How to Grow Freesia From Seeds
Freesia is a bulb growing plant that produces fragrant funnel shaped flowers in the spring and winter seasons. The plant is native to South Africa and is similar in appearance to the iris plant. Freesia plants grow up to 15 to 24 inches tall and are commonly planted in containers versus being planted in the ground. Sow freesia seeds in spring from January to April or wait until August after the heat of summer. Seed germination takes approximately 25 to 30 days.
Soak the freesia seeds in warm water for 24 hours prior to placing in soil.
Fill seed starting trays or pots with a sterile seed starting medium that contains equal portions of sandy compost, fibrous loam, leaf mold and sand that has been filtered to pull out large pieces.
- Freesia is a bulb growing plant that produces fragrant funnel shaped flowers in the spring and winter seasons.
- Freesia plants grow up to 15 to 24 inches tall and are commonly planted in containers versus being planted in the ground.
Lightly moisten the medium prior to placing in containers. Do not pack the soil. Create furrows or holes in the soil that are ¼ inch deep and ½ inch apart.
Sow the seeds into the soil holes and cover lightly with soil. Water the seeds lightly and continue to water to keep the soil moist.
Place the seed containers in a location that has good ventilation and a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees F during the germination process.
Thin out excess seedlings once they are several inches high if they are growing close together in a pot.
- Lightly moisten the medium prior to placing in containers.
- Place the seed containers in a location that has good ventilation and a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees F during the germination process.
Fertilize the seedlings every two weeks with a liquid house plant fertilizer once the plants reach a height of two inches.
Freesia seedlings will grow outdoors in an open but shaded location. Move the plants indoors when the temperature drops below 60 degrees F.
Transplant the freesia bulbs in groups of five to six bulbs to a larger container when necessary. It is possible to transplant freesia directly into a flower bed that has a nutrient rich and well draining soil. Place each plant 10 feet apart in a sunny location. Water the plants to keep the soil moist until the flowering. The plants require less water after flowering is complete.
- Fertilize the seedlings every two weeks with a liquid house plant fertilizer once the plants reach a height of two inches.
- It is possible to transplant freesia directly into a flower bed that has a nutrient rich and well draining soil.
Tip
Do not let the seed starting medium dry out during the germination process.
Take care when repotting freesia plants, as the root structure is fragile.
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Tips
- Do not let the seed starting medium dry out during the germination process.
- Take care when repotting freesia plants, as the root structure is fragile.
Writer Bio
Jennifer Loucks has been writing since 1998. She previously worked as a technical writer for a software development company, creating software documentation, help documents and training curriculum. She now writes hobby-based articles on cooking, gardening, sewing and running. Loucks also trains for full marathons, half-marathons and shorter distance running. She holds a Bachelor of Science in animal science and business from University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
