Bright freesia is a fragrant flower for a home or yard. Freesia terry, planting and care

Royal flower, Cape lily of the valley, beauty, what other epithets are not called beautiful freesia for its sophisticated beauty.

Numerous photographs are able to convey fragility and sophistication, but in addition to this, the plant boasts a magical, incomparable aroma.

The birthplace of this miracle flower is the Cape Province of South Africa.

Bulb preparation before planting

Freesia planting is possible only when the weather is dry, warm and sunny at a temperature of + 12-15 C in May. Before planting the crop in open ground, the bulbs need to grow.

With the onset of March, the plant should be cleaned of scales. To not appear fungal diseases, the bulbs are treated with a fungicide.

After that, they are laid out in small boxes with earth and stored in a dry, bright place. The plant should be watered regularly, but it should not be flooded. Transplantation into open ground is carried out after the sprouts reach a height of ten centimeters.

Planting a crop in open ground

The plant is planted in several rows at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other. The gap between the rows of varieties "Double Yellow" ("Freesia Double Yellow") should be about 15 cm.

Before planting, it is necessary to consider the possibility of attaching supports, due to the fragility of the bare flower stalks of the plant, which need support due to their large weight. If you plan to plant a large plantation, you should provide a large mesh over the plants.

As you grow ornamental plants the grid will need to be raised higher. For all varieties, including "Freesia Double Yellow", should be carried out using peat chips, pine branches or non-woven material.

How to care for and fertilize flowers

For good growth, plants need to be fertilized and fed.

Soon after the sprouts have sprouted, ammonium nitrate will need to be added to the soil to enhance their growth. Then twice a month you need to make potash and phosphorus fertilizers.

However, in order to avoid an overdose, which will negatively affect the culture, one should not overdo it with fertilizers. In order for red freesia to grow quickly, it is necessary to keep a record of the performed dressings.

Fertilization, in addition to enhancing the growth of flowers, also effectively protects them from pests and various diseases. When caring for freesia, some features stand out:

Freesia blooms for about a month or even a month and a half, however, if the shrub is cut, the flowering time will increase.
The flower loves moist soil, but it is important not to overdo it with watering.
Twice a season, in order to prevent spider mites and aphids from appearing, the flower must be sprayed using a soapy solution.
If rot appears on the leaves, which most often occurs due to waterlogging, they are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or foundationol. If this is not done in time, deformation of the bulbs is possible, with subsequent wilting of the plants.

reproduction

Growing terry freesia is impossible without its reproduction, which can be done in several ways:

with the help of seeds;
through corms;
through tubers.

If there are bulbs of an adult plant, then storage should be in rooms with good ventilation with a temperature of 25-27 degrees. With the advent of March, you should think about preparing for planting plants in open ground.

Note: if you plan to simply transplant a plant of the Orange variety (Freesia Orange) into open ground, the use of bulbs will be the most optimal.

Delivery of seed can also be ordered by mail. The flower bulbs with which it propagates are transferred to pots with a soil mixture of 2/3 of soddy soil and 1/3 of a mixture of humus and sand. In addition, superphosphate should be added to the soil, potash fertilizer, bone meal in proportions of 10, 20, 30 grams per 10 liters of the mixture.

It's important to know: you need to plant with a density of 6 tubers per pot with a diameter of 13-15 cm. After that, they are placed in a warm, humid room.

The soil should be watered, not allowing it to dry out, and 15-18 days after the emergence of sprouts, the bulbs can be planted in the garden. Reproduction of a plant with the help of seeds is very difficult and only breeders can do this.

How is it combined with other plants

This plant can be grown in the single category using several varieties, and freesia can also be combined with cereals, undersized conifers, variegated miniature shrubs.

However, all gardeners give priority to freesia, because it is worth it, thanks to its beauty and divine aroma, which was noticed back in the 19th century, when this flower was grown by royal gardeners.

