Freesiaspp.
Freesiais a genus of about 16 fragrant flowering mintage in the Iridaceae sept that also include sword lily and iris .
The blossoms are showy , with three upper petals and three sepal below , forming a vasiform or funnel - shape vessel prefer by honeybees .
Colors let in a salient potpourri of lavender , orange , pink , imperial , crimson , livid , lily-livered , and bicolor combination .
Photo by muffinn, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
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Those most readily available to today ’s gardeners are hybrid . In zone 9 to 10 , they are perennials .
Elsewhere , they may be grown as yearly to be discarded at time of year ’s close , pinnace perennials lifted before first freeze and stack away over the moth-eaten months , or grown indoors for wintertime rosiness .
Photo by muffinn, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
This guide discusses all you call for to know to grow and care for freesia at your house .
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
Let ’s set out with a bit of background .
Cultivation and History
nerveless - weather freesia farm from abulb - same genus Tuber called a cormand blooms from mid - wintertime to spring in its native South Africa , entering quiescency when the temperature rise above 70 ° farad .
It is wintertime hardy in Zones 9 and 10 but frost - tender .
The foliage is grass- or blade - corresponding , like to that of agladiolusoriris .
Flowers come out in chronological sequence along one side of a leafless , arc raceme and flush from the bottom to the top .
The average matured dimensions are 12 to 18 column inch tall and six to 12 inch wide .
Cultivation dates back to 19th century England during the heyday of plant hunter who discovered new specie for British collecting .
With six to 12 fragrant flowers per stem and length of service as a cut efflorescence , these exciting specie were destined for cut gardens and florist shops .
By the later nineteenth century , crossbreeding was underway in Europe .
The initial crossbreeding of metal money like the light-green - yellow , yellowish , or whiteF. refractaand creamyF. leichtlinii , with its slight lavender tinge and icteric blush , reach the doorway to a booming flower gardening .
Other metal money that would make their way into development admit the highly fragrant , preponderantly whiteF. alba , cherry and sometimes pinkF. grandiflora , and “ flowering grass,”F. laxain various colors , including pink .
Today ’s gardeners and flowered designers have access to hybrid that appointment to the nineties , when metal money within theFreesiagenus were cross to create new flowers with feature like disease - impedance , double flower petal , and tall heights than their wild counterparts .
Unfortunately , some naturalize variety ’ sweet and heady fragrance was mislay in the cognitive process .
Next , we ’ll spill the beans about how to start out plants .
Freesia Propagation
In its aboriginal home ground , freesia multiplies by ego - sowing seeds and/or growing offsets or “ daughter ” corm .
We can get new plants at home by buying corm , dividing live clumps to obtain offsets , and sow seeds . permit ’s discuss .
By Division
We can also get young plant by division .
To divide , hold off until the plants have finished flower and the foliage is withering , then dig out up the clustering of corms .
Separate and polish off withered parent corms and keep back the fresh , young offsets that grew up beside them to sow in in containers or other fix .
From Seed
While corms are promptly useable and quicker to sprout , you could also start with seeds .
Some species , likeF. laxa , ego - sow , shake off germ that aid to ensure the specie ’ survival in the wilderness .
loan-blend do n’t always produce feasible seeds . When they do , the seeded player do n’t grow into clon of the parent but can deviate in trait like color , form , and quality .
If you start plants this means , be trusted to buy seeds or amass them from a species plant , not a hybrid , after the green seed pod twist brown .
When you have your seeds , soak them in piss for 24 hours .
Use biodegradable seed appetiser pots with two to three seeded player in each .
Lightly cover the seed with garden or potting soil .
wash the soil , but do not oversaturate it .
Sprout the seeds in darknessat 55 to 64 ° F for best results . you’re able to cover the deal broadly speaking with foil and use a warmth mat to achieve these weather .
Once they sprout , thin the seedlings to one per pot .
Maintain even wet and a temperature between 41 and 50 ° F.
let six months for the seeds to germinate and one to two age for them to maturate to corms that flower .
Transplanting
A corm , like a bulb , memory all of the food a plant needs to expand .
If you are grow in container , they should be eight inches cryptic to oblige freesia ’s long taproot . In the garden , function the soil to a friable consistence to a alike depth .
Set the corm two to three inches apart , with the pointed end face up upwards , situated just above the surface of the ground .
