As flower farmers, ranunculus flowers are a key crop for getting early-season blooms. We start our ranunculus flowers in early February in order to ensure that they will be blooming by Mother's Day. We also do our best to extend their season into June and early July in order to use them for wedding flowers. And with our flower farm (Farmhouse Flowers) also being a wedding venue, extending the season of ranunculus really helps keep our property looking colorful.
Ranunculus flowers grow gorgeous blooms that sort of have the look of a rose but with none of the thorns.
We grow a variety of different types and colors of ranunculus flowers. Some will be perfect for Mother's Day and some will be perfect for wedding flowers!
Without further ado, here it is Ranunculus: How to grow the best early-season wedding flower of 2022. As you will see from the photo below, the process takes about 100 days.
Step 1: Soak Corms in Water
Ranunculus flowers start from corms, kind of like a bulb, and are easy to order online. The corm is like the seed. Once you have your corms, keep them in the mesh bag and soak them in room temperature water for 3-6 hours (aim for 4 hours to be safe). This will activate the corms.
Step 2 Plant them in pots or trays
Now that the ranunculus corms have been soaked, it's time to plant them in some soil. If you plan to keep them in pots, then plant them directly into your pot of choice. Be sure to keep 6-8 inches between corms if you are putting more than one in a pot. If you are looking to transplant them into a flower bed and/or greenhouse, plant them in trays in order to transplant them later. Here you can put them within an inch from each other.
Step 3 for pot:
From here, you are basically all set. Just lightly water the pot each day or two. DO NOT OVERWATER. Corms are very susceptible to rot. Once sprouted, provide a sunny spot for the ranunculus. You can keep it outside but just don't let it go below freezing. Either bring them inside or cover them.
No just wait. In 100 days or so you will have beautiful ranunculus blooms! Perhaps your can even decorate your wedding day with potted ranunculus flowers!
Step 3 for trays: Store inside, lightly water for 1-2 weeks and watch them grow.
We will be starting our ranunculus flowers inside our home (so it's above freezing) and then transplanting them to our unheated greenhouse. Don't worry too much about getting them light. Just be sure NOT TO OVERWATER. This can cause the corms to rot.
After 1 or 2 weeks:
Step 4: Transplant into greenhouse or flowers beds
Spaced about 8 inches apart, transplant each spouted corm in the prepped soil. Water them directly.
Step 5: Water, cover, and wait.
From here we will cover them with frost cloth (remay) on nights that dip below zero. But besides that, these plants are quite hardy and thrive in the cooler temperatures of the spring so DO NOT LET THEM GET TOO HOT.
Quick last-minute tips:
Once they have bloomed you can extend their season by using shade cloth if. itgets to hot or sunny.
Remember, ranunculus are cut flowers meaning the more you cut the more they will grow. So don't be afraid to cut that first bloom. This will trigger the plant to grow more.
Happy ranunculus growing!