Seed Propagation Of Freesia

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

At the beginning of the 20th century, a flower with the beautiful name of freesia won the hearts of all gardeners. Onions were presented as a gift for big holidays. Seed reproduction has not been successful for many years. Young seedlings did not repeat the original varieties. Only at the end of the nineties was it possible to obtain seed races with invariable characteristics. Let's go all the way from a small seed to a flowering bush

Achievements of geneticists

Scientists from many countries fought over the creation of constant seeds: England, Germany, USA, Netherlands. Our specialists, together with their German colleagues, achieved a positive result at the end of the 20th century. On the basis of multilevel crossing, the resulting populations of hybrids have a fairly uniform color of flowers: red, white, blue, yellow, purple. They give offspring of the same type in terms of stem strength, habit and height of plants, and the shape of inflorescences.

Advantages

Seed material has undeniable advantages:

1. Healthy bushes, free from diseases and pests.

2. Excellent cut for 4 years.

3. A large amount of planting material, more than 100 seeds per plant per year.

4. Good germination is maintained for 3 years.

5. Availability. Today, seed packs can be purchased at any flower shop. Buying mixes, we provide ourselves with different varieties and colors.

6. Terry specimens. Thanks to genetics, multi-petal freesia varieties appeared on the market.

Sowing preparation

The beginning of work depends on the zone: in the south - March-April, to the north - May. In the middle lane, the plants sown before June 20 bloom in early March.

Freesia has round, shiny, dark brown seeds. Smooth skin with a hard shell. For better germination, the outer shell is rubbed in the hands, violating its integrity. Then the planting material is placed in wet sand or cloth for 2 days. Put away in a cool, dark place.

The soil mixture is prepared from equal parts of humus, peat, sand and 2 parts of garden soil. They take soil that is well-treated from weeds, because weeding at an early age violates the roots and can lead to the death of young seedlings.

The boxes in the greenhouse are placed on a surface covered with a film; in order to avoid the germination of roots into the open ground through cracks or foil is placed on the bottom of the container.

The best temperature for germination is 20-22 degrees. Indicators below 16 degrees and above 25 are critical. In both cases, germination decreases. The lack of lateral roots is bad for the growth of freesia. They become thick and elongated.

Seeds germinate unevenly. With optimal performance, the first shoots appear in 3 weeks, the last in 1-1.5 months.

Growing process

Before sowing, the soil in the box is well moistened. The grains are laid out on the surface, pressing well against the substrate. Sprinkle with 0.7 cm of peat chips. Cover the containers with glass until germination. Ventilate daily to remove condensation.

In the phase of 2 leaves, seedlings dive at a distance of 6-8 cm from each other. Freesia does not tolerate a late transplant at a young age. Sowing the seeds directly into the greenhouse beds will help to avoid this process. The distance in the row is set at least 5 cm, the row spacing is left 12 cm. They are laid out one by one. If the density of standing turns out to be large, then the bushes are stretched, stunted, bloom late.

Until the plants reach the age of 6-7 leaves, maintain the temperature at 20 degrees. To lay flower buds, a decrease to 10-14 degrees is required within 2 months. Practice has shown that at 10 degrees the quality of the inflorescences improves, but at 15 degrees, conditions are created for earlier flowering. In hot, dry summers, there is a powerful build-up of green mass and late formation of inflorescences.

Care

As soon as the threat of spring frosts has passed, the seedlings are taught to the open air. The boxes are taken out of the greenhouses, leaving for the day under the shade of the trees.

Freesia care consists in timely watering. This technique helps to keep the soil temperature at an optimal level. Mulching the surface solves the problem of overdrying the earthen coma. In the heat, the plants are slightly shaded.

Timely weeding in the "thin thread" phase keeps the root from damage.

Top dressing 2 times a month with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers allows you to grow strong flower stalks.

As it grows over the bushes, several layers of a mesh with a large cell are pulled. It supports the stems, preventing them from breaking.

In the fall, the boxes are brought into a warm place or a greenhouse, where young plants bloom in winter.

For good care, freesia will thank you with the wonderful aroma of its bright inflorescences, reminiscent of the smell of forest lily of the valley. It is pleasant to feel the gentle, expressive colors of summer in the room in the middle of a fierce winter!