3 Review(s)

PLANTING Soil and Site Well-drained spot, in sun or light shade. Add plenty of organic matter to improve thin soils. Spacing Plant them 5cm deep and 5-8 cm apart. The bulbs look like small, slim onions. Plant them with the pointed end facing up. In the garden Our prepared freesia corms can be planted in autumn for flowering inside from January to April or from March (in a greenhouse) or April-July (outside). I have gone on planting outside until July for flowers almost up until Christmas. Plant the corms straight into the ground in a well-drained spot in sun or light shade. I grew some very successfully last summer and autumn in a west-facing bed against a hedge. When the plants are up and growing, they will benefit from a potash-rich feed – comfrey juice or something you would use for tomatoes (see our website for details). For containers Plant six bulbs, pointy end upwards (again at 1-2 in deep) in a 13cm/5in pot, or spaced at that equivalent in a larger pot. They like a rich, loam-based compost (which I expect explains why they do well on my heavy soil) with a little extra grit added for drainage. Go for about two thirds compost, one third grit. Water regularly and keep them moist and shaded at all times – a cold greenhouse or conservatory is ideal. Once the corms start to sprout, move the pots into full sunlight and keep watering. When the buds show colour, you can bring them indoors. If they have been planted in good soil or compost they will not require feeding. AFTERCARE If planted in good soil or compost, they will not require feeding. Flowering takes around 100-120 days from planting. Both in the garden and in pots, they will need support to keep the foliage and flowering stems upright as they grow. In pots you can use special round supports, which are held on a central cane, but a triangle or square of canes would do the job just as well. In the garden, use twiggy end branches of silver birch or hazel.