How to care for a freesia flower. Growing freesia in open ground, care at home. Optimal conditions for growing freesia

Freesia is loved by many for its truly royal elegance. Its delicate aroma, vaguely reminiscent of lily of the valley, and the variety of colors of the buds make it attractive to flower growers and gardeners.

In addition, freesia flowers stay fresh in a bouquet for a long time.

Freesia: plant description

– a close relative of the iris, belongs to the Iris (Kasatikov) family. The birthplace of the flower is Africa.

The stems of freesia are graceful, branched, without edges, and covered with brown scales. The leaf blades, depending on the type, are wide, lanceolate-shaped, or narrow, sword-shaped.

Also, the shape of the flower buds differs in different varieties. They can be in the form of a bell, a funnel and a deep bowl. Usually the buds are located on one side on curved stems.

Flowers can be double, semi-double or single. The variety of petal colors when freesias bloom is striking: red and yellow (such species grow quickly), purple and blue, white and orange, pink and creamy.

The color of the flower's throat differs from the color of the petals. Freesia usually blooms in the middle of winter. Freesia is a fruit-bearing flower. Its fruit is a basket of seeds.

This plant is a corm, which allows you to choose the method of propagation. Freesia at home is most often a hybrid species; it grows up to a meter in height.

The leaves of this plant are up to 20 cm in length, usually oblong, the inflorescences are one-sided, the buds are up to 5 cm in length.

Did you know? Freesia is valued not only as an ornamental plant: its delicate, delicate aroma is used in perfumery and in the manufacture of cosmetics (shampoos, soaps, lotions).

Optimal conditions for growing freesia

Freesia requires special attention when grown in a pot.

To achieve its flowering, you need to create all the conditions and care for it.

Lighting

To provide the flower with the necessary lighting - 12 hours a day, you will have to purchase a phytolamp as additional lighting. The optimal place for freesia will be a southern window sill. When the sun is too active, it is better to move the plant further away from direct rays.

Air temperature and humidity

Immediately after planting, the optimal temperature for the plant will be +20 °C. After seven to ten days it needs to be lowered to 10°C (if planting was in winter, the same 20°C remains in the spring).

The main thing in the temperature regime is not to allow temperature fluctuations below 2°C and above 20°C, otherwise the plant buds will wither and become deformed.

Soil requirements

To plant freesia, you can purchase a special substrate for bulbous plants. Or, before planting freesia in a pot, prepare the soil yourself.

For this you will need: peat, sand, turf soil (2:0.5:1), a generous pinch of bone meal and ash (this will provide additional calcium).

How to properly plant freesia in a pot

Before planting freesia, prepare a pot for the plant; be sure to place drainage on the bottom (expanded clay, small river pebbles, polystyrene foam).

When does the landing take place?

If you want to enjoy freesia blooms in winter, plant the bulbs in September. In this case, the buds will bloom in January-February.

Planting scheme

When planting in a pot, freesia planting material is pre-soaked in a solution of azotobacterin: 0.5 g per 10 liters of water. Select a pot with a diameter of about 20 cm.

Place drainage and charcoal at the bottom, and then the prepared, moistened substrate. Plant several bulbs at a depth of 2-3 cm. After planting, place the plant in a bright but cool room.

Important! Immediately after planting, do not water the plants until shoots appear. As soon as the first leaves appear, the plant is moved to a warm place and watering begins.

How to properly care for freesia at home

Freesia has brittle stems, so the plant is provided with support so that the stems do not break under the weight of the buds when they bloom. The flowering period of the plant lasts about a month.

Interesting! In Europe, royal gardeners were engaged in freesia; the flower was expensive, and only the aristocratic strata of society could afford to purchase a southern beauty.

Features of watering before and time of flowering

To water the flower, use warm, settled water. Excessive watering threatens to rot the bulbs, so water as the soil dries out (twice a week).

In winter, under the influence of heating, the air in indoor spaces is dry - spray the plant with a spray bottle, preferably in the evening.

Today, mini-fountains are used as decoration; if you have one, it would be nice to place freesia nearby. During the flowering period, watering is needed more often, then gradually reduce. When the freesia fades, watering stops.

How to properly fertilize freesia

Freesia is fertilized with complex mineral compounds twice a month. Use fertilizers for flowering plants. Immediately after flowering, the plant still needs feeding: once every two weeks with a solution of superphosphate.

Features of care after flowering

When planting bulbs, freesia requires care both before and after flowering. As soon as the inflorescences have wilted, they are carefully removed, the leaves are cut off and the stem is trimmed to the base.

Only the bulb remains in the pot, which is watered for a month and a half. Then they carefully dig it out of the ground and wash it off the ground.

Before sending for storage, soak in a weak solution of manganese and dry for several days.

Transplanting a plant

Having figured out how to plant freesia at home, let’s consider the transplant conditions. Homemade hybrid freesia is replanted annually in the spring.

For the procedure to be successful, the plant is kept for some time at a temperature no higher than 15 degrees. The microclimate carefully created for the bulbs transplanted to a new location will bring results in two to three weeks - the first shoots.

Freesia propagation

Freesia does not cause much trouble during reproduction. The plant can be propagated by seeds and corms. The seed method is used mainly for breeding new varieties.

. To get seeds from your plant, freesia will have to be artificially pollinated. But regardless of whether you collected the seeds or bought them, they need to be disinfected before sowing in a manganese solution, soaking them for a day.