Bouquets of these flowers adorned the royal chambers, and gentlemen gave these luxurious flowers to their ladies.

Thanks to their touching beauty and delicate aroma, flowers are still valued today. Lilac freesia is especially popular. A mixture of these colors will amaze anyone with grace.

Growing flowers in a room

You can admire your favorite flowers at home even in winter, when there is snow and frost outside the window.

To do this, you can try to grow a plant at home. And if you properly care for him, the result will not be long in coming.

For these purposes, you should take an average container, the diameter of which will be 15 cm and a medium-sized bulb. At the bottom of this container, drainage should be placed, which can be used as shards, charcoal and garden soil.

The growth of each bulb will be about 4 children, the abundant flowering of which begins a year later. Having provided necessary care plant, you can expect the most beautiful flowers. In the room, you should choose a lighter place for her, because she loves light very much.

How to store bulbs

Bulbs should be stored in humid conditions, so flower growers with extensive experience use nets for these purposes, which are hung over water containers.

The temperature in storage areas should be 25-30 degrees, and a month before you are going to plant them, the bulbs should be placed in a place where the temperature will fluctuate between 10-15 degrees.

Gorgeous flowering, as in the photo in the catalogs, can be achieved when the daylight hours last at least 12 hours, so additional lighting should be installed in winter.

It is possible to increase the flowering time of planted corms of a plant through a change in temperature and humidity. The flowering period of plants lasts from September to March. The inflorescence should be cut after the appearance of the first flower.

How to grow freesia in the garden and at home, see the following video:

Freesia Care

Freesia or freesia is considered to be 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, which combines more than twenty types of different freesias. The flower got its name in honor of the famous botanist from Germany - Freesia. Thanks to the 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 feels great on the banks of rivers, where a humid climate is maintained, as well as among shrubs that protect delicate flower from scorching rays.

Most often, hybrid freesia is grown in gardens. Its height reaches one meter. The stem is branched, the corm is covered with brownish scales. The foliage is thin, with distinct 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. The palette of flowers is very diverse: white, blue, yellow, red, cream, purple, pink. Often the throat of 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 box.

Also in the gardens grow freesia refracted or broken and freesia Armstrong.

Freesia is a rather whimsical and demanding plant. Plant care is needed regularly, 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 morning.

Light requirements

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

In the garden, it is best to choose a place where the sun's rays are only in the morning and evening, and during the day there is partial shade.

Temperature regime

Freesia belongs to heat-loving plants and prefers air temperature in the range of + 25- + 30 degrees.

For getting 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 top dressing

Best of all, freesia reacts to liquid fertilizers and at the same time does not tolerate dry nutrient mixtures at all.

During the active growth of the flower, fertilizers with a nitrogen content should be applied three times, in addition, manganese, phosphorus, iron, potassium and boron should be contained in top dressing.

The following fertilization scheme is used in the garden:

Immediately after germination - top dressing with ammonium nitrate (20 grams of fertilizer per bucket of water);
Twice a month - top dressing with superphosphate (40 grams per bucket of water) and potassium salt (20 grams per bucket of water).

Planting and transplanting 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:

Turf 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, observing a certain density: in a pot with a volume of three liters and a diameter of 15 cm, as a rule, no more than six tubers of plants are placed. 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, 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 ground on the site is well loosened to a depth of 40 cm. You can immediately dig in pegs to which plants will be tied in the future. The depth of planting tubers is not 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 and possible frosts and adverse weather.

If they allow weather, freesia can be planted immediately in open ground without germinating the tubers in advance, but you first need to check the planting material - no damage and soft parts 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 climates and very cold winters.

freesia bulb

Reproduction by seeds

Planting material before planting 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 swoop down and continue to grow 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 raised to +15. At the end of flowering, the tubers are dug up and then stored and planted as adult freesias.

