How to Plant Ranunculus Corms: Ranunculus Corm Planting Methods
Many people may never have heard of ranunculus. As its name suggests, ranunculus is a very beautiful and lovely flowering plant. Its flowers are large and brightly colored, and when in full bloom they are elegant and luxurious, with extremely high ornamental value. Many people want to grow ranunculus at home, so how do you grow ranunculus? Let's find out together below!
How to Plant Ranunculus Corms
1. For potted ranunculus, it is best to choose a pot with a large drainage hole at the bottom and thin walls, to facilitate drainage and air circulation. First place coarse gravel at the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer, then fill in the growing medium. The growing medium can be made from leaf mold, garden soil and river sand, etc., mixed with an appropriate amount of bone meal as a base fertilizer.
2. After the soil is placed, dig a small hole in the middle, bury the ranunculus corm with the claws pointing down, then cover with soil, covering the corm with 1-2 cm of soil.
Ranunculus Corm Planting Methods
The normal sowing period for ranunculus is from mid-October to mid-November. Put the ranunculus seeds in water for one day, then take them out, wrap them in gauze, and place them in an incubator to germinate. The suitable temperature is about 15°C. Take them out every morning and evening and rinse them once each time with clean water, then drain off the water so the seeds remain moist.
About 7 days after germination begins, some seeds start to sprout, and at this point you can sow them immediately.
After the sprouted seeds are properly dried, mix them evenly with an appropriate amount of yellow sand, then sow them in flower pots or the courtyard. For covering soil, mix peat and perlite at 1:1, and a thickness of 0.2-0.3 cm is suitable.
For ranunculus propagation by sowing, choose soil with good drainage, and carry it out in an environment with good ventilation and light transmission. Strengthen protection of the sowing environment to avoid the threat of wind and rain disasters and pests and diseases.
After sowing, it usually takes one week for seedlings to emerge. At this time, keep the soil moist and replenish water in time to ensure smooth seedling emergence.
Four-Season Care Methods for Ranunculus
1. Spring care methods
Suitable for placement on south-, east- and west-facing balconies.
In spring, when the temperature stabilizes above 5°C, the potted plant can be moved outside the balcony for care, ensuring sufficient sunlight. After the temperature rises, ranunculus will gradually speed up its growth and enter a vigorous period, at which point attention should be paid to water and fertilizer management. After ranunculus forms buds, apply liquid fertilizer and potassium dihydrogen phosphate once each, which helps produce large and lush flowers. When it blooms, place the ranunculus in a cool place and let the soil dry slightly, which helps extend the flowering period. After flowering, apply fertilizer 1-2 times to promote the growth of the underground rhizome.
2. Summer care methods
After flowering, the leaves gradually turn yellow and withered, and after June it enters the dormant period. After dormancy, dig out the underground tubers, dry them, and hang them in a gauze bag in a dry, ventilated place for storage. For specific storage methods, read the methods for harvesting and preserving ranunculus tubers.
3. Autumn care methods
Suitable for placement on south-, east- and west-facing balconies.
After the summer dormancy, ranunculus can be replanted in pots from September to October. Choose loose, fertile sandy soil with good drainage for the potting soil. Planting should be done early rather than late; early planting allows the plant enough time to grow larger before winter arrives, which is beneficial for flowering the next year. But do not plant too early, and not earlier than September, otherwise, if the temperature is too high, the tubers are very prone to rot.
4. Winter care methods for ranunculus
Suitable for placement on south-, east- and west-facing balconies.
Many horticultural varieties of ranunculus are not cold-tolerant, so when the temperature drops to 5°C, attention should be paid to keeping them warm, and they should be moved to an enclosed balcony for cultivation as much as possible. In winter, do not water too much; keep the soil moist and provide sufficient light. No fertilization is needed. When the temperature is relatively high at noon, you can appropriately spray a little water and let in some air.
How to Handle Ranunculus After Flowering
After the flowering period, the above-ground part of this plant will all wither, which is the time to harvest the underground root tubers. The underground root tubers can be used to continue propagating the plant.
First handling method: After the above-ground part has completely withered, stop watering, let the potting soil become relatively dry, then move the flower pot to a cool place with strong air circulation. If placed outdoors, be careful to avoid rain.
From September to October, the root tubers can be dug out and replanted. This handling method is very simple, but it also has one drawback, which is that they are prone to rot.
Second handling method: After the flowering period, the leaves will gradually turn yellow. At this point, directly dig out the entire root tuber, rinse it clean, and dry it in the air. Then store it in an environment without sunlight and dry. Plant it again in autumn; if during this period it becomes shriveled due to lack of water, there is no need to worry.
As described above, although ranunculus is beautiful and lovely, caring for it requires certain skills, especially since its requirements for the environment are relatively high, and it also requires a good deal of effort to care for later on, so growing ranunculus requires a certain amount of patience!