For sowing, prepare seedling boxes and soil (a mixture of turf and leaf soil). Sowing is carried out shallowly, in a moistened substrate.

In a little more than three weeks, the first shoots will appear. At home, young shoots are covered with glass, creating a greenhouse; If possible, plant in a greenhouse.

Care is not difficult: regular watering, weeding, light and weekly fertilizing with potassium and phosphorus.

Freesia (lat. Freesia)- a perennial bulbous plant of the Iris (Kasatikovyh) family, one of the popular cut crops, which is successfully grown both in the garden and at home - on the windowsill. Delicate, brightly colored flowers serve as an excellent decoration for flower bouquets and compositions, maintaining their freshness and beauty for a long time. The homeland of freesia is hot Africa, where it grows on the damp banks of rivers and lakes among other shrubs that protect the delicate beauty from the scorching rays of the sun.

Freesia is one of the most elegant, graceful flowers with a very delicate and pleasant aroma. Its subtle aroma is used by perfumers to create incredibly beautiful floral perfume compositions that are extremely popular. The flower received its beautiful name thanks to the German botanist and doctor Friedrich Fris, who, by crossing several varieties of the plant, discovered it in Europe. In gardens you can most often find hybrid freesia, which is a capricious and demanding plant. To grow an “African beauty” in your garden or home, you need to follow some growing rules and remember to regularly care for the plant throughout the season.

Freesia flower description

Freesia flower is a herbaceous compact plant up to 1 meter high with a branched bare stem and thin dark green leaves, 15 to 20 cm long. Leaf width is 1 - 1.5 cm. Freesia is a plant with a small corm, which is renewed annually - Last year's bulb dies and is replaced by a new one. The color of the corm scales is light brown. On a refined peduncle there are racemose inflorescences with fragrant funnel-shaped flowers of a wide variety of colors: white, blue, lilac, pink, cream, yellow, red and orange. There are varieties of freesias with a combined color of the petals. Freesia petals are very delicate and fragile, they have a peculiar porcelain texture, for which florists value them very much. Freesia looks especially gentle and graceful in wedding bouquets, because it is not for nothing that the flower is a symbol of beauty, youth, trust and serenity. Among the varieties of freesia there are flowers of simple and double shape. The simple form of the flower has one row of petals, while double freesia has several. Flowering lasts from 4 to 6 weeks, starting in August, and can continue until frost.

Freesia: types and varieties

In nature, you can find up to 20 species of this beautiful plant. In our climate, in open ground: in greenhouses in gardens, as well as in pots at home, three main species are grown, which are divided into varieties.

Freesia Armstrong. A plant up to 70 cm high with long, sword-shaped, strong leaves. The flowers are bell-shaped, collected in panicles of 3-5 pieces with scarlet, red, pink flowers. Flowering period is May-June. The most beautiful and famous variety:

Cardinal – freesia with a bright dark red inflorescence 9 cm long, in which there can be from 9 to 11 flowers, the flower shape is simple.

Freesia hybrid. Plant up to 1 meter with highly branched stems. The inflorescences are large, the flowers are from 5 to 7 cm in diameter. The flowers have a wide variety of colors: crimson, yellow, purple, scarlet and orange, and have a pleasant aroma. There are also two-color flowers among the hybrid freesia. The most famous varieties are:

Freesia broken or white. One of the miniature species, the plant height is no more than 40 cm with thin spreading stems. The inflorescences contain from 2 to 5 flowers of snow-white shades; there are varieties with yellow and orange shades of petals. Flowering time is April. Among the prominent representatives of the species are:

Freesia - growing in open ground

Freesia is a corm plant that can be successfully grown not only in greenhouses and greenhouses, but also in the garden; it is enough to follow certain rules for planting it. You can buy freesia bulbs at a flower shop or even in a supermarket, where they are sold all year round.

Freesia planting - preliminary germination of bulbs in boxes

One of the important rules for planting freesia bulbs is maintaining the temperature regime of the soil, on which the flowering of the plant will directly depend. Keep in mind that freesia is a native of a hot, humid climate, so for the corms to germinate, the soil must be well heated, and the air temperature must be at a steady temperature of 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. Spring weather is changeable and unstable, therefore, in order for bulbs planted in open ground not to die, they must be grown in boxes with fertile, light soil.
For successful germination of the bulb before planting, you must first prepare:

Review your planting material. For planting, choose strong, healthy bulbs, and remove rotten or mummified specimens. Soak the bulbs for several hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate; they need disinfection to protect the planting from fungus.
To plant tubers, prepare low boxes with drainage holes filled with nutritious light soil. A soil mixture containing turf soil, coarse sand and peat is suitable. You can also purchase special ready-made soil for bulbous plants. The layer of soil should be small - 2 cm, sprinkle the bulbs with no more than 1 cm of soil.
Boxes with planted tubers are placed in a warm place, without drafts. The plant begins to grow quite quickly; an important condition for growth is daily soil moisture. With the appearance of the first shoots, watering increases. It is important that the boxes have drainage holes through which excess moisture will escape. The temperature of the room where the containers with sprouts will be located is no less important; it should be no lower than 18 degrees during the day, and no lower than 14 at night.

