How to grow freesia with intense fragrance? Detailed explanation of cultivation and management techniques
Freesia is characterized by sword-like leaves, rich flower colors, and a flowering period during the Spring Festival, with a light floral fragrance when blooming and high ornamental value. It can generally be planted in courtyards or as potted plants, and some people also use it for bouquet cut flowers. Below are the growth habits and care techniques for freesia; those who like it can refer to them.
Environment
Freesia prefers a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight. It fears cold and heat, and avoids strong light; growing under high temperatures easily causes spindly growth. The suitable growth temperature is 15°C to 25°C. In the south it can be planted in the ground, while in the north it is grown in pots.
Soil
Freesia likes loose, fertile, sandy loam soil, which can be made by mixing peat soil, nutrient soil, and fine sand evenly. It is best to plant the corms in a clay pot in early September.
Light and temperature
The suitable growth temperature for freesia is 18-20°C during the day and 14-16°C at night. The overwintering temperature is 6-7°C (in the north, potted plants are moved indoors to a sunny spot in winter). During the growing period, provide enough light; avoid strong light and high temperatures, which easily cause spindly growth. Short-day conditions can promote flower bud formation, while long-day conditions can promote flowering. In hot summer the plant goes dormant, and after the weather cools the corms begin to sprout, grow, and send up stems to bloom.
Water and fertilizer
During the growing period, freesia should be given enough fertilizer and water. Apply dilute soybean cake water once every half month, or a light phosphorus and potassium fertilizer solution, and stop fertilizing after flowering. Water so that the pot soil alternates between dry and moist; it is not tolerant of drought or waterlogging, as water accumulation causes root rot, while lack of soil moisture makes the leaves lose their luster. Just after potting, water once a week; when the flower stems are emerging, water generously. In the north, move it indoors in winter and water less on warm days.
Dwarfing freesia
Freesia grows tall and easily lodges, so supports can be used. Before cultivation, soak the corms in water mixed with paclobutrazol powder for 15-20 hours for disinfection, then rinse them clean with water before potting. This helps seedlings emerge evenly, with shorter plants and wider leaves, and can dwarf them by 1/3. The plants grow robustly and compactly, with lush green foliage, making the whole plant more attractive.
Disease and pest control
Freesia is prone to pests and diseases, after which the roots and corms rot and the plant withers. Use less chemical fertilizer and more organic fertilizer, water appropriately, and maintain a ventilated and dry environment.
The key points for planting freesia are the growing environment and water and fertilizer management. The above is a detailed explanation of the cultivation method, so everyone must pay attention when planting, otherwise the survival rate of the freesia will be low.
A brief discussion of the key points for controlling spindly growth in freesia
Freesia is beautiful and has a very strong floral fragrance, so many flower lovers grow it as a household potted plant. Nowadays many people like to grow freesia themselves, because when the freesia blooms it feels more rewarding. In addition, freesia easily grows spindly and is extremely difficult to keep in shape, as any flower lover who has grown it knows. Some friends soak the corms in daminozide before planting, and some freesias people grow reach half a meter tall, with staking and tying methods of all kinds, which greatly affects the appearance. This article focuses on introducing methods to control spindly growth in freesia for everyone's reference and learning.The principles for preventing spindly growth in freesia are: plant deeply, strictly control water, give plenty of sun, and allow appropriate cold. Specifically, there are the following five key elements.
First, planting time depends on temperature. When to plant freesia should be determined by the local temperature. Through years of observation, the author believes that planting is more suitable when the daily maximum temperature is 20°C. Planting too early makes freesia sprout quickly and easily grow spindly. If the temperature at planting time is higher than 20°C, you can also first bury the corms in soil and temporarily not water them.
When planting freesia, the corms should be arranged at equal distances so that they will be neat and attractive later. It is recommended to place the smaller corms on the outer ring and the larger corms in the middle, because the large corms will have taller stems and leaves in the future and are prone to lodging, while the relatively shorter plants on the outer ring can provide support.
Many friends have this mentality after planting: they look forward to seeing the little sprouts emerge as soon as possible and hope the seedlings grow quickly. In fact, for freesia, slower germination may be a good thing. Some of my corms only sprouted one month after planting (be sure to ensure ventilation), and later they still grew and bloomed normally.
Second, plant deeply and apply enough base fertilizer. For planting freesia, it is best to use an orchid pot, and the corms can be buried about 10 cm deep. Years of planting experience show that when freesia is planted in a deep pot, the plants often grow upright and straight; otherwise, they may lean in all directions and look listless. I generally prefer to apply enough base fertilizer at one time before planting, using soybean cake fertilizer mixed with plant ash, and then not fertilize again. Of course, later topdressing also has a certain promoting effect on freesia growth, but it must be light.
Third, control moisture during the growing period. After planting, water thoroughly once, then place the freesia in a cool, ventilated place. Before sprouting, the pot soil should still alternate between dry and moist, and after sprouting gradually increase light. During the growing period, watering freesia should strictly follow the principle of "water thoroughly only when completely dry," and the degree of "dry" should be even drier than the general meaning of "completely dry" (the exact feel depends on friends slowly experiencing it themselves, such as when the pot soil is a bit whitish when dry). "Heavy water" plus "high temperature" will cause freesia to grow too fast, with seedlings that are "thin," "weak," and "tall." If you feel it has already shown the above undesirable trend, appropriate pruning can be carried out. However, pruning should not be simple flat cutting; it is best to maintain a certain slant so that growth tends to look natural. In particular, note that pruning should not be done during the bud stage.
Fourth, give plenty of sun. During the growing period, freesia should maintain sufficient light. Whether in golden autumn or deep winter, they should be allowed to fully enjoy a "sunbath." Full exposure is very helpful for slowing growth and controlling spindly growth - only when it grows slowly will it grow strong. It should be noted that the "sunbath" should stop during the flowering period; appropriate shading can prolong the viewing time of the flowers.
Fifth, maintain low temperatures during the growing period. Regarding the low-temperature tolerance of freesia, I carefully observed and experimented last winter, and tried placing it outdoors in a low-temperature environment of minus 3°C, finding that it grew well with no frost damage. Generally speaking, freesia can completely withstand low temperatures around 0°C, and thereby obtain a shorter and sturdier plant shape.
Summary: The above is an introduction to methods for controlling spindly growth in freesia. I hope everyone will exchange more experience in freesia care.