How Do You Keep Freesias Blooming?
Freesias are easy-to-grow plants that will thrive with proper care. Here are some tips for maintaining their freshness and beauty:
Stakes for Support
Both wild and potted freesias require strong supports to keep their foliage and flower stems upright. You can use twigs from silver birch trees, hazel trees, or other trees to ensure they stay tall and straight.
Indoor freesia plants require plenty of light to bloom, so stakes are essential. Rotate your pot several times a day so that the sunlight hits all angles evenly.
When planting your freesia, make sure the soil is not too moist and well-drained. Doing this will prevent root rot and allow your freesia’s corms to develop properly.
To plant, select a container with adequate drainage holes and fill it approximately half full of potting mix. Insert the bulbs one to two inches deep, spacing them an inch apart. You can fit six corms in a five-inch pot; however, larger pots may need more spacing between plants.
The next step is to thoroughly water and provide ample nutrition to your freesia plants so they can bloom as soon as possible. A general guideline for watering your plants during their growing season is once or twice a week, while more frequently during their blooming phase.
If you plan to plant your freesia in containers with poor soil that is difficult to work with, fertilizing with liquid feed such as comfrey juice or seaweed fertilizer can help them thrive.
Temperature and Humidity
To achieve ideal growing conditions for freesias, keep them planted in a sunny location with temperatures (less than 70deg F). This is because freesias require nighttime temperatures between 50-55deg F to form buds and produce flowers.
Additionally, keep the air cool and damp during summer when bulbs are dormant. Doing this will encourage them to continue growing and produce new corms for next year’s flowers.
Freesia flowers are highly sought-after and can be cut in a closed bud stage to extend their vase life. Some varieties can last up to three weeks if cut during blooming.
When purchasing freesias for your garden, select colors that will blend in with other plants in the area. Alternatively, mix up colors for an even more eye-catching effect.
If you want your freesia flowers to bloom more frequently, plant them in clusters. This will keep their blooms vibrant and plentiful, plus give them plenty of room to spread when they’re in full bloom.
To avoid problems like aphids and snails, you can spray your freesias with water spray or wipe away pests with a paper towel. If you notice that the leaves of your freesias are becoming yellow or wilted, it’s time to prune them off.