Planting in open ground

As soon as the height of the sprouts reaches 10 cm in height, subject to warm weather, they can already be transplanted into open ground. The soil for freesia should be chosen as nutritious and moisture-permeable. Freesias grow especially well and produce abundant flowering in soil into which rotted humus or compost is added with the addition of complex mineral fertilizer. The soil for a capricious beauty should be neutral. — 6.0-6.8 If the soil has a high level of acidity, dolomite flour is added to it, and lime is added in the fall. To provide the plant with optimal growth conditions, you need to take care of a good drainage layer in advance. You can use pieces of charcoal, broken bricks or clay shards. Tubers are planted at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other, to a depth of 8-10 cm, very small bulbs - 4-6 cm. The planting site should be light, with partial shade, to protect the delicate petals from the scorching sun, without drafts.
After planting, the plant needs abundant watering and mulching with a thick layer of peat, which will retain moisture in the soil. It should be noted that the optimal temperature for the growth of freesia is 13-20 degrees Celsius. With a sharp decrease in temperature during the growth period of the plant, the formation of short peduncles is possible, and with a high temperature, the leafy part of the plant begins to develop, and barren flowers are formed.

Planting freesia in a greenhouse

The flowering time of freesia, which is planted in greenhouses or conservatories, depends on the timing of its planting. In order for the flower to bloom in winter, it should be planted from early August to October, and for flowering in early spring - from November to February. The soil, as for planting in the ground, is light, nutritious, air-permeable and water-permeable; after planting, the bulbs are mulched with peat or coniferous soil. In a greenhouse, when planting flowers in a row, support frames are installed in advance, onto which a net or twine is stretched, and the plants are tied to them.

Planting freesias in pots for indoor growing

The delicate beauty of freesia can be planted in a pot and grown at home; it is a real decoration for the room. Bulbs are planted between May and September. Choose a pot for planting bulbs with a diameter of 15 cm, you can place 5 or 6 tubers in it, the planting depth is about 5-6 cm. Don’t forget to put drainage at the bottom of the pot. Freesia grows successfully at home in a bright room at an air temperature of no more than 20 degrees.

Freesia care

Freesias planted in the garden require special attention and care; they are very demanding when it comes to watering, and must also be well protected from the wind, which can break its fragile stems. During the period of active growth, it needs to be fertilized with mineral fertilizers.

Watering

Plants need to be watered regularly, but without overwatering, since excess and stagnation of moisture in the soil contributes to rotting of the bulbs. To avoid overwatering, it is recommended to regularly, very carefully loosen the soil. In addition, loosening during the growing season helps remove weeds from the site. Since freesia comes from hot countries with a humid climate, daily spraying of the leaves has a beneficial effect on the plant. It is better to spray and water the flower in the morning to allow the moisture to be completely absorbed into the soil. It is worth noting that during the growth and laying of buds, watering should be abundant and frequent, and after flowering, it should be stopped.

Feeding and fertilizers

During the period of active growth, the plant especially needs feeding. As soon as the first leaves appear, the plant is watered with liquid ammonium nitrate fertilizer (based on 10 liters of water - 20 grams). Then, every 2 weeks it is necessary to apply potassium and phosphorus fertilizers in liquid form to the soil. Recommended use of the solution:

Potassium salt – 20 grams
Superphosphate – 40 grams
Water -10 l

Avoid overdoses of fertilizers, as this negatively affects both the development and flowering of the plant. After freesia fades, during the formation of corms, it is fed with superphosphate.

Garter and trimming

Freesia stems are thin, delicate and fragile; they can break from a strong gust of wind or from the own weight of the inflorescences, so it is very important to prepare reliable support for the plant. You can stretch twine between the rows or create a trellis by attaching growing stems to a support.

Already at the end of July - in August, the period of freesia budding begins, and from August to October its beautiful flowering begins. After the freesia has finished blooming, the dry buds must be cut off to encourage the plant to bloom again. There are several rules for proper pruning:

Trimming a dried bud is done before the fruit begins to form. The optimal amount of stem trimming is considered to be 30% from the top. For pruning, use well-sharpened scissors or pruning shears.
After the end of flowering, the green leaves of the plant are not cut off - they accumulate strength for the upcoming wintering.
Once the foliage is completely dry and turns yellowish or brown, it can be cut off, leaving a stump 5 cm high.

Reproduction

Freesia, like all bulbous plants, reproduces vegetatively by dividing daughter bulbs from the mother corm. Daughter bulbs are formed in the fall, the number of children can be from 3 to 5 pieces. For wintering, they should not be separated from the mother bulb; they are dug up together with an adult bulb and stored until the next planting, and then separated.
Freesia can also be propagated by seeds, but, as a rule, the seed propagation method is rarely used in practice, since it is very painstaking, time-consuming and often ineffective. Seeds are planted in moist, light and loose soil and covered with film. Containers with seeds are placed in a warm place with good lighting, but without direct sunlight. After 3-4 weeks, the first shoots should appear. As soon as they grow a few centimeters, they are thinned out and the film is removed. Sprouted seeds are planted in the ground in May, when the soil has warmed up sufficiently and stable warm weather has established.

Storing freesia corms

Freesia bulbs must be dug up in the fall for wintering indoors, since during the dormant period they need a certain temperature regime. When the foliage of the flower is completely dry, the bulbs can be dug up. Then the bulbs are cleaned, treated with disinfectants and dried in a well-ventilated, warm room at a temperature of 25-27 degrees for about 2-3 days. Dried corms are stored in a warm and humid room over the winter to ensure the plant blooms profusely and actively grows healthy the following spring. To maintain high room humidity, place a bowl of water next to the bulbs; you can also simply hang the bulbs over a container of water or place them on a wire rack. 3-4 weeks before planting, the storage temperature of planting material must be reduced to 12-15 degrees, and before planting it is recommended to wash them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. If the bulbs have not been properly stored, but have been in the refrigerator all winter, they will not produce abundant flowering.

