Can freesia bulbs be left undug after flowering, and how should they be handled?

As is well known, freesia is a flower with a delicate fragrance. Although its name contains the character for "orchid," it does not belong to the orchid family. Its flower shape resembles a lily, while its leaves are as slender as those of an orchid. It has high ornamental value and symbolizes pure emotion and elegant taste, making it an ideal choice. When growing freesia, can the bulbs be left undug? Let's find out below.

Generally speaking, after freesia flowers fade and wither, the bulbs can be left undug. This is because the bulbs have a relatively long dormancy period, lasting about 2 months in total. During this time, simply leaving them in the flower pot is enough to preserve them perfectly. If the flower pot is urgently needed for something else, the bulbs can also be dug out and wrapped in paper, but remember not to seal them completely - leave some ventilation gaps, or alternatively put them in a cloth bag and hang it in a cool, ventilated spot. In addition, note that before digging out the bulbs, all the leaves must be completely withered and the soil must be completely dry; otherwise, they will not easily take root and sprout later.

Generally speaking, flower growers handle it by leaving the freesia bulbs to overwinter in place. So after overwintering, how should freesia bulbs be planted? First, regarding soil, choose something loose and breathable as much as possible, because freesia bulbs are particularly afraid of waterlogging. Therefore, they should be buried at a depth of about 4 to 5 cm in the soil; only this way can root lodging be prevented.

Then, after the bulbs are planted, it is recommended to choose a spot with relatively strong light, because if the light is insufficient, the young seedlings that come up later will easily grow leggy, and the leaves will later become thin and tall as well. If this continues until blooming, it will look very unattractive, and thin, tall plants also tend to lodge. It is recommended to place them in a spot with plenty of light, which can keep the whole plant compact. Once the plant has three leaves, spray it with a bit of chlormequat about every ten days. The chlormequat on the market is "paclobutrazol." The approximate dilution ratio for this chemical is about 1:500 for watering.

Finally, after the bulbs are planted, they also need sufficient water and fertilizer. It is recommended to apply an organic liquid fertilizer once every 10-14 days, or an appropriate amount of compound chemical fertilizer. For daily watering, follow the principle of "keeping the soil moist"; the bottom of the pot must not be dry, nor should there be standing water.