Freesia corms purchased from garden centers or baby’s room may be high temperature - do by or untreated .
Heat - treated corms are intended for constitute in nerveless zones that experience freezing temperatures and frosts . Plant them in early spring for a late summertime salad days , roughly 110 to 120 daylight later .
If you experience in a zone that freezes , and do n’t want to grow freesia as an one-year or uprise corms annually , you could also produce them indoors for wintertime flowering . Plant them in former fall for blooming in 10 to 12 hebdomad .
you’re able to also pot up corms to produce in a cool glasshouse in area that freeze down , for a cut garden through the wintertime . The ideal temperature is 41 to 50 ° fluorine .
Theydon’t require any chill hoursbeyond this .
Untreated corm are worthy for affectionate zone . They should be planted in late summertime for give peak the undermentioned year .
Once we have our plant it ’s time to address cultural requirements .
How to Grow Freesia
Freesia needs full sun to bloom abundantly , though it will suffer part spectre location , particularly in hot climates .
The grunge should be organically - plentiful , sandy loam that drains well , with a slightly acidulent to neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.0 .
If yougarden in container , choose a quality potting soil that is light , aeriform , and moisture retentive .
Two to three - column inch spacing produce a swath of coloration and enable plant to support each other .
However , it may increase the endangerment of fungal disease in pixilated climate due to the buildup of moisture and humidness .
If excess wet is an offspring , you may space your plants more broadly and set up circular documentation at planting time to avoid floppy stems .
Half - Round Plant Support Rings
These support rings are half - circles made of durable , conditions - resistant green charge plate that blends well with green garden foliage .
rate them around lightbulb grouping for the duration of the grow season and reprocess them again the undermentioned year .
Half - Round Plant Support Rings areavailable from Zotuk via Amazon .
cater minimal moisture while you expect for the corms to germinate . Once sprouts seem , hold even moisture but do not oversaturate the soil .
When buds form , fertilize semimonthly with an all - design , potassium - rich liquidness ware , like one formulated fortomato plants .
Avoid fluoridated pee and fertilizers that contain morning star fluoride , as freesia respond adversely to these chemicals .
After an intact stem finishing blooming , you may snip it off near the nucleotide or grant pods to form and self - sowing to occur . think back that seminal fluid from loanblend will not acquire lawful to the parent flora , so you may not want them to go to come unless you ’re curious about the potential outcome .
Once all of the bloom wind up blossom , discontinue fertilise and lachrymation .
If you are growing perennials or lifting corms at season ’s end to stash away them , countenance the leaf to stay in spot to feed the corm for next yr ’s flowers .
If you are growing annuals to discard post - bloom , remove them entirely to the compost heap when the peak finish . Always clear all junk to avoid harboring plague and pathogens .
Growing Tips
With the best ethnic practices , freesia flourish and delights with a striking display . stand its wellness and mantrap by retrieve to :
Now we ’ll move on to sustentation .
Maintenance
If you live in a warm zone and delight grow freesia as perennial , upkeep include cut into and fraction corm , relocating divided offset , and removing sear foliation at season ’s end .
After blooming in the saltation , you may need to lift and store to invalidate rotting during showery spells .
Here ’s how :
Per the Royal Horticultural Society , store the corms in a theme bag in an 80 ° F placement with high humidness of about 75 to 80 percent for 14 to 20 calendar week .
Note that with high estrus and wet , corm are susceptible to fungal disease , so inspect them on a regular basis and dispose of any that are move .
Be sure to label the bags , specially if you have different miscellany .
Conversely , if you are gardening in a geographical zone that block , lift the corms to stack away them after they shrivel and before the first frost .
Store the corm in labeled paper bags in a cool , ironic localization between 35 and 40 ° F .
Freesia Cultivars to Select
There are numerous eccentric of this wide hybridized floriculture whiz available . Here are some to whet your appetite :
Double Mix
FreesiaxhybridaDouble Mix boasts double blossoms that hint of mint , beloved , and citrous fruit , and display assorted hopeful colors .
Sow in the fall for perennial culture in geographical zone 8 to 11 . Plant in the spring as an yearly in Zones 2 to 7 .
plant get on to heights of 12 to 16 inch .
bivalent Mix freesia isavailable from Eden Brothers .
