Planting and caring for freesia at home, how to grow it from a bulb

Flower growers love to discover new exotic crops. Each of them, in the process of their activities, gets acquainted with a flower such as freesia. It often grows outdoors, but can be planted indoors. As practice shows, freesia is a capricious flower. Therefore, when growing freesia At home, a lot of effort must be made so that no difficulties arise during planting and care.

Description of a delicate flower

The average height of a houseplant is 55-65 cm. The shoots are decorated with green leaves. The leaf blades reach 20 cm in length and 2 cm in width. From 7 to 12 flowers appear on one inflorescence. The flowers reach 6 cm in diameter. The colors are white, yellow, purple, lilac and red. The flowers emit a delicate aroma, reminiscent of a mixture of lily of the valley and lily.

Freesia varieties

Most often in the “domains” of flower growers there is a hybrid. It is the result of crossing Armstrong freesia and refracted freesia. The listed types are the most basic.

Freesia Armstrong

The bush reaches a height of 60-70 cm. It blooms with pink, scarlet or red flowers. They are shaped like bells. From 3 to 5 pieces are formed on each panicle. The green leaves look like small swords due to their elongated shape. Blooms in May. The most common variety of this type of freesia is Cardinal.

White, broken or refracted

Unlike other types, it is compact in size. The bush does not grow higher than 40 cm. Thin stems form a spreading bush. Flowering occurs in April. Refracted varieties: Alba and fragrant.

Freesia hybrid

The flower species received the best qualities from its parents. The tall bush is characterized by strong branching. Large flowers grow on the brushes, emitting a delicate aroma. There are different solid colors, and also painted in several shades at once. Popular subspecies: Rose Marie, Ballerina and Pimperina.

Features of growing at home

Freesia is a fragrant flower that has adapted well to growing indoors.As a rule, people note its flowering in winter, but not everyone knows how to plant freesia in a pot. There are general requirements for all types.

Freesia needs

Despite the fact that the flower pot is under human supervision, it requires increased attention. By creating all the necessary conditions, you can achieve abundant flowering.

Light

The flower loves a lot of light and, unfortunately, in the cold season the weather is not able to provide this. Freesia should be exposed to light for at least 12 hours a day. The most suitable place in the house for a flower is a window sill located on the south side of the house. But at times of increased solar activity, the plant is moved away from direct rays.

The soil

Most gardeners buy ready-made soil mixture for flowers. The recipe for preparing the substrate is very simple, so anyone can do it. For the container you will need soil from under any tree (leaf), sand and peat. So that the crop does not need calcium, the soil is enriched with ash and bone meal. The last components are taken a pinch at a time, as this will be enough.

Temperature

When planting a plant in spring indoors, it is necessary to keep the temperature within 20 °C. If planting was carried out in winter, the first two weeks are kept at the same temperature as in the previous case. After this, it is reduced to 10 °C. The plant does not tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations.

If the thermometer shows below 2°C or above 20°C, the shoots of the crop will become deformed. She will grow and develop poorly.

Moisture

The humidity level in the room where the flower grows should be average. It is recommended to avoid high humidity, as this has a negative effect on the flower.Dry air also does not benefit freesia.

Support

Long freesia leaves are tied to the support. If this is not done, they hang down and break over time. As a result, this spoils the appearance of the bush.

At the moment of bud formation, the stems also need to be tied up. A support is used for this. The plant will not have enough strength, especially if the crop is large and blooms profusely. The duration of the flowering period is 1 month.

Further care for freesia

If you plant a flower according to all the rules, this does not guarantee favorable growth. For a culture to fully develop, it needs careful care. Freesia needs watering, fertilizing, replanting, and even preparation for winter.

Features of watering before and during flowering

The flower reacts very sharply to water quality. To avoid any problems, use only settled water. Water the soil twice a week as it dries out. It is enough to moisten the top layer.

In winter, the air is quite dry, so the plant may need moisture. To do this, freesia is sprayed from a sprayer. The procedure is recommended to be carried out in the evening.

Stores that sell flowers have various devices for humidifying the air. Most often these are small fountains. If possible, it is placed close to flowerpots. During flowering, the crop needs a lot of moisture. Over time, watering is reduced.

How to properly fertilize a flower

The ideal option for freesia is mineral fertilizers twice a month. These can also be complexes designed specifically for flowering plants. 2 weeks after flowering stops, the soil continues to be saturated with superphosphate.

Specifics of care after flowering

It is necessary to care for the plant after the flowers disappear. It is not customary to leave faded inflorescences on the shoots; they are disposed of. Leaf blades and stems are also removed down to the very base. Only the onion remains in the container.

Watering is not stopped for 8 weeks. After this, they are dug out of the soil and cleaned to remove excess soil. The bulbs are placed in water with the addition of potassium permanganate. This is a mandatory procedure for each instance. They should dry within 3-4 days after soaking.

Transplanting a plant

The hybrid species requires annual replanting. The procedure is carried out in spring. For everything to go well, the container with the flower is kept in a room with a temperature no higher than 15 °C. Thanks to this approach, the crop produces its first shoots 2-3 weeks after transplanting to a new location.

Breeding methods

The flower propagates in two ways:

• seeds;
• bulbs.

Collected or purchased grains are sown in loose soil with the addition of peat. Sowing is carried out at the end of March or beginning of April. After the appearance of young shoots, the crop gradually develops, and flowering occurs in the fall.

Propagation of freesia by bulbs involves planting it in the ground to a depth of 5-6 cm. They are planted in the spring in April. Freesia is a flower that propagates easily. Therefore, you can breed and plant it all year round.

Bulb storage

Despite indoor cultivation, freesia needs a summer or winter rest, depending on what time it bloomed. If the plant is young and has only had one growing season, it should not be disturbed until the next season. The container is taken to a cool place and kept there until the next season. The room temperature should be dry.

Freesia bulbs are stored outside the soil. The pot is freed from the soil, and they are sorted, choosing large and small. Small ones that managed to form during the growing season are separated from large ones.

The bulbs are stored in the same way as regular onions stored for the winter. Under no circumstances should you choose a refrigerator for this. Frequent fluctuations in humidity and temperature contribute to the awakening of the bulbs.

If this happens once, there is nothing wrong with it and the bulbs will not suffer from it. But if this phenomenon repeats constantly, the plant may not bloom. Failures of this kind are detrimental to culture.

Freesia is stored in a place where it is protected from moisture. Otherwise, it may cause rot. Rodents are very fond of root vegetables, so the bulbs also have to be protected from them.

Growing freesia in a pot from a bulb is quite possible. The main thing is to approach this matter with all responsibility. As a result, a person will receive a beautiful flowering plant that will decorate the room and bring bright colors to cold winter days.