Daily care and cultivation methods for cyclamen flowers
Cyclamen, also known as turnip begonia or rabbit ear flower, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Cyclamen of the family Primulaceae. Cyclamen is a commonly grown plant. Next, let us take a look at the daily care methods for cyclamen.
How to grow cyclamen
1. Seed selection: Carefully select seeds, choosing plump, glossy brown seeds free of pests and diseases. Soak seeds collected in the same year in a mixture of 50 ppm GA3 (gibberellin) and 500 ppm thiophanate-methyl or chlorothalonil for one day and one night, then drain off the water, rinse clean in clear water, drain, and air-dry the surface moisture. Then sow. They bloom about 10 days earlier than seeds that were not soaked.
2. Potting soil: Cyclamen requires fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. If the soil is left unmanaged for a long time or managed unscientifically, cyclamen will grow poorly, bloom less, have dull colors, and lose or reduce its ornamental value. For pot cultivation, loose and fertile nutrient soil is best. Apply a topdressing of decomposed, thin, diluted organic fertilizer such as human and livestock manure every 10 days or so; after buds appear, apply two additional applications of 0.1% potassium dihydrogen sulfate.
3. Temperature: The most suitable growing temperature is about 15°C. The optimum temperature for growth and flower bud differentiation is 15-20°C, with humidity of 70%-75%; during the winter flowering period, the temperature must not be lower than 10°C. If the temperature is too low, the flower color becomes dull and the flowers tend to drop; if the summer temperature reaches 28-30°C, the plant goes dormant. When the temperature rises above 30°C, cyclamen leaves will turn yellow and drop, and the flowers will fade, leaving no ornamental value. If it reaches above 35°C, the tubers are prone to rot. At this time, place the plant on a well-ventilated north-facing balcony, or under the eaves, or in a corridor, or in a rain-sheltered shade shed, stop fertilizing, control watering, and keep the potting soil moist. If it stays dry for a long time, the roots will shrivel and die, and the corm will shrink, lose water, and die.
4. Watering: When cyclamen enters dormancy in summer, reduce watering of the dormant corms. After potting up or repotting in autumn, water thoroughly and gradually increase fertilizer and water, keeping the soil moist. In winter, reduce the amount of water. When watering, do not let water touch the flower buds or young leaves, so as to avoid rot and adverse effects on flowering. The best watering time is between 10:00 and 12:00 in the morning, and the water temperature should be as close as possible to the substrate temperature.
Care of cyclamen during the flowering period
Cyclamen generally breaks dormancy from late August to early September. At this time, it should be placed in a cool, ventilated place for care. As the leaves grow, gradually increase light, watering frequency, and water amount. From the early bud stage of cyclamen until the flower stalk elongates to 1 cm, use a sprayer to spray a 1 ppm-5 ppm gibberellin solution directly on the young buds to promote earlier flowering. The gibberellin concentration should not be too high, otherwise the flower stalks will grow excessively and droop, and deformed flowers will increase.
The flowering period of cyclamen generally runs from October to May of the following year. During flowering, maintaining a room temperature of 12°C-15°C and a relative humidity of 60%-75% can extend the flowering period. A single flower can remain open for more than 20 days, and one pot of flowers can bloom for 4 months-6 months. If the room temperature is higher than 18°C, the stems will grow excessively tall, the flowers will droop, and the flowering period will be shortened; if the room temperature is lower than 10°C, growth will slow and the flowers will be small.
During the flowering period, watering should be appropriately controlled, and it is enough to keep the potting soil moist. Too much watering makes the flowers fade early. When watering, do not splash water on the flower buds or young leaves, so as to avoid causing rot. Fertilizing should be stopped during the flowering period; otherwise, the flowers will fade early. You should also pay attention to regularly turning the pot so that the leaves and flowers receive uniform light and the plant shape remains upright and beautiful.
The quality of the cyclamen variety directly affects its ornamental value and the difficulty of care. Therefore, you should choose imported F1-generation cyclamen with concentrated flower clusters, thick petals, good texture, and compact, glossy leaves. Cyclamen on the market comes in two major lines, Japanese and European-American. The Japanese line has especially brilliant flower colors, while the European-American line has a larger plant shape and compact leaves.
How to make cyclamen bloom more
1. Carefully select seeds and carry out seed treatment. Choose plump, glossy brown seeds, soak the seeds in water at about 30 degrees for 3-4 hours, and then sow. They bloom about 10 days earlier than seeds that were not soaked.
2. Water reasonably. Cyclamen is a plant that likes moisture and fears waterlogging. Too much water is not conducive to its growth and development and may even cause root rot and death. Therefore, it is enough to keep the soil moist every day, and the amount of water should not be too large.
3. Apply more fertilizer. Cyclamen is also a fertilizer-loving plant, and fertilization should first start with the soil. For pot cultivation, generally use fertile sandy loam rich in humus, replace the potting soil once a year, and apply 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate once each in spring and autumn every year, which can advance flowering by 15-20 days. Never apply high-nitrogen fertilizer.
4. Create suitable temperature conditions. Cyclamen is not tolerant of high temperatures, and excessive heat will cause it to enter a dormant state. Therefore, temperature has a great influence on cyclamen. Under normal circumstances, the suitable growing temperature for cyclamen is about 20 degrees during the day and about 10 degrees at night, and the temperature during the seedling stage can be slightly lower. In addition, when flower buds are differentiating and flower stalks are elongating, the temperature should be slightly lower, which is beneficial to flowering. In summer, cyclamen enters dormancy because of high temperatures. If low-temperature conditions are created, it can remain non-dormant, which is beneficial to flowering.
5. Extend light conditions. Cyclamen likes sunlight, and extending the light duration can promote earlier flowering. Therefore, cyclamen should be placed in a place with sufficient sunlight for care.
6. Hormone treatment. When the young buds of cyclamen appear, gently spray 1 mg/1 kg gibberellin onto the young buds, 1-3 times a day, which can advance flowering by more than 15 days.
The above is the full content of the daily care methods for cyclamen flowers and the cultivation methods for cyclamen flowers that I have summarized for everyone. I hope this article can help everyone. Please also continue to follow us.
and apply 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate once each in spring and autumn every year, which can advance flowering by 15-20 days. Never apply high-nitrogen fertilizer.4. Create suitable temperature conditions. Cyclamen is not tolerant of high temperatures, and excessive heat will cause it to enter a dormant state. Therefore, temperature has a great influence on cyclamen. Under normal circumstances, the suitable growing temperature for cyclamen is about 20 degrees during the day and about 10 degrees at night, and the temperature during the seedling stage can be slightly lower. In addition, when flower buds are differentiating and flower stalks are elongating, the temperature should be slightly lower, which is beneficial to flowering. In summer, cyclamen enters dormancy because of high temperatures. If low-temperature conditions are created, it can remain non-dormant, which is beneficial to flowering.
5. Extend light conditions. Cyclamen likes sunlight, and extending the light duration can promote earlier flowering. Therefore, cyclamen should be placed in a place with sufficient sunlight for care.
6. Hormone treatment. When the young buds of cyclamen appear, gently spray 1 mg/1 kg gibberellin onto the young buds, 1-3 times a day, which can advance flowering by more than 15 days.
The above is the full content of the daily care methods for cyclamen flowers and the cultivation methods for cyclamen flowers that I have summarized for everyone. I hope this article can help everyone. Please also continue to follow us.