Flowers are a beautiful direction to add colour and visual sake to any home or garden , but they can be a delight for your other sensation . as well . While textured works can be fun to touch , and some plants will rattle in the wind , scent is the sense most commonly affiliate with flowers . Not all heyday have strong or pleasant fragrance , but freesia flowers have a endearing smell . If you need to add this gorgeous and fragrant flower to your garden , here ’s everything you need to know .
What are freesia flowers?
freesia are repeated flowersin the iris fellowship . They resemble their cousins , having long minute stem like an iris and colored cup - mould flowers like a crocus . Freesia flowers can be almost any coloring material , and while most varieties are square colors , there are a few two - strengthen varieties . Like other works in their family , freesia can maturate from corms or from seeds , but they typically grow from bulbs , as it ’s speedy .
Freesias make excellent cut blossom and are often included in posy or organization for their bright colors and lovely olfactory property . Their sweet , fruity fragrance is often compared to jasmine . It is sometimes described as more or less citrusy and fair clear , not operose .
Planting freesia flowers
The well-situated way to get freesia is to part with freesia corm , sometimes also called bulbs . Corms are exchangeable to bulbs , but they typically have a rougher texture . You plant them in much the same way , with the point facing upwards , as this is where the stem will grow from . freesia are only stout in zones 9 and 10 , so you may involve to keep them indoors or move them inside during wintertime . Planting freesia in a container is the same as planting them outdoors , so just be sure the container has good drain .
Choose a planting internet site with rich , well - draining filth . merge compost into the dirt is a groovy mind , especially if your land is naturally pitiful or has been planted in latterly . Freesia plant need plenty of sun , so verify to embed them in an expanse with full sun to light-colored specter .
If you ’re going to move your freesia between the indoors and out depending on the season , you should found them in mid to late spring to make the most of the strong weather . Freesia that will be alfresco only can be planted in mid to tardy spring or fall , and indoor - only freesia can be planted at any sentence . The corms should be buried between 1.5 to 2 inches deep and space at least 2 inches asunder .
Freesia care
Freesias prefer the soil to be moist but not soggy . Weekly or bi - weekly watering is idealistic , and try towater them in the morningrather than in the good afternoon . head off getting the freesia leave wet as much as possible , as this can lead to fungal infection . Increase your tearing during heat Wave and while your plant is actively growing .
tip your freesia with a balanced fertilizer during the grow season . Some gardeners prefer to switch to a high-pitched - phosphorus fertilizer or add a P supplement such as bone meal while the plant is blooming . Phosphorus helps plants evolve bright , healthy bloom .
After your freesia plant blooms , you’re able to bring down the bloom stalks back to a few inches above the soil . Unless you plan to use the flowers for weakened bloom , most gardeners prefer to wait until the flowers have to the full faded . If you prefer , you may wait for the leaves to begin to yellow before cutting your plant back . Cutting back the stem and leafage helps protect your freesia plant from moth-eaten scathe , fungal infections , and plague while it ’s abeyant . Decrease your watering , then stop watering entirely until the beginning of the next growing season .
Common pests and problems
Watering can present a challenge with freesia flowers , as they require consistent wet but can still be damaged by overwatering . forfend watering your freesia if the soil is still dampish , and give tending to the shank and folio of your plant . Overwatered industrial plant will be limp and squishy , while underwatered plants will be brittle .
When indoors , freesia can become a target forcommon family pestslike spider mites and scale insects . Outdoor freesia plant are sometimes bothered by aphids , slug , escargot , spider mites , mealybugs , and scale insect . Neem oil can gross out most of these pests , although slugs and snails can sometimes take a more knotty pestilence control method acting .
Freesia flowers are beautiful and have a endearing scent , and now you know how to bestow this blossom to your home or garden . Whether on its own or in combination with other colorful flowers , freesia is an excellent pick for brightening up your home or garden and adding a gratifying , fresh scent to the area .