Many of us love home flowers, which delight us daily with their beauty. Recently, the assortment of indoor plants has been significantly replenished with foreign exotics, which quickly fell in love with the hostesses. Among them there are many interesting flowering plants that delight stunning beauty of flowers. These are freesias. If you have long dreamed of such a plant, then you are probably wondering: how to provide the flower with proper care at home? Freesia flowers are not as capricious as they may seem. And therefore they can be successfully kept at home, if you know all the intricacies of care.
Exotic plant
Beautiful freesia flowers just can not help but like. It is for their sake that the housewives decide to grow the plant at home. Freesia is a bulbous plant native to South Africa. In their native lands, they grow on the coast of ponds, in shrubs. It's no secret that small freesia flowers have an attractive aroma. It is he who attracts attention. Thanks to him, the plant is also called Cape lily of the valley.
In general, the name of the plant was named after the German botanist and doctor Frederick Frieze. Thanks to its beauty and aroma, freesia has occupied a special place among plants grown by flower growers for more than 200 years.
If you have ever come across a plant, you will never forget what a freesia flower looks like. Its feature is that the most delicate buds have a very different color. In addition, an amazing aroma that eliminates stress and depression is no less attractive. It is for this reason that freesia notes are often used by perfumers to create fragrances.
The plant belongs to the iris family and has more than twenty species. Freesia flowers at home can please the eye, if you know all the nuances of care and maintenance.
Growing at home
Freesia is a bulbous plant. In order to plant it, it is enough to purchase bulbs in a store for gardeners. However, the hostesses are far from always taking this step, believing that the plant is incredibly capricious. But it is not so. Caring for a freesia flower at home is not so difficult. Knowing all the nuances, you can achieve excellent results. In the apartment, the plant pleases with flowers throughout the year. In addition, freesia can be grown in the warm season, even on a personal plot. Just imagine how beautiful your flowerbed will be if you plant freesia flowers on it!
Landing time
For a successful vegetation of the plant, he really needs a certain temperature. And yet, at home, a freesia flower (photos are given in the article) is perfectly rooted and expels not only the green mass, but also peduncles that exude a unique aroma.
It is worth noting that the timing of flowering plants depends only on the time of planting. For example, if you want to get bloom for the holiday of March 8, then the bulbs must be planted in December or at the very beginning of January. But if you plan to enjoy flowering in the summer, then in April you need to plant in the soil in advance germinated bulbs.
In fairness, I would like to note that freesia flowers, photos of which cannot fully convey their beauty, are able to decorate our window sills only for some time. This is due to the fact that the value of the plant consists precisely in peduncles. The green part is of no interest. It is somewhat reminiscent of the foliage of young garlic. That is, the plant cannot please the decorative greenery. Flowering lasts about a month or a little longer. After the plant enters a state of dormancy, when the bulb in the pot matures in order to please people at the next planting.
Varieties of freesia
Currently, gardeners in the flower beds most often grow hybrid freesia. Dozens of plant varieties give you the choice. Freesia inflorescences consist of three to five flowers. Hybrid varieties delight flowering from May to June. Very popular among them is the Cardinal variety. Its peculiarity is that bright red flowers are decorated with yellow spots. Peduncles reach 70 centimeters in height. By the way, an adult bulb can give up to three peduncles, each of which has 11 flowers.
But not all varieties are distinguished by high shoots. So, for example, broken freesia gives peduncles up to 40 centimeters high. And in its inflorescence there are from two to five buds. Large flowers are pleased with the Alba variety.
But fragrant freesia has a characteristic aroma of lily of the valley. It is also worth paying attention to the varieties Ballerina, Rose Marie, Pimperina. Each has its own characteristics. A large selection of varieties allows you to choose freesia flowers (photos will help determine the choice) for every taste.
Different varieties can please with simple and double flowers. Ordinary flowers have only one row of petals. While terry observed three rows. It is worth noting that absolutely all plant varieties grow equally in pots and in flower beds. Therefore, it makes no sense to look for specialized freesia flower bulbs for planting in indoor conditions. The only thing worth considering is the height of the plants. Larger specimens look more beautiful in flower beds than in pots.
