Ranunculus (Ranunculus) has another name for the garden (Asian) buttercup. It is to the buttercup family that this spectacular flower belongs, which looks more like a peony or a rose. The Latin name for the plant was invented by the scientist Pliny, who noticed that many of its species prefer to grow in swamps. Translated, this word means "frog".
The birthplace of the flower is Asia Minor. In the Middle Ages, it was brought from Turkey to England, where ranunculus began to gain real popularity. By the end of the 19th century, the fashion for the Asian buttercup began to fade, but now more and more flower growers are again becoming interested in it.
The genus ranunculus unites several hundred species. There are many legends about plants with golden flowers. According to one of them, Jesus Christ turned the stars into yellow buttercups to carry them as a gift to his Mother as a symbol of love.
Ranunculus can be grown as a garden or pot plant. Their bushes often decorate apartments, balconies and terraces. These flowers are equally well suited for cutting: they retain their appearance for two weeks.
Description and characteristics of ranunculus
Depending on the variety, the height of buttercup bushes can reach 80 cm. There are also undersized 20-centimeter varieties. Deeply dissected leaves are located on strong stems of ranunculus. The rhizome of the flower is a bizarre tuber. Its outline resembles crow's feet. In general, the herbaceous part of the plant bears a certain resemblance to a dahlia.
The main advantage of ranunculus is its elegant flowers with a delicate aroma. They can vary in the degree of terry. The variety of their colors excludes only shades of blue and blue. The diameter of the flower can reach 5-10 cm. As they bloom, each of them first resembles a rosebud, and after full disclosure - a double poppy flower. Ranunculus bloom lasts from late spring to August. The external attractiveness of the plant sometimes makes you forget that its juice is poisonous. Despite this, delicate white and pink garden buttercups are often used by florists both for decorating interiors and state rooms, and for bridal bouquets.
In floriculture, there are many varieties of ranunculus, but they are based on only two main types. The first of these is the Asiatic buttercup. It includes peony, Persian and French varieties.
- Peony ranunculus have large double inflorescences of red, white, light pink, rich purple or yellow.
- French varieties have semi-double flowers.
- Persian buttercups are distinguished by a shortened stem. Among them, there can be both semi-double and simple inflorescences.
The second type is African ranunculus or turban.Their flowers are notable for their particularly dense doubleness, due to which each flower resembles a ball.
Features of growing ranunculus
Growing a garden buttercup will be more successful if you take into account some of the features of caring for this beautiful flower.
- Ranunculus does not like transplants and reacts poorly to them. If possible, it is better not to disturb this flower, immediately choosing the optimal place for it in the flower bed or along the paths.
- Fertilizers containing vermicompost are more suitable for a garden buttercup. The wrong composition or dosage can be detrimental to its root system. During flowering, the bush will need potash and limestone.
- To prolong the flowering of the buttercup, it is recommended to rearrange it to a more shaded place and slightly reduce watering. The timely removal of wilted flowers will also help. This stimulates the opening of new buds.
- When growing ranunculus in pots, you can plant several plants in one container. The combination of different colors or even varieties will allow you to get a beautiful multicolored bush.
- Before the onset of cold weather, when the green part of the plant is completely dry, its stems are cut off at the base. The garden buttercup does not differ in particular winter hardiness, therefore, its tubers will need to be dug up and tidied up for storage.
Planting ranunculus in open ground
Preparatory procedures
Lighted places with diffused shadow are suitable for growing ranunculus. In too sunny areas, the flowers of the garden buttercup fade faster, and the duration of flowering decreases. Deep shade will also have a negative effect on the appearance of the bush. A moderately shady place, reliably protected from drafts, will become ideal for the plant. Due to the fact that the buttercup does not tolerate frosts, they start planting it only when the return frosts have passed.
