Freesia description
Garden freesia (Freesia hybrida) is a popular ornamental plant belonging to the iris family, known for its beautiful, fragrant cut flowers. Cultivated since ancient times in Egypt and Greece, it was named after the German botanist F. Fries.
Additional Information! Freesias are not found in pure form in culture, as their breeding hybrids are much more attractive. Today, the genus of freesia includes 14 species and dozens of varieties.
The main decoration of freesia are large, bell-shaped flowers collected at the top of the shoot. A thin flowering stem, with characteristic elongated leaves, reaches a height of 40 cm. The multi-colored flowers emit an intense pleasant aroma. Their smell varies depending on the variety. White freesia has the strongest aroma.
This herbaceous plant forms underground bulbs. There are many varieties of different shapes and bright colors.
How to grow freesias in the garden?
When are freesias planted? The heat-loving plant blooms in summer, the tubers are planted in the garden in spring (late April-early May).
Note! Freesia cultivation requires care and experience. It is very difficult to find them in home gardens. Inappropriate temperature, soil type, too little or too much water can disrupt or completely stop plant growth.
They should be grown in sunny, warm places, protected from strong winds. Needs a light, permeable substrate. It should be sandy-clay, with a high content of humus, with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.
Freesia landing. Freesia tubers should be planted in a sunny position in well-drained soil. On heavy clay soils, prepare the site before planting. To do this, dig a hole about 20 cm deep. The bottom is covered with a light substrate, for example, compost soil, mixed with sand. Holes are made in the ground about 5-7 cm deep and freesia tubers are placed in them. The distance between tubers should not be less than 10 cm.
It is better to germinate the bulbs in a pot, and after the appearance of the first leaves, move them to the ground. Before planting, the soil must be thoroughly moistened. Insert the tuber into the ground with the pointed end up. Tubers are placed at a depth of about 8 cm, keeping the same distance between individual plants.
After planting, water them abundantly. If the seedlings are mulched with a layer of peat, they will have a better chance of germination. A few weeks after planting, the first leaves begin to appear, and flowers form after 3-4 months (July – August).
Freesia Care
How often should freesias be watered? The plant loves abundant watering from the moment of planting until the leaves turn yellow. It is important to water them regularly, but do not over-moisten the soil.
Freesias will decorate the flower garden with beautiful flowers of various shapes and shades.
Only three species are suitable for growing at home and in the garden.
- Armstrong 65-70 cm high with narrow and long leaves. The flowers are painted in red, scarlet or deep pink.
- Freesia hybrid obtained by crossing freesia broken and Armstrong. The hybrid reaches 1 m in height. The flowers are quite large, about 5-6 cm in diameter, collected in inflorescences of 7-9 pieces. Color can be the most diverse.
- Freesia white broken – the smallest species, reaches only 40 cm in height. The stems are weak, spreading, ending in fragile inflorescences of 2-4 milky or pale orange flowers. Varieties come with single and double flowers.
Freesia terry resemble a rose. Buds can be purple, blue, red, yellow or milky.
What diseases and insects attack freesia?
The freesia flower is quite resistant to disease and insect attack and does not pose a significant problem. If black dots are noticed on the leaves, you need to spray them with a solution of copper. Eaten freesia leaves in the garden, most likely caused by snails visiting the plants. An ecological way to deal with snails is to sprinkle ashes on the roots of freesia plants.
Freesia tubers are also prone to rotting, but this problem can be easily prevented by properly preparing the substrate for the plants.
How is freesia propagated?
New freesia bulbs of different colors can be easily and cheaply obtained from nurseries for planting.
Freesias can be propagated by seeds, but this is a labor-intensive process. Such reproduction is most often resorted to by professional flower growers. Seeds take up to 6 months to germinate, at which time it may take 2 years for the plant to flower.
Much better results are obtained by propagation with bulbs obtained by digging up tubers, separating the small attached tubers from the mother bulb, being careful not to damage the plant tissue. In the spring, all tubers can be planted directly into the ground.
Freesias are especially popular as decorative flowers in a vase, as in addition to their beautiful blooms and fragrance, they have the ability to last a long time in a vase with water.
