a half months from flower fade to seed maturity. When the fruit turns yellow and soft and its top shows slight cracking, it can be picked. Its seeds are relatively large, and each flower can set 30—40 seeds. They must be harvested in time, dried in the shade for 3—4 days and then sun-dried. Stored seeds should be protected from moisture and kept ventilated, and their germination capacity can be maintained for three years. Because different cyclamen varieties easily cross naturally, the characteristics and traits of the varieties often change. To prevent mixing and preserve pure strains, bags should be put over the flowers kept for seed.
For sowing propagation of cyclamen, sowing after the Beginning of Autumn or before Minor Snow is better. Soaking the seeds in water overnight before sowing can advance germination. The common method is spot sowing, generally raised in pots, with a hole spacing of about 2 cm, covered with about 1 cm of soil, and the pot surface covered with a piece of glass. Water once after sowing, and afterward keep it from drying out. Germination occurs after about 40 days. After the seedlings grow two cotyledons, they can be moved into small pots with a bamboo piece, and gradually changed to larger pots according to their growth. If transplanting is late, the plants become weak and there is a possibility that they cannot form a corm. For final planting, a pot with a diameter of 15 cm is best. The growing soil should preferably be sandy loam rich in humus. When planting, do not bury the small corm too deep; generally make its top level with the soil surface. After 2 years of cultivation, it can bloom.
In management, pay attention to watering, but watering should not be excessive; it is enough to keep it regularly moist. When misting, spray the water onto the leaves, not onto the flowers. If it is too dry, wilting will occur, and watering at that point can no longer restore vitality. Cyclamen likes fertilizer, but it must be applied dilute and frequently; if too much concentrated fertilizer is applied at one time, it will wilt and die. Generally apply decomposed liquid fertilizer once every week (1 part liquid fertilizer mixed with 8 parts water is appropriate), and do not pour it on the leaves. If water and fertilizer are insufficient during the flowering period, the flowers will not be brightly colored. The most suitable temperature for cyclamen growth is 15—20°C. When the summer temperature reaches 28°C, the leaves easily turn yellow and wither and growth stops. At this time, place the pot in a cool, ventilated place and do not let the small corm go dormant. It is afraid of frost, so after October it should be moved to a sunny place indoors, with appropriate attention to keeping warm and keeping the room from freezing, so that it blooms one after another. Stop fertilizing when flowering, and water appropriately; if watered too much, the flowers fade quickly.
Experienced old flower workers often say about growing cyclamen, "raise the young, not the old." In the first 2—3 years in a pot, cyclamen has abundant flowers and lush leaves with bright colors. Afterward, if it is still kept in the original pot, it will gradually weaken, often having flowers but no leaves or leaves but no flowers, or even rotting corms. To deal with old corms, after the Beginning of Autumn, dig up the old corm, remove the small daughter corms from the old corm, and also remove any decayed parts on the old corm. Replace the soil in the pot with fresh fertile soil and replant. Be careful not to plant it deep; most of it should be exposed outside the soil. In management, treat it the same as daughter corms or small corms grown from seed, and it can still grow vigorously with lush leaves and abundant flowers.