Diseases and pests

Freesias are susceptible to attack by pests such as aphids, thrips and spider mites. It is very important to start controlling these pests early or take preventative measures in advance. During the growing season of the plant, treat the leaves and stems with a soap solution. In case of pest infestation, use insecticides that are diluted according to the instructions. In addition, freesia is prone to infection with fusarium and various types of rot or scab. To combat the disease, fungicidal preparations are used, which are applied in the form of spraying or feeding at the root of the plant. To prevent infection by fungal diseases, freesia bulbs must be treated in a manganese solution before planting. If a plant is infected with a viral disease that causes necrosis of flowers and leaves, the infected bush must be dug up and burned to avoid infection of neighboring healthy flowers.

Freesia in landscape design

Freesia is a fragrant and elegant decoration for any garden or windowsill. It decorates flower beds, flower beds, alpine hills and lawns, and is used in mixed border plantings with herbs: thyme, lavender, rosemary. To decorate a personal plot, freesia is planted in pots or containers, in which it decorates verandas, gazebos, and garden paths.

Its beautiful flowering and ability to remain fresh for a long time after cutting are used to create flower arrangements and incredibly beautiful bouquets. Delicate and sophisticated white freesias are simply created for creating a bridal bouquet.

Freesia is a capricious and heat-loving beauty that requires attention and special care and protection. By listening to our recommendations and advice, you can easily grow the southern beauty freesia in your garden.

Freesia photo

Freesia care

Freesia or freesia is rightfully considered one of the most charming and delicate plants in the garden.

The flower belongs to the Iris or Kasatikov family and is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants that unites more than twenty species of different freesias. The flower got its name in honor of the famous botanist from Germany - Freesia. Due to its exquisite, pleasant aroma, reminiscent of the smell of lily of the valley, freesia is often called Cape lily of the valley.

Homeland and appearance of freesia

Under natural conditions, freesia can be found in South Africa, where the flower thrives on the banks of rivers, where the climate remains humid, as well as among shrubs that protect the delicate flower from scorching rays.

Hybrid freesia is most often grown in gardens. Its height reaches one meter. The stem is branched, the corm is covered with brownish scales. The foliage is thin, with clearly defined veins. The length of the leaf plate is on average 20 cm, and the width is 1.5 cm.

The flowers are very fragrant, 3 to 5 cm in diameter, collected in inflorescences, one-sided in shape. The palette of flowers is very diverse: white, blue, yellow, red, cream, purple, pink. Often the throat of the flowers has a contrasting color that stands out against the background of the petals. At the end of flowering, a fruit is formed on the plant - a capsule.

Also grown in gardens are refracted or broken freesia and Armstrong freesia.

Freesia is a rather whimsical and demanding plant. The plant needs regular care throughout the season.

Watering mode

Immediately after planting and throughout the season, freesias need regular and abundant watering, however, it is important to avoid waterlogging the soil. The soil should dry out between waterings.

Watering is carried out in the first half of the day.

Lighting requirements

The plant can tolerate direct sunlight, but it is important to ensure good air ventilation, that is, do not plant freesia too densely.

In the garden, it is best to choose a place where there is sunlight only in the morning and evening, and partial shade during the day.

Temperature

Freesia is a heat-loving plant and prefers air temperatures between +25-+30 degrees.

To obtain abundant flowering from the moment of planting until the formation of the first leaves, it is better to keep the plant at a temperature of no more than +15 degrees.

Fertilizers and fertilizing

Freesia responds best to liquid fertilizers and does not tolerate dry nutrient mixtures at all.

During the active growth of the flower, fertilizers containing nitrogen should be applied three times; in addition, the fertilizing should contain manganese, phosphorus, iron, potassium and boron.

The following fertilizer application scheme is used in the garden:

Immediately after emergence, fertilize with ammonium nitrate (20 grams of fertilizer per bucket of water);
Twice a month - fertilizing with superphosphate (40 grams per bucket of water) and potassium salt (20 grams per bucket of water).

Planting and replanting freesia

Planting freesia in open ground

The preparatory stage for planting freesia begins at the very beginning of spring - in early March. At this time, the plants are placed in pots filled with an earthen mixture consisting of:

Sod land - two parts;
Peat, humus and sand - one part each.

Nutrients need to be added to the soil: superphosphate, bone meal and fertilizer containing potassium.

It is important to plant freesia while maintaining a certain density: as a rule, no more than six plant tubers can be placed in a three-liter pot with a diameter of 15 cm. The temperature regime required for freesia is from +25 to +28 degrees, while the main thing is to maintain high humidity in the room and regularly moisten the soil.

Shoots appear after two to three weeks, and now the beautiful freesia is ready for planting in open ground.

It is necessary to choose a slightly shaded place in the garden for the flower, carefully protected from drafts, where there is fertile soil. Before planting, the soil on the site is well loosened to a depth of 40 cm. You can immediately dig in pegs to which the plants will be tied in the future. The depth of planting tubers is no more than 6 cm, the distance between plants is from 6 to 12 cm, depending on the variety and type of freesia. The flower can be grown in the garden, but in a container, this will easily protect the plant from possible frosts and unfavorable weather.

If weather conditions permit, freesia can be planted directly in open ground without germinating the tubers in advance, but you must first check the planting material to ensure that no damage or soft parts have appeared on the tubers.

