GardenBanter.co.uk - Freesias - Growing Question From Newbie

Moo wrote:
Planted approximately 25 Freesia bulbs about two months ago, no sign
of
life as yet.

Did some light digging yesterday and accidentally dug up one of the
bulbs which still looks exactly as it did when I planted it !

Is their anything important that has to be done when planting Fresias

that I may have missed ?

(This is my first experience with Freesias).

Thanks.

Moo.

Hello Moo
Freesias normally flower in the spring around mid march under glass and
depending on the season around a month later outside.
They are howver not fully hardyand you could lose a lot if you plant
outside.
My regime is as follows.
After flowering in the greenhouse, I feed fairly well and put outside
to die off orund the end of June.
End of july I remove from the pots and hang up the corms in plastic
nets in a south facing shed.
They get very hot during the summer and this initiates the flower buds
for next year.
End of september, I plant out into 2 gallon plastic buckets which I
have drilled for drainage and put the largest corms about 2" from the
bottom, say about 8 corms, the a 2" layer of compost then about 15
smaller corms then a 2" layer et cetera.I then stake them with 5 or six
canes and twine
I put the buckets in a cool place and bring them into the green house
in early November before the first frost.
I keep the green house just frost free and await the flowers again in
March.
I pick around two or three hundred flowers over a three or four week
period and enjoy the perfume which must be the best perfume of any
plant.
I have benn doing this regime for about 25 years.
Hope this helps
Tony Bull www.caterpillarfountain co.uk