Popular in weddings and bouquets, the Ranunculus flowers are pretty blooms that come in shades ranging from reds to yellows. These flowers grow from corms, and if you're new to planting them, you're probably thinking of ways how to store them before the next planting season. Here is what we found in our research about this topic.
Ranunculus corms are very easy to store. You only need a cool, dry spot in your home where mice or other pests can get to them.
Keep them away from moisture as much as possible because it can kill the corms. They should also be stored in an open tray or inside breathable materials like cotton fabric or paper bags.
Knowing how to store Ranunculus corms properly will help you grow beautiful-looking flowers in no time. In this post, we will be discussing the best practices for storing Ranunculus corms. We also have some tips to help you grow Ranunculi, so keep reading, and we hope you enjoy this post!
How To Store Ranunculus Corms
Ranunculus, commonly called the Persian buttercup, is a rose-like flower with delicate, tissue-thin petals. These flowers come in a variety of colors ranging from deep reds to pale yellow.
A favorite for wedding venues and bouquets, these flowers are not very common in most homes, but you'll definitely see them in many high-end flower shops around town.
When Ranunculus flowers are bunched together, they form a full bouquet of blooms that look too perfect to be real. These flowers look great when they have just bloomed, but they grow prettier as the petals open up further.
To grow Ranunculus flowers, you'll first need some corms—a claw-like stem tissue whose sole purpose is to store food.
If you want to plant Ranunculi in your home, look for corms that are bigger than the others. Large corms have more stored food energy, which translates to bigger, healthier plants that grow more flowers.
Technically speaking, Ranunculus corms can be bought in their dry, dormant state. However, you can also harvest them if you planted Ranunculi during the last growing season.
When the leaves have completely yellowed, dig the corms out and let them air dry until the corms are crisp and a little hard. You can do this in a low-humidity room indoors or under the sun.
Store Ranunculus corms in a breathable bag, like a cotton or paper bag. You can also add a little sphagnum moss inside the bag to absorb excess moisture that can rot the corms. Alternatively, you can also leave them in an open tray to encourage air circulation.
Place them in a cool, dry spot at home. Avoid placing the corms in a place where there is high humidity and away from areas where mice or other pests can get to them.
The best place to store Ranunculus corms is in the pantry, basement, or garden shed where you keep the seeds.
How Long Can You Store Ranunculus Corms
Ranunculus will bloom starting from early spring to early summer. By late fall, the leaves will soon dry out and signify the start of the plant going into dormancy.
This is the best time to dig the corms out of the ground if you plan to store them for planting next year.
If the Ranunculus corms are dried and stored in the proper conditions, you can keep them throughout the winter. They last for
When the temperatures begin warming up, you can prepare them for replanting. The best time to do this is before spring's last predicted frost date.
Can I Leave Ranunculus Corms On The Ground?
If you've planted Ranunculus corms for this growing season, you're probably thinking of growing them again once spring starts.
Some people like to dig the corms and keep them until they can be planted again. But some people also wonder if you can keep the Ranunculus corms on the ground until the next season.
The answer to this question is yes; you can leave the Ranunculus corms on the ground. Technically, this is how wild Ranunculus flowers are in the wild. However, leaving Ranunculus corms on the ground means that you should still do a little maintenance to keep the corms underground healthy.
To grow Ranunculus flowers from corms left on the ground, you should wait until the plant stops blooming and the foliage yellows and dies back. Once the Ranunculus plant prepares for dormancy, trim the dead matter away to prevent the corms from rotting.
Make sure to leave a few stems sticking out of the ground so the plant will grow back when the weather starts warming up. The corms will store energy and create their plant food during their dormant time until they are ready to grow again.
Best Tips For Growing Ranunculus
Ranunculus flowers can be easy to grow. However, some gardeners face problems growing Ranunculus flowers, so here are some of the best tips for growing them.
Soak the corms
Generally speaking, you can plant Ranunculus corms without soaking them. The moisture in the soil is enough for the corms to sprout, but it does take a lot longer for them to sprout in this manner.
If you want your Ranunculus to sprout quicker, it's always better to soak them before planting.
To plant the corms, soak them in room temperature water for about 3 to 4 hours. Do not leave them any longer than that because the corms will absorb too much water and it will start to rot.
Prevent the water from becoming stagnant by putting the bowl of soaking corms underneath a trickling faucet.
Plant them the right way
One of the problems when planting Ranunculus corms is that people often don't know which side goes up. To make it easy, Ranunculus corms should be planted with the claw side facing down onto the ground.
Planting them the other way won't allow the corms to grow, and they'll rot in the soil.
Give them space
After soaking the corms, it's a good idea to pre-sprout them before transferring them to a bigger container.
Grab a seed tray and fill it with about an inch of growing mix. Lightly dampen the soil with a spray bottle and position the corms close together on the tray.
Cover them with another inch of growing mix and keep them in a dark place for about ten days at 50-60°F.
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Replant the corms when they start sprouting roots. Place them in their new container or bed 5 to 8 inches apart, 2 inches deep into the soil.
Avoid crowding the corms to allow the root system to grow. Shallow planting is okay for Ranunculus plants, so you don't need a deep pot to grow them.
Keep it sunny
Ranunculi love the sun, and they grow well in lots of light. When planted in good, well-draining soil and healthy organic matter, your Ranunculus plants will produce lots of colorful blooms that will beautify your garden throughout the spring.
Avoid too much water
Ranunculus corms are prone to rot, which is often caused by excessive moisture. This is still the case when Ranunculus plants are left in containers with poor drainage.
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When planting Ranunculus corms, remember to keep them damp but not soaking wet. As the plants grow, the soil of your Ranunculus should also be moist, so check the foliage to see if they are still green and if the plant is still blooming well.
Keep the blooms healthy by giving them a bi-monthly application of liquid plant food (12-4-8.)
Deadhead the flowers
To maximize the growth of the Ranunculus flowers, it's always a good idea to deadhead them. Deadheading is the process wherein you remove the dead flowers to encourage new blooms.
For Ranunculus flowers, cut off the dead or dying Ranunculus flower stems just above the fresh leaves. This will allow new flowers to grow in their place.
Final Thoughts
Ranunculi are beautiful flowers that you can grow at home year after year. These beautiful flowers are one of the easiest to grow because the corms have everything they need for the plant to grow.
If you're keeping the corms until the next season, remember the proper storage procedures to prevent them from rotting or dying while in storage.
Would you like to learn more about growing ranunculus? We have a couple of articles that might be of interest: