The homeland of this amazing flower is South Africa. In the 18th century, freesia began its triumphal march across Europe, and then throughout the world. This flower belongs to the class of perennial bulbous plants. The flower was first described by the German scientist Friedrich Frezza, and it got its name in honor of him. Since freesia is quite unpretentious, many amateur gardeners began to grow it. In this article we will give some tips on growing and caring for this plant.
Conditions for planting freesia
Planting bulbs
You can plant a flower either with a bulb or with seeds. If you have bulbs, then planting in open ground can begin at the end of April, beginning of May. This plant is native to Africa, so early planting may kill it. The place of planting is of great importance - the flower is afraid of direct sunlight, so you need to choose a place based on this.
The depth of planting tubers largely depends on the “heaviness of the soil.” The heavier the soil, the shallower the planting depth should be - with heavy soil the depth ranges from 6 to 10 cm, with light soil from 12 to 15 cm. The distance between large tubers should be 5-6 centimeters, small ones 3-4 cm.
Planting seeds
Seed preparation should begin a month before planting in the ground. Prepare a container with the substrate, sow the seeds there, sprinkle a few millimeters of substrate on top, sprinkle with water from a spray bottle and cover with film. It is important to know how to store freesia so that it blooms after planting the seeds. Until spring, it should be stored in a dark place, protected from light, at a temperature of 10-15 °C. Sprouted seeds are planted in the same way and at the same time as the tubers.
How to store freesias at home in winter
Freesia or freesia (lat. Freesia) is a perennial corm plant of the Iris family. The name is given in honor of F. Friese, a German doctor and botanist. Due to the pleasant aroma of the inflorescences, freesia is also called Cape lily of the valley. The flower's homeland is South Africa, where it prefers places among bushes and on wet banks.
Freesia is very popular in gardening and as a cut crop.
The height of the plant is about 1 m. The leaf blades are xiphoid, 15-20 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. The flowering stem is bare, thin, and gracefully bends. The apex is crowned with a spike-shaped inflorescence consisting of 3-10 individual flowers.
The diameter of the corolla is 3-5 cm. The color is monochromatic (snow-white, cream, pink, red, yellow, orange, blue, etc.), most often the pharynx is highlighted in a contrasting shade.
They can be simple (1 row of petals) or double (2 more rows of petals).
What is good about freesia:
Freesia wedding bouquet photo
- Freesia inflorescences will be a wonderful component of a bouquet; they are especially popular in wedding arrangements;
- Flowers are used in the production of luxury perfumes;
- Very popular in landscape design, they will also decorate a greenhouse or window sill;
- Yellow-red varieties have faster growth rates.
When does freesia bloom?
When grown in open ground, the first buds appear in late July-early August, and flowering begins by the end of the month. Remove wilted corollas in a timely manner so as not to take away the strength of the plant. The flowering period lasts 1.5-2 months.
Can be planted for forcing.
Growing freesia from seeds at home
Freesia seeds photo
- Freesia seeds are sown in March. They are pre-soaked in warm water for 8-12 hours.
- Place a good drainage layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the sowing container. Then add a nutritious soil mixture (sand, peat and humus in equal proportions) or use a universal substrate for bulbous plants.
- Plant the seeds shallowly, up to 1 cm deep.
- Cover the top of the container with glass or cling film, and do not forget to ventilate daily to get rid of condensation.
- Ensure the air temperature is 20-25 °C.
- Maintain soil moisture by irrigating with a fine spray.
- The first shoots will appear in about 10 days. Get rid of the shelter gradually over the course of a month.
Freesia from seeds photo seedlings
By the beginning of May, the container will be completely filled with green sprouts. It is necessary to plant them. Take a spacious container and plant the plants at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Be careful - the sprouts are very tender and fragile.
You can take the container to the balcony, but protect it from strong gusts of wind. Return to the room as soon as the air temperature drops to 10 °C. Provide regular watering throughout the entire period, and apply complex mineral fertilizers every 15-20 days.
