Among bulb perennials grown in our front gardens, freesia is one of the most attractive. The color of its flowers can range from cream and white to bright orange and blue. Freesia is a relative of iris, and by smell it resembles lily of the valley . Let's learn about planting and caring for garden freesia in open ground conditions.
Growing freesia in open ground
The key feature of freesia is the way it is propagated - corms. Today, planting material is not difficult to buy - it can be done in a flower shop, with hands or via the Internet.
Having acquired a freesia bulb, create a greenhouse climate for it: place it in a bag with slots and store it in a warm, damp place. After a while on the bulb nuclei are formed roots, and then the flower spike.
Immediately before planting in the ground, the corms are recommended to be treated with a root growth stimulant, a solution of the drug against fungal diseases or at least manganese.
Growing freesia in open ground begins from the middle of April, when the upper layer of the soil will be heated to + 10-15 ° C. Soil must be neutral, nutritious and water-permeable. Place for planting is best to choose in the penumbra.
After planting the bulb, pour abundantly and cover it with peat. You can immediately install a support, to which then you will attach the peduncles. At the beginning of the growing season, give due attention to the care of the plant. Water the freesia abundantly, do not forget about fertilizing every 2 weeks, loosen the soil, trying not to touch the bulb. Blossoms freesia in August and blossoms until the frosts.
Dig up the corms immediately after the drying of the leaves begins. Before wintering the freesia bulbs need to be sorted for sick and damaged, treated with fungicides, and then dried. Winter freesia is very peculiar: in conditions of high (+ 25-30 ° C) temperature and humidity.