CYCLAMEN 



THE BULB BOOK 



CYCLAMEN 



cold and cutting draughts are to be 

 avoided. 



PRICKING-OUT. When the young 

 plants are large enough to handle 

 easily and the young tubers are 

 beginning to swell, they may be 

 transferred to small pots, called 

 thimbles, an inch or two inches in 

 diameter ; or ten or twelve little 

 plants may be pricked out into a 

 5-in. pot. The compost used should 

 be similar to that for seed-sowing, 

 namely, rich loam and leaf -mould in 

 equal proportions with a fair sprink- 

 ling of coarse silver sand. The 



Fio. 110. Cyclamen, seedlings. 



seedlings must not be buried too 

 deeply in the soil, the base of the 

 leaf-stalks being flush with the 

 surface. With careful attention to 

 watering, ventilating, and shading 

 from strong sunshine, the little 

 plants grow freely, and when the 

 pots are fairly well filled with 

 the tender fleshy roots, it will be 

 necessary to move the plants into 

 3-in. or 3|-in. pots. When these in 

 due course are filled with roots and 

 the plants are much larger, the last 

 potting may take place. Most of 

 the plants may be accommodated 

 in 5-in. pots (or 48's), but several 

 of the larger and more vigorous 

 specimens may well be transferred 

 to 6-in. pots (32's). For this final 



181 



potting, which will take place about 

 the end of June, or in July, August, 

 and even September, according to 

 the state of the plants, rich loam and 

 leaf-soil may be again used, with, 

 however, not quite so much sand as 

 in the earlier stages ; and if a little 

 well-decayed dry cow-manure can be 

 mixed with the soil, so much the 

 better. A little basic slag, a mere 

 sprinkling over the heap of compost, 

 and well mixed with it, will also be 

 highly beneficial, owing to the lime 

 and phosphates contained in it. 



After each potting it will be 

 necessary to shade the plants from 

 strong sunshine until they have 

 recovered from the effects of moving. 

 When thoroughly recovered, more 

 light and air are admissible, and 

 coupled with judicious syringings 

 and careful watering, the plants 

 continue to thrive during the summer 

 and autumn months. All this time 

 the plants should be near to the 

 glass, and the pots should stand on 

 stages covered with moist pebbles, or 

 finely powdered coke called " breeze." 

 Strong sunshine is not desirable, 

 therefore a position facing north or 

 north-east or north-west is the most 

 desirable during the summer months. 

 As each plant will occupy a space of 

 at least a square foot or even 15 ins. 

 to 18 ins. square, the necessary space 

 must be allotted to each, as over- 

 crowding would tend to interfere 

 with assimilation by the foliage, and 

 prevent the free and necessary 

 circulation of fresh air. From six 

 to eight weeks before the blossoms 

 are expected, the plants may be 

 watered two or three times weekly 

 with weak liquid manure made from 

 soot, old cow-manure, and a little 

 guano steeped in a tank or tub. In 

 late autumn it may also be necessary 

 to place the plants on inverted pots 

 on the stages, thus bringing them 