Breeding methods
Freesias can be propagated in two ways - bulbs and seeds. The first option is the least troublesome and more effective. Seeds can also be propagated, but it is too troublesome and long.
During the flowering period, the mother’s bulbs begin to build up strength for the future. At this time, children begin to grow - small daughter bulbs. During the growing season, the original bulb is completely reborn. That is, you get not the one you planted, but a completely new one. Fading freesia flowers must be removed so that the plant does not lose in vain the power to form seeds. After withering, the peduncle is not pruned for a week. And then they dig up the bulb, leaving it to dry in a well-ventilated and dry room.
The daughter bulbs are separated from the mother and folded separately. In the first year, children will not give peduncles, since the bulb should increase mass. They are planted, like adult plants, but in a separate container. Proper care must be taken for freesia flowers. New bulbs are kept in the ground until the tops are wilted, and then removed from the ground. So, gradually, children's bulbs grow and gain strength. At the next landing, they will give peduncles.
Choosing a landing time and soil
When can I plant freesia? It all depends on when you want to get a flowering plant. There is nothing better than admiring the flowers of freesia in winter. The care of the plant during this period will not differ from other periods. In order to enjoy the winter flowering of the plant, the bulbs must be planted in the month of October. At the same time, daughter bulbs are planted in a separate container. Care for young plants will be exactly the same as for adults. At that moment, when the flower stalks appear on the mother's bulbs, children can only please the greenery, which will gradually begin to fade. During the growing season, young bulbs will only increase mass.
How to grow beautiful freesia flowers? Landing and care (photo is given in the article) are not difficult. However, it is worth remembering that the plant loves loose and nutritious soil. It is best to use a mixture of river sand, peat and sod land. You can also take in equal parts peat, humus and sheet soil. In principle, for home planting, you can use ready-made substrates sold in specialized stores. When purchasing the finished mixture, you need to choose a mass for leafy bulbous plants. The substrates are more convenient to use, since they deprive hostesses of unnecessary trouble. In addition, they contain all the necessary useful substances.
Landing algorithm
At the bottom of the box for planting or pot, it is necessary to place expanded clay, which will serve as drainage. Next, fill the container with a substrate and plant the bulbs at a distance of five centimeters from each other. Do not leave a lot of extra space between the tubers, as the plants grow small. Bulbs are planted to a depth of not more than three centimeters. First, the pots are kept in a room with a temperature of up to +15 degrees, and after that they are put on the window.
Freesia flowers: photo and care
The main condition for obtaining abundant flowering is the planting of bulbs in fertile soil. Further care of the flower with freesia will not be difficult, since the soil contains all the necessary substances for proper growth and development.
But with plant nutrition, you need to be very careful, since freesia is very sensitive. They respond poorly to excess fertilizer. Therefore, plants need to be fed no more than once every two weeks. This is necessary if you are not sure about the fertility of the soil used.
For the full development of the plant, the temperature regime should be in the range of 20-25 degrees for young shoots. For more adult epaulettes, 15-18 degrees are enough. Freesias require bright lighting and do not like shading. The best place for a plant is the southern windows in your house or apartment. For the correct development of freesia, intensive lighting is needed for twelve hours daily. In winter, you will not be able to achieve such lighting in a natural way, even on the southern windows, so you will have to highlight the plants with fluorescent lights.
During the onion germination period, watering should be moderate enough. But in the future - more plentiful. However, it is worth remembering that freesias are incredibly sensitive to excessive watering. They do not tolerate stagnation of water. In addition, the plant feels better with average humidity. Since heating appliances dry the air in winter, freesias will have to be sprayed regularly.
During the period of active budding, you can use top dressing, but do it sparingly.
Flowering plants
We have already said that for full flowering plants need to provide a twelve-hour light day. If freesia lacks light, it will never bloom. Therefore, in winter, plants will have to provide additional lighting.
The process of formation of peduncles and budding is influenced by many factors. With proper care, one nodule can give up to three shoots. Incorrect temperature conditions can lead to deformation of the buds. With the appearance of peduncles, you must immediately put support for them. The fact is that freesias have very fragile shoots that quickly break under the weight of the flowers.