Expect the first bloom around February. In August, dig up the bulbs to dry; in October they can be planted for forcing.
Propagation of freesia by bulbs
Freesia bulbs photo
At the beginning of flowering, the bulbs begin to accumulate strength, at this time baby bulbs form around them, and the main bulb also degenerates. To support this process, do not forget to remove faded inflorescences.
- After flowering has ended, the plant should remain in the ground for about 7 days, then dig up and separate the daughter bulbs.
- Plant them for growing on the site.
- In the first year they will not bloom: in the fall, dig up the bulbs before the leaves begin to wilt, wash, pickle (hold in a 2% concentration of foundationazole solution for 30 minutes), dry and store.
In indoor conditions, everything happens in the same way (only for growing, plant in bowls).
Growing freesia in open ground
Growing freesia in open ground photo in the garden
Professionals cultivate freesia year-round, growing it in greenhouses or greenhouses. We will look at how to grow a flower in open ground and on a windowsill (indoor freesias bloom in winter).
Conditions for growing freesia:
- The plant requires 12-14 hours of daylight. Protect from direct sunlight, light partial shade is possible.
- Be sure to protect from drafts.
- Fragile flower stems may need support (especially broken freesia varieties).
- The soil required is loose, well-drained, and the reaction is neutral or slightly acidic.
A soil mixture of equal proportions of humus, turf, and leaf soil is suitable. - Plant small-flowered, narrow-leaved plants more compactly, and broad-leaved and spreading plants more freely.
- For flowering to be abundant and long-lasting, a temperature of 22 °C will be required.
- If the weather is too hot/cold, the flowers become deformed and empty buds grow.
- Inflorescences can be cut when at least 2 buds have bloomed.
- Pick off the buds as soon as they begin to wilt so that the plant does not waste energy feeding them.
- Maintain high humidity.
When spraying, avoid getting drops of water on the buds and flowers. It is better to carry out the procedure in the evening.
Planting and caring for freesia in open ground
Planting freesia in the ground in spring Growing freesia from bulbs How to plant freesia in spring
When to plant freesia in spring
The bulbs are planted in open ground with the establishment of real warmth, when the threat of return night frosts has passed (around the 10th of May). Make holes, deepen the bulbs by 3-6 cm. Between individual plants, maintain a distance of 3 cm for small bulbs and 5 cm for larger ones. A distance of about 15 cm will be required between rows.
After planting, level the soil surface and cover with a layer of mulch (peat, coniferous soil) to protect the bulbs from overheating.
How to feed
The plant needs timely and regular feeding. When sprouts appear, add a solution of ammonium nitrate (2 g of fertilizer per 1 liter of water). Then, every 15 days, feed with superphosphate and potassium salt (4 g and 2 g, respectively, per 1 liter of water).
Loosen the soil regularly (be very careful not to damage the bulbs) and remove weeds. These procedures are especially important at the beginning of the growing season.
How to water
How to water freesia
Follow a certain watering schedule. During active growth, water deeply and keep the soil slightly moist. After flowering, watering is reduced each time; by the time the bulbs are dug up (early October) it should be stopped completely.
The plant also needs spraying of shoots and leaf blades. Carry out the procedure in the evening, but the moisture should be absorbed before sunset.
Diseases and pests
To prevent diseases, be sure to etch the bulbs in a weak solution of potassium permanganate after digging and before the next planting. Also water correctly: the soil surface should not be dry, but do not allow moisture to stagnate.
Diseases: scab, various rots, fusarium. Infected plants should be dug up and disposed of.
Pests: spider mites, aphids, thrips. Treat with an insecticidal preparation.
Freesia growing and care at home
Forcing freesia at home photo
In indoor conditions, freesia is grown for flowering in winter and early spring: at this dull time, the inflorescences look especially impressive and solemn.
To ensure flowering begins in January, the bulbs are planted around October. You can plant freesia in a pot in the spring; you will get flowering 3 months after planting. Pre-treat the planting material in a solution of azotobacterin (0.5 g of substance per 1 liter of water), immerse for about 30 minutes. When done, they are additionally treated with a growth stimulator (epin, kornevin).
