Freesias are prized for their intense fragrance and vibrant, trumpet-shaped blooms. The short answer to whether these “bulbs” multiply is yes, though freesias technically grow from underground storage structures called corms. Multiplication is a natural part of the growth cycle, allowing a single planted corm to yield several new ones over a single season. This increase is achieved through the formation of smaller, genetically identical structures known as cormlets or offsets, which cluster around the parent plant.
The Freesia Multiplication Mechanism
The corm planted is a temporary storage organ that fuels the plant’s growth and flowering. During the growing season, the original corm is entirely consumed, dedicating its stored energy reserves to producing the leaves and flowers. As the foliage begins to die back, a new, larger replacement corm forms directly on top of the old, shriveled one.
This new corm ensures the plant’s survival for the next season. Simultaneously, several smaller offsets, or cormlets, form around the base of the replacement corm, often numbering two to six per plant. These cormlets are clones of the mother plant and represent the increase in stock. While the large replacement corm will flower the following season, these smaller cormlets require two to three years of growth before they can produce blooms.
Maximizing the Production of New Corms
The key to increasing freesia stock is ensuring the foliage remains healthy and active for as long as possible after flowering. The leaves are responsible for photosynthesis, converting light into the stored carbohydrates necessary to produce large replacement corms and numerous cormlets. Removing the foliage too early will restrict the energy available for multiplication.
Once the flowers have faded, continue to provide consistent water and nutrients until the leaves naturally yellow and collapse. Applying a potassium-rich fertilizer (potash) during active growth and post-flowering benefits corm development. Potassium supports the movement of sugars from the leaves down to the storage organs, resulting in larger replacement corms and a greater yield of offsets. Allowing the plant to fully complete this energy-storing phase and enter dormancy maximizes the harvest of new corms.
Lifting, Dividing, and Storing the Increases
Harvest multiplied corms when the foliage has completely died back and turned brown, indicating full dormancy. Carefully lift the entire clump from the soil, ensuring not to damage the newly formed corms and cormlets. The cluster will consist of the old, shriveled original corm, the new main corm, and the smaller offsets clinging to the base.
The cormlets should be gently separated from the main replacement corm, creating individual units for future planting. Before storage, the corms must undergo a curing process in a warm, dry environment for several weeks to months. This curing, ideally at 78–82°F, encourages flower bud formation within the new corms. Following curing, store the new corms and cormlets in a cool, dry, and dark location, such as a paper bag or mesh net, at about 55°F (13°C) until replanting.