Just a simple plant

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Author Message   Gardenbug  Posted on Tuesday, October 04, 2005 - 07:49 pm EST :    but I like it! And a paler one: Gardenbug - Ontario, Zone "4/5"   Terryk  My Weather My Garden My Time Posted on Tuesday, October 04, 2005 - 07:55 pm EST :    I like it too Marie! It seems very happy where you have it and the critters seem to be keeping away from it. Is it a c. hederifolium? Terryk - NY, Zone "6"   Gardenbug  Posted on Tuesday, October 04, 2005 - 08:05 pm EST :    That's what the tag says. I just planted them a few days ago. Cyclamen coum does not do well here...just that little bit too cold for it to be happy. Gardenbug - Ontario, Zone "4/5"   Terryk  My Weather My Garden My Time Posted on Tuesday, October 04, 2005 - 09:38 pm EST :    Have you put out your c. purpurascens yet Marie, I think they will do ok for you. Terryk - NY, Zone "6"   Gardenbug  Posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2005 - 11:01 am EST :    Soon... Gardenbug - Ontario, Zone "4/5"   Tim  Posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2005 - 03:13 pm EST :    Is this one of the plants you've grown from seed? I hope you keep the forum updated regarding your soon to be planted out C. purpurascens. I reckon they'll do OK in your climate. Tim - Cambridgeshire, Zone "7 "   Gardenbug  Posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2005 - 03:34 pm EST :    I planted out all the cyclamen this morning...having no idea which ones are which. I know that won't sit well with most of you, but they have been years in and out of the house and my labeling technique apparently doesn't work. Next time I will try duct tape labels and the same permanent marker and hope things work better. It was a disaster with the clematis seedlings as well. Oh, and Tim, the photos are of two purchased plants, bought locally. These are NEVER sold at nurseries here, so I grabbed them. Gardenbug - Ontario, Zone "4/5"   Terryk  My Weather My Garden My Time Posted on Thursday, October 06, 2005 - 07:59 am EST :    Maire, I am in the same boat, my labeling skills have left a great big question as to what cyclamen I have in some of my pots. I also have found that my writing on my labels in the garden tend to wear off and I am left with the question of "which hellebore is this"? If you take pictures of your cyclamen in question, maybe Tim will be able to help identify them for you. Terryk - NY, Zone "6"   Gardenbug  Posted on Thursday, October 06, 2005 - 07:19 pm EST :    I will wait to see what becomes of them next spring. I noticed 2 missing already...and saw the chipmunk running away too! Gardenbug - Ontario, Zone "4/5"   Terryk  My Weather My Garden My Time Posted on Thursday, October 06, 2005 - 11:17 pm EST :    Oh, that's horrible news Marie. I wonder if you sprinkle some red pepper flakes around if it would help? Terryk - NY, Zone "6"   Gardenbug  Posted on Thursday, October 06, 2005 - 11:39 pm EST :    I'll try that after the rain, tomorrow morning. Gardenbug - Ontario, Zone "4/5"   Tim  Posted on Friday, October 07, 2005 - 01:41 am EST :    About the labelling: if you are using plastic labels, a normal HB lead pencil should work. I've been using one for years, and it never washes off in the rain, or fades, etc. Permanent markers never seem to be permanent. Tim - Cambridgeshire, Zone "7 "   Gardenbug  Posted on Friday, October 07, 2005 - 01:49 am EST :    The labels get dislodged. I think the idea of duct tape on the pots may be a good one,(ugly though) but then markers would still be needed. Hmmm Gardenbug - Ontario, Zone "4/5"   Terryk  My Weather My Garden My Time Posted on Friday, October 07, 2005 - 08:16 am EST :    Tim, I have found indoors that the labels with the pencil writing will hold up, but the ones out in the garden have not. But I don't have an answer for it either. The other problem, is you have to start with labels in all the pots not just one per tray. I have learned that lesson I hope! Terryk - NY, Zone "6"   Terryk  My Weather My Garden My Time Posted on Friday, October 07, 2005 - 02:36 pm EST :    Marie, so far I have had luck with my cyclamen in the garden, they all appear to be untouched and are setting more leaves. I hope the little garden critters leave them alone. Terryk - NY, Zone "6"   Wilsonae_cyclamen  My Weather Posted on Friday, October 07, 2005 - 06:54 pm EST :    Hi Terry, I am going to try using a HB pencil for indoor labels, the markers don't work? So your transplanted cyclamen are doing well - great! The squirrels give me a hard time, constantly digging up everything to bury the peanuts my neighbor insist on