How to Grow & Store Ranunculus And Its Tips, All You Need To Know

Written by: Asma Jahangir

Are ranunculus perennials Ranunculus has wonderful flowers that possess ruffled petals and grow uprightly. Ranunculus is a superb flowering plant ideal for planting in gardens, beds, borders, and containers. Remember to use these lovely blooms as fresh-cut flowers for your summer bouquets.

Let’s discuss what you need to know about growing these amazing flowers!

Ranunculus Care

If you do it right, growing ranunculus can be easy. There are several basic care requirements for most ranunculus flowers.

• Plant in full sun and well-drained soil.
• Keep soil moist but not overly wet.
• Feed them twice monthly for longer blooms.
• Deadhead as necessary.

Planting 

Are ranunculus perennials Planting times and methods vary between growing zones:

When to plant: Corms should be planted in the fall for late winter/early spring blooms that come earlier and bloom longer than spring-planted corms in zones 7 through 10. Cover the area with a low tunnel/frost cloth to protect it from freezing temperatures. Plant pre-sprouted corms in regions 4-6.

Where to plant: 

The corms should be planted in an area that receives full sunlight, at a depth of 2 inches and spaced 9 inches apart.

How to plant:

• Submerge the corms in water below 55 degrees Fahrenheit four weeks before the last frost for about four hours.

• Swirl gently once every hour or aerate using a fish pump.

• Get a flat planting tray (one without holes) and fill it with less than two inches of damp grow mix.

• Upside down, place the soaked corms with the tuberous side facing downwards.

• Cover it with moist soil for up to one inch, then take it cool, dark, and dry. Keep soil moist but not too wet; check for mould daily, removing rotting corms. In about two weeks, roots will develop, and then the corms will start sprouting and be ready for planting.

Light

You should plant ranunculus in an area with full sun or 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily. Fewer flowers and weak stems will result from less daylight.

Soil

Place your ranunculus in soil that is well-drained, rich, and loamy. In the case of heavy clay soils, tuberous corms will rot when waterlogged. However, some native ranunculus  prefer heavier, wetter soils, such as those along the edges of ponds.

Water

Are ranunculus perennials Maintain moist soil, but do not wet it after planting corn in the ground or a container. Go on watering even when leaves and flowers are appearing. When flowers drop off, and the foliage turns yellow, taper off watering, especially if you plan to dig up the corn and store them until the next growing season.

Temperature and Humidity

Proper airflow amongst your ranunculus plants to avoid mildew and humidity will help. They prefer cooler spring temperatures (the 60s – low 70s). Once hot summer weather patterns begin in earnest, they won’t bloom anymore, and the leaves will just fall off.

Fertilizer

To have long-lasting blooms, fertilize every other month throughout the plant’s short growing season; when preparing for planting corms, a granular planting bulb fertilizer can be mixed into loose, loamy soil.

Types of Ranunculus

There are countless ranunculus species, from indigenous wildflowers to showy hybrid varieties.

1. R. carolinianus: Also known as the Carolina buttercup, this native winter annual or short-lived perennial is found in moist woods and damp thickets.
2. R. flammula: It has also been called lesser spearwort or sagebrush buttercup; it is a native ranunculus with small single yellow flowers with five petals occurring along beach shores and other shallow water bodies.
3. R. repens: A weedy perennial spread by runners up to 36 inches wide; native to Europe and Asia but has naturalized throughout much of temperate North America.
4. R. asiaticus: Persian buttercup, a tuberous-rooted plant blooming in late spring to early summer with cup-shaped flowers resembling poppies distinguished by their purple-black panthers.
5. R. asiaticus hybrids: The florist’s ranunculus flowers are available for sale. The tuberous corms for home planting are particular stem length, size, coloration, and number of petals per bloom hybrids.

Pruning 

Are ranunculus perennials Ranunculus flowers should be deadheaded as required but do not require any pruning during the growth period. Once leaves turn yellow and die, they can be cut to the ground. Native ranunculus can become poorly behaved and invasive if left unattended.

Propagating Ranunculus

1. The commonest method of propagating ranunculus flowers is dividing the corm at the end of the growing season with any offsets.
2. After the foliage has yellowed and died, cut the plant back to the soil level.
3. Carefully dig up corms, shaking or washing off soil to remove dried leaves or stems.
4. Divide small off-shoots (cormels) with sharp garden shears from the main corms.
5. Cure dry tuberous roots in a cool, dry place for 50 – 55°F (10-13 Celsius).
6. Plant in fall in mild areas, or soak them in room-temperature water and pre-sprout them from spring planting.
7. Set corms with their tuberous roots facing down and space plantings about 9 inches apart at a depth of 2 inches.

How To Growing Ranunculus From Seed

While most ranunculus flowers are grown from corms, they can also be grown from seeds. These seeds should be started indoors about 12 weeks before the average date of your last spring frost.

1. Fill a seed-starting tray with growing mix and water until the mixture is moist but not standing in water.
2. Sprinkle Ranunculus seed generously on top of the growing mix, then add a thin layer of seed-starting mix over the seeds. Press it down gently with your hand after you are done.
3. Place them under a grow light at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit until they germinate in about 20 to 30 days.
4. Thin out when seedlings reach about 2 inches tall and continue growing under grow lights.
5. Hardening off should begin for these plants when daytime temperatures reach the upper forties. Bring indoors in case of frosty nights or frosts at any time.
6. In the garden, upwards temperatures stay reliably within a range between fifties and sixties Fahrenheit degrees.

Overwintering

If you are in zones 8 through 11, ranunculus corms can be left outside or in a pot over winter. However, if you live in an area with high rainfall during the wet season, they may become waterlogged and rot.

In zones 3 to 7, remove the corms from the ground or container, knock off the soil and let them dry. At this point, one should over-winter them at 50-55⁰F temperature mesh bagged plants in cool and dry places such as cellars.

Common Pest & Plant Diseases

Although aphids can be a problem, fic pests attack this buPlant, a physical barrier against small mammals eating the bulbs after planting if necessary.

How to Get Ranunculus to Bloom

Ranunculus flowers will bloom very quickly if exposed directly to sunlight. Ensure that the plants are getting natural light for six hours every day. Therefore, seed-raised plants may produce fewer blooms until the second year.

Ranunculus flowers usually bloom from March to May, but the blooming period may differ depending on species and locality. Ranunculus flowers have many petals that emerge from the center after flowering, resembling a rose. These flowers are available in many colours and possess a faint, sweet smell.

Quick Tip: Plant ranunculus tubers in well-draining soil and full sun for vibrant blooms. Water moderately and dig up tubers in cold climates to store for next season.

FAQs

Do ranunculus come back every year?

Yes, in mild climates (zones 8-10), they can return yearly. In colder areas, they need to be replanted.

Can I leave ranunculus in the ground?

Yes, in mild climates. In cold areas, dig them up to protect from frost.

Do ranunculus bulbs multiply?

Yes, ranunculus tubers multiply over time, producing more flowers.

Do ranunculus like sun or shade?

Ranunculus thrive in full sun for the best blooms.