Freesia is a flowering bulbous plant from the Iris family. It comes from South Africa. For its delicate aristocratic beauty and delicate aroma, freesia became the favorite of gardeners several centuries ago. The smell with notes of lily of the valley contributed to the appearance of the second name - Cape lily of the valley. The planted plant in the garden and grown at home, make up combinations of different varieties with a variety of colors and shapes of inflorescences. It is not difficult to take care of freesia, and observing some tricks, you can get flowering bushes even in winter.
Plant description
Freesia is a perennial plant. The corms are elongated or lyre-shaped. They are covered with white and light brown films. Every 2 years after flowering, the corm dies and babies appear in its place. The ground part of the plant is represented by narrow linear leaves that grow directly from the ground at the base of the stem. The length of the leaf plate is 15–20 cm, and the width does not exceed 1 cm. On the dark green leaves, the central vein is clearly visible.
The thin bare stem of freesia grows 20-70 cm, hybrid varieties can exceed 1 m in height. The upper part of the shoot is highly branched. 3-4 months after the awakening of the bulbs, each branch is covered with a one-sided spike-shaped inflorescence. It consists of 3-6 buds. Fragrant flowers in the form of a narrow funnel with a long tube at the ends are divided into 6 petals. The length of the corolla is 3-5 cm, and the diameter is up to 6 cm. The petals themselves are oval, with a pointed end. In the center of the tube there are 3 thin stamens and an ovary. Petals acquire a wide variety of colors. They are white, cream, lilac, pink, red, blue and purple. Sometimes the pharynx is colored in a contrasting shade or darker veins are present in the center of the petals.
After pollination, the trihedral seed boxes ripen. They are quite small and contain angular dark brown seeds. Seed germination is maintained throughout the year.
Species and decorative varieties
Officially, 16 species of plants are registered in the genus of freesia. Most of them grow only in the wild. Hybrid varieties are used in culture, which are more resistant not only to a temperate climate, but also to more northern latitudes.
Broken freesia (white). A compact herbaceous plant with a height of not more than 40 cm. Very thin stems branch and dissolve inflorescences of a milky white hue. At the base of the shoot linear leaves of bright green color grow. Varieties:
- Alba - large flowers with snow-white petals are covered with thin purple lines inside the funnel;
- Fragrant - on the lower petals of a milky color there is a bright yellow spot, the smell of lily of the valley is very strong.
Freesia Armstrong. A plant up to 70 cm tall spreads funnel-shaped flowers 4-5 cm in diameter. They exude a delicate citrus scent. Petals are pink, purple or raspberry colored. Variety cardinal is a plant with simple red flowers collected in numerous dense inflorescences. At the base of the petals there is a yellow spot, and the anthers and pestle are painted in blue or purple.
Terry freesia. Large varietal group with lush terry flowers. Petals are round and wide. They are arranged in several rows, which is why plants are often called "freesia rose". The color of the petals is monophonic or two-color. Red, blue, yellow, cream or violet color predominates.
Freesia is hybrid. Intraspecific freesia hybrids up to 1 m high with highly branched stems. Often from one corm grows immediately to three shoots. Brushes up to 8-10 cm long consist of large flowers with a diameter of 5-7 cm. Varieties:
- Ballerina - dense wax petals are located in 1 row, at the base they are corrugated and painted in a yellowish-white color;
- Caramel - shoots 75-80 cm tall bear up to 8 flowers in spike-shaped inflorescences, large simple buds are painted in red-brown;
- Pimperina - a compact plant up to 20 cm high blooms corrugated flowers, their red petals with a burgundy border have a yellow spot at the base;
- Royal Blue - wide-oval petals of violet color with darker veins and a border and a yellowish spot at the base.
Freesia propagation
Freesia is propagated by seeds and daughter corms. Seed propagation is considered more labor intensive and is rarely used. For example, when breeding new varieties or the need for a large number of plants. Use fresh seeds. In the spring, before sowing, the seeds are soaked for 10-15 minutes in a solution of manganese, and then another day in warm boiled water. After that, they are sown in sand and peat soil to a depth of 6-10 mm. The pots are covered with a film and kept in a bright place at a temperature of + 18 ° C.
Shoots appear after 2-3 weeks. After the appearance of the shoots, the shelter is removed. The grown seedlings are transplanted into a container with a distance of 5 cm. The seedlings are kept at a temperature of + 20 ... + 22 ° C and high humidity. Plants react negatively to any fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Gradually, the temperature is reduced to + 12 ... + 14 ° C. In late May, seedlings are carefully transplanted into the open ground. Further care is carried out according to the usual scheme.