Planting freesia in a pot in spring
For planting, you will need pots with a diameter of at least 15 cm. Be sure to lay a good drainage layer at the bottom (expanded clay, pebbles, clay shards), and place charcoal on top.
Soil mixture: 2 parts turf soil, 1 part each sand and humus soil, mix in a portion of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Up to 6 bulbs are planted in one such container, deepening by 5-6 cm.
After planting, place under diffused lighting, maintain the air temperature in the range of 10-15 °C, no need to water - wait for the appearance of leaf blades. After this, watering begins, the air temperature should be increased to 20-22 °C.
Growing freesia indoors is easier than in open ground, and even in a greenhouse.
Blooming freesia in a pot photo
It is necessary to create optimal conditions:
- In autumn-winter, the duration of daylight hours is short, and the plant needs lighting for 12 hours a day. Place the container with the plant on windows facing east or west, use artificial lighting (fluorescent lamps).
- Under the weight of lush inflorescences, the stems can be injured - tie them to a support in a timely manner.
- Water as the top layer of soil dries out.
During the flowering period, water more abundantly. Use softened water (melt, rain, filtered or regular tap water, which is left to stand for at least 24 hours). - During operation of heating systems, the air in the room is dry.
Regular spraying of leaves and shoots will be required. When placed in a cooler room (loggia, glazed balcony), this measure will not be needed. - Twice a month, feed with complex mineral fertilizers (continue until the leaf blades completely die).
When grown at home:
- After the corm has finished flowering, continue watering for another 1-1.5 months.
- Then dig up, cut off the leaves and stems, treat the bulbs with a solution of potassium permanganate or another fungicidal preparation, and dry in a warm room (25-28 °C) for several days.
- Sort (damaged and rotten bulbs are disposed of) and store.
When grown in open ground:
When to dig freesia and how to store the bulbs
Flowering ends in late September-early October. Dig up when the yellowed leaf blades droop. Further actions are similar to those described above.
If your region has mild winters, you don’t have to dig up the bulbs - just cover them with dry leaves and spruce branches.
Bulb storage
It is best to store corms in a net, hanging. The air temperature should be 20-25 °C, humidity – 70-80%. To maintain the required level of humidity, place a container of water under the mesh. Every 4 weeks, inspect the bulbs, discarding diseased and rotten ones. A month before planting, move the bulbs to a cooler place - 10-15 °C.
It is possible to store the bulbs in dry peat.
Freesia Armstrong Freesia armstrongii
The height of the plant is 65-70 cm. The inflorescence consists of 3-5 bell-shaped flowers of red, scarlet or pink color.
The most notable variety of this species is Cardinal (Freesia armstrongii Kardinal) - one bulb produces 3 peduncles about 35 cm high, each ending in a paniculate inflorescence (9-11 corollas). The color of the petals is dark red, the core is marked with a yellow spot, the stamens are also yellow, the pistil is blue, the anthers are purple.
Freesia hybrid Freesia hybrida
A well-branched bush 1 m high. The color can be monochromatic: yellow, crimson, purple or a combination of several shades.
Varieties:
Freesia hybrida Ballerina Freesia hybrida Balerina
Ballerina. (Freesia hybrida Balerina) – petals are corrugated, snow-white, at the base of the corolla there is a light yellow spot. The top of the peduncle, 25-30 cm high, is crowned with about 12 flowers.
Hybrid freesia variety Bruce Frye
Rose Mary (Freesia hybrida Rose Mary) - peduncle 20-25 cm high. One inflorescence has about 7 corollas of a rich crimson hue.
Pimperina (Freesia hybrida Pimpernel) - the length of the peduncle reaches 20 cm. The inflorescence consists of 7 corollas. The petals are red with a darker edge, slightly corrugated, the lower part of the corolla is decorated with yellow streaks.
Freesia hybrid Single Pink Single Pink photo
Orange Favorite (Freesia hybrida Favorite) – plant height is 40-50 cm. The flowers are bright orange with a contrasting (darker) throat.
