Home care flower alpine violet

Alpine violet (cyclamen) is a spectacular plant that blooms when snow lies outside the window. That is why the flower got its name. The birthplace of cyclamen is mountains. Breeders have bred many new varieties that differ in the shape of the leaves, patterns on them, and the color of the flowers. Alpine violet can be grown as a houseplant or garden plant.

What does alpine violet look like?

Cyclamen grows from tubers, bush. The adult plant has a height of up to 30 cm. The leaves are located on long reddish-brown cuttings. Five-petalled flowers, elongated on long flowering stems.

Breeders bred 22 varieties of alpine violets, which can be divided into two types:

• purple (European - Cyclamen purpurascens);
• Persian (Cyclamen persicum).

For home growing varieties are presented in the table.

Cyclamen variety	Plant size	Flowering period	Flower description
Umbrella, Persian, Hybrid	standard	December - May	small flowers of pink color, unusual shape, pink
Lulu, Persian, hybrid	up to 30 cm	blooms 4 months	red flowers, fringed petal edges
Victoria, persian, hybrid	average	December - May	Terry petals, two-tone: white at the base, raspberry top
Maurice Dryden, Kos	standard	December - March	different shades, the base of the petals has a rich rich tone
Roseum, Kos	average	December - March	bright pink with a dark eye

To ensure the correct development of the flower at home, you need to know which grade it belongs to.

The story of the popularity of cyclamen began in the small Canadian city of Delhi. In it, when there was a sharp decline in the economy, a flower shop opened. The first flower that was offered to customers was cyclamen taken from the mountains. Now the Farmley Flowers flower shop has become a huge greenhouse, in which hundreds of cyclamens, the most unusual specimens of different colors, bloom every fall.

Features of caring for alpine violets at home

When looking at the gentle cyclamen, it seems that he is moody and loves warmth. But it’s not in vain that the first word in the name is “Alpine”. The flower prefers cold and light, therefore, on the windowsill, under which central heating passes, a flowerpot with an alpine violet has no place. It must be placed in the coldest room or on the balcony.

Temperature

In nature, alpine violets produce peduncles as soon as mountain clearings are free of snow. In the apartment, the flower develops well at a temperature of 10 −15 degrees. In the summer, it is necessary to remove the pot from bright sunlight.

Lighting

Mountain violet loves the light, but direct sunlight is destructive for it. Most suitable would be windows located on the east or west side of the horizon. There is not enough light on the northern windows of the alpine violet. In the southern rooms, the flower can be positioned away from the window.

Watering

Water the flower with soft, defended water. The temperature of the water should be lower than the temperature in the room. After the color has fallen, watering is reduced.

Spraying

Before buds open, grandmother cyclamen can have a cool shower - spray. This procedure increases the humidity of the room and lowers the temperature.

Priming

Soil for planting an alpine handsome is a mixture of several components, which is easy to prepare yourself.

The following ingredients must be mixed:

• humus (1 part),
• sand (1 part),
• peat (1 part)
• sheet soil (2 parts).

Experienced growers say peat can be ruled out.

Top dressing

You need to feed the bush before flowering, when it grows leaves. You can take mineral or organic fertilizers.

When feeding, it is necessary to observe the frequency - once a week.

When and how does alpine violet bloom

Most species of alpine violets throw out color with the advent of autumn. For lush flowering, an instance also requires a large amount of nutrients, a certain air temperature, humidity and lighting.

Cyclamen flowers are different in size and color palette - from pale whitish to burgundy with a dark tint, purple.

The petals are bent back and resemble the wings of a butterfly. The edges of the petals can be simple, carved, pointed with a fringe, with a multicolored border.

Different varieties of indoor cyclamen do not bloom at the same time. The Persian cyclamen pleases with its flowers in the winter, and the European blooms in the summer. If the Persian can throw flower stalks at a temperature of + 10 ° C, then European cyclamen will bloom profusely, even if on a thermometer + 23 ° C.

The life cycle of different varieties of alpine violets is the same: the appearance of leaves, single flowers, lush flowering, drying of shoots, the accumulation of substances necessary for the dormant period.

How alpine violet propagates

Florists propagate scum (this is another name for alpine violets) in two ways - seeds and cuttings.

Seed germination

Growing alpine violets from a seed is a long process.

First you have to make the flower bear fruit, and for this you need to pollinate the plant. At the beginning of the process, select a flower and knock on it. Pollen will fly away and settle on other flowers.

After pollination, a box will appear after a while. As soon as it begins to lean down, it should be picked, dried and the seeds checked for germination. To do this, make a 5% sugar solution and lower the seeds into it. Germinating seeds will sink to the bottom.

Peat tablets are used for seed germination.

Rooting cuttings

Alpine cyclamen can be propagated by a rosette on the root. The growth should be pinched off and planted in new soil. It is difficult to propagate the plant with cuttings from leaves.

A flower grower, enthusiastic about breeding cyclamen, can try all methods of reproduction and apply the most successful in his practice.

Transplant after purchase - manual

Alpine violet (Cyclamen) is not recommended to be transplanted immediately after purchase.

In a year, as soon as the first shoots appear above the tuber, start transplanting and follow the description:

• the flowerpot should be 2 cm larger than the bulb;
• soil representing a mixture of peat, sand, crushed sphagnum, vermiculite and charcoal can be bought at a flower shop;
• expanded clay will be needed for drainage;
• a drainage, a substrate is poured into the flowerpot with a thick layer;
• cyclamen tuber is placed in a flowerpot (approximately 1/3 of the tuber remains above ground);
• soil is poured and slightly pressed;
• the transplanted plant is watered with a weak solution of manganese.

Plant nutrition can be carried out only after young leaves have begun to grow.

Possible problems in growing alpine violets

Alpine violet requires careful care at home. She is very sensitive to care errors.

Disease

There are many diseases due to which the representative of indoor flora can lose its attractiveness.

The scum can abruptly drop leaves - it means the room is hot, the humidity is insufficient.

Flower rot can develop from moisture. In this case, it is recommended to remove drooping shoots, treat the specimen with fungicide.

Pests

European violet can be attacked by pests.

• The elephant beetle, having settled on a flower, nibbles the leaves, and tubers will become the food for its larvae. Fighting such a pest is difficult.
• You can fight with a scab (aphid): remove adult individuals and their larvae, treat the leaves with a soap solution and an insecticide.

Other problems

Many flower growers worry when the leaves of a plant massively turn yellow. This is normal: a flower is preparing for a state of rest. The plant may wilt due to lack of space in the pot, due to depletion of the soil. It happens that the peduncles are short. In this case, you need to increase watering.

Cyclamen can delight not only in the interior of the house. Florists are increasingly putting alpine violets in the flower beds. It looks great on a balcony entwined with ivy. A cyclamen composition combined with ornamental herbs in a hanging planter makes the terrace exquisite. Blooming cyclamen is an expression of all tender feelings. If you properly care for the flower, it will strike exotic beauty for many years in a row.