feeding them or scrounging for food! I gave up on my tulip and other perennial bulbs. Rhodents are also digging holes in the lawn and garden at nights searching for worms - understand there are badgers, skunks around too; but no deer yet! This morning, as a new Cyclamen Society member, I just sent off my alloted CSE Cyclamen Society Seed List 2005 with a lot of help and advice from Tim interpreting things for me. I am looking forward to Tim's Cyclamen Seed List for 2006; by then things will be more settled, I hope and more attention can be given to cyclamen, hellebore et al! Meantime, outdoors in the garden, my one potted hederifolium has set some seeds. It is at least 4 years old and fits very comfortably in a 5 inch pot. Every chance presents itself, I am observing the cyclamen complete its life cycle - providing they don't abort and I can nurture them to maturity, collect and plant them in 2006 before the rodents get them. That gives me something to look forward to - smile! It is most fascinating observing the leaf stalks as they become fertilized coiling down tightly to come to rest on top of the soil surface to await the opportune time to split open and disgorge their ripe seeds. Nothing of course compared to Tim's but it is a start - smile! My Park's Miracle Hybrid Flame Mix have germinated and are now under lights. I am looking forward to their strong fragrance, unique picotee petals, long lasting 1 inch flowers and only 8-10 inch tall. They are supposed to have a fast crop time - plants bloom in 24-26 weeks. This I got to see - Ideal for someone to whom patience was not a virtue or a blessing! My other mature cyclamen - a couple of coum, purpurascens, mirabile and one pseudibericum (each at least three years old) are all pushing strong stalks above the grit with their leaves just about opening up. I can't wait to see the leaf patterns. Hoping to see some flowers and with a lot of luck, some will set seeds completing the life cycle - smile! Tim suggests tapping the flowers from time to time to help pollination since they will all be indoors under lights for the winter - no bees around then! All wishful thinking, but I can continue to dream, just don't wake me up! How early can I start transplanting my recently germinated Graecum seedlings (approximately 4-5 weeks old) into individual pots to grow on, as per Tim's advice - some are a couple of inches tall with one seed leaf of course and growing on strong, others are just breaking the surface of the grit? So much for this and that, keep us posted on things to come! wilsonae cyclamen Wilsonae_cyclamen - New York, Zone "6 (?)"   Terryk  My Weather My Garden My Time Posted on Friday, October 07, 2005 - 10:57 pm EST :    Wilson, good to hear from you, I guess you have been busy with your move. It sounds as if you really are doing ok with your cyclamen. I found last year that graecum germinated first. I think you can wait a bit to transplant. You want to wait till you have most of them in a pot germinate so you don't loose the seeds that have not germinated yet. I found they also got leggy, do you have them under lights yet? This year I plan on putting my seedlings closer to the light source and I am hoping to keep them from getting too leggy. As far as transplanting I think you could wait a bit, especially if you are busy with the move. Terryk - NY, Zone "6"   Tim  Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 04:55 pm EST :    I think it also depends on what type of label is used. I use a flexible plastic type of label, and the lead pencil lasts for years. It doesn't smudge or wear off at all. If any of you want a sample label, maybe to try to source them in the US, let me know and I'll gladly pop one in the post to you. Don't be shy now. Tim - Cambridgeshire, Zone "7 "   Wilsonae_cyclamen  My Weather Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 07:27 pm EST :    Tim, I will take you up on the flexible plastic label offer of a sample to trace a US source to resolve my label problems too! I am using the heavy plastic labels but it does get to be very expensive after a while identifying every seedling, pot, tuber. Thanks again for explaining the CSE seed distribution system. As usual, your expertise and advice is much appreciated. Please, can you tell me whether I am correct in my assumption that the cylamen seeds offered for sale by the cyclamen society to members are seeds that over the years were grown, donated and specifically identified by cyclamen garden aficionados; whereas those seeds collected in the wild on various Cyclamen Society Expeditions and not specifically identified but which may have a much greater gene pool and many more surprises - very much like those wild hederifolium posted recently by Matthias. Is there any marked difference or advantage or is it that cross pollination makes them stronger and more diversified? Being oriental, I am always curiously yellow - smile! wilsonae cyclamen Wilsonae_cyclamen - New York, Zone "6 (?)"   