Freesia hybrid Hot Pink Hot Pink
Helsinki (Freesia hybrida Helsinki) has interesting colors. The perianth has a purple tint, turning into a lilac tone. The lower lobe of the petal is decorated with a yellow spot, the pharynx is decorated with strokes of a similar color.
Freesia Royale Blue Freesia hybrida Royale Blue
Royal Blue (Freesia hybrida Royale Blue) - a tall peduncle (up to 70 cm) with large corollas of a blue hue.
White freesia, also known as refracted or broken Freesia refracta
White freesia, also known as refracted or broken Freesia refracta
A miniature plant no more than 40 cm high. The flowering stems are thin and spreading. The inflorescence consists of 2-5 corollas of white or yellow-orange hue.
Caring for freesia flowers in open ground
The plant needs to be fertilized twice a month with superphosphate, the solution is made at the rate of 30 grams per bucket of water. You also need to remember that freesia is afraid of excessive soil moisture, so you should not overuse abundant watering. Frequent watering from a garden watering can is best, in which only the surface of the soil is moistened.
To avoid plant diseases, they must be periodically treated with fungicides. For parasites such as aphids and mites, you can treat with acaricides as needed.
Freesia care
How to store grape cuttings in winter and germinate in spring
Caring for freesia requires some effort. Watering should be regular, from the growth period to the end of flowering - the soil should be slightly moist all the time. After flowering ends, watering is reduced and gradually, by mid-October, completely stopped.
yellow freesia
freesia lilac
yellow freesia
freesia
freesia close up
freesia pink
Feeding
Freesia responds very well to fertilizing, its growth and flowering directly depend on it, but each phase in the life of the plant has its own fertilizer. At the beginning of growth, when young shoots are still gaining strength (regardless of whether in open ground or in a pot), they must be fed with a solution of ammonium nitrate (2 g/liter). When the first buds appear and throughout flowering, every two weeks the plants are fed alternately with a solution of superphosphate (4 g/liter) and a solution of potassium salt (2 g/liter). At the end of flowering, fertilizing is not stopped, but rather intensified, because It is during this period that old tubers are replaced by new ones. Fertilizing is done twice a month with superphosphate (4g/liter).
Diseases and pests
The most common diseases of freesia are aphids and mites. If signs of these diseases are detected at an early stage, the foliage of the plant is treated with a soap solution. To combat rotting and fungal diseases, a foundation solution is suitable, both as a spray and as a root watering.
Of course, freesia has its own secrets for successful cultivation. During flowering, the stems can be very fragile, especially when hit by rain and gusts of wind. That is why it is recommended to plan a flower bed with freesia in such a way that the plants have support.
Winter storage
After reducing watering, the freesia will gradually dry out, which is when the tubers can be dug up. A distinctive feature of freesia is that the bulbs should never be left to overwinter in the soil (they will not tolerate frost) and before putting them in peat for the winter in a warm room, they must be dried at room temperature of about 25 ° C for a month after digging. It is necessary to store freesia tubers only in a warm room, and not in the basement or refrigerator, as happens with other bulbous plants.
Planting and caring for freesia requires attention and a bit of patience, but the effort expended is more than repaid by the unusually beautiful flowers, which not only look great in the garden, but also last a long time when cut.
Volkova Ekaterina
2014, Planting a Garden. All rights reserved.
How to grow freesia in a pot
To make freesia flowers pleasing to the eye in winter, they can be grown in pots in an apartment.
- It is better to plant tubers for winter flowering in October. To plant, you need to take a pot with a volume of no more than a liter, the diameter of the pot is 15-17 cm. Be sure to provide drainage and soft and light soil on top.
- The tubers need to be planted to a depth of 5-7 cm. And after 2-3 weeks the first shoots will appear. It is better to keep the plant in good lighting; you can also keep it on a glassed-in loggia, keeping it indoors during severe frosts. If the room where the flower grows is not sufficiently lit, then you will need illumination with a fluorescent lamp.
