Why does cyclamen turn yellow and what to do to save it

Why do cyclamen leaves turn yellow - reasons

The main reason for yellowing of cyclamen leaves is non-compliance with agrotechnical conditions for growing the ornamental crop.

Reasons influencing the change in color of cyclamen foliage:

1. Failure to comply with temperature conditions. You should know that cyclamen is a cold-loving plant, so it will not grow in too hot a room. For comfortable keeping, it is necessary to maintain the temperature at +14-16°C.
2. Lack of natural light. If a flower pot is located at the back of the room, the plant will suffer from lack of light.
3. Improper watering and excessive soil moisture. Dry indoor air can cause foliage to turn yellow. In addition, excessive waterlogging of the soil, as well as its drying out, also negatively affects the foliage.
4. Incorrect application of fertilizers. Excessive application of nitrogen-containing fertilizers can lead to yellowing of leaf blades.
5. No rest period. Cyclamen needs rest after long and abundant flowering. Many housewives try to prolong the flower's wakefulness, thereby disrupting the biological rhythm. When the flower is preparing for a period of rest, the cyclamen leaves turn yellow and wither. This is a normal natural process.
6. Incorrect transplant. Cyclamen should be replanted before flowering.
7. Pests. Insects annoy the plant, suck out the juices and the foliage turns yellow.

If you water the flower incorrectly, a disease such as gray rot may develop. First, the above-ground part withers, and then the tuber.

Cyclamen tuber rotted

Why did the cyclamen tuber rot? There are two reasons. The first is regular waterlogging of the soil. Watering cyclamen is carried out when the top layer of soil dries out. Watering is carried out from the top, carefully, along the edge of the pot, like this. so that moisture does not get on the tuber. The second reason is that during watering, moisture got onto the tuber. At low temperatures, this leads to rotting of the tuber. The first signs of rotting of a cyclamen tuber are that the leaves of the flower turn yellow and wither, and the tuber itself smells untidy.

What to do? You need to remove the plant from the pot. First, without destroying the integrity of the earthen coma, inspect the tuber. If there are soft spots and dents on it, then the tuber is freed from the soil. If the cyclamen tuber does not rot, then breaking the integrity of the earthen ball around its roots can cause severe harm to the flower. So, the tuber is cleared of soil, the soft parts are cut to healthy tissue, the cut areas need to be dried and treated with crushed activated carbon. Next, take a small-diameter and shallow pot (an acceptable pot diameter is the diameter of a cyclamen tuber plus 1 cm), pour cactus soil into it, mixed with perlite in a 1:1 ratio. The tuber is immersed in the ground, having first sprinkled its roots with rootstock. You need to plant a cyclamen tuber so that its “wounds” are not covered with soil. If this does not work out, then moisten the soil in the pot very carefully along the contour of the pot.

The plant is transferred to a bright room, but without direct sunlight (if the tuber rots in winter, then in conditions of short daylight hours it is provided with artificial lighting). The temperature should be within +12…+17 degrees. Watering is carried out very carefully, after the top layer of soil has dried. It is also important to remember that perlite retains moisture very well.

What to do if cyclamen leaves turn yellow and wither

If the plant's leaf blades turn yellow and the leaves wither, it is first recommended to reconsider the conditions of maintenance.

It is necessary to properly water and maintain humidity in the room. When the plant begins to bloom, watering should be regular and moderate. To increase the humidity level, spray water from a fine spray bottle near the plant. It is important to ensure that water does not get on the vegetative parts of the plant.

Why do cyclamen leaves turn yellow during flowering, although there are no visible signs of waterlogging? It could be pests. In case of pest invasion, the plant is treated with insecticides or acaricides, diluting the working solution in accordance with the instructions.

Why does cyclamen turn yellow and wither after purchase?

If cyclamen begins to turn yellow after purchase, it is most likely that the rules of care and maintenance were violated. It is possible that when moving to a new place of residence, the flower received stress, as there was a change in temperature and humidity levels.

The cause of yellowing foliage can be exhaustion. To sell as many specimens as possible, manufacturers use special biostimulants and hormone-based preparations to accelerate growth and flowering.

When purchasing, you must inspect the flowerpot with the flower. The structure of the soil should be uniform, there should be no mold or wilted leaves on the surface. The foliage also needs to be checked - turn it over and make sure that there are no cobwebs or other pests on the reverse side. The leaves should be even and smooth, not curled.

