Ranunculas

[Branching Out]

Given that the corms on the capillary mat were showing signs of mold I elected to plant them out in 4" pots right away. I suspect that once they are actively growing in the soil the mold will no longer be an issue. The tray of pots was set close to the house under cover of the eaves, so the corms will remain moist but not wet if it rains. It will also be harder for mice to find the corms (hopefully).

And one of our neighbours mentioned that she found a couple of robust ranunculas in her garden when she was cleaning up the flower beds the other day; they had made it through exceptionally cold weather in January. These 'tender' corms may well be a lot tougher than we give them credit for.

 

[Branching Out]

The 40 Purple Jean ranunculas that I soaked two weeks ago will be hitting the sundeck for some fresh cool air and bright light, so they can green up. Large 4-cells were sufficient to contain these tiny corms, and I will give them a layer of row cover for extra protection as well. I believe that Purple Jean is an Amandine cultivar; they are supposed to be more heat tolerant, but with a slower growth habit than what is typical.

My main garden task for today will be to plant out the bins of Italian ranunculas that I started on January 24th. They have lots of healthy green foliage, and from what I have read they will suffer if held too long before planting them out. I have earmarked a nice big flower bed for them, near the street at my folks' place so passers by will be able to enjoy the blossoms come May. I just need to scratch in some dry organic fertilizer, plant them, water them, and then walk away. Dave Dowling, who manages commercial flower operations, says many growers make the rookie mistake of watering their ranunculas too much early in their growth cycle-- which is not a good idea. Once they begin actively growing and producing flowering stems then need ample water, but not before. They are a Mediterranean plant and accustomed to fairly dry conditions.

 

[Branching Out]

It would appear that a critter got in to one of my ranunculas bins last night, and now there is a bit of a mess to clean up. I should have covered the bins with row cover to keep them out; there was even a piece of row cover hanging on a chair right next to the bins. The pesky varmint may have done me a favour though. I was going to wait another week to plant these out, but clearly the roots are well-developed, and the green shoots are ready to take off growing as well. I think these ranunculas are ready to go in the garden, so I will try to get most of them planted today.

 

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The ranunculas are exploding in to bloom all at once. I counted over a hundred large buds that are ready, with a similar number of smaller ones as well. All but the deep fuchsia pink ones have nice long stems. They look so pretty in a vase!

I am wishing that I had given this patch just a tiny bit more nitrogen at planting time, as the foliage is a bit on the yellow side. You have to be really careful to not overdo the nitrogen though, or you'll get twisted stems and an aphid infestation. For now we have loads of blossoms, and that was the goal. We received 2" of rain in the last 24 hours, which will help the plants to push out even more flower buds.

 

[heirloomgal]

The ranunculas are exploding in to bloom all at once. I counted over a hundred large buds that are ready, with a similar number of smaller ones as well. All but the deep fuchsia pink ones have nice long stems. They look so pretty in a vase!

I am wishing that I had given this patch just a tiny bit more nitrogen at planting time, as the foliage is a bit on the yellow side. You have to be really careful to not overdo the nitrogen though, or you'll get twisted stems and an aphid infestation. For now we have loads of blossoms, and that was the goal. We received 2" of rain in the last 24 hours, which will help the plants to push out even more flower buds.

Those are some of the prettiest vase flowers I've ever seen. Just gorgeous. They look like roses, but more beautiful. I wonder why they aren't more popular.

 

[Branching Out]

Those are some of the prettiest vase flowers I've ever seen. Just gorgeous. They look like roses, but more beautiful. I wonder why they aren't more popular.

Yes, they are like a cross between a rose and a miniature peony. I spend a lot of time just staring at them, trying to believe that they are real. As recently as three years ago I had never heard of them, but ranunculas have really increased in popularity lately. They are a little fiddly to get started, but worth the effort.

 

[flowerbug]

Those are some of the prettiest vase flowers I've ever seen. Just gorgeous. They look like roses, but more beautiful. I wonder why they aren't more popular.

i suspect it is that they need to be lifted and stored away from the harsh winter weather. for me any plant i'd need to lift would not be a popular as a fire and forget kind of perennial or biennial - even biennials are not as popular with me because you do have to keep an eye on them to make sure you plant several years in a row and then monitor to make sure you have new sprouts coming up each season after to keep the show of flowers coming.

 

[digitS']

tougher than we give them credit for.

From the information online, they are supposed to be okay down to 0⁰f, -18⁰C — zone 7 and higher.

I had beautiful ranunculus for one season, planted close to the house. I thought that might help with Winter cold. It wasn't enough but made me wonder if growing them as annuals would be worth it .

Steve
Edit: Upon further reading, it may not be safe to leave some varieties in the ground down to that cold.

 

[Branching Out]

Each

From the information online, they are supposed to be okay down to 0⁰f, -18⁰C — zone 7 and higher.

I had beautiful ranunculus for one season, planted close to the house. I thought that might help with Winter cold. It wasn't enough but made me wonder if growing them as annuals would be worth it .

Steve
Edit: Upon further reading, it may not be safe to leave some varieties in the ground down to that cold.

Every year one or two ranunculas seem to end up overwintering by accident, when I overlook them. While they sometimes resurface the following spring they have never amounted to much.

I don't mind lifting them. Their leaves start to to look raggedly and yellow when it's time for them to come out (late June or thereabouts, depending on how warm the weather has been), so I appreciate being able to get them out of the garden. I try to have seedling flats of zinnias, marigolds, or sunflowers ready to go in to the empty beds.

The corms multiply a lot too, so by lifting them you can divide them and keep the biggest ones. Last year I was able to share hundreds of extra corms. Once the foliage is cut off and the corms dry out they hardly take up any space at all. Lifting the corms helps with crop rotation too. Come the spring I try to plant them in a different spot each year, to limit disease.

 

[heirloomgal]

i suspect it is that they need to be lifted and stored away from the harsh winter weather. for me any plant i'd need to lift would not be a popular as a fire and forget kind of perennial or biennial - even biennials are not as popular with me because you do have to keep an eye on them to make sure you plant several years in a row and then monitor to make sure you have new sprouts coming up each season after to keep the show of flowers coming.

I consider biennials true heartbreakers; they are some of the most showy, extravagant and dramatic bloomers but you have to wait that first hum drum year and then they perish after that amazing show. Canterbury Bells, Double Flowering hollyhocks, Sweet William, Foxgloves, Wallflowers. I've grown them all, loved them all, but the need to constantly replant and keep track is more than I'm willing to do. I've decided to settle with delphiniums, peonies, perennial oriental poppies, clematis & hydrangea for the wee bit of blooms I now grow. And none need care. If I'm going to fuss anymore, it's going to be exclusive to edibles. I might make an exception for these ranunculus though....