A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Fresia

My fresia just decided to pop back up a few weeks ago now that we've entered the rainy season and temps started dropping. Now the leaves are long and can't hold themselves up. Am I supposed to steak it or does it just need some food and water?

thanks,
plantgirl

hi plantgirl welcome to the garden helper. i am not sure how this post slipped by me, but now that i have saw it, i'll answer you the best i can.

first of all, you don't say quite where in so. cal. you are, and that could make a difference. so my answer will be a little generic.

from everything i can tell, this weird weather the country is experiencing has lots of plants thinking it is spring again. so, i would stake the freesias (if that is what you normally do) and just treat them as if this was a normal growth for this time of year.

from what i have read, most of the plants will just treat this as a "mini spring" and go right back to sleep like they are supposed to when the weather changes again. but in the meantime, we get to enjoy some fall blooms that we wouldn't have otherwise. in fact, here in ga, we have magnolias and jessamine blooming again. not the great flush of spring, but enough to bring a smile to your face. and i have 2 rose buds when normally, this time of year, i only have greenery!

Thank you for your help. I think the plants got happy when the weather stayed under 100 here but now it dips into the low 40s at my place and we've had snow down to 4000 feet in this part of So Cal. I live in a weird spot where my night temps are usually 10 degrees colder than the forcast because my house is just a bit higher than most of the town's. It kinda stinks when I'm trying to decide what to wear and it's 40 at my house but could be 80 or 90 at work.

I also didn't know if it was normal to have to spike a fresia. I used some Bamboo skewers and it seems to be doing OK.