- Cyclamen: origin and properties
- Cyclamen: Various Types
- Cyclamen in the garden: the right location
- Cyclamen in the house and in the pot
- Watering and fertilizing cyclamen properly
- Repot or transplant cyclamen
- Cyclamen: Common Diseases and Yellow Leaves
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The cyclamen is a popular ornamental plant for the home and the bed. However, there are a few things to consider for lush flowering.
Cyclamen or cyclamen (Cyclamen) delight us both in the garden and in a cool spot in the house with their characteristic downward-hanging flowers, the petals of which are almost like the delicate ones Wings of a colorful butterfly soaring upwards. Depending on the species, the flowers begin to flutter through our field of vision in winter or summer, nestled on a nest of heart-shaped leaves. But so that this aesthetic spectacle is presented to you year after year, a great deal of sensitivity must be put into the care of the primrose plants (Primulaceae), because cyclamen are real divas, especially when watering.
Cyclamen: origin and properties
Most species of this perennial flowering plant are native to the Mediterranean region. Only one species has actually penetrated into the Alps, the European cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens) - from which the German name is derived. Depending on the species, the plants with the characteristic upward-pointing petals flower in winter and spring or in summer and autumn. Thanks to diligent breeders, the flower colors now range from white to pink to purple. The cyclamen can also come up with warm orange and red tones as well as multicolored flowers. Tubers are formed as outlasting organs. These serve as an energy reserve for the plant, which grows to between 15 and 35 cm.
Cyclamen: Various Types
There are around 22 different types of cyclamen. They have different distribution areas, different flowering times and differ in terms of leaves and flower color. Common types are:
- The ivy-leaved cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium)
- Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)
- Cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens)
- The Early Spring Cyclamen (Cyclamen coum)
- Cyclamen (Cyclamen repandum)
You can find everything you need to know about these types of cyclamen here.
Cyclamen: As a perennial or for the home?
Whether perennial or living room depends on the species. Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum), as the name suggests, is the choice for pots in living areas. The species comes from Asia Minor, but came to Europe as early as the 17th century. It is not hardy with us and therefore belongs in the house - at least in winter. Other species such as the ivy-leaved cyclamen or the European cyclamen withstand our winter temperatures without any problems and can be planted out in the garden, where they bloom in the most beautiful colors year after year.
Cyclamen in the garden: the right location
Hardly cyclamen feel at home in the garden. If you give them a nice spot in the shade to semi-shade and embed their tubers in humus-rich, moist soil, they will spread all by themselves and form nice, dense clumps. Once you have found the ideal place for your cyclamen, proceed as follows when planting the tuber:
- Planting time: early summer or autumn
- Water bulb
- Remove weeds
- Planting hole: 5 - 7 cm deep
- Planting distance: 10 cm
- Mix excavated soil with compost
- Put the bottom of the tuber down in the planting hole
- Cover with soil and water well
Cyclamen are usually planted out after flowering when the leaves are withering. However, the potted plants can also wander into the bed during flowering. The flowering time depends on the species.
Cyclamen in the house and in the pot
Cyclamen bring color into the house when everything is dreary and dark outside. That is why they are popular houseplants. But the heating air, which offers us pleasant warmth in winter, is not well tolerated by the plants. If you want to create a feel-good atmosphere for the early bloomers, choose the location and the pot according to the following criteria:
- Location: Bright but no direct sun
- Temperature: 12 - 15 °C
- Soil: Well drained potting soil
- Pot with drainage hole
If you don't buy early cyclamen in a pot, but rather plant tubers, let in about 100% of the planting timeThird of the tuber sticking out of the ground. In summer, your cyclamen will look forward to a shady spot on the balcony or terrace. In winter, however, the plants should be in a sheltered, frost-free place.
Watering and fertilizing cyclamen properly
Proper care of the cyclamen is the guarantee that the plants do not get sick, because incorrect watering in particular makes the graceful flowering plants susceptible to fungal infestation.
Watering cyclamen
Especially during the flowering period, cyclamen need a lot of water, the tuber must never dry out completely. However, waterlogging is absolutely not tolerated. That's why you need a little instinct and the right technique to find the golden mean. The pot is poured from below or with the immersion method. The tuber must not get wet at the top. When pouring from below, the coaster is emptied again after half an hour. The upper parts of the plant are not sprayed with water. The bed is watered after longer periods of drought. But even after it has rained, you should check whether the soil under the large leaves has gotten wet at all. The general rule is: It is poured when the upper layer of soil has dried out. You can find out more about the right technique and the ideal time for watering cyclamen here.
Fertilize cyclamen
When fertilizing cyclamen, the right timing is required so that you can maximize the flowering period with the nutrient supply. For this purpose, liquid fertilizer is added to the irrigation water during the growth phase. And at the following intervals:
- Pot: Every 2 - 4 weeks
- Beet: Every 2 - 3 months
It is best to use an organic fertilizer. This was not processed industrially and is therefore more environmentally friendly and resource-saving. The plants also benefit, because the nutrients are available over the long term and soil life is improved. Our Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer is a purely organic organic liquid fertilizer that is simply added to the irrigation water. Immediately after flowering, no fertilizer is used for a period of eight weeks. Because the tubers need a certain rest period. As an alternative to regular fertilization, the bed can be mulched once in autumn with compost.
Repot or transplant cyclamen
Repotting or transplanting is not absolutely necessary, but of course it can be done if desired. Leave your plant six toeight weeks after the end of the flowering period. At this point, the first new shoots should have formed. Then it goes as follows:
- Dig up tuber
- Water bulb and remove soil
- Remove injured and dead roots
- Split bulb (if necessary)
- Plant the tuber as described above
Remember to leave a potted cyclamen bulb about one-third above the ground. When repotting, the new pot should be about 5 cm larger than the old one.
Cyclamen: Common Diseases and Yellow Leaves
Cyclomen stay he althy if cared for properly. If diseases occur, it was most likely incorrectly watered. Here you will find a list of the most common diseases:
gray horse
- Characteristics: Grey, mold-like coating on the leaves
- Reason: location too warm, soil too moist
- Countermeasure: repot, adjust location and watering
Blight
- Mark: Tuber fault
- Reason: soil too wet, withered leaves
- Countermeasure: None, therefore it is essential to prevent
Cyclamen wilt
- Characteristics: Symptoms of wilting and yellowing, brownish or reddish necrosis within the tuber
- Reason: poor substrate quality, too low soil pH, stress
- Countermeasure: None, therefore it is essential to prevent
There are also pests that love to attack your cyclamen.
Once weevil
- Characteristics: feeding spots on the leaves
- Countermeasure: collect at night, rinse roots and repot
Cyclamen mite
- Characteristics: Eating of shoot tips, misshapen leaves and flowers (adults); Feeding on tuber and roots (larva)
- Countermeasures: Rinse roots and repot
If the leaves of your cyclamen turn yellow, this is usually not due to an illness, but to incorrect care. Most of the time, water is not poured properly here. This article will tell you how and how often you should water cyclamen.