What’s the deal with corm size?
I often get asked, “What size corms do you sell?”
While this is an important question, I find it’s not nearly as important as, “What VARIETY of ranunculus do you sell?” (for more info on that check out this post here.)
In plant selection, sometimes size matters a lot and sometimes…not so much. If we were talking about peonies, I say get the biggest ones you can because peonies take forever to get going.
For instance, say you grab a peony root from your local hardware store, it's likely just a chuck off an established root system (technical size is 2/3, as in it’s sold with two to three eyes on the root), so once you plant it in your backyard, it's gonna take about two years or so to get your first bloom. This is why I spring for 4/5‘s from a well established grower…whose 4/5‘s are really more like 7/10‘s 😳 and I end up with blooms my first year.
I’ve found that size doesn't matter nearly as much when we’re talking about anemone and ranunculus corms.
Here’s some FNS’s for you (Flower Nerd Stats):
Anemone corms come in sizes: 2/3, 3/3, 3/4 & 4/5.
Ranunculus corms come in sizes 2/3, 3/4, 4/5 & 5/7.
**The larger the number, the older and more established the corm is**
Back to the peony illustration…
Buy a small root and you’ll have to wait two years for a single bloom. This isn’t the case with anemone and ranunculus. I get around 8-10 blooms per plant when buying the smallest corms available. If I splurge for the 4/5‘s and 5/7's, I’ll get more like 15 - 20 (sometimes even 25!) blooms per plant.
So why wouldn’t I always buy the larger corms? Because, the larger the corm, the higher the price tag. Dang it.
So when is it worth it to splurge? Here’s my two cents. If you live in a more temperate climate and you have a dependable stretch of 50 - 80 degree weather for 90 days or so, you can definitely go with the small. If you’re trying to grow these guys in a climate with extreme temperature swings and it’s hard to find a stretch of anything predictable, then dishing out for the bigger corms makes more sense. The larger corms are locked and loaded; ready to pump out the blooms for you. So even if your season is shorter than others, you should still find yourself with a vase-full for your kitchen table.
Just FYI, 95% of the corms I sell are size 3/4. Every once in a while there will be a new limited release variety that is super hard to get a hold of. In those cases, I let my supplier know I’m not picky and I’ll take whatever they can send me. If that’s the case, I do my darndest to make note of that on my website so all y’all’s know what to expect (FYI - that may be why they’re a little more pricey than usual).
I’m curious to know your thoughts. Did you know there was such a thing as corm size before reading this? Would you rather splurge for the larger corms?
I’m all ears!
Next on the docket…
I’m dishing my vase-life extension tricks. I’ve got several of them up my sleeve, but one for sure that I try to always, always do ✅
Xo
Anne