- Ranunculus: flowering time, properties and origin
- Ranunculus Varieties
- Planting ranunculus: time, location & Co.
- Ranunculus Care
- Overwintering Ranunculus
- Propagating Ranunculus
- Are ranunculus poisonous?
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When is the flowering time of the ranunculus? What do you have to consider when planting and caring for ranunculus in the garden or on the balcony? We give tips and present the most beautiful hardy ranunculus varieties.
The ranunculus blooms in early summer and with its multi-faceted, round flowers brings a magnificent dash of color to your garden or balcony.
Ranunculus: flowering time, properties and origin
The ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus), also called Asian buttercup, is an ornamental plant of the genus buttercup (Ranunculus) and belongs to Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It is suitable both for the flower bed and as a container plant on the balcony or terrace. Ranunculus originally comes from the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. Their wild form often grows in swampy areas. This is probably where its Latin name comes from, which translated means "little frog". The herbaceous ranunculus plant reaches a height of 20 to 40 cm and grows slightly bushy. Their sparsely branched, finely hairy stems bear incised, usually also slightly hairy leaves with a toothed or serrated edge. Below ground, the ranunculus has tubers as outlasting organs.
From April, but no later than mid-May, the spherical flowers of the ranunculus, which may or may not be double depending on the variety, open in white, pink, red, yellow or orange and in many nuances. They usually flower for several weeks before they fade towards the end of July. The flowers have a diameter of 3 to 5 cm and their shape is reminiscent of roses or peonies. You may have asked yourself: Is the Ranunculus bee-friendly? Unfortunately, the bulging varieties are not bee-friendly, as the many petals block access to nectar and pollen. Only the unfilled buttercups are visited by insects.
Ranunculus Varieties
Ranunculus comes in many different shapes and colors. Unlike most ornamental plants, there are no official cultivar names for ranunculus. In the trade they willRanunculus bulbs usually sorted by color. In addition, one sometimes finds the following classification:
- Turkish ranunculus (also turban ranunculus; old breed with bulging flowers)
- Persian Ranunculus (late flowering variety; flowers are less double)
- French Ranunculus (breeding from France; large flowers, stems almost leafless)
- Peony-flowered ranunculus (breeding from Italy; large flowers, similar to peonies)
Planting ranunculus: time, location & Co.
Ranunculus prefers semi-shady locations, but they also do well in sunny places. However, they react to too much direct midday sun with quickly wilting flowers. The ideal time for planting the ranunculus bulbs is in spring (March to April), as soon as the ground frosts are no longer to be expected.
Planting ranunculus in the garden
The soil should be permeable, rich in humus and nutrients. If the garden soil is impermeable, loamy, the substrate should be loosened up well. In addition, some sand can be placed in the planting hole to increase drainage. Before planting, the tubers should be placed in lukewarm water for a few hours. Then you can plant the ranunculus 4 cm deep and with a planting distance of approx. 20 cm with the roots downwards in the ground. Water the ranunculus well.
Plant buttercups on the balcony
Ranunculus also thrives in pots on the balcony or patio. Peat-free potting soil such as our Plantura organic potting soil is ideal as a substrate. Be sure to choose a planter with a drainage option so that no waterlogging can occur. To further ensure water drainage, you can mix some sand under the potting soil and place some potsherds on the bottom of the pot.
Tip: As an alternative to direct planting, ranunculus can also be grown in a sheltered spot and planted out as young plants.
Ranunculus Care
Apart from the occasional application of fertilizer, regular watering and the removal of withered flowers and leaves during the flowering period, the ranunculus does not require any special care.
Watering ranunculus
Ranunculus needs a lot of water and should be watered regularly during the growing seasonso that the substrate does not dry out. However, do not water too much at once, otherwise under unfavorable conditions waterlogging will occur, which will damage the tubers.
Fertilize ranunculus
For lush flowers, the ranunculus should be supplied with nutrients regularly during the flowering period. A flower fertilizer in liquid form, such as our purely organic Plantura organic flower and balcony fertilizer, is ideal for both the flower bed and the balcony planting. Fertilize the ranunculus every 1 to 2 weeks with the irrigation water. The dosage is 3 to 5 ml per liter of water.
Caring for ranunculus in pots: you should pay attention to this
If you cultivate ranunculus in pots, you should pay more attention to needs-based watering management. With potted plants there is usually a higher risk of waterlogging or undersupply than with a grown garden soil.
Tip: Remove dead ranunculus flowers to encourage the plant to produce new flowers.
Overwintering Ranunculus
The ranunculus is perennial under the right climatic conditions. In regions where winter temperatures fall only a few degrees below zero, ranunculus bulbs, covered with a layer of foliage, can be left in the ground throughout the winter months. In particular, young tubers and ranunculus in planters should be dug up in autumn and overwintered in a frost-free place to protect them from frost damage.
Propagating Ranunculus
Ranunculus can be propagated in two different ways. One possibility is propagation via corms. Ranunculus reproduce more or less independently from year to year by forming lateral brood bulbs. In late autumn, after the tubers have been dug up, these can be cut off the mother tubers with a sharp knife or carefully separated by hand. It is important to separate the tubers in such a way that the cut or broken surfaces remain as small as possible. The ranunculus tubers obtained in this way can be planted again next spring.
The second option is propagation by seed. Sow the ranunculus seeds in autumn or alternatively in spring directly outdoors or in seed pots. In order to induce germination, the seeds must first be exposed to a cold stimulus (stratification). Therefore, store the seeds for about 1 to 2 weeks at 5 to 7 °C.The stratified seeds can then be spread on a suitable substrate such as our Plantura organic herb and seed compost. The ranunculus belongs to the light germs and should therefore only be covered minimally with soil or only pressed down. At 15 °C and regular moistening with a spray bottle, the seeds will germinate within approx. 10 days. When the young plants have developed 4 pairs of leaves, they can be planted individually and in larger containers or outdoors.
Are ranunculus poisonous?
The ranunculus is poisonous to humans and animals. All parts of the plant contain toxic glycosides which, depending on the amount ingested, can cause severe symptoms of poisoning.
If you are interested in other flowers that will turn your garden or balcony into a blooming paradise in the warm season, we recommend our article on the 10 most beautiful summer flowers for your garden.