Freesia - planting and growing at home and outdoors

Freesia is an amazing bulbous plant native to South Africa, which grows among shrubs and on the side of the shores of water bodies. Due to its characteristic aroma, it is also called Cape lily of the valley. The flower got its name in honor of Friedrich Frieze - a German doctor and botanist. For more than 200 years, freesia has occupied an honorable place among flower growers. A feature of freesia is its delicate flowers of various colors, exuding a delicate very pleasant aroma, relieving depression and relieving stress. Many perfumers use freesia notes to create perfumes. It is quite simple to grow freesia in your own area or on the windowsill of the apartment if you know certain nuances of not only planting, planting and proper care, but also storing the bulbs of this perennial plant belonging to the Irisov family, which includes quite a few species - 20. You can grow carry out both in open ground and at home.

Growing freesia as a garden crop and houseplant

Gardeners and lovers of indoor flowers, seeing on sale bulbs of freesia, do not risk buying them, believing that this is a capricious plant that requires special growing conditions. But is it? It is likely that for many it will be a discovery that it is possible to grow freesia by creating certain conditions and properly preserving the bulbs all year round, and there is no difference where to grow it: on the windowsill or flowerbed.

Blooming Freesia - a fragrant plant

Indeed, for a successful vegetation of a plant, it needs a specific temperature regime, but in a city apartment and in open ground, freesia in central Russia is successfully rooted, gives a green mass and pleases with peduncles of extraordinary beauty, exuding a real spring aroma.

Freesia's value lies in its fragrant bright peduncles.

The timing of flowering of freesia depends solely on the date of planting. For example, to get the first bud by March 8, bulbs should be planted in December or early January. But in order to enjoy the aroma and bright colors of freesia in the summer, it is planted in the ground no later than April, previously grown in a pot at a certain temperature.

Bouquet of freesia in a vase

This amazing plant can settle on your windowsills and as an indoor flower for a while. The fact is that the value of freesia in its peduncles, but the foliage and shape of the plant is completely unremarkable, is somewhat remotely similar to the foliage of young garlic, i.e. there are no decorative qualities in the leaves. After flowering, lasting a month or more, the plant takes on the most ordinary form. In addition, in this phase of development, freesia enters a state of rest, and its bulb ripens in a pot, gaining strength in order to please its owner with a new luxurious flowering during the next planting.

Freesias of different varieties are suitable for growing on the windowsill

Types of freesia and popular varieties

Gardeners most often grow hybrid freesia (Freesia hybrida) in flowerbeds or pots, bred by crossing the refracted and Armstrong freesia (Freesia refracta and Freesia armstrongii). All these 3 species are the parents of dozens of varieties.

Freesia Armstrong (Freesia armstrongii)

- a plant reaching a height of 65-70 cm. Flowers (scarlet, pink or red) are bell-shaped, fragrant, collected in panicles of 3-5 pieces. The tube is white with yellow spots. The leaves are xiphoid, long. Varieties of this freesia bloom from May to June.

Cardinal is the most popular variety of this type. The Cardinal's flowers are non-double red with a yellow spot and a height of 70 cm. The leaves are xiphoid, the pistil is blue, the stamens are yellow, and the little fingernails are purple. One adult bulb throws three peduncles, in each of which up to 11 flowers.

Listieva Lilia //floristics.info/ru/stati/sadovodstvo/1894-freziya-posadka-i-ukhod-vyrashchivanie-v-otkrytom-grunte.html#s54

Freesia Cardinal

Fragrant yellow freesia with an orange spot

Freesia is white, or refracted, or broken (Freesia refracta)

differs in tiny forms (no higher than 40 cm). The stems are thin, spreading, the inflorescence is a paniculate spike in which 2-5 flowers are white or yellow-orange in color. It blooms in April.

- freesia Alba (Freesia refracta var. Alba) - large white flowers with purple strokes on a yellow background inside the pharynx;

- freesia fragrant (Freesia refracta odorata) - yellow freesia, in the inflorescence of 3-7 flowers with an orange spot at the base. It smells like lily of the valley.

