Cyclamen

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Alice

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #240 on: October 19, 2013, 06:55:24 AM »
From my wildflower picking childhood days around Attica (this activity was acceptable then), I remember cyclamen growing in conifer forests. In particular, I remember spotting them under pines, firs (Abies cephalonica) and Pistacia lentiscus. They liked to hide their beauty.
I have so far planted a few corms of C. hederifolium which have spread but nothing like your impressive success, Alisdair! I didn't realise it was as easy as scattering a few seeds and, perhaps, a dose of patience.
And I envy your collection of cyclamen, Trevor.
Amateur gardener who has gardened in north London and now gardens part of the year on the Cycladic island of Paros. Conditions: coastal, windy, annual rainfall 350mm, temp 0-35 degrees C.

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oron peri

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #241 on: October 19, 2013, 07:37:13 AM »
My C. rohlfsianum seedlings are still alive. Would it be better if I planted them in an area which will get some irrigation over winter or in their permanent position, under a pine, in which case they will have to depend on rainfall alone? We have not yet had any autumn rains and everything is bone-dry.

Alice, to answer your question;
I am growing C. rohlfsianum for many years now, it is a particular species with the shortest growing seoson
it blooms in October without the leaves and will set leaves after the first rain. In mid to late March it will dry out.
The minute leaves start to turn yellow stop watering it otherwise it will rot rapidly. I do not water it from March - October [7 month!].
When i have young seedlings i check them in august to see if tubers are not soften, in that case i give it water only once to keep them alive till november. I sugests you to plant your seedlings out in their third year, after the first rain.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2013, 10:45:43 AM by oron peri »
Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

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Alisdair

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Re: Cyclamen corsicum?
« Reply #242 on: October 19, 2013, 07:40:53 AM »
What is it that you grow as Cyclamen corsicum, Trevor? Is it a form of C. hederifolium - or of C. repandum?
Judging from Oron's expert experience, Alice, it looks as if C. rohlfsianum will prove a perfect cyclamen for your fierce dry climate!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

Alice

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #243 on: October 19, 2013, 06:54:31 PM »
Thanks, Oron, for your expert advice. Your C. rohlfsianum look beautiful.
Unfortunately I will have to leave my seedlings to fend for themselves. As there are four, I was thinking of planting two under a pine and the other two in an area which will get some irrigation but I will keep them well away from the taps.
If they survive the first 2-3 years, they do indeed seem very suited to our climate, Alisdair. I have never seen any wild cyclamen on Paros and I am pleasantly surprised that all the C. hederifolium I have planted as corms are doing well and spreading.
Amateur gardener who has gardened in north London and now gardens part of the year on the Cycladic island of Paros. Conditions: coastal, windy, annual rainfall 350mm, temp 0-35 degrees C.

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JTh

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #244 on: December 05, 2013, 11:09:14 PM »
I saw a strange Cyclamen persicum today at a local garden centre. Unfortunately, I forgot to write down the name of the cultivar while I was there, and the pot was only labelled with Cyclamen. The flowers are flat, the petals were not reflexed at all, and they were nodding, so that you only see the flat backside, unless you bend down and look at the underside. The colour was pale, dusty pink; they were at least 12 cm across. It looks best from above and I don’t know if it is pretty or ugly; I just could not resist the temptation.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

Trevor Australis

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #245 on: December 06, 2013, 12:55:39 AM »
What I grow as C. corsicum looks like C. repandum but is white with no coloured 'nose'. I have had one tuber (CS seed exchange) for around 20 yrs. Only recently has it self-sown a few seedling that have not yet flowered. My recollection is that it's leaves are quite dark green, almost blackish in some parts and not very strongly marked or veined. As I remember, from just a few months back, the leaves are not nearly so strongly indented as most forms of C. repandum.
M Land. Arch., B. Sp. Ed. Teacher, traveller and usually climate compatible.

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Fermi

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #246 on: March 15, 2014, 02:41:36 PM »
Our first Cyclamen graecum is now in flower in the Rock garden,
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

Trevor Australis

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #247 on: March 16, 2014, 08:12:48 AM »
Alisdair, Fermi, Oron, Jamus and everyone. Can you clarify please? Do I NOT need to soak the seeds 3 x in warm water before planting cyclamen seed? Can I just sow it directly where I want them to be - having some understanding of the conditions they prefer. Life would be so much simpler if I could avoid the rigmarole some 'authorities' advocate. I do take precautions against seed harvesting ants.
M Land. Arch., B. Sp. Ed. Teacher, traveller and usually climate compatible.