Some gardeners plant freesia tubers in the fall, but this planting is not suitable for those who live in areas with harsh climatic conditions and very cold winters.

Freesia bulb

Propagation by seeds

Before planting, planting material should be soaked for a day in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The planting period is the second half of April or the beginning of June. Seeds are grown at temperatures from +20 to +25 degrees. When the second leaf appears on the sprouts, they are picked and continued to be grown in a greenhouse or conservatory throughout the summer and autumn.

In the second half of autumn or early winter, it is necessary to lower the temperature to +8 and wait for the buds to appear. When the buds appear, the temperature is increased to +15. At the end of flowering, the tubers are dug up and then stored and planted as adult freesias.

Vegetative propagation (by corms)

Before planting, the corm must be carefully inspected to ensure there are no damage or soft parts. Then it is cut into several parts so that each part retains one kidney. The sections should be treated with fungicide (powder) and dried for two days in a well-ventilated area. Then each part of the corm is planted in a prepared pot and wait for sprouts to appear. Strong young plants are transplanted into open ground.

In some cases, small children are formed on the corm, usually 3-4 pieces. They must be dug up in the fall together with the mother corm, stored without separating them with an adult plant, and planted in the ground in the spring.

Storing freesia corms

In order not to lose all the planting material, freesia must be dug up when the leaves begin to dry out, and not wait until they wither completely.

After digging, the leaves are cut off, and the tubers are treated with a disinfectant and dried at a temperature of +27 degrees in a room where a good ventilation system is provided. The drying period for the bulbs takes two to three days.

The storage conditions for tubers depend on what kind of flowering is needed next year.

Early flowering

Planting material is wounded for two weeks at a temperature of +28 to +30 degrees and air humidity of at least 60%.

Normal flowering

For 12-16 weeks, peeled and dried tubers are stored at temperatures from +29 to +31 degrees.

Late flowering

Immediately after digging, the tubers are sent for storage at a temperature of 0-+1 degrees. In this mode, planting material is kept from six months to 9 months. Then the tubers are processed and planted in the ground.

In order to grow freesia flowers in winter at home, you can do the following. After digging, the tubers are stored for three weeks at a temperature no higher than +13 degrees, and then immediately planted in containers. It is better to choose flowerpots with a volume of no more than one liter. Planting depth is from 5 to 7 cm, depending on the size of the tubers. Be sure to provide a good drainage layer. Maintain moderate watering and provide supports for the plants.

Freesia flower

Flowers appear in the second half of August, the flowering period continues until frost. However, flower growers can independently adjust the flowering period of freesia, creating certain conditions for the plant.

Freesia flowers are collected in loose inflorescences. The peduncles are quite flexible and thin; to avoid damage, they are tied up. Modern varieties of freesia are very diverse; there are simple flowers, double flowers with different colors: plain or variegated.

To extend the flowering period with the onset of cold weather, containers with plants are brought indoors and dry flower stalks must be trimmed in a timely manner.

Varieties with double flowers are more capricious, they are more difficult to grow, and the flowering period is short-lived.

Freesia pruning is carried out to stimulate the reappearance of inflorescences on the plant. There are certain rules for trimming flowers and leaves.

Trimming a dried flower

The optimal pruning period is when the inflorescence has faded, but the fruit has not begun to form.
For pruning, use garden pruning shears or kitchen scissors.
Pruning is carried out half a centimeter below the flower located at the top of the stem.

Don't trim the leaves

You should not cut off the leaves at the end of the flowering period, as the leaves help the plant accumulate strength for wintering.

Leaves are cut off after complete drying

It is best to cut the foliage when it turns yellow or brown.

It is necessary to cut off the leaves, leaving a stump 5 cm high.
If the cut leaves are healthy and free of disease and insect damage, they can be used for compost.

Note to the florist

Why do freesia leaves dry out?

Leaves can dry out from lack of moisture, both in the soil and in the air. Also, yellow and brown spots appear from sunburn and excess fertilizer in the soil.

Why doesn't freesia bloom?

As a rule, buds do not appear on the plant after the corms are not kept properly (in a room that is too warm).

Why doesn't freesia sprout?

Sprouts do not appear mainly due to improper preparation of the bulbs for planting. Perhaps the planting material was not treated with a growth stimulator and was not soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate. It is also possible that the corms are not stored properly after digging.

Diseases and pests of freesia

Sometimes in the garden freesia is attacked by aphids, thrips, and spider mites. If pests are found on the plant, they should be collected and the plant treated with an insecticide purchased from a specialty store.

Freesia is also affected by fusarium and various types of rot. To avoid such troubles, it is important to follow all recommendations for growing a flower:

Do not use too cold water for watering (it is better to water the plants with settled water);
Plant plants in such a way that there is a distance between the bushes.

If signs of disease are detected, it is necessary to urgently treat the bush with a fungicide.

In the case of viral diseases that provoke necrosis of flowers and leaves, you need to get rid of the affected plants to avoid infection of healthy bushes.

Freesia care video

Despite its delicate appearance, freesia has an obstinate character. When growing a flower in the garden, it is important to find a bright place for it, but protected from drafts, to provide the plant with long daylight hours, but to exclude sunlight during the hottest time of the day. The regime of watering and fertilizing is important. Adult plants are tied up and the soil around the bushes is mulched. For abundant and long-term watering, the corms should be provided with the correct storage conditions.

