Freesia at home: planting and care, how to grow from a bulb

Flower growers love to discover new exotic crops. Each of them, in the course of his lesson, gets acquainted with such a flower as freesia. It often grows outdoors, but it can be planted indoors. As practice shows, freesia is a capricious flower. Therefore, when growing freesia at home, it is necessary to make a lot of efforts so that there are no difficulties during planting and care.

Description of a delicate flower

The average height of a houseplant is 55-65 cm. The shoots are decorated with green leaves. In length, leaf plates reach 20 cm, and in width - 2 cm.On one inflorescence appears from 7 to 12 flowers. In diameter, the flowers reach 6 cm. They are white, yellow, purple, lilac and red in color. The flowers emit a delicate fragrance, reminiscent of a mixture of lily of the valley and lily.

Freesia varieties

Most often in the "possessions" of flower growers there is a hybrid. It is the result of crossing freesia Armstrong and refracted freesia. The species listed are the most basic.

Freesia Armstrong

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

White, broken or refracted

Unlike other species, it has a compact size. The bush does not grow above 40 cm. Thin stems form a sprawling bush. Flowering occurs in April. Refracted varieties: Alba and fragrant.

Freesia hybrid

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

Features of growing at home

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

Freesia Needs

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

Light

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

Soil

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

Temperature

When planting a plant in the spring, the indoor temperature must be kept within 20 ° C. If the landing was carried out in winter, the first two weeks keep the same temperature as in the previous case. After that, it is lowered to 10 °C. The plant does not tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations.

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

Moisture

The humidity level in the room where the flower grows should be medium. It is recommended to avoid high humidity, as this negatively affects the flower. Dry air also does not benefit freesia.

Support

Tie long freesia leaves to the support. If this is not done, they hang down and eventually break. As a result, this spoils the appearance of the bush.

At the time of bud formation, the stems must also be tied up. For this, a support is used. The strength of the plant is not enough, especially if the culture is large and blooms profusely. The duration of the flowering period is 1 month.

Further care of freesia

If you plant a flower according to all the rules, this does not guarantee favorable growth. In order for a culture to fully develop, it needs careful care. Freesias need watering, fertilizing, transplanting and even winterization.

Features of watering before and during flowering

The flower is very sensitive to water quality. To avoid any problems, they take exclusively separated water. Water the soil twice a week as it dries. It is enough to moisten the top layer.

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

In stores that sell flowers, there are various devices for humidifying the air. Most often these are small fountains. If possible, it is placed near the flowerpots. During flowering, the culture needs a lot of moisture. Over time, watering is reduced.

How to properly fertilize a flower

Ideal for freesia - mineral fertilizers twice a month. It can also be complexes designed specifically for flowering plants. 2 weeks after flowering stops, the soil continues to be saturated with superphosphate.

Specific care after flowering

Care for the plant is necessary after the disappearance of the flowers. It is not customary to leave faded inflorescences on the shoots, they are disposed of. Also remove leaf plates and stems to the very base. Only the bulb remains in the container.

Do not stop watering for 8 weeks. After that, they are dug out of the soil and cleaned to remove excess earth. The bulbs are placed in water with the addition of potassium permanganate. This is a mandatory procedure for every instance. Within 3-4 days they should dry after soaking.

Plant transplant

Hybrid species requires an annual transplant. The procedure is carried out in the spring. For everything to go well, the container with the flower is kept in a room with a temperature not higher than 15 ° C. Thanks to this approach, the culture gives the first sprouts 2-3 weeks after transplanting to a new place.

Breeding methods

The flower propagates in two ways:

• seeds;
• bulbs.

Collected or purchased grains are sown in loose soil with the addition of peat. Sowing is carried out in late March or early April. After the appearance of young sprouts, the culture gradually develops, and flowering occurs in the fall.

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

Storage of bulbs

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

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

The bulbs are stored in the same way as an ordinary onion harvested for the winter. In no case do not choose a refrigerator for this. Frequent fluctuations in humidity and temperature encourage the bulbs to awaken.

If this happened once, there is nothing to worry about and the bulbs will not suffer from this. But if this phenomenon is repeated constantly, the plant may not bloom. Failures of this kind are detrimental to culture.

Freesia is stored in such a place that it is protected from moisture. Otherwise, it may cause rot. Root crops are very fond of rodents, so the bulbs also have to be protected from them.

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

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