Freesias - what am I doing wrong?

I'm on my third attempt at growing freesias from bulbs, and for the third time after nearly two months there's still no sign of life. They're potted up with compost, kept in full sun. Last time I think I over-watered, as when I dug the bulbs back up a lot had rotted, but this time the bulbs are just sitting there, inert. Is there some trick I'm missing?!

 

Well I've not grown Freesias very often, but I think the trick is that they are actually winter flowering bulbs.
So, and I'm willing to be proved wrong, I think the bulbs need to be prepared for summer growing in the UK.
A mate of mine always put his freesia bulbs in the airing cupboard each winter.
That way the bulbs think they have gone through summer, and when you take them out Autumn is approaching, our summer should resemble winter, where they come from.

Its probably too hot for them to break dormancy, I bet they start to grow when the temps drop.

 

Mine always bloom February-March here and freely seed themselves everywhere, even in the gravel where we park. I have clay soil. I never could grow them in Bucks.



I always bring the first blooms into the kitchen for their heavenly scent ...

 

I forgot to say that January through March are my coldest months but do not go down below freezing but usually always have sunshine. Pete's theory is probably correct.

 

@2nd_bassoon
Freesias come from South Africa and are normally summer dormant. I've grown them for years as I like the scent and they make good cut flowers for spring time.
I grow them in large pots with 10 to 20 bulbs to a pot in a mix of garden soil and multi purpose. I plant up late summer, early autumn and leave outside until they start to grow and then move into a cold greenhouse. They get watered and fed from time to time, but I keep them on the dry side. They will need support as they tend to flop. They then flower early spring depending on weather. When they finish flowering i stand them outside and give them a good feed and leave the foliage to die down. When the foliage has died down I sort the bulbs out and but in the shed over the summer. They need a hot dry summer to flower the next spring. The main pest has been greenfly. The only time this hasn't worked was when it was a really cool wet summer and I got foliage but no flowers.

 

Somebody must be treating them to make them flower in the summer as I saw lots for sale in pots at the local nursery a couple of weeks ago.

 

Thanks all, very helpful. I buy prepared bulbs that are apparently meant to grow fine if planted in the spring, but maybe that's too optimistic! I've got some left over from the last attempt so maybe I'll try planting them up in a few weeks ready for next year...

 

@2nd_bassoon
That's how I started bought some as summer flowering bulbs nothing happened until autumn when they sprouted and then as they were already in a pot I stuck them in the greeen house too see what happened.

 

I've seen them miss a year... my mother has them thriving outside in south Wales, but one year they just took a break, then the bulbs sprouted again as if nothing had happened. The yellow ones appear to be the hardiest.