Freesia is a beautiful and noble decoration for any garden plot. The homeland of the capricious beauty is considered to be warm and humid African lands, where it was discovered and then domesticated at the beginning of the 19th century. Today, gardeners are attracted by the variety of shapes and shades of freesia flowers. Read our article on how to grow a plant and care for it.

This perennial herbaceous corm belongs to the Iris family, which includes about 20 fascinating species. Blooming freesia always attracts admiring glances. Fragrant, large, bell- and funnel-shaped flowers can create a kaleidoscope of orange, cream, yellow, pink, purple, white and red. Where freesia blooms, the air is always saturated with the subtle aroma of lily of the valley.

Varieties of culture

Freesia Armstrong

The branched stem of this plant reaches approximately 65 cm in height. In spring, such freesia dresses in snow-white, pink, lilac, scarlet or rich red. Fragrant bells are united in 3-5 buds into lush panicles.

Varieties of this type of freesia show off their flowers from May to June. Armstrong's most impressive freesia variety is the Cardinal freesia.

Freesia broken

Its stem rarely exceeds a height of 30 cm. The miniature variety is distinguished by very fragrant flowers of various shades of yellow. There are also varieties that produce white flowers, such as Alba freesia.

Freesia hybrid

Flower growers love this type more than others. The plant was obtained by crossing broken freesia and Armstrong freesia. The culture is notable for the wide palette of shades in which its buds are painted during the flowering period. The highlight of the flower is its pharynx, which, as a rule, is painted in a contrasting color in relation to the petals. A fairly tall crop, the height of which in some cases exceeds 100 cm. The plant species is distinguished by a bare, highly branched stem and a brownish scaly corm. The leaves of this freesia are neat - thin, divided in half by a central vein.

The most impressive representatives of the species are Ballerina, Rose Marie and Pimperina. Admire these varieties of freesia in the photo:

All types of plants have varieties of simple and double forms. A simple-shaped flower has one row of petals, a double-shaped flower has two or more. Considering that flower shops today offer a wide range of freesia varieties and various combinations of varieties in one package, you can grow a real work of art near your home, consisting of freesias of various shapes and colors.

Decorative value of freesia flowers

This charming garden plant is valued primarily as a cut crop. This is not surprising, since freesia flowers:

become the main accent when composing any flower arrangement. For this reason, freesia is a frequent guest in wedding bouquets;
maintain a fresh, attractive appearance for a long time;
attracted the attention of venerable perfumers due to its delicate aroma;
have become an integral element of landscape design;
with proper care, they delight with their abundance both in the garden and on the windowsill.

Freesia: cultivation and care

In a greenhouse, the plant feels great all year round. The bulbs are germinated in large wooden containers or on racks in light and loose soil. A mixture of leaf or turf soil and peat is also suitable. Water the crop regularly and very moderately: after morning watering, the soil around its trunk should dry out noticeably by the evening. Freesia flower stalks must be tied up.

The optimal conditions for germinating bulbs are considered to be a temperature of 20°C. In the cold season, 6 - 7 days after planting, the temperature in the greenhouse is reduced to 10 0 C, and in the spring, make sure that the thermometer does not leave the 20 0 C mark. Sharp cooling or warming (below 2 -3 0 C and above 20 - 21 0 C) spoils freesia peduncles, deforming them. In winter, the flower needs additional lighting.

Growing freesia in open ground

Many people are happy to invite freesia to their garden plot. The plant loves the sun's rays, but does not tolerate wind. The crop grows successfully in loose, humus-rich soil with sufficient drainage.

Before planting in open ground, freesia tubers are given a long period of rest: they are stored for about 3 months in a room with a high level of humidity at a temperature of about 28 - 30 0 C. Freesia is planted in the garden when the danger of sudden frosts has passed. After planting, do not forget to mulch the crop with neutralized peat. Freesia will be able to show itself at its best if it is satisfied with natural light: the flower loves sunlight very much, but does not tolerate the aggressive action of burning rays in too hot weather, therefore light partial shade is considered optimal conditions for normal flower growth.

Peduncles appear by August, and freesia will delight you with luxurious flowering until autumn. The better the weather, the longer the flowers do not fade. Flowers for a bouquet can be cut when at least two flowers in the inflorescence have fully opened their petals. Withered flowers are immediately removed, otherwise they will deprive the neighboring fresh buds and flowers of nutrients.

The graceful plant is distinguished by weak peduncles that easily bend under their own weight, so a freesia garden cannot do without a strong support. In truth, a slight curvature of the stem even looks attractive, but the lack of support threatens the freesia with premature breaking and shortens its life. Twine stretched at several levels in the form of a grid can serve as a support. This design will be needed as soon as the plant shoots reach a height of 15 cm.

A correctly installed support will allow the freesia to maintain a vertical position, which will provide the stem and leaves of the flower with uniform access to air, moisture and light. When tensioning the mesh, you need to ensure that the distance between its cells does not exceed 10 - 15 cm. As the freesia grows upward, the mesh is increased due to new levels.

When flowering ends, the corms are dug up - this must be done before the leaves dry out. The above-ground part of the stem is cut off. For 1 month after removal from the soil, the corms are stored at a temperature of about 25 0 C, then gradually reduce it to 10 0 C.