Tim  Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 05:52 am EST :    Hi Wilson, you are along the right lines. The seed donated by members for the main distribution list is from members who have fairly average plants, right through to members who have superb examples of whatever species. That's the thrill of applying for seed, you never know what you will get in the way of leaf forms, flower colour, etc. Almost my entire collection of stock plants originally came from growing plants from seed obtained from the Society distribution list. There haven't been that many seed collections on the Cyclamen Society Field Trips. It is almost always the case that live tubers are collected. Seed usually isn't present as the filed trips coincide with plants being in full growth. You would think that plants in the wild would show more variation than those in cultivation, but that isn't always the case. C. mirabile shows much more variation in cultivation than in the wild. C. mirabile 'Tile Barn Anne' has totally silver leaves. Field trips in 2003 and 2004 looking at several dozen sites and thousands of plants failed to find a single plant like that. They must crop up in the wild, but the process of natural selection weeds them out. Maybe they are more prone to being eaten as they stand out, or maybe they aren't as hardy, or vigorous. They exist in cultivation because we select them out, cosset them and do everything we can to make sure that we get more of them. The collections from high altitude sites (1450 metres) are very important. It might be with such plants brought into cultivation, that more hardy forms of C. mirabile can be produced, making it a reliable plant for the open garden. Have you been tapping your flowers Wilson? I have been doing so, although most of my C. graecum seed pods have aborted so far, which is a shame as there were plenty of them. Cause is unknown so far, but I must look into why this in happening. Tim - Cambridgeshire, Zone "7 "   Wilsonae_cyclamen  My Weather Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 03:26 pm EST :    Have you been tapping your flowers Wilson? I have been doing so, although most of my C. graecum seed pods have aborted so far, which is a shame as there were plenty of them. Cause is unknown so far, but I must look into why this in happening. Tim, my cyclamen coum, purpurascens, hederifolium are coming into leaves with some flower buds present. Apart from tapping the flowers to encourage pollination, is there any other techniques that can be employed to increase my success rate of pollination? For some unexplainable reason my cyclamen seeds collected last year fresh and planted did not germinate or seed pods were aborted Who understands the ways of cyclamen - if it was easy, then there would not be any real challenges and cyclamen would not have the allure or charm of the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat - smile! Is there an oportune time to tap the flowers at their peak of flowering or just keep tapping them daily? Would it help if I use a small portable battery operated mini fan once or twice a day for fifteen minutes changing the fan position from left to right to try and waft the pollen in the right direction since everything is indoors under lights - no bees to aid pollination? Understand cyclamen do not like draughts! Some even suggested hand pollination with a sable hair brush, but I don't know if it is necessary? It should be a very simple process instead of requiring a Phd or employing rocket science technology just to achieve maximum pollination - smile? wilsonae cyclamen Wilsonae_cyclamen - New York, Zone "6 (?)"   Tim  Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 04:28 pm EST :    I don't bother myself with fine brushes, or anything like that. I tap the flowers once a day, usually early evening (as soon as I get home from my real job). Best time though would be around noon, or early afternoon when the temperature is at its highest. The pollen will be flowing freely then. Tapping the flowers should be enough to pollinate them, as long as conditions are right (damp air for example is no good). Cyclamen don't mind air flow at all Wilson. I know several growers who run fans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, etc. Tim - Cambridgeshire, Zone "7 "