Listieva Lilia//floristics.info/ru/stati/sadovodstvo/1894-freziya-posadka-i-ukhod-vyrashchivanie-v-otkrytom-grunte.html#s3

Freesia Alba variety is snow-white

Hybrid freesia (Freesia hybrida)

combines the best qualities of their ancestors. Its bush is tall (up to 1 m) and highly branched, the brushes consist of large (5-7 cm in diameter) fragrant flowers of violet, raspberry, yellow and other shades, both monophonic and two-tone.

- grade Ballerina - freesia white with yellowness at the base, corrugated petals. The pharynx is also white, with a yellow stripe. In inflorescence up to 12 flowers 5.5 × 6.5 cm in size. Peduncles 25-30 cm high. It has a delicate aroma;

- grade Rose Marie - peduncles 20-25 cm high, in inflorescence up to 7 flowers 4.5x4.5 cm bright crimson, in the lower part of the flower - white with raspberry risk;

- grade Pimperina - flower stalks are low (15-20 cm), in inflorescence up to 7 flowers 6x5.5 cm, the petals are slightly corrugated, red in color with dark red edges. The bottom of the petals is yellow with red strokes. The aroma is inexpressive.

Listieva Lilia //floristics.info/ru/stati/sadovodstvo/1894-freziya-posadka-i-ukhod-vyrashchivanie-v-otkrytom-grunte.html#s3

Pimperin variety has a weak aroma, but the spectacular appearance of flowers

Rosemary has become quite rare on sale.

Raspberry bright shade of freesia with raspberry cuts at the base

Video: Types and varieties of freesia

All described species can be either simple or double. Petals of simple freesia are arranged in one row, while terry petals have two and three rows. Freesia of any kind and variety grows equally in pots and in flower beds. Therefore, there is no need to look for freesia for distillation in the pot, but still it is worth considering the size. For example, any sort of refracted (broken) freesia due to the low peduncle will look neat in a pot, and in the garden, with proper support, you will be pleased for a long time with hybrid freesia varieties with a long peduncle and large flowers.

Terry freesias of different grades

Propagation methods used for garden and indoor flowers

Freesia propagates in two ways: daughter bulbs and seeds. The first method is the fastest and least troublesome in obtaining flowering. Reproduction by seeds is also possible, but it is very long and difficult.

Ground and underground parts of freesia

Bulb propagation features

Flowering is the beginning of the accumulation of bulb power in order to next time give a generous "harvest" in the form of flowering. At this time, children begin to grow near the mother’s bulb - from one or more pieces. During the growing season, the mother's bulb is completely reborn. Those. in fact, you get not the bulb that was planted, but a completely new one - replaced. When the flowers begin to lose their decorative qualities, they need to be cut off so that the plant sends all its forces to build up the mother and daughter bulbs, and not the formation of seeds. When the last flower has wilted, the plant is left at rest for another week, then it is dug up, the tops are cut, left to dry in a dry and well-ventilated room, and then as described in the section on storage of bulbs.

Freesia bulb with baby

The children are separated from the mother's bulb, and lay them separately. In the first year, daughter onions will not give flowering. They must build up mass. They are planted in a similar pattern, like the mother's bulbs, but in a separate place. That is, a separate plot is allocated in the garden where daughter bulbs are planted. They remain in the soil until the tops begin to wither, after which they are dug up, washed, pickled, dried and sent for further storage, as described below. "Kids" ripen in the garden at the same time as the mother's bulbs. Gaining strength and increasing in size, they turned into adult bulbs, and in the next season will give abundant flowering.

The abundant flowering of freesia in the garden in summer

In a closed ground, the same thing happens as in the description of planting in the garden. The difference varies only in terms of planting, which the apartment grower determines for himself. There is nothing more beautiful than blooming freesia in the winter-spring period, therefore, the planting of adult bulbs should occur in the month of October. At the same time, daughter bulbs should be planted in a separate bowl, and they should be looked after the same way as adults, understanding that when the mother's bulbs begin to bloom in full, the bowl with children will be filled only with greenery, which will gradually begin to fade (at the same time as the peduncle withers and tops of maternal bulbs).

In this state, the pot with the kids will look

A brief step-by-step scheme of reproduction by bulbs:

1. Wait for the flowering of the mother bulb and, as the flowers twist (wither), cut them off.

Flower stalk after flower wilting

2. After withering the tops (September-October), dig the bulbs, put them in a row, without breaking the tops, in a warm, but well-ventilated room for a week.

