Ranunculus- Peony of the South
Ah, Sweet Ranunculus. These have easily become one of my favorite flowers to grow. They like cool temperatures, so growing them in hot and humid climates can be challenging. I will share what has worked for me, and hopefully will help you too.
In zones 8-10 you can fall plant the corms for spring blooms. Corms are similar to bulbs or tuber, and will look like dried out octopus when you get them. I soak, presprout, then plant in the garden toward the end of October. This brings gorgeous blooms in the early spring.
Soak
Once the tubers arrive, I soak them, so they plump up. They will be shriveled and dry when you get them. Separate by variety and place the corms into mesh bags. Something that will allow the water to easily go through. I also add two air stones attached to a fish tank pump. This aerates the water while they soak. After about 4 hours you can remove the bags and prepare to presprout them.
Presprout
Once you have nice plump corms from soaking you are ready to presprout them. You can skip this step and plant directly after soaking, however here it is still pretty warm outside, and this gives them a head start after planting.
Fill trays with a light mixture perlite and propagation mix, place the corms in, with the little “legs” facing down, just so they are not touching and cover lightly. Place them in a cool spot for several weeks. Since this is Florida, and we do not have basements or cellars, I use the garage refrigerator. I take out all the shelves and racks to fit as many as I can. You want the soil slightly damp. Not too wet, or dry. Mist with water as needed with a squirt bottle.
In a few weeks they will develop nice roots and start to grow out of the top of the soil mix.
During this time, you can prepare the bed space for these little guys. You will want to have that done ahead of time.
Plant and care
After you have a nice set of roots, your Ranunculus are ready to plant out in the prepared beds. Plant 2-3” and cover with soil. If the weather is still very hot, I cover with hoops and shade cloth. This can be slid up or down as needed. They like an average amount of water, not soggy and do not let them dry out. Most the growth the next few months will be under ground.
Harvest
Around 90 days from planting you will start to have blooms!! The reward for all the care you have given your babies. Once the buds start to open and show color, they are ready to harvest. Cut in the morning after the dew has dried. They have an excellent vase life, around 10 days and get more beautiful as they age.