The plant blooms five to six months after planting in the ground. It pleases with its bloom from 20 days or more. On average, it lasts about a month. If you cut only the main peduncles and leave the shoots of the second order, then the flowering will last longer.
Pests and diseases
Get beautiful flowers can prevent pests and ailments. Even if your plants do not grow on a flower bed, but at home, in a pot, this does not mean that they cannot be susceptible to viral, bacterial and fungal diseases.
Diseases are most often caused by excessive moisture. We have already mentioned that freesias do not tolerate stagnation of water very well. Incorrect storage of the bulbs and inappropriate humidity or air temperature can also affect the manifestations of diseases.
For flowers, diseases such as fusarium, gray rot, leaf spotting are very dangerous. If your plant has a black spot, this indicates a lack of potassium and phosphorus, as well as an excess of moisture. If the ambient temperature is too low, a gray coating begins to appear on the buds. This is nothing but gray rot. The disease can deform the buds and damage the petals. Ticks and thrips are no less dangerous for the plant. It is possible to avoid the appearance of various ailments only by observing the temperature and watering conditions.
Dormant care
After flowering, the plant still needs care. The tops are gradually fading, it must be cut. Over the next month or two, watering is gradually reduced. And then they take the bulbs out of the ground. In warmer regions, freesia can winter even in open ground. However, in our climate, bulbs do not withstand frost. At home, they also get out of the ground. Their further proper storage and maintenance are very important, since they provide the possibility of obtaining peduncles at the next planting.
It is necessary to store onions at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. In this case, the air humidity should be at least 60 percent. It is in such conditions that future flower stalks are laid.
It is very important to separate the young onions from the mother. It is better to store them separately. Experienced gardeners believe that the best way to preserve the tubers is to sanitize them in a weak solution of manganese for an hour. And then dry for five days. This will protect to some extent the bulbs from parasites and bacteria. Then they are stored in a warm and humid room and only before landing for a couple of weeks they are kept at a temperature of +15 degrees.
Freesia in the flowerbed
No less beautiful are freesias on flower beds than in pots on window sills. If you want to decorate your site with these beautiful flowers, then planting bulbs in open ground is necessary in April. This should not be done before. The weather should be stable enough, as sharp temperature changes lead to the fact that the bulbs do not produce peduncles.
For landing, they choose sunny open places that are well protected from the winds. Plants do not tolerate drafts. Some gardeners recommend first sprouting the bulbs at home and only then planting them in open ground to protect them from frost.
Freesia bulbs are medium-sized. Therefore, they are very easily lost in the ground, like tulips or daffodils. In order not to lose the tubers, you can plant them directly in boxes with holes buried in the ground. Such containers are used to store apples, pears and other fruits. Boxes are irreplaceable also in gardening. Before planting, the tubers are certainly treated with potassium permanganate to disinfect them. On the site, you can immediately install the pegs that you will need to garter plants or install supports for peduncles. This is especially true for plants that give high growth. Freesia is very fond of light soil, so the soil around them must be loosened periodically. Outdoor plants need to be fertilized and sprayed regularly.
They delight the hosts with flowering for 1.5 months. Plants look spectacular both in stands and in independent compositions. It must be remembered that the peduncle of freesia is very fragile. They can suffer not only from your careless movement, but also from the wind. This should be considered when choosing a place to land.
They feed plants every two weeks using complex fertilizers. If yellow spots on the foliage appear on freesia, then this indicates that you went too far with top dressing, and they will have to be abandoned in the near future.
Instead of an afterword
Beautiful sophisticated freesia can be grown on its own window on the terrace, balcony or in the garden. The process itself is not difficult. Knowing the simple rules of care, you can delight yourself with beautiful flowers throughout the year, because at home it is permissible to plant freesia at any time. Bright fragrant flowers have a unique aroma. On the windowsill, they bloom for about a month, which is long enough. Even cut flower stalks stand in the vase for at least ten days. Despite all its fragility, the flowers are quite persistent. We hope that, knowing all the nuances of planting freesia flowers (you also studied the photo and have an idea about the appearance of the plant), you can grow them yourself.