Dug out freesia bulbs with tops

3. Peel the bulbs from the tops and separate the children. They easily come off with your fingers, without damaging the mother's bulb. Pickle in any fungicide according to the instructions.

Washed Freesia Bulbs

4. Leave in storage for two months in a warm place where the temperature is at least 25-30 degrees. Only under such a condition the bud of the peduncle is formed in the bulb. For example, you can put the bulbs in a linen bag and hang them on the side of the battery. Not on the battery itself, otherwise the bulbs will simply dry out, namely on the side pipe. On the floor under the bag, install a container of water, which will provide the necessary moisture to the bulbs. High temperature (30 degrees) and high humidity (70%) are the main storage conditions.

Thus, it is possible to warm the freesia bulbs, preparing them for further storage

5. After that, you can move the bulbs in an open container, paper or linen bag for further storage in a room where the temperature is stable at least 20 degrees.

Freesia bulbs prepared for storage

6. For an apartment: daughter bulbs are planted at any time, from August to November.

For the garden: planting bulbs in a separate place in the garden in early April. If the temperature exceeds 17 degrees, the leaves of the plant lengthen, and the peduncle decreases, and may not appear at all. Thus, the plant should germinate before the appearance of the peduncle (5 weeks from planting) in cool, in the light and at high humidity. This rule applies to the cultivation of freesia in an apartment in a pot.

7. Both apartments and the garden: wait for the leaves to turn yellow and dig the bulbs.

8. Repeat points: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Now (after a year) you can admire the flowering of daughter bulbs.

Seed propagation

Few people resort to this method, since it will take a long time to implement it (it takes a year from planting seeds to the appearance of peduncles), but it is quite feasible. Sowing seeds in a pot is better to squeeze at the beginning of spring - the period when all nature awakens.

Freesia seeds

Sowing seeds is as follows:

1. In March, seeds soaked in water for 24 hours in advance, sprinkled with a layer of the earth of not more than two centimeters are sown in equal parts (or a special substrate for bulbous) in a nutritious and medium-moistened mixture of humus, peat and sand. The pot should have good expanded clay drainage. Freesia does not tolerate stagnation of water.

A pot filled with drainage and earth

2. The container is covered with cling film or glass, opening twice a day for ventilation and condensate removal. Seeds should germinate at room temperature 20-25 degrees.

The effect of the greenhouse is obtained when the container with planted seeds is covered with glass or film

3. After 10 days, the first sprouts appear. During this period, the soil should not be allowed to dry out by spraying it from the spray gun, more often ventilate the container with seeds, and after a month completely remove the glass or film.

Stage of picking seedlings of freesia

4. In early May, the entire container will be filled with greenery, and it is time to dive seedlings. To do this, take a more spacious tank and plant seedlings at a distance of 3-5 centimeters. Freesia has delicate and fragile sprouts, so when picking, you need accuracy. The container with seedlings can be put on the balcony, but protect it from gusts of wind.

The first shoots of freesia

5. When the temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius, the container is brought into a warm room and regular watering is continued, feeding seedlings twice a month with any complex fertilizer for flowering plants. You can not overfeed freesia - they react poorly to excess fertilizer.

Abundant freesia greens ready for the appearance of a peduncle

6. In February, freesia for such a long wait and thorough care will generously give you long flowering and bright colors, as well as the most beautiful and delicate aroma. It is worth considering that an adult plant needs support.

Lush flowering freesia in a pot

7. After the plant fades, the peduncles are cut, leaving the bulb to ripen in a pot. Watering should be reduced, and by mid-summer and completely stopped.

Bulbs after cut wilted tops

8. In August, remove the bulbs from the ground and leave to dry, as described above. For winter forcing, these bulbs can be planted in early October.

Only freesia can give bright colors of summer and spring aroma in frosty winter

Garden freesia: planting bulbs and seasonal care

There is no concept of indoor freesia or garden. This is one plant that, when certain conditions are created, can be grown both in a pot and in the garden.

