Grow Freesia
Freesia is a native of South Africa and can be somewhat difficult to grow. They can be grown year-round outdoors in zone 9-11 where summers are dry and winters are sunny, cool and moist. The plants go dormant from the summer heat and return in the fall.
Grow Freesia outdoors
In cooler climates, plant the small corms in spring in full sun. Plant in well-drained, rich, sandy soil, 2″ deep and 3″ apart with tips up. Freesia grow best in daytime temperatures of 60-70F degrees and night temps of 50-60F. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. The foliage grow 20-30 ” tall and may need staking to keep it from falling over. Freesia should bloom 110-120 days after planting and last up to 4 weeks. (Hopefully before the hot, wet summer).
When the sweet-fragrant flowers start to fade, pinch off the dry flower heads, fertilize and let the foliage continue to grow as it will replenish the corm with next years nutrients. The foliage will eventually brown and die back nautrally at which time you will need to dig up the corms and store them dry in a mesh or paper bag in a cool, dark place for next season. Same as gladiolus.
Grow Freesia in pots
Freesia can also be started as a potted houseplant from late summer to early winter (September-December). Plant in well-drained potting soil, 2″ deep and 1 ” apart with the tips pointed up. Plant 6-10 corms in a 6″ pot. Water in well, so that it drains from the bottom. Place in a cool (55-60F), dark or shaded place until new growth starts to show which may take about 2 weeks. When new growth emerges, move the pots to a bright sunny room or greenhouse. Feed a balanced fertilizer (20-20-20) every 2 weeks when plants begin to grow. Freesia require full sun and moist soil to bloom. It should take 12 weeks from sprout to bloom. For longest bloom, keep the plant in a bright, cool room.
Once finished blooming let the foliage brown and die back naturally or discard.
Forced freesia will be very difficult to rebloom in pots the following year but can be planted outdoors in zone 9-11.
Cut flowers
Freesia makes an excellent cut flower and is often used in mixed bouquets. Flowers can have double or single blooms and come in a wide range of colors. Cut flowers when the first lower floret starts to open. Blooms will last up to a week.
Flowers are sensitive to ethylene.
I want to plant some freesia in hanging pots on my back wall, but I know that they will go dormant what can I plant with them so my pots won’t be bare when they do go dormant?
Freesia turning yellow
Someone gave me a couple freesia plants in a pot. I live in Atwater, CA. I planted them outside in April just a week ago maybe and it’s already turning yellow.. is it too hot? too much water? or what do you think?
Hi I live in north Dallas – 7b to 8. I planted freesia last spring and they never came up. We had a very hot dry summer and I forgot all about them. It’s early November and they are up and about 8-10″ tall ( just green sword leaves). We can get cold here and they are really too leggy to cover with glass cloche. Should I chance it and let them bloom before a hard freeze or dig them up and bring inside before they set flowers. Thanks.
Floppy freesia
I live in San Diego and have freesia in the ground. They do very well and have come back for the 4th year now. I have problems with the leaves laying down. They do ok till the first rain then the whole plant seems to go from 90 degrees to 30 with the leaves in the dirt. The flowers stems are normally strong enough to be ok and I stake them up if needed but the leaves are difficult to stake up. Any ideas for keeping them more up right?
Could you please publish or let me have the zones you mention? I live in North EAstern Australia. Thank you
I received 2 freesia bulbs as favors at an April wedding. I planted them per directions but it took from May until September before leaves formed. I suppose the very hot, then very wet NJ summer affected them. Now it’s late Sept. and the leaves are about 10″ high. Do you think the plants will flower at all? I brought them in when the temps got into the 40s & they’re thriving. Should I bother to re-pot them?
Freesia coming up late
I planted Freesia bulbs in outdoor pots in May in WI. It’s late September and they are just beginning to come up. I had long given up on them. Why did it take so long? We are about to get frost. Can I bring th pots inside and still get them to bloom? Will they have enough light?
Hi! This is great information – thanks! But I think I must have mutant freesia…in live in Newport Beach, Ca (SoCal) and my freesia are going nuts; huge plants – tons of flowers – they’re very happy in pots in my atrium! They seem to be dropping a lot of seeds right now. Are they about to go dormant? Is there any way to keep them blooming year-round? If I move to larger pots, will I get a bigger plant? Sorry for the numerous questions!
Thanks again, Elizabeth
Multiple bloomer
If I cut the flower will it bloom again or does it only flower once.
Seed pods
My freesias have already bloomed for the season, and now have these seed pods growing from where the flowers would normally be. What are these and what do I do with them? Are they going to re bloom?