Vegetative propagation (corms)

Before planting, the corm must be carefully inspected so that it does not have damage and soft parts. Then it is cut into several parts so that each part retains one kidney. Sections should be treated with a 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 sprouts are expected to appear. Strengthened 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 out in the fall along with the parent corm, stored with an adult plant without separating, and planted in the ground in the spring.

Freesia corm storage

In order not to lose all the planting material, freesia must be dug up when the leaves begin to dry out, do 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 the room where good system ventilation. The drying period of the bulbs takes from two to three days.

Storage conditions for tubers depend on what kind of flowering you need to get next year.

early flowering

Planting material is wound 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 a temperature of +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 contained 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 not higher than +13 degrees, and then they are immediately planted in containers. It is better to choose flowerpots with a volume of no more than one liter. Planting depth - from 5 to 7 cm, depending on the size of the tubers. Be sure to provide good layer drainage. Adhere to moderate watering and organize supports for 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. Peduncles are quite flexible and thin, to avoid damage, they are tied up. Modern varieties of freesia are very diverse, there are simple flowers, terry with different colors: plain or variegated.

To prolong the flowering period with the onset of cold weather, containers with plants are brought into the room and dry flower stalks are cut off in a timely manner.

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

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

dried flower pruning

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

Do not cut leaves

Leaves should not be cut 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 the leaves, leaving a stump 5 cm high.
If the cut leaves are healthy and show no signs of disease or insect damage, they can be used for compost.

Note to florist

Why do freesia leaves dry?

Leaves can dry 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 does freesia not bloom?

As a rule, buds on the plant do not appear after improper maintenance of corms (in too warm a room).

Why does freesia not 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 the option of improper storage of corms 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 treated with an insecticide purchased from a specialized store.

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

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

If signs of the disease are found, it is urgent to 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 in order to avoid infection of healthy bushes.

freesia care video

Despite your gentle 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 a long daylight hours, but to exclude sunlight during the hottest time of the day. The mode of watering and top dressing is important. Adult plants tie up and mulch the soil around the bushes. For abundant and long-term watering, corms should be organized right conditions storage.

This article will help beginner gardeners.

A large part of how this plant will grow depends on compliance with the rules for planting a plant. Therefore, you need to follow the practical guide for planting freesia.

Choose a place

The best non-greenhouse option is a semi-shaded place, protected from the wind. Give preference to open ground, it is more convenient to comply with the necessary temperature regime(on which the future flowering of your freesia depends).

Choosing a landing time

Freesia should be planted in open ground in mid-April-early May, when the soil temperature is at 10-15 ° C. It is important not to miss this optimal time, because if the soil is still too frozen (up to 10 ° C), freesia flower stalks may not develop.

If the soil warms up too much (over 20°C), the plant runs the risk of being left with large leaves but no flowering.

Preparing the ground

For active flowering and growth, freesias need fertile, moisture-permeable soil. Favorably affects the development of the plant rotted compost or humus.

It is necessary to carefully loosen the soil before planting.

The soil must also be neutral. To reduce acidity, lime the soil or add dolomite flour to the arable layer. Please note that the soil should be loose and well drained.

We plant corms

First you need to prepare them:

Thermal preparation in conditions of high humidity and temperature. This is necessary so that the corms bought in the spring adapt and are ready for planting after a long stay in a cold environment. To do this, you can hold them for a while in a warm place over a container of water. After a while, you will notice the formed germs of the roots. Before planting, it is recommended to store them in cool conditions (10-12 ° C). Temperature changes stimulate the formation of a peduncle.
Processing and disinfection. Necessary for growth simulation, disease prevention and protection. Use phytosporin solution, stimulating solutions, or soak corms in a solution of potassium permanganate (lung) or fondazone for 30 minutes.

Do not plant freesia too deep in heavy soil - it will be more difficult for them to germinate.

Planting depth depends on the condition of the soil. The lighter the soil, the deeper the corms need to be planted. For light, medium and heavy soils, I use depth ratios of 12, 8-10 and 6 cm.

