The biggest failure of this summer is growing freesia.
In the spring, I bought a package of freesia bulbs. The bag contained 15 small, elongated bulbs. I really wanted to grow such delightful, fragrant flowers. This photo is from the internet.
The packaging also contained instructions on how to properly plant and care for the flower.
Before planting the bulbs, I read a lot of information about freesia.
In mid-April, I planted the bulbs in a large pot. I wrote about this in the post "Freesia is a new flower that I will plant at my dacha.".
I eagerly awaited the sprouts, examining the soil in the pot every day to see if my flowers were sprouting.
A month passed, and there were no shoots. Maybe they had rotted? I couldn't resist, dug up the soil, and pulled out the bulbs. They were hard, and some had roots growing from them.
I planted all the bulbs again, but this time in small pots, 3-4 pieces each.
I read online that freesias require a specific temperature regime for germination. I tried creating special conditions for them, placing the pots in a cooler room, then creating a hotter one.
Another month passed, and everything was the same: no sprouts. I dug up the bulbs again, and they were unchanged. The freesia seemed to be in a dormant period, a sleeping flower.
I decided to plant freesia at my dacha, at the edge of the astilbe flowerbed. I kept checking on it periodically to see if my sleeping beauty had woken up.
It's already autumn; it's been raining all summer. Today I checked my freesia. I loosened the soil and found only four bulbs—they're dirty because the soil is so wet. They've undergone some changes; they used to be in two parts, the top one round and the bottom one elongated. Now only the top part remains.
I couldn't find the rest of the freesias; they must have rotted. The bulbs are firm and alive, but why aren't they sprouting?
I threw the freesia into the compost heap.
This is the invisible flower I grew this summer.
It's a pity, of course, but a bad experience is still an experience.
Possible reasons for failure:
"The plants don't like being touched constantly. I should have dug up one or two bulbs to check, not all of them."
or plant in a transparent plastic cup, with the edge so that the roots are visible.
— Stratification (exposure to cold and humidity to stimulate germination) should be done before planting the bulbs, and not after they've already been planted, sprouted, etc. I've seen a lot of this advice, but the flowers actually sprouted in spite of it, not because of it.
Freesias love warmth, light (but not direct sunlight), and moisture (but not overwatering). It's best to place the pot in an east-facing window, but never in a south-facing one. Try to maintain an air temperature of 18-20 degrees Celsius (64-65 degrees Fahrenheit) (soil temperature 16-18 degrees Celsius). Freesias are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations. They shouldn't be too hot and too cold.
— Cover the bulbs completely with soil (they'll become slightly exposed when watered, as they're not buried deeply). Don't leave them exposed, sticking out at the surface.
Be sure to try again
You grow such cool flowers, so you will succeed here too!
What beautiful flowers! I saw them in your article and absolutely fell in love. I wonder what variety it is. I've decided to plant freesias myself, so thank you in advance for the helpful information. It's better to learn from others' mistakes.