The Blooming Joy Journal
3 Heartbreaking Ranunculus Growing Mistakes Explained
3 Ranunculus Growing Mistakes I've Made that Helped Me Grow Better Ranunculus
I’ll never forget the first time I saw a Ranunculus flower on an Instagram post. I was new to cut flower growing and quite frankly, I had never even heard of a ranunculus! I thought to myself “I must try and grow these this year.” but after some research, I discovered it was too late to grow them this year.
Ranunculus, known as the ‘rose of the early Spring’, is prized for its beauty, long lasting vase life, and stunning ruffly petals. They are one of my favorite Spring flowers but are often misunderstood when it comes to growing them.
Today I’m sharing three mistakes I’ve made while growing Ranunculus, and how you can avoid them so your spring garden can be overflowing with these ruffled beauties.
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For reference, I grow in the Middle Tennessee area, Zone 7.
Mistake #1: Planting My Ranunculus Corms Too Late
When I first learned what a Ranunculus flower was, I assumed they were like a lot of flowers and you planted them when it was warm outside. Wrong. Ranunculus are a cool-season flower. This means they bloom best when the plants grow during a cooler period.
Why Timing Matters
Ranunculus need several weeks of cooler weather, ideally 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit, to grow strong roots and set buds. They start churning out the blooms in 60-70 degree weather. Once the temperatures get to 80 degrees and above consistently outside, they stop blooming well and begin to go dormant.
What I Do Now
- I plant Ranunculus much earlier. I grow Ranunculus in Tennessee (Zone 7) and we have two major opportunities to plant Ranunculus. One round in the fall but making sure to cover with frost cloth if it drops below freezing and another round in January using the pre-sprouting process indoors.
- I try to time my last transplanting of Ranunculus in the ground outside by mid to late February. By the time I am planting the Ranunculus, they are already growing green leaves since I started pre-spouting them in January!
- I treat Ranunculus like the cool-season divas they are and give them the chilly start they love.
Mistake #2: Allowing My Corms to Rot During the Pre-Sprouting Process
Ah, the infamous ‘pre-spouting’ stage there is always so much debate about. What does ‘pre-spouting’ even mean? To get a head start on growing Ranunculus you can start to grow the corms indoors for a month or so to spout roots before they go outside in the ground.
I can hear what you are thinking: ‘Why would you even want to do this? Can’t you just plant them straight in the ground outside?!’ The answer you might not want to hear is….. yes and no. It depends on where you live and the time of year you are planting the corms!
When I ‘pre-spout’ indoors in January, it is warmer inside then it is in the ground outside. The corms will grow faster inside then they would outside at that time of year. Thus, I start them indoors!
What I Do Now
- During the initial soaking period when we are taking the dried corm to the plumped corm, I don’t let them soak for any longer than 4 hours.
- I spout the corms in a well draining potting mix and I make sure the container has holes for drainage.
- I aim for damp, never sopping wet soil. If I squeeze a handful of the mix, water should not drip out.
This moist but not shopping wet approach has made a beautiful difference in how many of my Ranunculus corms sprout successfully.
Mistake #3: Not Protecting Ranunculus When a Super Hard Freeze Arrives
Ranunculus are tough but they aren’t invincible. One super cold snap taught me the hard way.
What Went Wrong
I had beautifully sprouted Ranunculus growing outside. A major freeze came. The temperatures were going to drop below 25 degrees. My ranunculus bed wasn’t mulched to aid in warmth and I didn’t cover the plants with frost cloth during the nighttime well below freezing temperatures. The next morning several plants were damaged and a few didn’t survive.
Why Freezes are a Big Deal
Ranunuclus can handle light freezes but temperatures dipping into the teens can damage or kill the tender foliage. Ranunculus corms do not survive well if the ground freezes and the corms do too. Thats a recipe for a disaster which is why in many of the colder climates pre-spouting is utilized to get a head start on growing Ranunculus while the ground is still frozen outside.
What I Do Now
- I keep frost cloth nearby all season and I cover the Ranunculus when temperatures drop below freezing.
- For anything below 25 degrees F, I like to add two layers of frost cloth or use a low tunnel for extra protection.
- I make sure my beds are mulched for warmth. I usually use straw or well rotted hay (mostly free of seeds by then) on my beds because we always have an excess on our farm.
- I make sure the frost cloth is supported by hoops so it doesn’t sit directly on the plants.
- On bitter nights, I make sure to weigh down the edges of the cloth with something heavy so wind doesn’t blow off the frost cloth.
What These Mistakes Taught Me
Ranunculus are some of the most rewarding flowers to grow once you understand how they grow. These mistakes helped me become a better grower and now my spring garden is filled with healthier plants and more abundant blooms.
If you've struggled with Ranunuclus, you’re not alone. We all start at day one! Every season teaches us something new in the garden and that's part of the joy of growing plants.
If you have questions about Ranunculus (or want to share your own learning experiences), drop them in the comments. I’d love to help!
I've also written an in-depth Ranunculus growing E-book with lots of photos of the step-by-step process to help you achieve beautiful ranunculus blooms!
Looking for cut flower growing and design supplies? Check out my Amazon Storefront with all sorts of products I like to use!
Have a cut flower growing Pinterest board? Save this blog post for future reference!