When and how to plant plants

In central Russia, freesia bulbs are planted in early or mid-April in a place where there is no direct sun, i.e. at partial shade. Freesia is photophilous (she needs light 12 hours a day), but the bright sun does not tolerate. If you plant the bulbs later, there is a risk of getting too weak peduncles or not seeing them at all. Freesia sprouts, gains green mass and ejects a flower stalk at a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, but copious flowering should occur at a higher temperature - 25 degrees.

Blooming white freesia in the garden

Some gardeners offer to first germinate freesia at home, before it is finally planted on a flower bed, but this step is not necessary in the agricultural technology of this plant. Starting planting, it is advisable to clean the bulbs from the scales and pickle in a potassium permanganate solution for 30 minutes (2 liters of water at the tip of the knife) or any fungicide according to the instructions, because if this is not done, adult plants can be affected by thrips or fungal diseases. Damaged or stained bulbs are discarded. Then the bulbs are planted in a pot at the end of February in fertile soil (as experienced gardeners suggest), or immediately into the ground no later than by mid-April.

The pickling of bulbs in a weak solution of potassium permanganate will provide their protection against fungal diseases and rot

Video: preparing freesia bulbs for planting

The planting scheme is as follows: depth - 3 cm, the distance between plants - 3-5 centimeters, row spacing - 15 centimeters.

It should be borne in mind that freesia does not tolerate stagnation of water, so the plant needs to provide good drainage. To do this, they plot a furrow of 15 centimeters deep, spread clay in 1 layer on its bottom, fill it with nutrient soil, place onions with sprouts up on it (or spread already sprouted plants with leaves with a lump of earth), and sprinkle with earth to the end of the furrow.

Planting pre-germinated freesia in open ground

Video: landing of freesias in open ground

How to care during growth and flowering

If freesia is planted in fertile soil, there is no need to overdo it with top dressing - freesia does not respond well to excess fertilizer, but after emergence the plants need to be fed with ammonium nitrate (20 grams per bucket of water), and then, if desired, fed once or twice a month plant fertilizer for flowering.

Weeding and cultivation is another important point in the cultivation of freesia. In the period of active growth and the appearance of a peduncle, freesia is watered very abundantly. The earth should not dry out, but stagnation of water should be avoided.

Abundant Freesia Flowering in the Garden

Freesia is a fragile plant, its peduncles easily break under the weight of flowers, therefore, as soon as the leaves begin to disintegrate, they need to be supported with stretched twine.

Example of Twine for Freesia

If a high temperature has risen on the street, and air humidity has significantly decreased, freesia is sprayed from the spray gun. This is important to do in the evening or very early morning: the leaves must have time to absorb moisture.

Sprinkling freesia by spraying or spraying provides the plant with the necessary moisture

Freesia can be affected by diseases and pests that are characteristic of gladioli: spider mites, thrips, aphids, fusarium, scab and various rot. Plants affected by fungal diseases are immediately removed from the flower bed. Disinfection at the beginning of storage and before planting solves all these problems. And insecticides cope with pests at an early stage of detection.

How to prepare a plant for winter + storage of bulbs

As the flowers are discarded and the tops get stuck, the tops are reduced, and after they are completely stopped, the bulbs are left until the first possible frost in the ground (early October). In central Russia, freesia does not withstand wintering in the ground. In the south, bulbs can be left to winter in the flowerbed, but still it is very risky. If you decide not to bother with digging, then you need to cover freesia with a layer of mulch of 20 centimeters from straw or fallen leaves, but this may not save the bulbs from frost.

The most reliable way to preserve the bulbs until the next season is to dig them out, rinse all the leaves, rinse for an hour in a weak potassium permanganate solution and leave to dry in a dry room for up to 5 days.

Laying freesia bulbs for further storage

So that the bulbs do not get lost in the ground, and it is easy to remove from there, there is one tricky, but very convenient method: the bulbs are planted in boxes with holes over the entire surface, and then they dig it into the ground. In such boxes, citrus fruits are delivered to supermarkets. Firstly, by planting bulbs in boxes, you will provide the plants with good drainage by scattering expanded clay at the bottom, and do not clog the soil on the flowerbed. Secondly, with the onset of cold weather, the box is easily removed from the flower bed, and finding all the mother and daughter bulbs in it will not be difficult to the last.