- Freesia requires 12-14 hours of light. It is better to water the flower using a sprayer, trying not to get it on the flowers. It is recommended to provide supports for the stems, as freesias have very fragile ones. It’s also a good idea to feed the plant a couple of times.
With good care, your beauty will bloom in 2.5-3 months. After the plant has flowered and the growing season has passed (drying of the stem), the bulbs can be collected and dried and stored until next autumn.
How to plant and grow freesia at home
Commercial-sized corm plants planted in October-November begin to bloom in 117 to 125 days. With additional temperature treatment (cooling the corms after preparation), the period from planting to flowering is reduced by an average of 4 weeks.
Before you grow freesia at home, you need to understand that it is best to grow the flower in beds of standard width (1 - 1.2 m) with a distance between them of 40 - 50 cm. The beds should be raised in the center by 15 - 20 cm , on the sides by 10 - 15 cm. This shape of the ridge ensures good air exchange and prevents it from becoming waterlogged.
Before planting freesia correctly, we recommend remembering that tubers are sown at a depth of 8, 6, 4 cm, respectively.
On well-loosened soils, freesias are planted in pre-marked ridges, carefully pressing them to the required depth, especially if shoots 3–5 cm long have formed. After planting, the ridges are thoroughly moistened
For good planting condition, it is necessary to stretch three rows of mesh with a distance of 20 cm. The first row of mesh is tensioned immediately after planting. The lower mesh can be with a smaller point (4 – 5 cm) and is more durable. The top two nets must have a 10cm point.
How to preserve freesia after digging it up
After cutting the flowers, the vegetative period of the plant lasts for 3-6 weeks, it is at this time that young tubers are formed. During this period, you need to gradually reduce watering the plant. Tubers are harvested when the leaves on the trees begin to turn yellow.
The collected material is sorted and placed in a well-ventilated dark room for 5-7 days, the temperature should be around 28-30 degrees. Air humidity during this period should be 65-75%.
After heat treatment, it is advisable to pupate the tubers. To do this, they need to be placed for 6-8 weeks in a cool room with a temperature of 7-18 degrees. In the future, they can be sent for winter storage. Read further in our article on how to store freesia tubers in the winter and before planting.
How to care for a freesia flower
Before caring for freesia, firmly remember that temperature is one of the leading factors in obtaining a high yield.
When planting prepared corms in autumn-winter, the optimal soil temperature is 13 ° C during the first 2 to 3 months of cultivation, especially in the central regions. Low illumination at this time does not allow the air temperature to rise above 13 °C day and night, although the optimal soil temperature at this time is 13 °C. For this, it is very good to use a subsoil heating system, which allows you to maintain 13 ° C in the soil and 10 - 11 ° C in the air. In this case, plant growth occurs under optimal conditions. When planning how to care for a freesia flower, remember that lower soil and air temperatures delay the growth rate and flowering time, while higher temperatures speed up flowering, but the plants become longer and their quality deteriorates. At air temperatures below 10 °C, flowering is delayed, although the quality of the flowers is quite high. During the period when inflorescences appear and until they are fully developed, the temperature should be 12 – 15 °C. Low temperature (8 – 9 °C) at this time promotes the formation of “gladiolus-shaped” inflorescences, atypical for freesia. Very high temperatures (17 – 18 °C) with a lack of light can cause the buds to dry out at the ends of the inflorescences.
When planting additionally cooled corms early (August-September), the greenhouses should not be allowed to overheat. To do this, greenhouses are well ventilated, plants and soil are sprayed during the hottest hours of the day, and crops are mulched with high-moor peat. The soil temperature for such plantings in high light conditions should not exceed 18 °C.
How to store freesia bulbs in winter
Most experienced gardeners recommend storing freesia bulbs in a room with high humidity at a temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius. If you do not have such a room in your house, you can place a net with bulbs over a vessel with water. If you live in a place where there are no harsh winters, then you can leave the bulbs in the ground, covering them with dry leaves.
Many gardeners are wondering how to store freesia terry mixture; this variety of flower is stored in the same way as other varieties of freesia.
