How I Grow Ranunculus (+ Schedule of Planting Dates)! 🌸🙌💚 // Garden Answer

To start the pre-sprouting process for ranunculus corms, you need to soak them in room temperature water for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally to keep oxygen in the water. Once they've plumped up, you can then gently separate them and place them in a tray over a light layer of soil, cover them with another layer of soil to prevent drying out, and wait for them to sprout.

In colder climates like zone 7 and below, you have three main planting options for ranunculus: soak the corms and plant them directly in the garden if temperatures aren't too cold, soak and pre-sprout the corms before planting them outside, or soak the corms, pre-sprout them, pot them up, and grow them in a warm bright spot until they can be planted out.

When planting ranunculus in cut flower gardens, you can amend the soil with compost and a starter fertilizer like biotone before planting. Once they are growing, they typically won't need additional fertilizer. After blooming, leave the foliage until it starts to die back so that the corms can absorb energy for the next year.

Typically, ranunculus blooms about 90 days after planting, and the bloom period lasts for about 4 to 6 weeks. With succession planting, you can extend the blooming period.

After the ranunculus plants have bloomed and the foliage has started to die back, you can dig up the corms, let them dry out for a couple of days, and store them in a cool, dry, and dark place in brown paper sacks for up to eight months until it's time to plant them again.

Ranunculus are perennial in zones 8 through 10. In zones lower than 7, you will have to dig them up and store them after the blooming season to prevent them from rotting in colder temperatures.

Ranunculus plants do not usually require much care during the growing season apart from fertilizing when they are potted up if they are being pre-grown indoors. Outside, they should be watered and monitored for frost, with protection provided if the temperature drops below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. They have not been reported to suffer from any significant insect problems.