At the beginning of the growing season, freesia especially needs loose, light soil, so do not forget to periodically loosen the soil around the flower. Abundant and regular watering is also of great importance for freesia - it will bloom only if the soil is constantly moist. The abundant flowering of the garden beauty lasts 3 to 6 weeks. During this time, watering should be gradually reduced until completely stopped. You also need to remember to regularly spray the stem and leaves of the plant, since air humidity is of no small importance for it. Watering and spraying are carried out in the evening, taking into account that the moisture should be completely absorbed by the soil and the freesia itself. In open soil, the flower feels good until the onset of frost.

With the arrival of autumn (late September - early October), freesia fades, its leaves turn yellow and dry out. It's time to dig the plant's corms out of the ground, removing the stem and leaves. Clean the bulbs from the soil, cut off the roots and old scales, and leave them for about 30 minutes. in a non-concentrated solution of potassium permanganate or other fungicide (for example, Fundazol, Maxim) and give them 2 - 3 days to dry completely at a temperature of 25 - 28 0 C in a well-ventilated area. Finally, the bulbs are carefully sorted to discard any spoiled or rotten ones. The healthy part is left for storage.

How to store freesia bulbs

To preserve the integrity of the bulbs of this crop, they are placed in a net and left in a room with a temperature of about 21 - 25 0 C and air humidity above average (about 80%). If there are no suitable storage conditions, you can place a container filled with water under the net with the bulbs. Planting material should be sorted out once a month and inspected for diseased or rotten corms. 1 month before planting in open ground, the bulbs are transferred to a cooler place (from 10 to 15 0 C).

Experienced flower growers store plant bulbs by burying them in dry peat. If severe winters with severe frosts do not come to your area, you can leave the corms in the ground, hiding them under a layer of fallen leaves or spruce branches.

Freesia propagation methods

Progeny from a plant you like can be obtained using its seeds or daughter bulbs.

Propagation by seeds

Sowing is scheduled for the period from April to May. A day before planting, the seeds are immersed in a manganese solution. The next day they are buried in planting boxes with a greenhouse substrate or a mixture of turf or leaf soil.

The first shoots appear after approximately 23 – 25 days. When they are already clearly visible, they are “relocated” to the greenhouse. In order for young freesia to grow stronger, it is regularly looked after: they make sure that it has enough light, water, weed and feed it with fertilizers based on potassium and phosphorus every week.

When transplanting pickled seedlings to a permanent place, use paper cups or special boxes.

Reproduction by daughter bulbs

Tubers are easily stored together with adult bulbs. They are planted in boxes with sand in March, and sent to the ground in April-May. For further good growth of freesia, a certain amount of sand and crushed coal in equal proportions is poured into the planting holes, and then spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate. Seedlings need frequent hilling and watering. Seedlings can be transferred to open ground along with a planting box.

Freesia Fertilizer

In order for the plant to grow healthy, it is periodically fertilized. Freesia is highly sensitive to the degree of soil salinity; therefore, only liquid solutions are suitable for it, and dry mixtures are strictly contraindicated.

The first feeding of freesia should take place 1.5 - 2 weeks after planting: the garden beauty will not refuse nitrogen-based fertilizer. Fertilizing with a high concentration of nitrogen should be applied 3-4 times during the period of active flower growth.

Later, with the appearance of spikelets, a mineral composition is used instead of nitrogen fertilizer, which also supports freesia when it is at the peak of flowering. The plant especially needs mineral supplements with sufficient amounts of iron, boron, phosphorus, calcium, manganese and potassium. For the next feeding at the end of August, it is better to use superphosphate. With the arrival of autumn, freesia slows down its growth: by mid-September, the flower stalks of the plant fade, and the leaves begin to turn yellow. The flower stalks are removed, but the plant continues to be watered and fed.

Experienced gardeners recommend the following feeding scheme: for the first time, fertilizer in the form of ammonium nitrate (20 g per 1 bucket of water) is applied immediately after germination, then every two weeks the freesia is fed with a composition prepared from 40 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium salt per 1 bucket water.

Diseases and pests dangerous to plants

The diseases that gladioli often suffer from pose a great danger to freesia. The sophisticated plant is very difficult to tolerate fusarium, gray, dry, hard, penicillium and sclerotial rots, scab.

Viral diseases such as bean virus and freesia virus can destroy even very tall and healthy flowers. The causative agent of these diseases, the freesia mosaic virus, causes the development of small wet spots on the leaves of the infected plant, which dry out after a while, leaving behind light marks. If there are a lot of such marks, the sheet dies. Due to the harmful virus, freesia bulbs also suffer: they become covered with rusty spots. Beautiful flowering for a diseased freesia becomes an almost impossible task. The plant forms a curved arrow, on which buds with greenish petals subsequently appear. Aphids are considered to be the spreaders of the virus. Diseased plants should be destroyed to protect healthy neighboring freesias.

As a preventive measure, disinfection is carried out by washing the dug up bulbs. The same procedure is carried out before planting the plant in open ground. For processing, zircon, potassium permanganate solution, and foundationazole are used.

Freesia growing in open ground is often bothered by spider mites, thrips and aphids. Detected pests are eliminated using a soap solution or any insecticidal agent.

The health of freesia largely depends on compliance with the rules of agricultural technology:

For watering plants, use only settled warm water.
Watering is carried out no later than 5 pm, so that the freesia leaves have time to dry by night.
Neighboring plants should not be planted too closely, otherwise air stagnation in wet weather cannot be avoided.

Freesia, which is cared for according to all the rules, will thank you with lush blooms and luxurious flowers.

