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Matthias
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 06:53 am EST : |   
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We might want to exchange a few tips on cyclamen cultivation. This late summer I had to lift one of my C. purpurascens. I found that it had produced two very long floral trunks which would have made replanting a bit difficult. I decided to make an experiment and cut back the floral trunks about 50 mm above the tuber. I then planted the tuber in a pot close to the surface and forgot it in the garden. This is what I discovered today: New, very compact growth.
I had also potted up the two floral trunks in September which had a few leaves each and both trunks have produced roots and are growing on. In the wild I have seen swollen trunks/roots? serving as tubers.
Matthias
- Southern Germany,
Zone "7"
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Matthias
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 06:56 am EST : |
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Correction: I cut the trunks back 5 mm above the tuber.
Matthias
- Southern Germany,
Zone "7"
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Terryk
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 07:51 am EST : |
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Matthias you are making me pull out my cyclamen book to keep up with you this morning!
It does refer to propagation by the floral trunk. It says that certain species if planted deeply can produce a floral trunk and it states c. purpurascens as one. C. graecum and c. coum can do it too. You can treat them with a hormone and grow in a pot or put the cuttings in a polythene bag with damp peat and grow till roots form and then pot them up.
Just to help those that may not know what you are talking about, a floral trunk is described as a long twiggy neck which grow from the tuber at the ends grow the leaves and flowers.
Besides seed, evidently you can propagate by division too. You can dig up a tuber and cut into half or more and then the cut sides can be treated with a fungicide. The tuber is cut from the top downwards using a sharp sterilized knife. Plant in pots of damp gritty/sand mixture and keep in a warm shaded spot (18C, 64 F). It says you can also place the untreated ones in a polythene bag of moist peat and place in a cool spot. Leave them till roots appear. This later part seems similar to Guff's, scaling lily bulbs technique posted on another forum.
By the way the book I reference is "Cyclamen, A Guide for Gardeners, Horticulturists and Botanists" by Christopher Grey-Wilson. It was recommended reading by Tim as it is one of the few books up to date on cyclamen.
I have not reached the point that I could try any of the above methods. Have you done any division of tubers yet Matthias?
I imagine Guff will be reading this with many plans racing through his mind. I would not be surprised if he tries it by purchasing a plant or two just to cut the tuber. I guess one could try it with a plant from the florist/supermarket as it would not be a great financial loss.
Tim have you tried any of this?
Terryk
- NY,
Zone "6"
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Tim
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 09:21 am EST : |
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I haven't divided a tuber Terry. I have heard of growers doing it when they have an exceptional plant which doesn't yield a high proportion of seedlings which resemble the parent. It's not easy to do, with a high chance of rot setting in. I wouldn't do it, just in case I lost the spectacular plant I wanted more of in the first place. The division method certainly doesn't lend itself to high volume propagation! As much as I think some of my own plants are superb forms of the species, and that more plants like them should be in cultivation, I still wouldn't risk dividing them. Rare and unusual forms are hard enough to come by. Are you going to be brave enough to try it on a few of your hederifolium, Terry? You could report your results back here.
I dealt with some C. purpurascens a couple of months ago, which had formed floral trunks. I planted these tubers just below the surface as I would any other tuber, which left the floral trunks sticking right out of the grit. I have some C. mirabile here which also have long floral trunks, and although the trunks are now redundant, there is lots of new growth at the bases of the trunks. I'm hoping the purpurascens do the same thing. Some have already put up new growth, so the early signs are good. All I have done differently from you Matthias, is not cut the floral trunks, but there is no particular reason why I haven't done this.
It will be interesting to see whether a 'normal' tuber eventually forms on your potted trunks, Matthias.
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
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Terryk
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 09:38 am EST : |
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I am thinking of trying it Tim, but my tubers may be too small at this point. I can certainly see your point of not wanting to risk a special plant. I would not have the nerve either.
If I get up the nerve to do try this method, I will keep you informed.
Matthias, what about you, will you try this method?
I bet Guff will have the nerve.
Terryk
- NY,
Zone "6"
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Matthias
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 09:40 am EST : |
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Terry, I have seen floral trunks of up to 20 cm long in wild plants of C. purpurascens. This happens mainly because each fall/winter the plants are covered by a more or less thick layer of leaf litter. The trunks very often grow horizontally rather than vertically, so the tuber may not even be so deeply buried in the ground as one might expect.
One other C. purpurascens in my garden suddenly looked very limp this late summer and upon digging it up for control I found that the tuber was rotting due to excess moisture in this spot. But the eight floral trunks of this tuber were not affected by the rot and had already formed roots and now I have eight plants from one.
It is easy to divide some of the larger tubers of C. hederifolium which can have 5 and more different growing points on the tuber surface. I have divided two tubers for test reasons and the plants are growing happily, but I do not know if and how well they will survive in the long run. I think dividing into two halves may be OK but I would not subdivide any further, though some experiments here would be interesting.
Matthias
- Southern Germany,
Zone "7"
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Terryk
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 11:36 am EST : |
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Today I am bringing in the remainder of my cyclamen from outdoors to the unheated room off the basement. It hit 27 F last night and I do not want to loose the little tubers set in pots. It appears that my stock is larger than I thought and all the coum I thought I lost are returning but are on the tiny side.
Maybe as I go through the pots, I will be brave enough to give a few a stab with the knife for experiments sake. If I try it I think I will risk a hederifolium or two first, as those will probably be larger in size than the my coum.
Terryk
- NY,
Zone "6"
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