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Alisdair

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #248 on: March 16, 2014, 07:22:26 PM »
Trevor, If you sow the seeds dry you will get plants. But Helena's own experiments confirm that if she soaks the seeds for 24 hours she definitely gets better results. Yes a rigmarole, but she is doing that with over 100,000 seeds hand-sown a year!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

Trevor Australis

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #249 on: March 17, 2014, 10:03:47 PM »
Thanks Alisdair. I'll set up a soakery. It's time to start sowing.
M Land. Arch., B. Sp. Ed. Teacher, traveller and usually climate compatible.

HansA

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #250 on: March 19, 2014, 11:37:27 AM »
Cyclamen persicum is flowering actually in the garden, here a larger one.
bulbgrower on the balearic islands, spain
landscape architect

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Alisdair

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #251 on: March 20, 2014, 08:04:36 AM »
A lovely plant, Hans! Thanks!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

Jamus

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #252 on: March 20, 2014, 10:31:45 PM »

Trevor, sorry I didn't notice this call for help until now. I have a nice e-book publishing the results of a huge amount of experimental work into germination of seeds (Seed Germination, Theory and Practice Prof. Norman C. Deno). Here's what it has to say about Cyclamen


Cyclamen (Primulaceae). Germination is hypogeal with first formation of a corm and multiple branching root system followed after an interval of 1-2 m by emergence of a true leaf.
C. neapolitanum had markedly different germination patterns for fresh seed and DS seed. Fresh seed germ. 70-40(25% in 3rd w)-70-40(50% in 5th w) and 40-70- 40-70-40(90% in 4th w). Seed DS at 70 or 40 germ. 70(75% in 11th w)-40(20% in 3rd
w) and 40-70(15% in 12 th w)-40(60% in 12th w)-70.
C. persicum germ. 70(78% in 9-16 w), 70L(none), and 40(25% in 9th w). The seedlings that germ. at 70 were kept at 70, and a true leaf developed (hypogeal
germination) in 1-2 m. The seedlings that germ. at 40 all rotted and no further germination took place on shifting to 70. None germ. in 70L-40-70D. The sample in 70L should have been shifted to 70D after 3 mat 70L to determine whether the 70L had permanently injured the seed. This is one of the few examples found in the present work where light blocks germination. Seed deteriorates on DS.


Temperatures are in Fahrenheit - 70F = 21C, 40F = 4C.
DS = Dry stored seed
w = week
m = month
L = light
D = dark

These germination experiments were done in moist paper towel in plastic bags.

I bet you've already sown the seeds!

Long hot summers, mild wet winters. Rainfall approx. 600mm pa.
Summer maximums over 40 degrees, winter minimums occasionally below freezing.
Gardening on neutral clay loam and sandy loam.

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Fermi

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #253 on: March 22, 2014, 01:52:31 PM »
Trevor,
I find the pre-soaking a bit fiddly but have a look at Ian Young's Bulblog on the SRGC website - he uses bottle caps to soak the seeds adding a drop of detergent to break the surface tension - http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2014Feb261393409171BULB_LOG_0914.pdf.
I've also seen someone (maybe Ian) adding water to the small plastic packets some Seedexes use for sending out seed and this looks pretty simple.
Back to our garden!
Here's the mid pink Cyclamen graecum now in flower and a pale pink one just starting,
cheers
fermi
« Last Edit: March 22, 2014, 01:59:23 PM by Fermi »
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

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JTh

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Re: Cyclamen
« Reply #254 on: March 31, 2014, 02:51:56 PM »
I have sown a few pots with C. graecum (thanks to Alisdair for giving them to me), the first four around three weeks ago, without soaking, a week later another forur pots with seeds that had been soaked for 24 hours. All the pots were then covered with a dark lid, to keep the light out. The pots with unsoaked seeds have already germinated (a few days ago), now I'm eagerly waiting for the remaining soaked ones to show some signs of life.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.