Guide to growing Freesia
Freesia are half hardy bulbs. They carry beautiful funnel like flowers that have a lovely fragrance.
Freesia flower in the winter and spring; the flowers can be of many colours including orange, yellow, pink, red, blue or white.
Most gardeners like to grow them in containers to show there Freesia's off.
Photographs: Striped Fressia by Living in Monrovia and Freesia by ahisgett.
Quick Freesia Growing Guide and Facts
Common Names: Freesia
Life Cycle: Half hardy bulb.
Height: 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 cm).
Native: Africa.
Growing Region: Zones 9 to 10. Or in containers.
Flowers: Winter and spring.
Flower Details: White, purple, red, pink, orange, yellow. Funnel-shaped. Fragrant.
Foliage: Herbaceous. Narrow leaves.
Sow Outside: Warm areas only.
Corms: 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm). Autumn. Spacing 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm).
Seeds: 1/4 inch (6 mm). Before the last spring.
Sow Inside: Germination time: three weeks to one month. Temperature: 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C). Seeds should be soaked for one day. Sow in the beginning of spring.
Requirements and care: Full sunlight. Good drainage. Moist soil. Mix in manure. Regular watering whilst during vegetative growth. Light watering whilst in bloom. Provide support for Freesia with twigs or grow in close proximity. Propagate: from offsets in the autumn.
How to grow Freesia
Freesia can be grown from either corms or seed. The corms can be planted outdoors in the autumn at a depth of about 4 to 5 cm in warm areas. It is probably best to grow Freesia from seeds (and corms) indoors first. Firstly soak the Freesia seeds in warm water for a full day, then plant the Freesia seeds at a depth of 6mm and corms at 5cm. Germination takes about a month and should be done at about 18 to 24 degrees Centigrade.
Caring for Freesia in the garden
Once growing Freesia should be transplanted out into the garden at a distance of 10 apart in a sunny area of the garden that has good drainage, Freesia likes to grow in a moist manured soil. If you require to grow more Freesia plants then you can take offsets in the autumn. Freesia require frequent watering until they come into flowering, once flowering Freesia should be lightly watered; this can be discontinued once the flowering season has finished.