Freesia?

Last post 14-01-2012 10:30 AM by Annelise. 10 replies.

• 25/10/2011 07:57 AM

  Annelise Location: Yorkshire Joined on: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 46

  Reply | Contact Hi, Please can any kind person give me some advice on planting freesia corms, inside or out? I planted lots outdoors in spring (in pots, so I could lift them), all in sheltered, fairly shady spots, and though they produced loads of leaf I only got two miserable flowering stems.... :( I'd now like to plant some to grow indoors over winter. Should I start afresh with new corms, or is it worth trying to replant my summer ones (which are currently still in leaf)? I've read they need a cold but frost-free period of three weeks or so to flower well indoors - please can anyone tell me whether this is the case and, if so, will they be happy in my (non-food) fridge? And what's the best way to plant them? I've read the best way is with their tips sticking out, but then there's so much conflicting advice on the internet. Any help would be very much appreciated! Thanks a lot, Annelise.

• 16/12/2011 08:46 AM

  In reply to

  Julie Location: London Joined on: 28 Apr 2009 Posts: 410

  Reply | Contact I'm surprised no one knows about growing freesias indoors. What did you end up doing? My instinct would have been to use new corms and put them in the fridge for 6 weeks and then plant them and keep them in the dark until they started growing but I'm just extrapolating from my experience with forcing other bulbs. I've never grown freesias myself indoors. I would have planted them shallowly with the tops above the soil.  If you did try them, what were your results?

• 17/12/2011 06:39 PM	In reply to
  jon jon Location: stratford on avon Joined on: 18 Sep 2009 Posts: 284	Reply | Contact I plant freesia corms in pots from july onwards,leaving them outside untill frosts are expected,then house in a frost free glasshouse.they flower february onwards,depending on temperature.After flowering allow to die down completley ,lift corms & dry Plant corms 1inch deep

• 19/12/2011 08:20 PM

  In reply to

  Nigel Location: Paignton Joined on: 27 May 2008 Posts: 189

  Reply | Contact  Annelise I follow a  similar procedure to Jon Jon, planting them up in pots in late summer or early autumn. Planting an inch or so down and then move them into an unheated greenhouse, they came through the last two hard winters successfully. Most years they flower March/April When the leaves have died down I dig up the corms and leave in shed over the summer before replanting. Leaving them in the shed gives them a hot summer bake which encourages flower bud formation. If they get too warm whle growing flowering is inhibited. Most years the main problem I have i greenfly. I have never had much success with summer flowering freesia corms. I understand that these are heat treated to promote summer flowering.  I have also grown them from seed which germinated rapidly from a spring sowing with gentle watering and feeding  formed corms by the end of the summer, which will, hopefully flower next spring,

• 30/12/2011 04:07 PM

  In reply to

  Annelise Location: Yorkshire Joined on: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 46

  Reply | Contact Thanks very much for the replies. I didn't go ahead and plant any in the autumn as I really wasn't sure what to do, but now I'll know what to do next year! I stuck with trying to force crocus, muscari and anemones - all so far appearing to do fine in tubs in my fridge, and the first muscari and crocus batches are growing well so I must've done something right! Have taken the first batches out of the fridge now and am keeping them in a cool, darkish room until they form some buds - fingers crossed. A very Happy New Year to you. Annelise.

• 31/12/2011 06:40 AM	In reply to
  Julie Location: London Joined on: 28 Apr 2009 Posts: 410	Reply | Contact When did you start them? My muscari have all bloomed now and some of the crocus are just starting to bloom.

• 31/12/2011 09:33 AM

  In reply to

  Annelise Location: Yorkshire Joined on: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 46

  Reply | Contact Hi Julie, I planted this particular lot of crocuses and muscari at the end of October. More bulbs have been chilling in the fridge but have yet to be planted up. The anemones were planted at the end of September. Out of lots of bulbs, just a few in one dish are starting to send up leaves. I'm not sure whether to wait until each dish starts to throw up leaves before I take them out, or to take them out beforehand. I might try a bit of both - trial and error, as usual! I looked at your website, by the way, and found it very interesting. I don't know if you've tried forcing anemones? Annelise.

• 06/01/2012 06:23 AM

  In reply to

  Julie Location: London Joined on: 28 Apr 2009 Posts: 410

  Reply | Contact I started my bulbs in September so they bloomed earlier. The only time I tried anemones was when they were in a pack with other bulbs in a planter. They shot up before anything else and as I recall died before the other bulbs were ready to come out of the dark. That's the problem with mixed bulbs in a planter. I won't do that again unless I know the bulbs should grow at the same rate. I remember seeing forced anemones in a magazine and fancied trying them. Will have to try again. Maybe next year.

• 13/01/2012 09:25 PM

  In reply to

  Annelise Location: Yorkshire Joined on: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 46

  Reply | Contact Julie, Just wondering what your method was for forcing muscari? I have taken them (and the crocuses) out of the fridge now, where they've been since the autumn, and for about the last week they've been in a cool back bedroom with low light levels... Nevertheless the leaves have all shot up to about 6" with no sign of flowers (apart from one pretty little crocus bloom). I'm worried I'm going to end up with a whole load of leggy leaves and no flowers! Do you think I've done something wrong? Will moving them somewhere warmer with more light help, or make things worse? Thanks in advance for any advice! :-) Annelise.

• 14/01/2012 06:48 AM

  In reply to

  Julie Location: London Joined on: 28 Apr 2009 Posts: 410

  Reply | Contact I put the muscari bulbs (unplanted) in the fridge for 6 weeks to prepare them. Then I potted them up and within a few weeks they had good shoots so I brought them inside. I remember in the past I had leggy muscari that hardly bloomed so wanted to bring them into the warmth and light early this time. It did work but the variety I used was rather boring - too light in colour - I light the darker purple flowers so I left them flowering in the background and didn't pay much attention. I'll see if I noted when they actually bloomed. I have had a spectacular failure with avalanche narcissus again. Similar treatment to muscari above, 6 weeks in the fridge, put them in pots with pebbles and water, brought them into the light when they had lots of roots and good stems and now nothing - no further growth, no flowers.  Once these bulbs get stunted or leggy I don't think there's any bringing them back. All we can do is plant them in the garden and hope for better results there next spring.

• 14/01/2012 10:30 AM

  In reply to

  Annelise Location: Yorkshire Joined on: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 46

  Reply | Contact Thanks very much for that, Julie. I have more muscari in the fridge which are starting to shoot, so I'll take them out now and see how they fare. I think it's surprising how little detailed information about bulb forcing there seems to be on the internet - like you, I'm trying to keep lots of notes for next time. My narcissi (Ziva and Soleil d'Or) are still blooming well indoors, but they're so tall I'm going to try adding gin or vodka next year to see if it really helps to stunt them! I haven't tried any narcissi which need chilling, so unfortunately I can't share any experiences there. Off now to transplant some roses! Thanks again. Annelise.