What freesia bulbs look like from photos
The corm is a modified root that serves to store reserve nutrients. It is quite difficult to imagine what freesia bulbs look like, since their shape is not typical.
In the lower part of the corm, tuber buds form on strongly shortened shoots in the axils of the integumentary leaves. They consist of the upper part of a modified shortened shoot, leaves covering their body, apical and lateral renewal buds.
See what the bulbs of the freesia plant look like in the photo, which shows different samples:
Freesias produce three types of vegetative leaves.
Grassroots, or vaginal, leaves (3 – 4 pcs.). They cover the corm and are in the soil, with the exception of their tops. Tuber buds form in the axils of the lower leaves.
Renewal buds form in the axils of the corm leaves.
Top leaves.
They are formed in quantities of 1–4 pieces or more on a flower shoot. In the axil of each lower leaf there is a bud that forms a small aerial corm, and in the axils of the upper 1 - 2 leaves the primordia of flowering shoots are formed under favorable conditions, which usually do not develop. An annual shoot with a full development cycle ends in a central spike-shaped inflorescence. Depending on the growing conditions and varietal characteristics, in addition to the central one, 1–3 lateral inflorescences are formed from the axils of the stipules, which can have commercial value. The length of the central inflorescence (before the first branching) in the best varieties reaches 45 - 55 cm or more, the second order inflorescences - up to 35 - 40 cm, the third order - up to 20 - 25 cm.
Roots.
Freesia forms two types of adventitious roots. Primary roots grow from the lower part of the mother corm around the “bottom”. They reach a length of 10–5 cm and are branched in the lower part. Secondary roots grow from the axils of the lower leaves, approximately 1.5 - 2.5 months after planting. The first roots are thick, radish-shaped, the subsequent ones are thinner and branched.
How to save cut freesia (cut)
The question is often asked how to preserve a freesia bouquet for as long as possible. To keep the flowers fresh and pleasing to the eye, it is better to place them in a packaged container of water. You should not place the bouquet in the sun; it is better to place it in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight. The water needs to be changed every day.
Freesia is a unique flower that has an interesting color and a pleasant smell. This plant can be in the ground until the first frost, and then it must be dug up. Storing freesia in winter is not very painstaking work, since ensuring optimal conditions during this period is the main guarantee of the repeated flowering of this exquisite plant.
Freesia storage rules
When talking about storing pink freesia at home, you should definitely mention that the bulbs need to be dug up for wintering indoors. Because in winter these flowers need special temperature conditions. To understand whether it is possible to dig up a plant, you should pay attention to the following features of the flower:
- The leaves turn yellow;
- You need to dig up the bulbs as soon as all the leaves are completely dry.
The dug up bulbs must be carefully cleaned, then treated with a special disinfectant solution and only then begin to dry them. Freesia should be stored in a room with an air temperature of at least 25 degrees.
It should be said that the freesia flower is strictly forbidden to be planted in the ground in winter, unlike tulips. Many novice gardeners are often faced with the question of whether it is necessary to dig up freesia for the winter. To this, many experienced housewives answer that in most cases it is necessary to do this. You can leave the bulbs in the ground for the winter only if you live in areas where there are no severe frosts. In this case, their planting sites will need to be additionally covered with dry foliage.
How to preserve freesias in winter
To ensure successful storage of freesia before planting, the owner should provide it with two main conditions:
- Increased humidity levels;
- Stable warmth.
How to ensure good humidity. To create optimal conditions, most gardeners can construct a special structure that creates a water bath. You will need to take a small container, pour water into the bottom, put a sieve on top and place the onions on it.
Watch a video on how to store freesias in winter.
But keep in mind that the sieve should not touch the water and keep the container at room temperature. After some time, the water will slowly evaporate, thereby increasing the humidity. All you have to do is add water periodically and make sure that the bulbs are not in the water.
