Ranunculus lovers, gather ‘round—because if you’re dreaming of long, luscious stems and armfuls of ruffly blooms, I’ve got the planting tips you need to know. These beauties aren’t the fussiest flowers in the garden, but a little extra care when planting will set you up for a show-stopping spring. From spacing secrets to bunny-proofing (yep, those fluffy thieves are a problem), here’s how to give your ranunculus the best possible start. Let’s dig in! 🌱✨
1. To maximize stem length, plant 4" apart in an area that is protected from wind. These guys will grow longer stems if they're forced to reach for the light a bit and also not using all their growing energy to fight the wind.
2. Work in 3-4" of compost and a balanced fertilizer before you plant. These heavy feeders benefit from having nutrient rich soil. I also fertilize them again in the spring when they're starting to wake up and 3-4 weeks into their blooming period. They'll give you LOADS of blooms when you feed them this way.
3. Plant shallow. You can apply mulch or straw (or yard debris) to keep them insulated but it needs to be removed when they start to wake up in the spring. Make sure the corms themselves are planted no more than 2" deep. (I plant my ranunculus 1" deep)
4. Bunnies & slugs love these almost as much as we do. I put down sluggo at the beginning of the growing season and again if I notice any nibbles on the leaves. Also, Squirrels LOVE to steal anything from an area that has been recently dug in. When planting in fall or winter I spread some leaves and small sticks over top of my newly planted corms. You can remove it in a few weeks and the squirrels won't know there's anything there;)
5. To add an additional few weeks to your bloom window in the spring you can pre-sprout your corms. Step by step details can be found here. If your climate is super wet this time of year and your temps are around 45-60 for the next few weeks then nature will pre-sprout them for you.