If you plant freesia in pots to decorate a room, planting is possible from May to September (5-6 bulbs in one pot 15 cm in diameter, planting depth 5-6 cm).

How to learn how to grow raspberries that bear fruit three times a year, find out in the article.

How to plant Korean fir is described in.

To learn to plant climbing plants in your country house, follow the link.

reproduction

Freesia is propagated vegetatively or by seeds.

At the end of flowering at the end of July, dig and dry the tubers for breeding. Seeds, before planting, are pre-soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for a day. Landing time is from May to July.

Freesia bulbs must be thoroughly washed and dried so that they are stored for a long time.

Care

Feeding and watering

Do not forget about moistening the soil during the development of the roots. Water often, but do not overdo it - freesia does not tolerate high humidity.

Root development takes up to 15 days. If the soil is properly prepared, then the subsequent germination of the underground part of the stem (corm) will take from 20 to 30 days. After that, the development of leaves, buds and, in fact, flowering occurs. All this time, freesia should be watered frequently, but do it so that the leaves have time to dry and diseases do not form on them.

Freesia does not tolerate high salinity of the soil. The opposite side of salinity is the high content of nitrogen in the soil. The saturation of the plant with nitrogen is the key to the normal development of the plant. The largest percentage of nitrogen is contained in humus (up to 5%). Unfortunately, chernozems are rather rare soils, so not everyone can choose a site with the highest humus content in the soil.

To provide freesia with nitrogen, it is enough to use mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.

In some cases, nitrogen fertilizers alone are not enough. In addition to nitrogen, freesia is very responsive to the amount of calcium, boron, potassium, phosphorus. To feed the plant with these elements, use mineral fertilizers (calcium and potassium nitrates).

pruning

At the end of July, the first buds begin to form, by mid-August - the first flowers.

The flowering period is from August to October. During this period, one of the main methods of care is pruning plants. Since over time the buds fade, dry out and turn yellow, they need to be cut off. The most optimal value for pruning - 30% of the stem. Sometimes it is enough to trim to a young tissue.

It is enough to cut 30% of the freesia stem

It often happens that an unhealthy type of shoot does not indicate a flowering bud, but a disease. In such cases, pruning is the only salvation for the rest of the shoots.

Preparing for winter

The plant begins to turn yellow around mid-October, which is a signal to dig it up. Bulbs need to be dug up, above-ground shoots removed. After that, dry for 3-4 days at 25-28 degrees and remove all unnecessary: rotten, unhealthy bulbs, dirt, scales, etc.

The next time before planting (3-4 months) is practically the most important component of the healthy development and rich flowering of the plant in next year. To properly prepare freesia bulbs, they should be placed in a very warm (25-30°) and humid place. To ensure high humidity, you can put a bowl of water next to it or hang the bulbs above the water.

3-4 weeks before planting, the temperature should be reduced to 12-15 °, so that the bulbs do not become exhausted from constant overheating. Before planting, it will not be superfluous to rinse in a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

How and from what to make drainage for flowers, read.

Also read tips on selecting shrubs for hedges.

Pest and disease control

To prevent diseases, immediately after the bulbs are dug, they should be washed and disinfected. The same procedure will not be superfluous before landing. If the plant is sick viral disease, it is removed.

Varieties

Freesia flowers can have a variety of colors: from pale white to deep purple. Freesia is simple and terry. by the most popular varieties are freesia refracted (F. refracta) and freesia hybrid (F. hybrida).

Photos of some varieties of freesia in the gallery:

6 minutes to read

Freesia is beautiful plant whose flowers shimmer different shades: Pale pink to pale blue. Freesia, planting and caring for which requires increased attention, is very capricious. It is considered to be a plant of aristocrats. Homeland of freesia - South Africa. In the 19th century, it was selected by gardeners at the royal courts. Bouquets of freesias, which have a fresh and delicate smell, decorated the palaces. The French gave their beautiful ladies these flowers as a bow before female beauty. Flower petals have a kind of porcelain texture, which makes them very delicate. Therefore, this plant is so loved by florists. The flower is a symbol of youth, beauty, serenity and trust.

