Cyclamen 2010

[cohan]

some really lovely forms of purpurascens!
i have several pots full of seedlings sown last fall indoors, put outside in a shady spot in early summer; still quite small with this often cool summer we've been having (a few warm days now, not sure if it will last)..
two questions--should i move the pots to more sun? final spots are likely to be dappled/part day sun, as i have more of that than anything else
--should i plant some into the ground this year (remember we could be having occasional frost in august, and regular frost in september, even if days may still be warm) or would i be better off to bring them back in over winter and either keep them growing under lights or resting on a cool window?-okay, that's three question 

[Ragged Robin]

Thomas, it's wonderful to see so many Cyclamen purpurascens in groups and swathes in your rockery, what lovely varied Cyclamen they are and how they thrive in your setting.  Congratulations, your garden must smell divine 

[Ragged Robin]

Some of my Cyclamen flowering in pots in the greenhouse.
Cyclamen purpurascens 'Fatra Form'
Cyclamen purpurascens album
Cyclamen purpurascens babies sown in 2007
a very poor show compared with Thomas and it was too wet today to lie on the grass and photograph the one flower in the garden

Cyclamen intaminatum which has been flowering since the middle of June
The flowers open white with a green eye and turn pink later

Roma, your potful of the flowers of C. purpurascens is so exquisite shown in your first photograph 

It's interesting to hear how long your Cyclamen intaminatum has been flowering, another real beauty - where does it grow naturally?

[Thomas Huber]

Thanks Angie, Lesley, Robin. I could try to catch the smell in a bottle and s(c)end to you  

Roma, a beautiful white purpurascens you have - I'm still searching for a pure white plant,
allthough I'm also happy with my 'nearly' white ones.

Cohan, my plants did well in 35° and full sun for more than two weeks (Yes, Maggi - on top of the floodings)
only the flowers looked overburdened during the hottest time of the day. So why not placing your pots in more sun.

For the inside-or-outside question you have to consider, that your seedlings will grow faster inside
if kept frostfree (mine flowered 14 months after sowing inside!). The larger corms will do better
outside than the small ones, although there will always be some natural selection outside which will
kill the weaker plants. After some winters outside you can be sure that only the strongest plants
survive and the seeds of these plants will be well adapted to your hard climate.
Hope this helps. Perhaps the more expierienced Cyclamen growers here have some additions.

[Ragged Robin]

This is my first experience of growing Cyclamen seeds (kindly sent by Thomas) and all were sown on the same date in Early February Swiss Alps inside and kept in coolish low light conditions until germination.  Subsequently in early April they were put outside in morning sun afternoon dappled shade.  Now here in the UK in a sheltered situation they are living outside facing East receiving direct morning sun and afternoon shade. It is interesting to see how some are so much stronger and more forward than others whilst others are only just emerging. At all times the seedlings have been kept moist but well drained.

These seedings are a mix of C. Hederifolium  and C. Coum and although small there are some lovely leaf shapes and patterns showing (I think!) but I know little about what to look for except by natural instinct - any advice would be gratefully received  

[Thomas Huber]

Well done, Robin. The ones that already show leaf patterns should be C. hederifolium.
The smaller coums will probably show first patterns in their second year. You will
also find some silver leaf forms then.

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks Thomas    I've really enjoyed watching them develop and guessing which is which...I hope one day to have a display in my garden in Switzerland - 'though it will never rival yours  

[Tony Willis]

Robin they are lovely seedlings.

I would suggest separating them out. The hederifolium will be much stronger growing and swamp the coum.

[Ragged Robin]

Tony, thanks for your advice, I did wonder what to do next but wasn't sure and also ID escaped me    However I imagine you are suggesting I lift out the larger one to pot on?  I don't want to risk damaging them 

[Tony Willis]

Robin

I have discussed with another forum member and we are having difficulty seeing any coum,they all look like hederifolium. You could lift the larger ones out and pot them on individually and this would leave room for the others to develop and also any dormant seed to germinate which it may do this autumn. Hederifolium can be a brute.They are fairly robust and usually move easily if watered in and shaded to give them a chance to move away.

[Maggi Young]

Robin

I have discussed with another forum member and we are having difficulty seeing any coum,they all look like hederifolium. You could lift the larger ones out and pot them on individually and this would leave room for the others to develop and also any dormant seed to germinate which it may do this autumn. Hederifolium can be a brute.They are fairly robust and usually move easily if watered in and shaded to give them a chance to move away.

 Looking at the pot.... and thinking of it as a clock face.... what about the little round leaves at two o'clock, seven o clock and nine o'clock? Might they not be C. coum? 

[krisderaeymaeker]

[Good news from your seeds - are you interested to see the parents of your babies in my garden?
Lots of different leaf colours, silver leaves, good markings and flowers from darkest pink to bright rosy - I love this species :

Striking Thomas !!! Such a very good show !

[krisderaeymaeker]

Cohan, my plants did well in 35° and full sun for more than two weeks (Yes, Maggi - on top of the floodings)
only the flowers looked overburdened during the hottest time of the day. So why not placing your pots in more sun.

Same experience here in Belgium Thomas.They are growing in my sunny and hot tufa-crevicebed for 3 years now.
No shade during the day  , maybe just a little bit from a Daphne...My garden is well protected and the level of the garden lies 1m lower .So it is baking in the summer.Here we had also very high temperatures this summer.They still florishing and flower well.There is no harm on the leaves.  

[Martin Baxendale]

Robin, I agree with Tony - the seedlings all look like hederifolium except perhaps for the one pointed out by Maggi at seven o'clock in the pot, and I'm not 100% sure about that, it could also be hederifolium. I'd also agree with Tony that it might be best to get all the seedlings out and planted up elsewhere, in case the coum seeds germinate later in the year and are swamped by the existing hederifoliums - you should be able to genrly prick them out with a blunt knife so as to distrub the seed compost as little as possible.

[Martin Baxendale]

Thomas, I'm amazed at how well your purpurascens are doing in such a  hot, sunny and dry situation. I've always tried purpurascens in semi-shade as generally recommended, and they've never flowered well for me. I think I'll get some fresh plants and seed and give the hot, sunny treatment a go.