Plant freesia
Hi I live in LA California and today I bought some freesia corms. Can I plant them in my garden now? Or when’s the best time to plant?
Thank you. It could actually be all of those reasons. BUT I went out there this morning and I noticed they look like they are right about to bloom. =) So maybe I should just be patient see what happens!
Freesia not blooming
I have a question. I just moved into a home that was built in the 50′s. I live in the desert about an hour away from LA, California….This house has a beautiful garden in the front and I can see a couple of Freesia’s are about to bloom….then I look at the rest of the garden; there are Freesias everywhere but they haven’t bloomed. The foliage is about 18″ high and I am waiting for them to get some blooms on them….is there anything I can do to make them bloom at a faster or healthier rate? I am not sure if it’s because they are old, or weren’t taken care of properly from the previous owner….
Are there any particular cultivars or varieties of freesia that you would recommend? (I live in Zone 5, in central PA, very close to Zone 6 demarcation.)
Thank you.
sure if I am leaving my question as a question or a reply – sorry. I am not sure what zone I am in (Tucson, AZ) I just put some flowering freesia and a big outdoor stone pot – will they be ok since its hot in the summer?
thanks
Hi Cathy
They will go dormant during the hot summer and start to grow in the fall/winter.
I live in zone 8b. Will freesia do well in my area? The nursery by my house said no but I’m finding conflicting information on this. Plus, I have 20 bulbs planted with foliage that’s about 8 inches tall. But, some of the foliage has white spots (not fuzzy and about the size of a small pea) on them, and some have red/rusty edges and are starting to die. What is this and how do I take care of it?
Freesia is hardy in zone 9-10.
How long do freesias live? I planted some three years ago and some last year and they keep coming back every year, fuller and stronger. I live in the southern part of the San Francisco bay Area.
I bought some freesia bulbs in early summer and planted them. Out of 20 or so, only two green shoots came up, never flowered, and subsequently died. I forgot about them.
In late August I weeded that flower bed and planted a couple other things. Suddenly now in September about 10 more green shoots have come up from the freesia bulbs. It’s been a couple weeks though and no flowers or anything have appeared.
I live in central Virginia. What should I do? Will I get blooms now?
Thanks,
Nora
Plant freesia in pots
I purchased a bag of Freesia today from Costco. The package holds 100 bulbs. Here is my delemma, I would like to grow my Freesia’s indoors. (Do I plant the bulbs now, Mid-Sept (9/17/10)or wait until October? Where should I store them should I have to wait until October. It is my understanding the Freesia are not to be stored in the refrigerator, like tulips and crocus. I look forward to your reply. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
grow indoors in winter
Can I successfully force freesia in the winter under growlights in a cool basement?
I was given a beautiful freesia pot plant for Mothers Day.
It looked and smelled gorgeous when I got it but now one
week later is is drooping and wilting.
I live near Atlanta Georgia and the plant is in my dining room
which gets plenty of light but is not in direct sun.
Please help me to look after this plant properly. What should I do?
Hi,
I wam looking to but Strar Gazer lilie,Sterling Star Lilirs.Boogie Woogie liles in bulb form so I can plant them. Where can I get them it Mississauga,Ontario area? Please let me know A.S.A.P. Please. Thank you.
Ted+
Grow freesia in summer
I live in Michigan, zone 5. I just bought some freesia corms and I want to plant them and hopefully have them in bloom for my August 21 wedding. When is the best time to plant them for the best chance to bloom at this time? Also, our summers can range anywhere from 70-90+ degrees. Would it be best to plant them in a place that gets about 5 hours of morning sun and shaded in the afternoon? Thanks!
Freesia hardiness
I live in central alberta, I just got some freesia, double mixed, and would like to put them in my flower bed, is it worth it? I have a very sunny spot that is well drained in front of the house facing the south. The winters do get very cold up here, but if I were to cover them up in the fall will that kill them or do I have a chance of them blooming again next year?
I was given a beautiful Freesia plant as a gift but as soon as i brought it home (within days)the blooms have wilted and shriveled. The front of my house faces west and gets sun all day long could the temperature in my house cause the blooms to wilt and die. I have a hard time keeping blooms on any plant that i buy. Thank you, La Dawn
I live in Nebraksa and I planted my Freesia’s in the first week of April. Will they bloom for spring summer? Do I have to dig them up during the winter??
