Fun facts and my 5 P’s of growing Ranunculus
Ranunculus remind me of mini Peonies or Roses. The photos above show some of the stages of growing from corm to flower. On the right is my bed of them photographed in April 2024 and the happy recipient of a bucket full for a family DIY wedding. Below I share some facts you may not know and my 5 P’s of growing ranunculus outside:
PLUNGE, PRESPROUT, POT, PLANT and PICK
The Facts
For a Spring crop of Ranunculus start in Autumn the previous year. Or start in the Spring for a Summer crop
Ranunculus are hardy to temperatures of - 6 centigrade (In my area of Gloucestershire in the UK we rarely get these temperatures anymore.)
Ranunculus corms look like little octopus
Corm sizes are measured in centimetres. The bigger the number, the bigger the corm and stronger the corm and flowers. I aim to buy size 4/5 or 5/7cm corms
Beware; mice and voles love them
The 5 P’s
Plunge
Plunge and soak all corms in a large bucket of water for a few hours (or overnight). They will swell to almost double in size.
Pre-sprout
First fill a seed tray with a 2-3cm layer of moist compost. Place the soaked corms pointy legs side down on the compost. Don't worry too much about spacing. Cover completely with another layer of compost so the corms don't dry out. Lightly water only. The corms will rot if they are too wet. Cover with a clear bag or seed tray lid to prevent the compost from drying out and leave in a cool place (ideally 4-10 C) In 2-3 weeks the corms should start sprouting small green leaves and will have several strong white rootlets. Remove the plastic lid as soon as there is signs of sprouting.
Pot
Pot up each corm into a small pot. They mustn't be too squashed but equally the pot needn't be huge. A 5-7cm pot works for me. Fill half the pot with multipurpose peat free compost lift one corm at a time being careful not to damage the roots on pop in the pot. Top up with more compost so the top of the corm/green shoots are just above the surface.
Place in a protected place either outside or in a cold frame/ greenhouse to allow roots to fill the pot and plenty of leafy top growth. Be careful not to over water - they will rot.
Plant
Plant outside in November or December by first hardening off plants outside in their pots for a 1-2 weeks. Remove from their pots and plant outside in large pots or a weed free bed at 20cm spacings. I choose to protect mine from local wildlife (pheasants, pigeons and squirrels with a mini tunnel of environmesh. This has the added bonus of protecting from the worst of the weather.
Pick
You should be picking buckets of Ranunculus like those shown above in April if you started this process in October.