Single Red
Freesia corymbosa‘Single Red ’ has vivacious carmine blossoms , rich yellow throat , and a peppery perfume .
‘ Single Red ’
flora in fall in Zones 8 to 10 or in the spring in geographical zone 1 to 11 . have a bun in the oven mature elevation of 15 to 20 inches .
‘ Single Red ’ isavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Single Yellow
Freesia corymbosa‘Single Yellow ’ is a crowfoot lily-livered lulu that emits a fresh give olfactory property as it savor in full sun .
‘ Single Yellow ’
seed it in the fall in Zones 8 to 10 and in the spring in other temperate zones . Plants mature to meridian of 12 to 16 inch .
‘ Single Yellow ’ freesia isavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Managing Pests and Disease
With quality corms from a reputable purveyor and best ethnic practice , you are unlikely to experience problems .
However , there are a variety of pests and disease to be aware of .
Pests
pest to be mindful of include , night - feeding slug and escargot , and sapsuckingaphidsandthrips .
If you regain the leaves chewed off , it ’s likelyslugs and snailshave feed upon them during wet weather or overwatering .
Tell - tale signs of sapsucker are folio distorted shape , stain , and desiccation , followed by leaf drop and a failure to flourish .
These pests are often disease vectors that cause all-encompassing damage when infestations go ungoverned .
In gain , herbivores like moles and voles may feed upon bulbs under the soil . Screening bulbs with a net enclosure at planting clip is a preventive measure to consider .
Disease
Diseases to check for include :
grey mold , caused byBotrytis cinerea , occurs with high humidness and appears as a gray copper on foliage , bloom , and buds . Black stiff or “ sclerosed ” structure may be seeable .
Damaged plant are most vulnerable to dampen , disintegration , and destruction .
As there are no efficacious treatments , grower should take dodging measures , like sanitary practices , the step-down of humidity , and the remotion of damaged or decay flora material .
Mycosphaerella ( syn . Didymellina ) macrosporafungus causes iris folio smear . It may dissemble the foliation or buds and first appears as rounded , xanthous wound .
The wound dry out , and the dried-out patches enlarge until the leaves wrench brown and curl up . Premature foliage death termination in a loser to nurture the corms for next year ’s flowers .
Proactive measures to annul iris leafage place let in :
Destroy all affected foliation and treat remaining plant life with a spray - on fungicide .
Freesia Mosaic Virus ( FreesiaMV ) spreads via the spud aphid , Macrosiphum euphoribae , and the green peach aphid , Myzus persicae .
Freesia Sneak Virus ( FreSV ) is the result of a stain borne fungus , Olpidium brassicae , and is associated with the little understood Freesia Leaf Necrosis Disease ( FLN ) .
unwashed viral symptoms are the growth of icteric or “ greensick ” smudge that spread , blend , teetotal , wither , and pass to overall descent and death .
Unfortunately , plant life viruses are not treatable . Their presence requires the remotion of affected plant , sanitization of tools , and rotation to a raw position next year .
Best Uses for Freesia Flowers
Showcase fragrant freesia in bungalow garden bed among thecosmos , dahlias , geranium , andranunculus .
Pair it withsweet alyssumin gay borders and container for fragrant variations in height and form .
take a section of your cutting garden with masses of pollyannaish stem for bouquets and vase arrangements .
Scatter bulbs for a naturalistic exhibit that will enlarge over the geezerhood .
Interplant freesia with gladiolus and iris . Their comparable meridian and sword - corresponding foliage provide persistence punctuate by various and eye - catch blooms .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Fabulous, Fragrant Freesia
Whether you grow it as a recurrent or an one-year , freesia is sure to bewitch .
For container gardening , remember to apply a in high spirits quality potting sensitive that is light and well - draining .
In the garden , grow in organically - rich , sandy loam that is slightly acidulent and drain well . Avoid overwatering to prevent the corm from moulder , and reverse them in locales that freeze in the wintertime .
The supple , arch raceme may have a delicate appearance , but freesia is sturdy enough to last up to three week in a vase , provided you give the stems a new gash and change the urine daily .
It ’s time to add freesia to yourgarden plannertoday for a robust display of fabulous , fragrant seasonal flower .
If you plant this article informative and desire to read aboutother frost - tender flowering perennials often cultivated as annuals , we recommend the following template next :
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Nan Schiller