Description

Freesia is a bulbous thermophilic plant. The leaves are strong, sword-shaped. A thin peduncle crowned with racemose inflorescences. The plant belongs to the iris family. Ten years ago, freesia was grown exclusively in greenhouses to get a cut. Newly bred varieties have such biological data that they can grow on open field in the south of Russia and in the west.

Freesia Armstrong

In nature, there are many varieties, as well as more than 20 species of this plant. However, there are only three cultivated types of freesia that can be grown indoors and outdoors. garden plot.

Freesia Armstrong. Its height can reach 0.7 m. It has scarlet, pink and red flowers. There are many different varieties. Flowering period: from May to June. The most common variety: cardinal.
The type of broken freesia, which is often time consuming to grow and care for, is a miniature option. Max Height plants - 40 cm. Orange flowers, as well as white color. It begins to bloom in mid-spring, when the first warm days come. Common varieties: Alba, Odorata.
Hybrid freesia combines best performance the two types above. The bush of the plant can grow up to a meter in height. Shimmers with purple and scarlet, crimson and orange hues. Large inflorescence brushes - up to 10 cm. Common varieties: Red Lion, Vinita Gold, Royal Blue.

reproduction

The reproduction of this plant, just like gladioli, occurs: by tuber buds, seeds, and corms. The seeds are in the seed pod. One box contains two brown seeds. During the ripening period, pollination should be carried out in the morning when the weather is clear. Watering can not be stopped, it is necessary to fertilize with microelements, as well as fertilizer with potassium.

Freesia the Broken

Freesia seeds are propagated during selection, as well as with a shortage planting material. They can be used to grow corms and flowers on windows facing west or east. It is best to use freshly harvested seeds. Before planting, they will need to be kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes. Seeds should be immersed in, preferably steamed, in mini-parnichki under a polyethylene film. They need to be aired every day. When shoots appear, they will need to be placed in a bright room, but not under the direct rays of the sun. You can take them out to a cool glazed loggia.

Planting in the garden

By the beginning of March, corms should be prepared. They are placed in pots with this mixture:

humus,
peat,
sod land,
sand.

There are 6 bulbs per 3 liter pot. Pots should be about 18 days in a room at a temperature of 25 to 28 degrees Celsius.

Freesia in the garden

In the garden, you need to pick up dark areas without wind, where the earth is loose, drained and fertile. It must be loosened to a depth of 40 cm before planting. Be sure to dig in the pegs for the garter. Tubers should be planted in holes with a depth of 7 cm. They should be in 10 cm increments. The earth should be mulched with humus or peat by five cm.

Advice. You can plant freesia in a garden plot in pots, then, with the onset of frost, they can be brought into the apartment.

How to care for a plant in the garden?

Blossoms in open ground up to one and a half months. If, when cutting flowers, the freesia is cut by one third along the stem, then the flowering time will increase. Freesia, which is fairly easy to care for, requires regular fertilization. Twice a month, superphosphate (35 g per 10 liters of water) or potassium salt (10 g per 10 liters of water) should be applied to the soil.

Freesia Red Lion

When growing freesias, you need to regularly moisten the soil, but you should not water it too much. The plant will not tolerate waterlogging. Twice a season, freesia should be sprayed with a solution with the addition of soap so that aphids or mites do not appear. In the event of rot on the leaves of the plant, they must be treated with manganese in solution, foundationol.

Planting freesia at home

Before planting, the bulbs should be placed over a cup of water. Before planting, the temperature of their storage must be reduced to +12 degrees Celsius. Bulbs should be planted in deep pots in the fall. The thickness of the earth should be at least 18 cm. The bulbs will need to be immersed to a depth of 5 to 13 cm, depending on the quality of the land for planting. The composition of the soil should include two parts of sod land and humus, as well as one part of sand and peat. With heavy soil, the planting depth of the bulbs should not be large. The mixture must be chosen neutral or limestone.

