“Winter moths”, as some flower growers call it, is an amazing plant that delights its owners with lush flowering in the cold season. Let us consider in more detail how to make cyclamen bloom and how to care for it during the dormant period, which lasts no less than 7-8 months a year. Also, the article presents a video on how to plant and grow cyclamen correctly so that it delights its owner with a riotous color for the next 15-20 years.
Description of the flower and its types
Some beginner gardeners are perplexed why cyclamen does not bloom, because they bought it for the sake of beautiful buds - “moths”, as if fluttering over lush green foliage. As a rule, the lack of experience and basic ignorance of how to care for the plant leads to the fact that it gives juicy greens, but the buds no longer open.
Before figuring out why cyclamen does not bloom at home, consider the plant itself. If initially there were only a few types of this flower: European, Persian and Neapolitan, then thanks to the restless breeders today there are a lot of them: from shy ones with delicate flowers of pastel tones to terry bright handsome men.
This exotic flower cannot but fall in love with itself when bright flowers bloom above the lush foliage on short stems, reminiscent in their shape of butterflies with slightly spread wings.
Despite their beauty and compactness, as well as their unpretentiousness, rumors are stubbornly circulating among people that cyclamen does not bloom at home. For some reason, lovers of tropical plants are in no hurry to buy them, and newcomers generally bypass this way. In fact, it’s enough to remember the simple rules for caring for a flower and choose the best place for it in the apartment, as it will dissolve its buds to the surprise of everyone and delight them with its incredible aroma.
The most popular types of cyclamen are European and Persian. Some varieties of the latter can even be grown in open ground.
Why does cyclamen not bloom?
First, consider the reasons why the plant does not bloom every year. Among the most popular are the following:
- Wrong flower selected. It happens that an initially diseased plant is acquired, which needs not just care, but a real ambulance. When buying, you should watch that the cyclamen foliage is free from damage, yellowness or spots.
- A frequent question about why cyclamen does not bloom, and the leaves grow, may be due to the fact that the plant, bought at the height of the formation of buds, was transplanted into a new pot. In no case should this be done. You need to wait until the cyclamen fades or leaves the state of rest, and only after that move it to a new place.
- Why is cyclamen not blooming? An incorrectly planted tuber can also cause a lack of buds. The name of the flower is determined by the shape of its bulb, which in Greek sounds like “cyclos”, that is, “circle”. Indeed, completely round, it should not be completely underground, which is mistakenly done by inexperienced flower growers, for the first time replanting a plant. For it to bloom, it is necessary that the lower part of the bulb goes 2/3 under the soil, while the side of the container should rise above it no more than 2-3 cm.
- In order not to wonder why cyclamen does not bloom, you should immediately correctly determine his place in the room. The fact is that during the formation of the buds he needs a lot of light, but, like a tropical plant, direct sunlight is contraindicated. Therefore, the south-western window with an abundance of diffused light will be the best option.
- The flower does not tolerate heat. The optimum temperature during dormancy is + 20-23 Ëš, while during flowering it should not exceed + 15 Ëš. Since most varieties bloom from October to March, you need to monitor the heating of air by heating batteries, which, as a rule, are located under the windowsill.
- Improper watering can also be the reason why cyclamen does not bloom. Do not allow water to enter the tuber or leaf growth area. The best option is to pour soft, settled water into the pan and lightly spray the plant by spraying moisture above it in the air.
These are the most common reasons why a plant stops blooming. Now consider the basic rules for growing and caring for it.
Choose the right soil
To avoid problems associated with the development of the plant, it is necessary to properly select the soil before planting it. Cyclamen is a rather capricious flower, therefore only a correctly selected substrate will contribute to its lush growth and flowering.
In specialized flower shops today you can find any ready-made soil. Most amateur gardeners give preference to ready-made soils, since in a store among a large assortment of substrates it is easier to choose the one suitable for cyclamen. But if you want, you can cook it yourself from the following components:
- sand;
- peat;
- humus;
- turf land.
All components for the soil are used in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 3.
Flower planting
The cyclamen bulb is best planted in a small pot so that the distance between it and the container wall does not exceed 3 cm. If the bulb is young, up to 1.5 years, then a pot with a diameter of 8-10 cm is suitable. For a 3-year-old, it is better to use a container of up to 15 cm in diameter.