Reproduction

The plant is propagated by seeds and by dividing the tuber.

Seeds are usually embedded in the soil to a depth of 5 mm. The soil must be constantly moistened, and in order to prevent it from drying out, it should be sprayed from time to time with a spray bottle.

One of the ways to germinate seeds is when the seeds are not completely buried in the soil, but are laid out on the surface of the soil and covered with a small amount of moss moistened from a spray bottle.

The seeds will never dry out under the moss. The main thing is not to cover the container with the seeds on top with a bag, otherwise they will become moldy and die as a result.

Crops should be kept at a temperature of 15 to 18 degrees. Seedlings always begin to appear in different ways: from three weeks to two months after planting.

An important condition for the life of seedlings is maintaining the correct temperature. If it is violated, they will die.

When two leaves appear on the plant, you can start replanting it in a pot. If everything is in order and the plant is properly cared for, the first flowers on the plant begin to appear after 15-18 months.

Cyclamen

It is much easier to grow from seeds if you have an indoor greenhouse, which can be purchased in specialized stores.

Cyclamens,

grown from seeds, they are much more adapted to indoor growing conditions than those species that were propagated by dividing the tuber.

Why do cyclamen leaves turn yellow in winter?

Lack of proper care will result in the cyclamen having yellowed leaves hanging sullenly from the pot instead of green, lush foliage.

For normal development and flowering, cyclamen requires a temperature within +16°C. If the flower pot is located on a windowsill, under which there are heating radiators, you should take it into a cool room.

It is also recommended to pay attention to the light level. It is important that the indoor flower is not exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise the leaves will get burned and become limp. If the cyclamen does not have enough light, it is necessary to organize additional lighting.

Errors in care

Mistakes made by amateur gardeners often lead to irreversible consequences - cyclamen leaves turn yellow and wither.

Incorrect transplant

Failure to follow the rules of replanting: choosing the wrong time, too large a pot, incorrectly composed substrate - lead to the fact that the foliage of cyclamen turns yellow.

It is necessary to replant the flower after the dormant period ends. At this time the growing season begins.

The new pot for replanting should be a couple of centimeters larger than the previous one. It is recommended to choose a wide, but not deep container. Soil is poured into the prepared pot, which includes: turf and leaf soil, humus, sand.

The tuber of the European cyclamen should be completely immersed in the soil, the Persian - only half.

Rest period

European cyclamen does not have a dormant period, so it should not shed its leaves. In preparation for the dormant period, Persian cyclamen gradually sheds all its green mass.

Incorrect temperature

Too high an air temperature can cause leaf fall. A comfortable temperature for keeping cyclamen should not exceed +18°C during the day, and at night – not lower than +10°C. If the indoor plant is kept in a cool room, the flowering period will be longer.

Incorrect lighting

For flowering, cyclamen should have good lighting. In winter, you can place a pot with a flower on the windowsill on the east side, and in summer - on the north.

Humidity

The foliage can turn yellow either from a lack of moisture or due to waterlogging of the earthen clod. High humidity leads to rotting of the tuber. The root system, which has begun to rot, stops supplying nutrients to the vegetative part, so the leaves turn yellow.

The frequency of watering is affected by the life cycle of the plant. During the dormant period, rare watering is necessary; during flowering, frequent but moderate watering is required.

Why cyclamen may disappear - reasons

Most often this is due to illiterate care. Main causes of the problem:

1. Liquid getting on leaves and tubers. At the same time, they wither.
2. Failure to comply with the feeding regime. A large amount of humus leads to rotting.
3. Finding a flower in bright sun. At the initial stage, yellowing of the leaves occurs. If the conditions of detention are not changed in a timely manner, the cyclamen will begin to die.
4. Low humidity in the house and drought are very harmful to the plant.
5. Placing the flower in the cold or in a draft. Parts of the plant freeze and die.

European variety - alpine violet

On a note! Another reason why cyclamen disappears is the appearance of harmful insects.

Diseases

The active growth phase is observed in winter. Since it is not always possible to create suitable conditions in winter, the plant becomes susceptible to various diseases.

Gray rot

The fungal disease is activated and actively spreads as a result of water entering the center of the plant. Spread is facilitated by an unventilated room. The fungus first covers the base of the stem and then actively moves upward.