Using the example of tulips planted in boxes, you can see how bulbs are planted in boxes that are buried in the ground

Bulbs are stored at a temperature of 20-25 degrees and at high humidity (60-70%) - this is the most important condition for the formation of the future flower stalk in the bulb. Maternal and daughter bulbs should be immediately separated from each other. The mother bulb will give color in the next season, and the daughter bulb in a year, but provided that it is planted at the same time as the mother, but in a separate place. To feel the breath of spring in winter, part of the collected mother's bulbs can be planted in a pot on their windowsill. This is called spring forcing of freesia.

blooming freesia in a pot on the windowsill

Solving problems with growing freesia in the garden

Freesia has one feature: it must go through a long rest period of 3 months at high humidity and temperature. If this condition is violated, the bulb has not gained enough strength, therefore it will not at all sprout, and when it is excavated, the formation of several daughter onions can be detected.

The reason why freesia does not bloom is also not compliance with the temperature regime. And such a plant will not help any feeding, transplantation or anything else. As a rule, sellers store bulbs in the refrigerator, so they need to be warmed up. In addition, freesia will not eject the peduncle if the inputs have already appeared, but there was a sudden bad weather, and the temperature dropped below three degrees Celsius. Also, at too high a temperature in the first 5 weeks, freesia refuses to bloom. The middle of May is already a late time for planting freesia in the garden.

If freesia leaves lie down, then the temperature on the street is too high. The reason for the yellowing and drying tips of the leaves of the plant is excessive or insufficient watering. At low humidity, the plant also gives a signal to the yellowing tips of the leaves. In addition, a large number of top dressings may not affect the condition of the plant in the best way.

Freesia at home: caring for a flower that grows at home on a windowsill

Any variety of freesia can be grown in a pot, but still hybrids are best suited for this purpose. To grow a plant in winter that exudes purity, freshness and crazy colors of summer is quite simple, knowing a few subtleties.

Pink freesia in a pot eliminates winter depression

How to plant freesia in a pot

Before planting freesia in a pot, the bulbs that have passed the period of proper temperature storage are peeled to avoid the occurrence of fungal diseases and can withstand an hour in any disinfecting solution (fungicide). Landing of freesias and blooming indoors can occur in 3 different seasons: normal flowering (from mid-August to mid-October); earlier flowering (from mid-May to mid-August); late flowering (from mid-November to mid-February).

Young freesia seedlings in a pot require special attention in the first 5 weeks

Video: freesia two weeks after landing

Important steps for planting freesia in a winter distillation pot:

1. In October, expanded clay is laid at the bottom of the pot without holes, but if the pot has good openings to drain excess water, then this is not necessary.
2. Bulbs are planted in a ready-made water-absorbing substrate for bulbs or home-made soil from peat, leaf, humus and sod land to a depth of 3 cm and a distance of 3-5 cm. There is no need to cover the pot with a film.
3. Place the container with planted bulbs in a well-ventilated area where the temperature does not exceed 15 degrees.
4. After the emergence of seedlings, feed the plants with a complex mineral composition, and then repeat feeding twice a month.
5. Set the support for the emerging leaves.
6. After flowering, cut off the entire tops and gradually stop watering, leaving the bulbs to ripen.

Table: Freesia conditions depending on the season: lighting, humidity, temperature

Features of watering, top dressing

Freesia is sensitive to watering. It is impossible to overfill it as well as to underfill it. The soil is moistened as it dries, but not completely dry. It is best to pour freesia from below, putting a pot with young seedlings in a container in which to pour water to the bottom.

Freesia needs to be fed every two weeks with a standard mineral complex for flowers. Too frequent feeding for freesia is harmful. She will "tell" about it, showing yellowing leaves.

The solution to the problems that often arise with indoor freesias: treatment for diseases and pests

Table: pests characteristic of freesia

Untreated freesia bulbs can be affected by different types of rot or fungal diseases, of which there are a great many. In order to avoid diseases of the bulb, it is enough to process them in antifungal preparations after digging and before planting, and also to remove the husk from them without fail.