When the planting is completed, the containers should be taken out to the balcony or dug into the ground for September so that the first frosts do not affect the bulbs. Already in October, they need to be brought into the room with bulbs. Optimum temperature- 11 degrees Celsius. Freesia at home will not bloom if the light enters the room for less than 12 hours.

Reference. Flowering should be expected after about six months from the moment of planting. The maximum flowering period is up to 30-40 days. Hybrid freesia, which is grown in a room, can bloom in any season of the year.

Pots for growing need to be filled with a nutrient medium.

Growing freesia in a pot

Growing freesia at home is working with a pot culture. Her death is inevitable.

When flowering ends, you need to cut the dry flower, reducing watering.
During the dormant period (two to three months), it is important to maintain rare watering. After the specified time, new bulbs will form.
When choosing pots for freesia, it should be borne in mind that their size should be commensurate with the size of the bush itself in adult form.
Do not store hybrid freesia bulbs in the refrigerator.

How to care for freesia at home

During the growing season, freesia should be kept at a temperature of +20 to +24 degrees Celsius. After the freesia fades, the dry peduncle will have to be removed, the leaves also die off. It is important that the room where the flowers are grown has bright lighting. Home-grown freesia, planting and care of which must be provided in in full requires well-humidified indoor air. The plant needs to be sprayed on hot days. Avoid getting moisture on the leaves, as burns are possible on sunny days. Watering should not be excessive, so that the bulbs do not rot.

Not all flowers can be called universal in terms of where they are grown: some feel comfortable only at home, others need to be planted exclusively in open ground. But all this does not apply to freesia - a flower bulb culture that grows successfully at home, in a greenhouse, and in a summer cottage.

In our time, a fairly large number of species and varieties of freesia have been bred, but all of them are united by the following features:

stem glabrous and strongly branched;
leaves are long, straight, very narrow and smooth;
flowers have a delicate pleasant aroma;
narrow funnel flower.

Plant height and flower size vary by variety.

Freesia very quickly gained popularity among summer gardeners for many reasons, among which are:

versatility of the place of cultivation;
decorativeness of flowers and the aroma exuded by them;
cut flowers are very durable.

Below, the most popular and unpretentious varieties of three types of freesia will be considered, as well as their brief characteristics. I would like to immediately note that all three types have both ordinary and terry varieties(they always have the word "Double" in their name).

As emphasized above, one of the main advantages of freesia as a flower crop is the versatility of its place of cultivation. Therefore, the following will consider the conditions that must be met depending on the choice of this place.

Seating preparation

A place for planting freesia on the site should be chosen based on the fact that, although it is considered a fairly thermophilic crop, it does not tolerate direct sunlight. Therefore, a place with a very light openwork shading is ideal for her.

After choosing a suitable landing site, you can start preparing the soil on it. If freesia will grow as a tapeworm, then you need to dig a hole of a suitable size with a depth of 40 cm and add soil mixture to it.

If it is planted in a row, then a trench is dug with the same depth and width of 40 cm and filled with an earthen mixture. The soil should be loose, so it is recommended to make an earth mixture by combining peat, humus, compost and upper layer garden soil in a ratio of 1:1:1:1, respectively.

Also, for loosening, you can add vermiculite or river sand. Freesia does not like acidic soils, so a plot with acidic soil must first be deoxidized with lime. Also, mineral fertilizers are introduced into the prepared earth mixture: nitrogenous and phosphorus-potassium.

Freesia is no longer some kind of exotic flower for Russia, the bulbs of which are hard to find on the shelves of gardening stores. When purchasing planting material, before buying, you need to carefully inspect the bulbs for the absence of rot and mold. Also, they should be dense and hard, there should not be dry and soft parts.

If it was decided to grow freesia from seeds, which is a more time-consuming process, then when purchasing planting material, you should probe the package for the presence of seeds, check its integrity and expiration date.