Garden and home freesia: features of cultivation. Video

Freesia is a favorite flower of the kings of France, known since the 19th century. They presented their beautiful ladies with gorgeous bouquets of freesias and decorated their palaces. This unusually delicate and fragrant flower is a symbol of youth, trust, and serenity.

Description

Freesia is a herbaceous perennial corm plant. The South African beauty belongs to the Iris family. It reaches a height of 20–100 cm. The stems are thin, leafless, highly branched. The leaves are linear, with a wide vein visible in the center, and have a sword-like shape. Racemose inflorescences with flowers up to 5 cm long, which have a variety of colors and an unusually delicate aroma. The fruit is a seed capsule. Flowering lasts from April to September. The flowering period lasts up to 1.5 months.

Spreading

Freesia originates from South Africa. About 20 species are known to grow in natural conditions. The plant can be found along river banks among bushes.

Varieties and types

There are more than 20 types of freesia, but the most common are three varieties that can be grown both indoors and outdoors:

Freesia Armstrong. Grows up to 70 cm in height. Blooms from May to June. The flowers are red, pink and scarlet;

Freesia Broken. Low-growing plant – up to 40 cm tall. Flowering begins in mid-spring. Flowers are orange and white;

Hybrid. It reaches a height of 1 meter. Combines the color of flowers of the two varieties described above.

How to plant freesias?

The end of March is the best time to start preparing freesia corms for planting in open ground. Planting material must be healthy, without visible mechanical damage. Flower pots or seedling boxes should be filled with a mixture of sand, humus, peat and turf soil (or purchase ready-made soil for bulbous plants at a specialty store). Place the bulbs evenly in the containers and water generously. The soil should not be allowed to dry out. After 2 weeks, the first shoots will begin to appear.

In the second half of May, when the ground in the flower beds warms up to 15 degrees, the sprouted bulbs are planted in open ground. In warm climates, you can do without germinating the corms and immediately plant them in a permanent place in open ground. In regions with winter temperatures below minus -6 degrees, you can plant bulbs in open ground in the fall.

Before planting, the area for freesia needs to be prepared, namely:

Dig the ground 30 - 40 cm deep;
Drain the area well;
Fertilize with peat;
Dig in pegs for further staking of the plant.

The plant bulbs are planted to a depth of 5 cm, and the distance between them is at least 10 cm.

To avoid overheating of the root system, you need to mulch the soil with humus, peat or coniferous soil.

Freesia will delight you with its flowering 10 - 12 weeks after planting.

Features of care

Freesia does well in partial shade. Planting flowers in hot sunlight can cause the plant to burn.

The optimal temperature for normal growth and development of the plant is 15 - 21 degrees during the day and 10 - 15 degrees at night.

The plant should be fertilized once every 2 weeks with potassium salt and superphosphate.

During the growing season, the area with plants must be cleared of weeds and weeded.

When watering freesia, you should not get too carried away, because excessive waterlogging of the soil can lead to rot in the plant. Watering should be done with settled water.

The duration of flowering can be extended by cutting off the faded peduncle by 1/3 of its length.

After flowering, watering is reduced but continued. During this period, the leaves accumulate nutrients that the plant will need for the next flowering.

When the foliage turns yellow, it should be removed.

Reproduction

Freesia can be propagated in three ways:

Seeds;
Tuber buds;
Corms.

Propagating freesia by seeds is a rather painstaking task. In addition, sometimes it may not give results. Sow seeds on previously prepared soil made of peat, humus, sand and turf soil, then lightly sprinkle with soil. The container must be covered with glass or film. Water. Do not allow the soil to dry out. After a month, the seeds should germinate. When the seedlings reach a height of 2–3 cm, they need to be thinned out and the shelter removed. Young plants are planted in open ground in May.

Small tubers are planted at the same time as adult bulbs. To do this, dig holes 5 cm deep at a distance of up to 12 cm from each other. Above the planted nodules, you need to mulch the soil with a five-centimeter layer of humus.
The easiest way to propagate the plant is by corms. To do this, after digging the plants, separate the bulbs that have grown over the season from each other.

Bulb storage

In September and early October, the bulbs are dug up and disinfected in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. For 2 - 3 days they are dried at a temperature of + 27 degrees. Then you need to discard diseased and cut bulbs, and also remove old roots.

Freesia bulbs should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated area. The storage temperature of the bulbs should be within +25 – 27 degrees. In February it should be lowered to +7 - 8 degrees.

Compliance with the temperature regime is the key to lush flowering of freesia!

Diseases and pests

Freesia can be affected by the following diseases:

Scabby
Rotten
Fusarium
Viral diseases

To avoid the above diseases, it is necessary to disinfect the plant bulbs before planting with a solution of potassium permanganate. Water only with warm water. Provide plants with enough space for air ventilation.

If, nevertheless, your beauty is affected by the above diseases, then without delay you need to spray her with a solution of manganese or foundationazole.

Most often the plant gets eaten:

Spider mite
Thrips

Immediately after detecting pests, they need to be collected and the flower treated with an insecticide.

To prevent the appearance of pests on the flower, it should be sprayed with a soap solution 2 times a season.

Scope of application of freesia:

In gardening, for planting in flower beds and containers;
For cutting. A sprig of freesia will add tenderness and sophistication to the bouquet;
In aromatherapy. The aroma of the South African beauty eliminates headaches, depression and fatigue.

Freesia scented perfumes are very popular in France.

The delicate aristocratic freesia flower will not only decorate any flower garden, but will relieve its owner from a bad mood!