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samjp

By Samjp

Staffordshire, West Midlands, United Kingdom

Tips for growing Freesia's please.

I spotted some Single Blend Freesia bulbs whilst wondering round town last week and since they are my mom's favourite flower thought I'd give them a go. Not much planting information on the pack and I'm finding conflicting information on Google searches. Has anyone here grown them from bulb in the garden before?

From what I've found I understand they need full sun and plenty of water (particularly during the growing season). One site suggests they aren't hardy in the UK and should be put in the ground in spring after the frosts have gone, but another site simply states to plant between now and December. Any ideas anyone?

I haven't yet decided whether to pot them up (we have a little pot I could use, or perhaps plant them with the hyacinths I'm putting in a pot) or whether to put them in the border. Suggestions welcome :D




Answers

 

The confusion over planting arises because autumn sown Freesia must be grown under glass, in a sandy medium, with a temperature which is not allowed to fall under 5 deg C - you then get late winter flowering.
The other option is to plant outside in Spring, when they flower in summer.

6 Sep, 2011

 

Excellent thanks Bamboo, spring planting it is :D.

I'm surprised they were selling the bulbs now then. They do say best before end of December thinking about it, so I hope they will be ok :S.

6 Sep, 2011

 

Yes, I was trying to avoid saying this, but I can see I'm going to have to - they shouldn't have sold them now. They're usually on sale in spring, so its possible they've had those bulbs since then... I hope they are still usable next spring.

6 Sep, 2011

 

Ahh well, if they work brilliant if they don't no harm done they weren't expensive. I'm certainly not up to expensive purchases just yet (too many mistakes to make yet :P lol).

Thanks for the info, most helpful as always :D

6 Sep, 2011

 

I just lifted my Freesia bulbs as the stalks are almost spent. I am over wintering them in a frost free garage. They are in a drying box at the moment, but I plan to sit them in sand, slightly, very slightly damp. That seems to keep them happy till April/May. Just keep an eye out for mold etc and they will be fine - if looking like drying out you can run some water spray over them.

7 Sep, 2011

 

Thanks Kildermorie I'll try that. Do you use any particular sort of sand?

7 Sep, 2011

 

Builders sand - the rough stuff, cheap from Homebase etc, the kids play stuff is too fine.

7 Sep, 2011

 

If you're going to use builders sand rather than horticultural or silver sand, make sure you get washed builders sand.

8 Sep, 2011

 

Excellent thanks. I'll see what I can find and give it a go :)

9 Sep, 2011

 

Over wintering freesia's....just what I needed to know and found these replies via the 'search' box! Brilliant, thanks to all.
I have not been on here for some time but the site still comes up trumps! :-)))

29 Sep, 2011

How do I say thanks?

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