Bulbs before planting begin to prepare in early April. First of all, they are cleaned of hard scales and soaked for half an hour in a fungicide solution (Fitosporin helps well). This will prevent the risk of fungal diseases, and the bulbs themselves will be more resistant to decay.

After that, all planting material is planted in separate pots to a depth of 5 cm for germination. Pots with planted bulbs are placed in a well-lit, warm place before planting and monitor soil moisture.

Before planting, seeds must also be treated with a fungicide and planted in a planting container filled with a nutrient substrate. From above, the seeds are lightly sprinkled with soil (up to 3 ... 4 mm), slightly moistened with a spray bottle and covered with glass (can be wrapped in a plastic bag).

When shoots appear, it is necessary to put them on a window with scattered sunlight and make sure that the earth in the container does not dry out. Usually, the procedure for planting freesia seeds for seedlings begins in April, 1 ... 1.5 months before planting in open ground. I would like to note right away that freesia from seeds will bloom only 8 ... 9 months after planting. Therefore, few people plant it in open ground.

Bulbs or seedlings are planted in a pre-prepared trench or pit at a distance of 3 ... 5 cm from each other.
In the presence of row spacing, a distance of 15 cm must be observed.
Freesia bulbs are deepened by 3 ... 6 cm, depending on their size.

Preparing freesia bulbs for planting: video

Freesia - two weeks after planting: video

This flower culture became popular with indoor flower growers for one simple reason - it is able to bloom at absolutely any time of the year, everything will depend on the period of its planting in pots. Of course, many are waiting for the winter flowering, because few flowers can please the eye at this time of the year. To do this, you need to plant freesia bulbs already in late August - early September in a pot.

Before planting the bulbs in a container, you need to process them:

as a prophylaxis with fungicides to prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases and various rots;
growth stimulants for rapid awakening and development of bulbs.

To grow freesia at home, you will need a pot, at the bottom of which there is a hole for the outflow of excess water.

In addition, it is necessary to put a layer of drainage on the bottom (for this, you can use medium-sized pebbles, coarse river sand or ready-made drainage bought in a store). Then a layer of charcoal is laid.

From above, the pot is filled with a substrate consisting of peat, humus and garden soil, taken in a ratio of 1: 1: 1, respectively. It is desirable to add mineral fertilizers containing a large percentage of calcium and phosphorus to this mixture.

When all the preliminary preparations are completed, you can start planting freesia bulbs. They are buried in the ground by 5 ... 6 cm. There are up to 5 pieces of bulbs per 1.5 l of the substrate.

The freesia pot is transferred to a cool place with a temperature of about 12 0 C.
As soon as the first leaves appear, the pot must be moved to a warmer place that supports average temperature+20 0 С.

This option is the most optimal in terms of the ability to maintain all those favorable conditions that freesia needs. Unlike planting in open ground, when planting bulbs in spring, this flower culture will bloom not at the end of August, but much earlier - at the beginning - in the middle of summer. Why? Just because in the greenhouse there is an opportunity:

constant maintenance of high humidity - it should be at least 50%;
reducing the difference between night and day temperatures (it is she who main reason many diseases of freesia);
absence of drafts.

