How to grow Ranunculus
This article provides an overview of the topic of growing the herbaceous flower Ranunculus, including how to care for it. Details are as follows:
When it comes to growing Ranunculus, it's not exactly difficult, nor is it easy. Many hobbyists fail during the bulb storage and germination stages. This article is a summary of a lazy person's method for growing Ranunculus (personal preference, based on two years of experimentation, not representative of all methods).
Ranunculus prefers a warm and bright environment. It is important to protect it from the cold during winter, as low temperatures can cause frost damage, although temperatures slightly below zero are generally fine. Ranunculus enjoys sunlight but is heat-sensitive, especially during the intense midday sun in mid-April. Excessive sun exposure can cause it to enter dormancy prematurely and the plant to wither.
This article starts with the care of Ranunculus from the time it withers.
After mid-April, as the weather starts to heat up, Ranunculus should be placed in the shade or under partial sunlight to avoid prolonged exposure to the midday sun. This can extend the blooming period. If most of the leaves turn yellow or the flowers significantly shrink, it's time to reduce watering to help it enter dormancy.
Caution: When the leaves turn yellow in large numbers, it's important to reduce watering. As the weather is quite hot after mid-April, to ensure the bulbs enter dormancy safely, do not cut off the water supply abruptly. Instead, gradually reduce watering and then stop. The final stage is when nutrients are transferred to the bulbs, and the more natural the process, the larger the bulbs will become. It is also crucial not to overwater, as during the later stages, the transpiration from the leaves and roots decreases, and continuous high humidity and heat can cause bulb rot.
Once all the leaves have turned yellow and withered, stop watering completely. If it rains, you can place the pot under the eaves to prevent rain from hitting it. The key is ventilation and no water.
When the surface of the potting soil turns white, you can store the pot with soil under the eaves or in another place where it won't be hit by rain. It doesn't matter whether you cut the dead leaves or not. Just don't disturb the plant and let it spend the summer in the original soil. This is the simplest and laziest method of preservation, and also the safest. You can ignore it throughout the summer, or occasionally give a little water to the brick-like soil.
As time passes and it reaches mid-September, the weather cools down. We take the Ranunculus out with the pot and soil, water it slightly, and once the soil is no longer hard, carefully remove the bulbs. After digging out the bulbs, several new bulbs will have formed at the roots, and each can be planted separately, or three bulbs can be planted in one pot. It is not recommended to cut the bulbs into several pieces for propagation.
Planting: After preparing the pot for Ranunculus, place pebbles,陶粒 (陶粒), or foam blocks at the bottom. The soil mix should not be too loose; succulent soil should not be too fluffy. A general garden soil mixed with a small amount of perlite or nutrient-rich soil is fine, as long as it doesn't become compacted. Add a lot of fertilizer at the bottom of the pot (Ranunculus likes fertilizer). The blooming period is relatively long, so it requires more nutrients. Sufficient bottom fertilizer can reduce the number of later feedings. A pot size of around 15-20 centimeters is ideal. After placing the soil, dig a small hole in the middle, place the bulb with the top facing up, cover it with soil, and make sure the soil covers the bulb by 1-2 centimeters. After planting, only water a small amount the first time.
Caution: The soil is quite dry at first, and the bulbs are also in a dry state, so only a small amount of water is needed to moisten the soil. Too much water can make the turned soil turn into mud. After the second watering, you can continue normal outdoor care.
Have you understood the detailed introduction of how to grow Ranunculus (lazy person's method)?