Photo Gallery: Freesia-harassing pests

Table: Diseases of Freesia

The defeat of Fusarium and scab on the example of gladioli bulbs

Useful reviews about growing freesia in a pot and in open ground

Diseases and pests in freesia are the same as in gladioli: thrips, aphids, spider mites, as well as scab, fusarium and all kinds of rot. Affected plants must be removed and destroyed, and to avoid all these troubles, you just need to disinfect the bulbs before storage with a light solution of potassium permanganate and repeat this procedure before planting. In the process of growth and flowering, observe the regime and degree of watering: do not water the soil, but do not let it dry out.

Listieva Lilia//floristics.info/ru/stati/sadovodstvo/1894-freziya-posadka-i-ukhod-vyrashchivanie-v-otkrytom-grunte.html#s54

The ends of the freesia leaves can dry out and turn yellow due to insufficient or excessive watering (maintain a light, even soil moisture), from an unfavorable temperature and dry air (maintain the temperature of the freesia content optimal for the season and take care of the air humidity). It is recommended to water the freesias from the bottom (from the water pan through the drainage hole) and place a wide vessel with water next to the pot so that the plants constantly receive evaporating moisture.

Ziborova E.Yu.//www.gardenia.ru/quests/quest_390.htm

I’ll tell you about my experience, which is not yet complete and halfway to flowering. Here earlier I asked the question how to plant in the spring, or rather what to do with the choice of a pot. I didn’t wait for an answer and just planted it in what it was. I planted it in a cool place, there was a pot on the balcony at 15 gr. Buried already hatching onions with root primordia. After 10 days or so, the first - and the last - ascended. Then she dried up. Somewhere in the middle of summer I dug up to check that they had completely decayed or what is. It turned out that the onions are in place and whole. Most likely they sleep. I began to look for info and found that this is possible with improper storage. They need +25 2.5-3 months and put in cool. Otherwise, they either do not bloom or do not sprout at all (like mine). In the summer I watered from time to time, although I think this is not necessary. I decided that I would dig up in the fall, arrange storage according to the rules, and plant in the spring. As a result, I dug it in the fall, they just lay dry in October on a cold balcony. At some point she noticed that the onions began to grow. And I had to plant them, leaving them there on the balcony and again cool. Somewhere in a week 4 pieces hatch, and then another 2-100% germination. Moved to a warm bright place and now I grow. Grow fast. I watch what will happen next and what will be the result.

Ancus//frauflora.ru/viewtopic.php?p=8363#p8363

It grows well in open ground. I have been living on the street all year round. It tolerates short-term heat and drought. The minimum temperature is -3 -5 ° C. But usually winters at + 5-10. In Belarus, you can plant in the ground at the end of April. The soil is very light, the place is well-lit, but the slack is shaded from the direct sun. If you want it to bloom earlier, you can plant it in a pot in February, and then in the garden.

Pepino//frauflora.ru/viewtopic.php?p=8363#p8363

After my freesia bloomed, I cut off the color and dry stems, left the pots on the windowsill. When it got warmer on the street, I put the pots on the street and began to gradually reduce watering, and by the end of June stopped it altogether. In early August, I poured soil from the pots and found that in each pot, I had up to 20 onions, which I dried and put in the cellar until September. At the end of September, you can start planting the onions again in containers to enjoy in February intoxicating aroma of lilies of the valley.

Tori//bestrost.ru/zvetuchie/freziy.php

Be sure to pickle the bulbs. I was too lazy, now my thriving eats thrips. I will poison. Freesia slowed down in growth. And a little more information - that freesias bloomed, they need wintering at 25-30 degrees Celsius for 3 months. After planting, a temperature of 8-10 degrees Celsius is needed for at least a couple of weeks. Bloom 3 months after planting.

Svetonka//ourflowers.ucoz.ru/forum/60-456-2

Freesia is an elegant plant that many associate with spring. Unfortunately, this flower has gained fame as a capricious plant, but this is an erroneous opinion. Freesia is really sensitive to temperature during storage of bulbs and growth, but it is quite possible to grow it both in the garden and in a pot on the windowsill, observing certain rules. It is better to plant freesia in the garden in April, and in spring in October. So you will surely be able to enjoy the long flowering and unforgettable aroma of this delicate plant.