My sister bought Freesia bulbs yesterday- since it has gotten a little chilly here in Mississauga, Ontario, I was wondering whether it was ok to plant them outside in the ground? If we wait for it to get warmer, where should the bulbs be stored? Alternately, is it better to grow them in pots & place outside in Summer, so that when the temperature drops in Fall, it would be simpler to just bring the whole pot indoors & store in a cold room over winter? Would appreciate your advice on the best way to have these growing year after year, without needing to buy new bulbs every spring. Thanks!
Thanks for advice… funny thing is I left the old flowers in the pots they came with and I didn’t water them for about 2-3 months just sat in my house in a dried poted soil…. then About November 2009 the pot started to having green stalks and I didn’t even water it…. must have been the mositure in the house???? Well I tranplanted to a beter pot and new soil. Then it grew tons of green grass stalks…. The only issue is the grass stalks are bright green but limp they don;t stand up… I kept watering it and I just noticed now April 2010 and I have a flower spike with blooms on it. but the sad part it looked strained it curled around and around in a curly Q. It will be fine… but doesn’t this plant have support. Do I need to bury the croms deeper so that the plant has better support??? Also I have a green house and I was wondering if I could bring it outside? It still get below freezing but probably not in the Greenhouse???
Any advice and ideas why these things have happened.,
Jeremey Norris
Hi, I live in North Carlina – Charlotte zone 6/6 . I just planted freesia’s in a pot on my porch – is it too late for them? CAn they take less time than 10-12 weeks as that would put then July/August when it’s too hot – so when it gets hot should I bring them inside to a/c & sunny place?
Thanks
I just recieved freesia corms 3/6/10. I live in Fresno, CA, planting zone 9. I also recieved some ranunculus bulbs today, too. What should I do with them now? Should I plant them in the ground for next year (freesia and ranunculus)? I have some other freesia in the ground from years past and they are about ready to bloom.
Potted freesia
I have a nine Freesia corn’s planted in a pot indoors for Late Winter or Early Spring flowing. it’s doing good infact one of them bloom early winter but some of the plant’s is die back before it get’s to the flowing stage. Some website’s say that a freesia need’s temperature around 40 to 45 at night. What do you say a freesia need’s at night so i can get back on track.
Hi. I planted my freesias in the spring (came form a potted plant, the leaves were dried. Now it is end of October and I see big green leaves! Are they trying to bloom now? Should I put them in a pot and take indoors so they don’t freeze?
I love in Middle Tennessee.
THANKS!
I bought some Freesia from Wal-Mart that have already bloomed… Can I trim the leaves and stocks back to the Corms. Then Let them Dry in a Cool Dry area. Once dried… Could I Try to Force Bloom them during the Winter in my house… if I use a Grow light for sun replacement? I know Freesia can be forced… Or is it better to Cut everything back and move the Bulb to new potting soil and apply Miracle Grow Bloom Burster to see if it will re-bloom? I live in around Colville, WA…. which is Hardiness Zone 5B. Thanks for any Input.
I live in Springfield, MO. I have a freesia plant that I purchased in a pot and it was blooming around Easter time. I would like to know if I can leave the corms in the pot and have it bloom again next year, or do I need to take the corms out of the pot and then replant them later? If I need to take them out, what time of the year should they be replanted in the pot? If left in the pot, should I keep the soil moist through the fall and winter?
Hi I have freesia outside 10 hours a day on sun in pots in U.K but the leaves are turning brown.I water them every 2 – 3 day so they have lots of water but not too much. What to do?
I live in Springfield, Missouri. My son sent me a freesia for Mother’s Day. Can I set the plant outdoors in a bed and will I need to dig the corms up?
I bought a potted freesia. Now the flowers have dried and the leaves are turning. What should I do next? I live in northern California.
I live in Dallas and have bought some blooming freesia that have finished blooming. What is the best way to keep them alive to enjoy next year? I am willing to plant them in pots and bring indoors. Thanks.
I live in southern california in Los Angeles.. I have planted freesia plants which are blooming now in the spring. After bloom is finished and the leaves are yellow, I understand that the plant needs to stay dormant for 3-4 months. Do I need to dig up the corms or can I leave them in the ground?
I live in Toronto,Canada.Can I plant the freesia bulbs in Sept. to have blooms in June and July (as printed in the label) ? or they need to be planted in early Spring.After blooming do I need to wait for the 3-4 mos dormant period before digging up the bulb.
Reblooming freesia
I dug up a bunch of Freesia corms from the beds and put them in a pot. Now, they won’t bloom, but the ones that I missed from the bed bloom in Spring. What is wrong?
.
Heather
I live around Ottawa, Ontario Canada. I have freesia bulbs to plant this spring and I was wondering if I have to dig them up in the fall like I do my glads.Can you help me please.