To get rid of the disease, you will need to clean the plant from rotten leaves and move the pot to a well-ventilated room. If gray rot has spread to more than half of the flower, there is no point in resuscitating it.

To ensure fresh air flow, you can install a fan in the room. When watering, it is important to ensure that water does not get into the middle of the tuber.

For prevention purposes, you can use wood ash or the drug “Fitosporin”. Watering the soil with a solution of the drug can destroy pathogenic microorganisms.

Fusarium rot

The disease can destroy the plant. The root system is the first to suffer from fusarium rot. Then the rot spreads to the green mass.

It is very rarely possible to save a plant infected with fusarium. If the cyclamen dies, you will have to throw away everything - both the soil and the pot. The container should not be thrown away, but thoroughly disinfected and only then used for planting other plants.

The disease is accompanied by yellowing of the foliage - these are the main symptoms. To confirm your guesses, it is recommended to free the flower from the ground and evaluate the condition of the root system. If doubts are confirmed, you can still cut the tuber. A sign of the disease is tissue discoloration. This is a signal to destroy the diseased specimen.

How to save a plant

In a situation where you notice the first signs of wilting, you need to take urgent action. Otherwise, you risk losing the flower due to its irreversible death. What manipulations should be done depends on the cause.

To save a flower, you can do the following:

• change the place of growth by placing the pot in another room with more suitable conditions;
• spray the leaves with a stimulant. This procedure should be carried out when a stressful situation is detected associated with buying a flower and moving it into the apartment. In such a situation, after spraying, the leaves will take their normal appearance;
• you can try adding additional fertilizer to the pot;
• transplant the tuber, cleared of wilted leaves, into another pot. This approach will help in situations where the plant is sick or insect pests are detected on it;
• treat the leaves with products used to control pests. To achieve the desired effect, this procedure should be performed several times. Typically the treatment is repeated every 3-5 days.

Of course, it is better not to bring it to a state where cyclamen should be urgently saved. For this, all you need is to properly monitor the plant and promptly do the minimum that is necessary for its normal and full development.

Pests

An invasion of pests can cause yellowing of the foliage of the Alpine violet. Cyclamen is overly susceptible to various types of pests, which are sometimes not so easy to fight, especially when there are small children and animals in the house.

Thrips

The most harmful and annoying insects with a small body size. Pests are difficult to detect. Thrips feed on plant sap and are located on the underside of the leaf. Rot develops in areas affected by thrips.

The difficulty in dealing with thrips lies in the fact that the insects are too nimble and move with lightning speed from one place to another.

If pests are not visible to the naked eye, they can be noticed by the main signs: falling pollen from flowers, darkening of leaf blades along the edges, poor flowering and thin holes on the leaves.

In the fight against thrips, you can use Actellik. The substance is effective, but the smell is pungent. To ensure the effectiveness of the work done, the plants should be sprayed again after a week.

Aphid

Aphids - small insects cause great harm to indoor flowers. They are located on the underside of the leaves and feed on the sap of the plant. You can notice aphids by the result of their vital activity - their presence is evidenced by a sticky coating on the leaf blades, on which fungal diseases subsequently develop. The foliage curls, withers and falls.

A soap solution works well against aphids. If fungus is noticed on the affected areas, it is recommended to cut off these leaves and discard them.

"Fitoverm" is a good bioinsecticide, suitable for controlling various types of aphids.

Mite

The cyclamen mite affects not only cyclamens, but also other indoor plants, such as Saintpaulias. The damage from a tiny spider is enormous. If you look closely, the spider will certainly come into view. Ticks do not tolerate light, so they are located among the foliage. Increased dryness of indoor air promotes the appearance of pests.

Signs of a plant being damaged by the cyclamen mite: leaf blades become thinner, discolored, and curl. Dark spots appear on the leaves. The buds cannot open to their full potential, the flowers turn out shapeless and ugly.

To treat cyclamen against ticks, it is necessary to set the diseased specimen aside from healthy ones. Acaricides must be used to control ticks. The chemical has a detrimental effect only on adult individuals, so it is recommended to carry out treatment three times with an interval of 7 days. During this time, new individuals will emerge from the eggs, which will also die during re-treatment. By maintaining optimal humidity, you can prevent the appearance of mites on indoor flowers.