A large corm in a season can produce several children. Plants collected in autumn are stored in the usual way until spring, and in spring they are planted in the ground. The smaller the bulb, the closer it is to the surface.
Outdoor cultivation
In the garden for freesia, a slightly shaded place is selected. The delicate vegetation does not like the hot sun, and the bulbs prey in the overheated earth. It is also necessary to take care of protection against drafts. The soil should be loose and fertile, with low acidity. If there is no suitable soil, then a mixture of peat, sand, humus and leafy soil is poured with a layer of about 15 cm.
Freesia is planted in open ground in spring when spring frosts pass. Depending on the region, this may be the first decade of May or its very end. Before planting, the soil is dug up and leveled. Freesia is planted in rows so that the neck of the bulb is on the surface. The distance between the bulbs in the row is 5-6 cm, and between the rows - 15 cm. Then the soil is slightly tamped and mulched with peat or chopped needles.
At the end of May, when seedlings appear, they carry out the first feeding with ammonium nitrate. Later, twice a month, freesia is fertilized with mineral compounds with phosphorus and potassium.
Plants should be watered regularly. During the growing season, irrigation is less frequent and they make sure that the water completely leaves the soil, otherwise the bulbs may rot. On hot days, the earth must not be allowed to dry out very much. During the flowering period, watering is carried out more often and makes them more plentiful. Flowering itself lasts 3-6 weeks. Upon completion, freesia is watered less frequently, gradually completely stopping irrigation.
Even in open ground, the plant needs moist air, so the beds are regularly sprayed. This should be done in the evening, so that burns do not form due to dew drops. It is also necessary to regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds. Tall stems are tied in a timely manner so that they do not break. Withered flowers are immediately cut, otherwise they will take power from the bulb.
Freesia rarely suffers from plant diseases. Only in too damp and cold soil or in rainy weather often develops Fusarium, rot or scab. Shoots and leaves attack aphids, spider mites and thrips. From them, the flowers are treated with an insecticide or soap solution.
Until mid-autumn, freesia bulbs are left in the ground. When terrestrial vegetation begins to turn yellow and dry, it is cut off. Soon the rhizomes themselves are dug up. Corms are thoroughly cleaned of the earth, old roots and scales. They are etched in manganese or fungicide for half an hour, and then dried at room temperature for several days.
After all the procedures, the corms should be carefully examined for damage, sorted by size and placed in small grids. They should be stored in a dark room with air temperature + 20 ... + 25 ° C and humidity up to 80%. Several times during the winter, corms inspect and isolate damaged ones.
If freesia is grown in the southern regions, where in winter there is practically no frost. It can be left for the winter in the open ground. The earth is insulated with spruce branches and fallen dry foliage.
Home Care
Freesia grows equally well in the garden and in the pot, like a houseplant. In the latter case, you can independently determine the flowering time. In order for the flowers to appear by the New Year, they begin to plant bulbs in September. After a period of rest, a month before planting in a pot, freesia bulbs are transferred to a cool place (+ 10 ... + 15 ° C) with good lighting. As a result of hardening, they start to grow immediately after planting. Corms are planted in the soil to a depth of 3-6 cm, several pieces in a pot.
Containers contain at a temperature of + 20 ... + 22 ° C and regularly watered. The complexity of autumn cultivation is a short daylight, but freesia needs at least 12 hours of bright diffused light. To compensate for the disadvantage, use the backlight. Stems longer than 10 cm are tied, otherwise they will break under the weight of large flowers.
To maintain high humidity, plants are regularly sprayed and placed near them with a pan of water. It is important to isolate freesia from heaters.
During the growing season and flowering, top dressing is brought into the ground twice a month. Use mineral compounds. First, fertilizers with a high content of potassium are used, and later phosphorus is preferred.
When all the buds fade and the leaves turn yellow, the ground part is cut off. Bulbs continue to be watered for another 1-1.5 months. During this period, the formation of children. At the end of the process, all onions are dug up, washed and sent for storage.
Using freesia
For delicate fragile shoots and bright fragrant flowers of freesia, it is worthwhile to allocate a place on the site or on the windowsill. The plant is used in a mixed flower garden next to roses, peonies, hydrangeas, clematis and lisianthus.
Thin stems with lush inflorescences are often used for cutting. Bright bouquets are made of them. Flowers in white or pastel shades are added to the bride's bouquet. Only fully opened inflorescences should be cut. In a vase, the buds will not blossom.
In addition to wondrous beauty, delicate aroma plays an equally important role. The smell of freesia with subtle sea notes will charm anyone. The essential oil of the flower is used in aromatherapy to combat stress, nervous strain and anxiety.