The soil for the garden buttercup should be neutral in acidity. A light and nutritious soil containing peat, chernozem or humus is suitable. You can add chalk to the soil to neutralize it. Loam for ranunculus will not work and will make it difficult to grow. Before planting ranunculus, you need to carefully dig up the future flower bed, adding compost to the ground. The prepared soil must be water-absorbing, long stagnation of water can be detrimental to plants. To protect the buttercups from developing rot, you need to provide them with a good drainage layer. To do this, you can pour a handful of sand into the planting hole. As additional protection measures, you can treat the ground with a foundation.
Growing ranunculus from seeds
You can collect ranunculus seeds yourself or purchase them from your garden store. But it is not so easy to grow an elegant buttercup in this way: its seeds are distinguished by a low percentage of germination. When self-picking, in order to increase the chance of germination, it is recommended to leave only a few of the very first flowers for maturation. The left inflorescences need to be monitored. To ripen, the seeds do not have time to spill out on the ground, you can wrap the inflorescence with a thin napkin or gauze, and then shake gently.
Sowing ranunculus seeds is advised in January-mid-February. For planting, a light nutritious soil is suitable, you can use a universal flower. It is better to apply fertilizers to the soil in advance. Leaving seeds on its surface is not worth it - they are covered with a layer of earth up to 2 cm thick. From above, the landing container is tightened with a film and exposed to light. The optimum germination temperature is not higher than 17 degrees. From time to time, plantings are aired. If necessary, the soil can be moistened or, on the contrary, the accumulated condensate can be removed from the film. The first shoots should appear within 3 weeks. The speed and rate of their growth depend on the vitality of each seed. When the sprouts become visible, the film is removed from the container. Water them carefully, trying to maintain a constant care regimen. In case of insufficient lighting, you can turn on a phytolamp for them.
With the appearance of the first pair of true leaves, buttercups dive into individual pots. In May, they are planted on the selected site. Usually by this time the size of the seedlings reaches 10 cm. If the warm weather has not yet been established, and the possibility of frost remains, it is better to plant the seedlings in a greenhouse.
Plants obtained from seeds, unlike tuberous ones, will bloom only in the second year, so this method is not suitable for quickly decorating a site.
When ranunculus tubers are planted
Buttercup tubers can be purchased at grocery stores. It is recommended to do this in the fall: this increases the chances of buying fresh planting material that can wait for spring. In the spring, they should be purchased only if it is not possible to provide the proper temperature regime for winter storage. A healthy tuber should be large enough, dense and have several "claws". It is from them that roots begin to grow later. You should not take a dry or soft specimen.
Tubers are planted in the ground when the soil warms up to a sufficient depth. In most regions, this weather is set in April or May. Planting tubers is not difficult, but gardeners have their own tricks. Before planting the rhizomes in the soil, they can be prepared. For several hours, the planting material is kept on a bed of well-moistened moss or sawdust. As a substitute, you can take a damp sponge or hold the rhizomes in a pale solution of potassium permanganate. Compositions to stimulate growth are also suitable. With the help of special preparations, you can also treat the tubers from the development of rot.
Due to the fact that buttercups do not tolerate transplantation well, you need to immediately determine the most suitable place for them. Having dug holes, the tubers are buried up to 8 cm, placing them with pointed parts down. The distance between the bushes should not be less than 10-12 cm. If there is a risk of recurrent frosts, the tubers are provided with shelter from dry grass or special material. The film will not work for these purposes. After planting in the ground, ranunculus peduncles will begin to form after a couple of months. Full flowering will come a little later.
If the herbaceous part of a young plant begins to turn yellow, you need to dig out the tuber and examine it for lesions. It is often enough just to dry it.
Ranunculus care in the garden
Ranunculus care is not a big deal for the gardener. Watering should be systematic and moderate - the buttercup reacts negatively to the dryness of the soil, while its waterlogging can lead to rot. This disease can be recognized by the appearance of the flower. In this case, the buds begin to fall off, and mold is visible on the leaves. All affected parts of the plant should be cut off, the soil should be thoroughly loosened and the irrigation rate should be significantly reduced. Loosening will be beneficial for healthy plants as well. Ranunculus especially need it after heavy rains.