How to Preserve Freesia in Winter at Home
Freesia is a unique flower that has an interesting color and a pleasant smell. This plant can be in the ground until the first frost, and then it must be dug up. Storing freesia in winter is not very painstaking work, since ensuring optimal conditions during this period is the main guarantee of the repeated flowering of this exquisite plant.
Freesia storage rules
When talking about storing pink freesia at home, you should definitely mention that the bulbs need to be dug up for wintering indoors. Because in winter these flowers need special temperature conditions. To understand whether it is possible to dig up a plant, you should pay attention to the following features of the flower:
- The leaves turn yellow;
- You need to dig up the bulbs as soon as all the leaves are completely dry.
The dug up bulbs must be carefully cleaned, then treated with a special disinfectant solution and only then begin to dry them. Freesia should be stored in a room with an air temperature of at least 25 degrees.
It should be said that the freesia flower is strictly forbidden to be planted in the ground in winter, unlike tulips. Many novice gardeners are often faced with the question of whether it is necessary to dig up freesia for the winter.
To this, many experienced housewives answer that in most cases it is necessary to do this. You can leave the bulbs in the ground for the winter only if you live in areas where there are no severe frosts.
In this case, their planting sites will need to be additionally covered with dry foliage.
How to preserve freesias in winter
To ensure successful storage of freesia before planting, the owner should provide it with two main conditions:
- Increased humidity levels;
- Stable warmth.
How to ensure good humidity. To create optimal conditions, most gardeners can construct a special structure that creates a water bath. You will need to take a small container, pour water into the bottom, put a sieve on top and place the onions on it.
Watch a video on how to store freesias in winter.
But keep in mind that the sieve should not touch the water and keep the container at room temperature. After some time, the water will slowly evaporate, thereby increasing the humidity. All you have to do is add water periodically and make sure that the bulbs are not in the water.
Freesia after flowering
Gardeners should not forget that faded freesia needs the same careful care as a plant that is still blooming. So, caring for indoor and garden freesia is slightly different. The characteristic differences include the following points:
- Indoor freesia. After flowering is completed, the stem is cut off, and the bulb itself needs to be watered for another month. During this period, new young shoots will appear on the bulb. You need to take them out of the pot and leave them in potassium permanganate for about thirty minutes, then dry them for a couple of days and put them in storage;
- Freesia that blooms in the garden. Garden freesia bulbs should begin to be dug up in October. Cut off the stems and thoroughly clean the bulb itself from soil and scales. Just like indoor flowers, bulbs need to be treated with potassium permanganate, then dried for several days. After this, the bulbs need to be sorted, putting large and damaged bulbs in separate containers.
Winter storage of freesia bulbs consists of three main stages:
- Drying the bulbs for a week in a room with a temperature of 25 degrees;
- Storing bulbs throughout the winter at a temperature of at least 25 degrees;
- A few weeks before planting, the bulbs are transferred to a room in which the air temperature should be 10 degrees. But, do not forget about the need to create high humidity in this room.
Freesia flowering periods
When answering the question - how to preserve freesias in winter, you should definitely say that the storage of corms is determined depending on what kind of flowering you want to get in the next season. When choosing the period when freesia blooms, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Early flowering. To achieve early flowering of freesia, the bulbs must be placed for two weeks in a room with a temperature above 25 degrees, and the humidity level must be no less than 60%;
- Flowering in the natural period. As soon as you dig up the bulbs, they need to be cleaned and dried, and then left for 15-16 weeks in a room with an air temperature of at least 27 degrees.
In order for the hybrid freesia to bloom as late as possible, after digging the bulbs are immediately sent for storage at a minimum temperature of + 5 degrees. Planting bulbs should be kept at this temperature for six to nine months. Then the tubers need to be processed and planted in the soil.
Many gardeners pay attention to the fact that if the plant is several years old, then it is necessary to divide the corms. When dividing the bulbs, the following recommendations should be followed:
- Remove the plant from the ground very carefully so as not to damage the corm system;
- The earth lump should be placed on paper;
- Begin to slowly and carefully separate the bulbs from each other.
