Cyclamen 2010

[johnw]

Melvyn -   I wondered if you were growing Bowles' Apollo so this news and the appearance of pink suffusion is doubly exciting.  So far there are 5 pink seedlings but the one in the post is certainly the most pronounced.

I have grown lots of Bowles' Apollo seed and can't recall any pinkish-ness. Perhaps I was just inattentive.  As cyclamen seed leaves in a communal pots get so entangled one can easily lose track of what's happening. This year I have planted Melvyn's seed one seed per cell in 2 flats with 144 cells - and 3 weeks ago the leftovers in a flat of 50 cells - hence it is possible to see the changes from first leaf to the following ones.  The observations are eye-opening; pure silver changing to unmarked green and more commonly the reverse, dark shiny green with silver centre to the reverse and silver edges becoming silver-centred!

Thanks again Melvyn for the seed and I will keep you updated.

A question - has anyone successfully propagated a cyclamen by chopping in half a tuber with multiple floral stalks in half to replicate? I once accidentally halved a huge old hederifolium tuber with the spade, I was 50% successful. And are multiple stalks necessary?

johnw - +6c and sunny

[Oron Peri]

Two of my persicums
C persicum var. autumnale, blooming successfully this year, this plant is in flower for 4 weeks now.
seedlings of 'Persian Beauty'.

[Tony Willis]

A question - has anyone successfully propagated a cyclamen by chopping in half a tuber with multiple floral stalks in half to replicate? I once accidentally halved a huge old hederifolium tuber with the spade, I was 50% successful. And are multiple stalks necessary?

johnw - +6c and sunny

A friend is now successfully rooting and more importantly growing on cuttings of hederifolium. He takes a growing point (floral trunk) with leaves attached and a tiny amount of the underlying tuber. These root and a new tuber is formed.They are put in a heated propagator. As you would expect mould is a challenge and precautions are necessary against it.It is interesting that the ones he took last spring did not go dormant and have continued to grow through the summer and are now flowering.

[ian mcenery]

Two of my persicums
C persicum var. autumnale, blooming successfully this year, this plant is in flower for 4 weeks now.
seedlings of 'Persian Beauty'.

Oron those are lovely leaves. It is amazing the diversity of leaf pattern on persicum. Also love the autumnale

[ian mcenery]

A question - has anyone successfully propagated a cyclamen by chopping in half a tuber with multiple floral stalks in half to replicate? I once accidentally halved a huge old hederifolium tuber with the spade, I was 50% successful. And are multiple stalks necessary?

johnw - +6c and sunny

A friend is now successfully rooting and more importantly growing on cuttings of hederifolium. He takes a growing point (floral trunk) with leaves attached and a tiny amount of the underlying tuber. These root and a new tuber is formed.They are put in a heated propagator. As you would expect mould is a challenge and precautions are necessary against it.It is interesting that the ones he took last spring did not go dormant and have continued to grow through the summer and are now flowering.

Tony I too have seen these plants and it is a very interesting method indeed. I believe a paper on this method of propagation is being prepared for the Cyclamen Society.

[Melvyn Jope]

A question - has anyone successfully propagated a cyclamen by chopping in half a tuber with multiple floral stalks in half to replicate? I once accidentally halved a huge old hederifolium tuber with the spade, I was 50% successful. And are multiple stalks necessary?

I have attempted to divide tubers into two or more pieces, usually when treating damaged tubers rather than as a method of increasing desirable forms. I have had success with C.hederifolium, C.graecum ssp candicum and C.rohlfsianum. The attached photos are of Cyclamen rohlfsianum forma album which I divided into two as the tuber was crescent shaped and rather soft when I received it. The strange thing is that the first piece has many leaves wth an average width of 2.5 cms and the second has fewer leaves with an average width of 9 cms and has a completely different appearance.

[Melvyn Jope]

Oron, superb leaves on Cyclamen persicum 'Persian Beauty', thanks for showing.

[johnw]

Tony & Melvyn - Thanks for that.

On another note I have been waiting expectantly to see how two tiny hederifolium seedlings would develop.  They promised to be very dwarf but it appears they are growing out of that.  There is a dwarf strain of persicums which used to be about in the supermarkets. I can't recall seeing them of late but I really haven't been looking for them.  I wonder how that strain was developed. Are there naturally occuring dwarf persicums?  It would be wonderful to have dwarf hederifoliums and purpurascens.

johnw   -  +3c and overcast.

[Guff]

Happy Holidays everyone

[johnw]

A few C. hederifoliums seedlings that have been pulled for further assessment.

Off to repot the rohlfs into 25cm clay pots.

johnw

[Regelian]

Wow, John!

those are choice!  Nice work.

Jamie

[johnw]

Wow, John!
those are choice!  Nice work.
Jamie

Jamie  - I'm afraid it's no work on my part, simply seed from the Cyclamen Society.

johnw

[Susan Owl]

How beautiful, John! I like especially those in pic 141.

[johnw]

How beautiful, John! I like especially those in pic 141.

Susan - I sent seed in to the SRGC of the better long-leafed silver hederifoliums. Sorry I would send you some but I sowed the last here a month ago and every one came up last week.

johnw - -1c & cloudy.

[Susan Owl]

John, thank you so much.  Perhaps next year there will be another chance.