Freesia
My garden is filling up Freesias -yellow, purple and pink flowers are dancing in the breeze and keep inviting me outside into the garden. Freesias come in many colors and have a lovely fragrance, making for great cut flowers. I love them because they keep multiplying every year in my yard and when they are blooming I have an abundant supply of pretty long lasting cut flowers for my vases. The flowers can get large and stems can be at least 14 inches long. My freesias are well established in the garden and I need to stake them. They have become so unruly that they are even making appearances in the grass!
January - February is the time Freesias will start to flower. Start to mix in plant food when you water to give them all the nutrients required for a grand show.
Late Summer or Early Fall
- Plant the bulbs (they are actually called corms)in early fall and make sure that they are protected against the cold. This is a native of South Africa and the bulbs do not tolerate extreme cold. These flowers like to be close to each other, so plant 5 to 6 together. Freesias also like a little bit of sand mixed into the soil to improve drainage. Mixing some bone meal into the soil also is beneficial for great blooming.
Freesia Mug
Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back and see how easy it is to plant Freesias. :)
Growing Freesias from Seeds
- Freesias seeds are very small, with hard shells. Soak them overnight before planting and let them germinate in the dark. Germination takes at least three weeks. Mix the seeds with sand and sprinkle them on the surface of a pot. Cover with black plastic, keep warm at about 70F and check after two weeks. Re-pot or move to garden when roots are about 1.5 inches long. Corms need damp soil to sprout and should be fertilized regularly once they begin to grow.
Plant Doctor
For cut flowers use a clean vase. Old, dried up bacteria can reawaken in new water and choke the stems of the plant so it can't take up water. When you buy freesias from a florist buy those with only one bud open - they will last much longer. Cut flowers will last even longer if they are kept in a cool place at night and moved into the sun during the day.
- Aphids
may be a problem. Spray once with insecticide and check now and then for re infestation.
- Fusarium
is a fungus disease. Treat with a fungicide. I like to cut away anything that does not look 100%. This will assure that each plant gets enough air circulation, reducing the growth of fungus.
-Virus Infection
may occur on Freesias. If there are thin black lines up the side of the leaves or stems, and the plant appears droopy, the virus is present and the plant must be removed and destroyed. There is no cure and it can infect other plants.