You can use fertilizers to stimulate the growth and development of flowers. Regular application of organic matter (peat or compost solutions) will have a positive effect on the appearance of the plant. During the flowering of buttercup, twice a month, compounds containing potassium, which is necessary for the growth of buds, can be added to the soil: potassium salt or potassium sulfate is suitable. Consumption - up to 50 g per 1 sq.m. Wood ash can serve as a substitute.
For a longer flowering period, the bush must be cleaned of wilted flowers in a timely manner. You should also inspect it for pests. A spider mite likes to settle on ranunculus, especially during periods of drought. If light spots appear on the leaves, aphids or thrips may be to blame. Pests must be eliminated as soon as they were noticed. Standard insecticides are used against them. For prevention, you can treat the bushes with a solution of 0.2% mercaptophos or another similar chemical preparation a couple of times a week.
Ranunculus care at home
Planting in a pot
Caring for ranunculus that are grown at home in a container is almost the same as caring for garden specimens. For them, you can use both separate pots and boxes. The main thing is to take care of the presence of drainage holes. With a large volume, several plants can be placed in one container.
Before planting, the tubers are kept in water for a day. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the pot. Both expanded clay and crushed stone or even eggshell are suitable. The soil used is a soil containing peat and sand. Tubers are laid out on top of it. They are not sprinkled with earth completely, leaving only the very top on the surface. Plantings must be watered abundantly and placed in a cool corner with a temperature of about +12. As the soil dries, it can be slightly moistened.
How to properly care for ranunculus
When the seedlings grow, the pot with them is transferred to the heat. The optimum temperature will be around 20-23 degrees. Buttercup flowers that are grown at home will need more sunlight, so it is best to keep them on southern windows. Western and Eastern directions are also suitable. To prolong flowering in a potted crop, you can try to reduce the temperature in the room to +18 degrees.
With the onset of warm weather, you can transfer the containers with ranunculus to the balcony or outdoor terrace. You will have to water such plantings more often, but it is better to avoid waterlogging. Fertilizers can also be dissolved in irrigation water. Buttercups will need them during active growth. On dry summer days, you can additionally spray the leaves with a spray bottle. Beginning in August, the intensity of irrigation begins to decrease.
Once every three years, a flower constantly growing in one pot is recommended to be transplanted.
Ranunculus after flowering
How to dig up and store tubers
It is necessary to dig up the tubers of ranunculus that grew in the open field until mid-autumn. As soon as the aerial part is completely dry, the stems and foliage are cut off, and the rhizomes are removed from the ground. Buttercup tubers are fragile enough that careless and abrupt steps can damage them. The digging procedure should be done slowly and carefully.
The removed tubers must be washed. Then, for disinfection, they can be kept for half an hour in a foundation or a solution of potassium permanganate, and then thoroughly dried. To do this, the tubers are left in a dark place for several days, and only then are they removed for storage.
Leaving the rhizomes of buttercups in the ground for the winter is possible only in warm regions with mild winters. But even in this case, it is better to take care of the shelter by laying spruce branches or dry foliage on the landing site. Subzero temperatures can be detrimental to tubers, so they should be stored in a ventilated basement or subfield with a humidity of no more than 60%, where it keeps about + 5-10 degrees. For additional safety, you can wrap the planting material with dry moss, lay it with sawdust or wrap it in a paper bag. Tubers stored in other conditions may lose germination. Disruptions can also lead to disruption of growth and rest periods.
Caring for indoor ranunculus after flowering
When the flowering period of the indoor ranunculus ends, the pot with it is moved to a darker and cooler corner. Soon after, the plant will have a rest period: its leaves will begin to turn yellow and dry out. After that, the tubers can be carefully moved to fresh soil and left in a room where they keep about +17 degrees. The plant will stay at rest for about a month, and in the spring it will grow again.
During the active development of each tuber, both in the garden and at home, several small shoots have time to form. Usually their number is no more than 7 pieces. Digging up such tubers, you can immediately separate them. "Children" are seated in different pots, or sent to storage in the basement. You can also keep them in the refrigerator, in the vegetable compartment.But the flowering of such overwintered tubers will be less abundant, and the flowers themselves will be smaller.
