Growing Ranunculus
Did you know you can overwinter ranunculus in Ohio? If your answer is no, I hear you. I didn’t believe it either until I researched the how-to steps and tried them out for myself. Let me show you how I ended up with these gorgeous blooms by the end of March.
Ranunculus benefit from a long cool establishment period, and I have found that in our area (zone 6a), starting them in the fall (usually October/early November) is the best way for plants to produce a lot of blooms before it gets too hot. Plus, it’s fun to have something growing outside during the dead of winter.
Pre Sprout Corms
First, soak the shriveled-up corms in lukewarm water for three hours in a bucket with a little trickle of water running the entire time. Once they’ve plumped up, place them on a layer of potting soil and cover completely. Don’t forget to label! Place the trays in a dark, cool spot. Don’t let them dry out. Make sure the trays stay moist but not wet. You should start seeing some green appear in about two weeks.
Prepare Low Tunnel
To grow ranunculus successfully in our zone, you have to provide protection throughout the winter months. There are many ways of doing this, but in this post, I’ll show you what I do in my average-sized backyard garden.
I purchased these small greenhouses and set them up making sure they were placed in full sunlight. To stabilize the metal structure, I duct-taped all the joints and zip-tied each corner to a rebar stake in the ground. The plastic flaps at the bottom were either buried in the ground and/or weighed down with rocks. This setup has worked well for me so far.
Planting and Care
Before tucking the pre-sprouted corms in the ground, I like to spread a layer of compost. Once planted, make sure to give them a good soak. Throughout the winter, water every week as long as temps stay above 25F for three nights in a row. Prolonged low temps may mean that you don’t water for a few weeks, and that’s ok! I like to add liquid seaweed to the watering bucket for extra nutrients.
Cold Temperatures
When temperatures dip below freezing, make sure to cover your plants inside the greenhouse with frost cloth. During last year’s polar vortex, I used a double layer of cloth. However, it’s important to remember to uncover them once the temps in the greenhouse get above freezing. (I like to keep a thermometer in there.) You want your plants to get as much sunlight as possible. It’s amazing how warm the greenhouse gets once the sun pops out, even if it’s frigid outside and there’s snow on the ground. You’ll be playing the “cover/uncover game” quite a bit, but it’ll be worth it, I promise!
Enjoy Your Blooms
Come spring, you will be able to enjoy the result of all the care and nurturing you provided throughout the winter. Ranunculus blooms are truly one-of-a-kind! As the outdoor temperatures rise, keep the greenhouse open so that the plants do not overheat. And remember, to keep the blooms coming, make sure to harvest regularly.
Note- I do not receive any benefits from the links in this post. The products mentioned above work well for me, and I'm sharing them for those interested.