In order for the tuber to develop and bloom better, it is necessary to leave about 1/3 of the bulb above the soil surface when planting it. Only tubers of European cyclamen should be fully recessed.
You can grow cyclamen and seeds, but it is a very time-consuming and lengthy process, so it is almost not used by amateur gardeners.
Containment conditions: lighting
Immediately after planting cyclamen, many questions arise before gardeners on the topic of how to care for it, what the conditions for its maintenance should be. And here questions about the location of the flower in the apartment and its lighting come in first place.
Cyclamen, like a tropical plant, prefers a lot of light, but without direct sunlight. Therefore, in the summer it is preferable for him to be on a window facing east or west, and in winter it is better to place it on the windowsill of a window facing south. And then the question of why cyclamen stopped flowering at home, will disappear by itself.
Watering and feeding
Like any other plant, cyclamen, in order to grow wildly and bloom at home, needs watering and timely feeding. At the same time, you need to know that both a lack and an excess of watering can adversely affect the condition of the flower.
It is better not to water cyclamen directly, but to carry out soil moistening through a pallet. This will help to avoid direct water on the bulb, which will prevent its decay. If cyclamen belongs to the European variety, then it should be constantly watered as the topsoil dries. The Persian variety of the flower should be watered more when it blooms, so that the soil is slightly moistened all the time.
Once every two weeks, from the moment the leaves begin to bloom, and until the flowering period ends, the plant must be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers.
Failure to follow the simple rules of watering and feeding this crop becomes the reason why cyclamen ceases to bloom.
While the flower is "sleeping"
Depending on what species cyclamen belongs to, the period of its rest falls on the summer or winter period. For example, the Persian cyclamen "rests" in the summer. And the rest period of the European, or purple cyclamen, falls in the winter.
During the summer dormancy, this exotic plant is best transferred to a balcony or loggia, where it will be protected from direct sunlight. During this period, it is recommended to clear the flower of dried and yellowed leaves, reduce watering and stop feeding.
The period of "hibernation" can last for 3 months. At the end of it, you need to start gradually feeding the plant, increase the frequency of watering, and also replace the soil with fresh.
Grade Care
Recently, the so-called mini-cyclamens with a bush height of not more than 15 cm have become very popular among flower growers. These flowers belong to the same species as the plants that are familiar to all of us, but are significantly inferior to them in size. Now on sale there are such mini-varieties as “Mix”, “Snow Hill”, “Bridget” and some others.
Cyclamen "Snow Hill" differs from other varieties primarily by the length of the flowering period, as well as by the abundance of flowers on the bush. This period lasts six months - from November to the end of April. During flowering, water the plant so that it does not allow the soil to lose moisture. At other times between watering, let the topsoil dry out a little and cover with a crust.
Neapolitan cyclamen blooms in autumn. In order not to harm the root system of the flower, a drainage layer is used, since even the slightest excess of moisture leads to its decay. The peculiarity of this variety is that it begins to bloom leaves later than the flowers are formed. This cyclamen feels good in slightly alkaline soil or in neutral. It grows better where it will be protected from direct sunlight.
What is needed for lush flowering?
In order for the plant to develop properly and flourish splendidly, it should not have any damage. When buying it, you need to pay special attention to how the tuber is planted, so that 1/3 of its part must protrude above the soil surface. In addition, you need to choose cyclamen, in which most of the buds are still closed.
Florists, fans of this culture, often encounter problems such as the death of a plant for no apparent reason, the failure of cyclamen to bloom after transplanting, and unexpected wilting of leaves. It happens that even in flowering cyclamen leaves turn yellow in summer. Why is this happening, let's try to figure it out. There may be many reasons for this:
- insufficient watering of the plant;
- improperly selected soil;
- being in direct sunlight;
- Too high temperature in the room;
- dry air, etc.
You can get rid of yellowing of the foliage if you create the appropriate conditions for the flower for its content.
Open Cyclamen
Cyclamen of such a variety as Persian can be grown not only in a pot, but also in its garden area. To plant it in open ground, you need to choose the right place. This culture does not like direct sunlight. The light should be bright, but diffused.
Soil also needs to be carefully prepared, creating a sufficient drainage layer there to protect the plant from excess moisture. Unlike planting a flower in a pot, the bulb in open ground should not protrude above its surface. This will protect her from freezing.