We plant freesias in open ground: video

Watering and humidity. Should be abundant and regular from germination to the end of flowering. Then it is reduced, and closer to the digging of the bulbs, they stop watering altogether. It has already been said above that in a greenhouse such a parameter as humidity is easier to maintain. In the garden and at home, freesias are sprayed daily in the evening.
top dressing. The first of them is recommended to be carried out already with the appearance of young shoots, using ammonium nitrate, and then every two weeks to apply superphosphate and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. This applies to freesia growing in the garden. When grown in room conditions any complex water-soluble top dressing for indoor flowers will do.
Organization of supports. Stems with peduncles in many varieties are quite long, in connection with this there is a risk that they may not withstand blooming flowers and break off. To prevent such a nuisance, it is necessary, as the stem grows, to provide some kind of support, which can be a wooden, bamboo stick or a plastic decorative support. In the garden, you can stretch the grid with large cells.
Removing faded flowers. Dried and dead flowers must be removed to stimulate the re-blooming of freesia. To carry out pruning, you will need a clean pruner, with which a wilted flower is cut along the stem 0.5 cm from the head. Leaves can not be cut, only in case of severe damage to give decorative effect.
Mulching. This is especially true for freesia planted in the open ground. Backfilling the topsoil with finely chopped straw in a layer of 3 cm will help retain moisture in the ground and reduce temperature differences.
Loosening and weeding.
Organization of additional lighting. This point is especially important when growing freesias in winter period in room. In order for this culture to please the grower's eye with a varietal color of flowers, it is necessary to provide it with a 12-hour daylight hours. To do this, you can buy phytolamps.

The main pests of freesia are:

spider mite
thrips

They should be fought with means designed to destroy the pest complex, because it is not always possible to determine exactly which enemy has settled on freesia.

These drugs include Iskra, Fitoverm, Fufanon. These remedies are effective.

For supporters of sustainable floriculture, a note: folk remedies will not help in the fight against thrips and spider mite, so you have to use a chemical.

Freesia diseases that can occur during the entire growing season include the following:

fusarium and different kinds rot. These diseases are united by the fact that their causative agent is one or another fungus. To get rid of any of them, treatment with a fungicide is required.
diseases that cause necrosis of flowers and leaves (freesia virus, bean virus) cannot be treated, and when they appear, it is necessary to dig up and burn the entire freesia bush completely to prevent the spread of diseases.

Basically, diseases in freesia occur when the grower himself does not follow the rules of agricultural technology, so do not neglect the rules of care and processing of planting material before planting it.

This flower culture can be propagated both vegetatively and by seeds. Both methods are discussed below.

Reproduction of freesia seeds

To get the most quality seeds freesia should be planted so that it blooms in April-May. As a result, a fruit is formed - a seed box, in which there are about three pieces of seeds. In order for it to appear, it is necessary to carry out pollination during the flowering of freesia using a brush. You can also resort to the help of bees instead. The harvested seeds have a shelf life of three years. Their best germination occurs after one year of storage. Seed material should be collected only from healthy plants.

Propagation of freesia corms

There are no difficulties at all here - the freesia will multiply by itself, forming 4 ... 5 pieces of children around each bulb. The main thing is to be able to save them, and next season plant them in the ground separately from the total mass for growing.

Storing bulbs in winter

Freesia is a flower culture that has its roots in Africa, it is not difficult to guess that it does not hibernate in the open field in the Russian climate, so it must be dug up in the fall. It is recommended to store the collected bulbs in a room with high humidity, and the storage temperature is quite high - 22 ... 25 0 C. It is clear that not everyone in the house has such a room, so there are several options:

put the bulbs in a net, and then hang it over a container of water;
if the site is located in a zone with a favorable climate, and there are no harsh winters, then you can leave the bulbs in the ground, but you will need to cover them with a layer of leaves that have fallen from the trees.

It is in this industry that freesia has long gained its popularity. This phenomenon is connected with its main advantages:

the decorativeness of the flowers and the shape of the plant allows it to be used not only in solo plantings, but also to form beautiful compositions from its different varieties or combine with other flower crops;
the versatility of the landing site helps to green up even concreted areas of the garden: you can plant bulbs in beautiful flowerpots, containers;
a wide range of species and varieties contributes to the decoration of freesia even Alpine slide (undersized varieties broken freesias are the best fit);
the smell exhaled by freesia flowers made it a "star" among lovers of aromatic beds.

Thus, directions to landscape design, in which the planting of freesia is appropriate, there are really a lot. It is for this reason that this flower culture quickly spread not only among amateur flower growers, but also among people who are professionally engaged in floriculture.