How to Grow and Care for Freesia
Not only does freesia smell delicious and produce many colors, but is easy to grow and care for. It has long been a gardener’s favorite plant. Freesia can be grown from seeds or bulbs. Most home gardeners achieve best results from bulbs planted indoors in pots or outside in the garden. Follow these steps to grow and care for freesia.
First, buy quality freesia bulbs from a local nursery or plant store.
If growing freesia indoors, plant the bulbs pointed side up 2-3 inches apart in the pot from September to November. Place the bulbs on top of the soil and cover them with peat moss until the top of the bulbs are about one to one and a half inches deep.
Keep the bulbs slightly damp and give them full sun. Ensure the pot has good drainage so that the soil does not get soggy. Overwatering freesia initially can lead to rotting.
Increase watering as the bulb grows and leaves form. When flowers start forming, feed the plant half-strength balanced ratio fertilizer.
To plant freesia bulbs in the garden, wait until the spring when winter frosts are over. Place bulbs pointed side up 2 to 3 inches apart in a sunny area that drains well. Cover tops of bulbs to be one inch deep in the soil. After planting, water bulbs thoroughly, and keep the soil moist. Attach bamboo rods to growing stems to keep upright.
Once freesias bloom, feel free to cut the flowers. Cutting does not hurt its health or production.
After blooming, leave the remaining foliage on the plant until they wither and die back. Once the bulb enters the dormancy stage, remove foliage. Dig up the bulbs from an outside garden in the fall before the first frost and store indoors in a cool dry place until the next planting season.