Remove the parent corm. Most often this is the largest bulb on which smaller bulbs are located. The parent corm, in simple terms, is last year's material that still connects with its offspring. The separated parts must be placed in a dry room until they are dry and only then sent for storage.
Thus, based on all of the above, we can accurately answer the question - is it necessary to dig up freesia for the winter, then yes, this is done without fail.
Only in this case can you save the plant’s bulbs, because they will not tolerate frost and you will simply have to throw them away.
Therefore, it is better not to be lazy, but dig up the bulbs in a timely manner and provide them with normal storage conditions.
Source: https://pravilnohranuedy.ru/napitki/kak-sohranit-freziyu-zimoj-v-domashnih-usloviyah
How are tubers and bulbs of ornamental flowering plants prepared for wintering and stored?
Montbretia, or crocosmia (Montbretia, Crocosmia)
This plant is usually treated like this: at the end of September, the corms are dug up, dried for several days at room temperature, and the corms are separated from the corms. Store at temperature +5. +7°С.
Another method will also work: dig up the bushes entirely, do not shake off the soil, and do not separate the baby. Store dried nests in an open container. If there are a lot of corms, then you can take a chance and leave some of them to overwinter in the soil, mulching with a thick layer of peat (at least 15 cm).
in the photo: flowering crocosmia or montbretia
Dahlia (Dahlia)
Dahlias are usually dug up at the end of September - October, when the bushes turn black after the first frost. Before digging, the stems are cut at a height of 8–12 cm from the root collar. When removing root tubers from the ground, try not to damage the renewal buds located at the root collar - without them the tubers will not germinate.
Dahlia nests are washed from the soil, carefully inspected, severely damaged tubers are cut out, thin feeding roots are removed and immersed for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate. Before storing them for 7–10 days, it is useful to keep them at low positive temperatures. During this time, the skin of the tubers will cork, preventing drying.
In storage, tubers are placed on shelves or in boxes. Optimal air humidity is 80%. In a dry room, the tubers dry out and wrinkle. If humidity is difficult to provide, then the dahlia are placed in boxes and sprinkled with sand, peat or sawdust. You can also protect them from drying out using a clay mash by dipping the tubers into it and drying them until a crust forms.
in the photo: dahlia flower and its tubers
Sometimes waxing is used. The tubers are divided into sections so that each has 1–3 renewal buds. A water bath is set up on the stove, paraffin is melted in a suitable container and the tubers are dipped into it for a moment, one by one. When the film hardens, the procedure is repeated until the sections are completely covered with paraffin. After that, they are put into hard containers and stored.
A small amount of planting material can be preserved until spring by wrapping it in several layers of damp newsprint, then in kraft paper and placing it on the bottom shelf of a regular refrigerator. From time to time, damp paper needs to be replaced.
Freesia
These tender plants are best grown in containers. They bloom in autumn. To ensure flowering lasts longer, containers with flowers are brought indoors at the end of September. Such a simple solution will allow the corms to ripen properly (this is unattainable outdoors in the middle zone).
After the above-ground part dies, the corms are dug up, washed, disinfected and slightly dried. Recommended storage temperature +26. +30°С. Freesia corms are small and very easy to dry out. Therefore, it is best to put them in sterile, tightly closed jars and place them near heating radiators or pipes. There are other recommendations, but we must honestly admit that not a single method of indoor storage guarantees high-quality flowering.
in the photo: freesia blooming
Freesia, crown anemone, and Asian buttercup require a different approach and special storage conditions.
Freesia
These tender plants are best grown in containers. They bloom in autumn. To ensure flowering lasts longer, containers with flowers are brought indoors at the end of September. Such a simple solution will allow the corms to ripen properly (this is unattainable outdoors in the middle zone).
After the above-ground part dies, the corms are dug up, washed, disinfected and slightly dried. Recommended storage temperature +26. +30°С. Freesia corms are small and very easy to dry out. Therefore, it is best to put them in sterile, tightly closed jars and place them near heating radiators or pipes. There are other recommendations, but we must honestly admit that not a single method of indoor storage guarantees high-quality flowering.
