Ranunculus Update : What I Learned and 2023 Grow Plan

Did my 2022 Ranunculus season fail? Not totally - but it also wasn't a success. In this video I share with you what I learned over the course of the season so far growing ranunculus and what my plan is for 2023. I also share the varieties that I am growing for 2023! Here is where I ordered them from:
FB Group : Wholesale for the Small Scale Gardener
Leo Berbee
Ball Colorlink
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Sunshine & Flora, Locally Grown Fresh Cut Flowers
Zone 5A, Northwest Iowa
PO Box 146
Holstein, Iowa 51025

[@suekrebs3497]

I am in zone 5, southern Wisconsin. After presprouting both ranunculus and anemones in the basement, I put them directly outside (I never put them under grow lights) on the front porch and cover as needed for a week or so. I plant them into the soil in mid March ( area prepared in the fall) and put them under hoops as you do. I cover and uncover as the weather dictates. The anemones begin blooming at least 2 weeks before the ranunculus. We have had a similar spring as you, cold April and over 90 degrees in early May as well as now. Both the anemones and ranunculus are blooming well but slowing down. I do live out in the country so we have more space and the plants have more breeze and cooler conditions. I am enjoying your journey and wishing you the best success!

[@SunshineFlora]

Wow that sounds like a great process. Thank you for sharing!

[@suzntrott]

I live in Milw, WI.... I started mine too late...as I didn't get them delivered until March... but have some anemone flowers....& hopefully I will have some ranunculus ones too - I have them in containers so I can move them in the shade when it gets hot... I have a feeling they will not last too long -- boo.... I need to get them started earlier next year - hoping I can winter over some of the corms.... time will tell.

[@surusgarden5136]

Sharing my learning experience...This was my first year growing ranunculus ever for my first market. I had over a thousand different corms and planted in 5 raised beds in my garden. I was late in starting them ( late Feb) in my Zone 6a. The first 2 beds were planted just 2 weeks earlier than the other 3 beds. That made all the difference! The first 2 gave me buckets of ranunculus for a month despite it being in the 80's. But the other 3 gave me only a handful of short stems and the plants shut down. No high tunnel or hoop house. Just covered n uncovered with frost cloth. (The pics are on my namesake gram) Corm size did not matter as all were top size. I could have ordered shade cloth to save the other 3 beds but just let them go for this year. I too will try to better myself next year and hope you do too!

[@SunshineFlora]

Great info! Thanks!

[@carolrawsthorne7655]

Hi. I’m from England and I have had just the same outcome but for different reasons. I planted 100 combs in my cutting patch and they started blooming then the heavens opened and we had torrential rain for about two weeks, my patch turned to mud. I then planted them in pots and lo and behold the are now just blooming in September. All in all not a great success but I will try again next year.

[@SunshineFlora]

Oh darn! Yes try again!

[@kathypope3010]

You have such a good attitude. 2023 is going to be an amazing experience with the hoop house. Can't wait to watch. Good luck. Your snaps are gorgeous.

[@SunshineFlora]

Thanks!!

[@KirstinLDavidson]

All I can say is.. thank-you for sharing this with us and for generating a discussion on growing conditions. I have a small raised bed garden and didn’t want to dedicate a section to ranunculus so I potted them up instead. I think this was part of my problem as they got too hot in pots and shut down. I’ve moved the one corm that still has white roots to my dahlia bed and we will see if anything comes of it. Not likely, given the temps we are heading toward but worth a shot. Thanks again Christina. It’s good to hear from so many and to not feel like the only one who struggled with ranunculus this year!

[@SunshineFlora]

Thanks for sharing!

[@tina8508]

I had a very similar experience. I’m also going to try a hoop house and get my ranunculus planted earlier. It was so disappointing this year but I definitely learned what didn’t work. Good luck!

[@dcjanick88]

I covered them early to protect from frost and thought I failed but I opened up the sides and left the top to shade it during these hot days. They are not big blooms but the are taking off nicely. I’m glad I kept them shaded. Your order for next year sounds great

[@SunshineFlora]

Thanks!

[@syntychiahintsin-tee-shaks2256]

I appreciate the information you share. I have Ranunculus pre-sprouted in my grow room. I’m planting mine in partial shade.

[@SunshineFlora]

I think that will work well

[@annharlan8926]

I'm NC 7b. I planted corms 2 years in a row in fall and both years have failed. From 2 different sources. I presoaked for 2 hours - nothing. I have snapdragon blooms so can do cooler weather flowers. Thanks for admitting these are not easy. It rained this year all through January and they may have rotted.

[@SunshineFlora]

Sorry to hear that! I’m hoping to have better luck with my spring crop!

[@catherinehead6001]

I am finding the same thing here in north georgia! I ordered some more because I want to try one more time- just not sure it will happen this year. I'm going to just try in pots this time- I put a few extra plants in some pots from the crop I started in February and they are still the most green and I'm hoping for some blooms. We had a ton of rain here as well which I think rotted my corms

[@cyhomer]

My experience with getting dried out was the same. So many videos I watched said they liked it on the drier side, but as soon as I saw the dryness, I watered and they sprouted. I also added a dome.. (they were in my dark basement). I am waiting a few more days and then placing them out on my bright, windowed front porch to grow a bit more. (SW MICH)

[@ElderandOakFarm]

Ive had really great luck with cloni & amandine. & am going to experiement with more varieties this year. Amandine is much more heat tolerant. Aviv have never done well for me.

[@cherigeitz7798]

Thank you for update. I tried shade cloth when it got really hot and I think that helped. Not getting a many buds as I thought I would.

[@christinast6346]

I am in Des Moines, and I had pretty much the same results. Mine that were in the more shaded area gave a few puny blooms. Overall I’m pretty disappointed. I’m not giving up going to try again next year. I’m going to try to get them out earlier.

[@michelleodell1236]

I'm in Upstate NY and I had the exact same experience.

[@SunshineFlora]

Good to know thanks! I’m determined to have better results!

[@bluebirdhomestead]

I have been wanting to try some ranunculus, but I haven't given it a go yet. Maybe I will try in 2023! They really are such a beautiful flower 😍-Cara

[@SunshineFlora]

They are beautiful! I think they need just the right conditions to thrive. In my area anyway!

[@bluebirdhomestead]

@@SunshineFlora They are really pretty!

[@wildbirdfarm]

I think the weather was tough for ranunculus this year in our area. I was disappointed after a bumper crop last year. You’ll love the hoophouse for them! That’s the only way I’ll grow them now. Happy growing!

[@SunshineFlora]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@kimlanyon8064]

Well for a first year flower farmer you seem to be blessed with money lol floret class and all best of luck 😊

[@pam6204]

Thank you sooooooooo much Christina. O your Snaps are looking gorgeous! In South Africa we plant our Ranunculas in the Autumn. Is your winter too cold for you to do this? aaaah I've been watching Nicole from Flower Hill Farm, too. She grew her Ranunculas in a hoop house this season and she is 100% over the moon with it's success - so I wish you everything of the best on yours.

[@SunshineFlora]

Yes - our winters are too cold to plant them in the fall. Same as Nicole. I am just one zone above her. We always get very warm drastically fast - this is why I’m thinking a hoop house may be best so I can start them earlier and get blooms before the heat wave!

[@pam6204]

@@SunshineFlora I am truly excited for you. There is truly no flower like them and this is such a wonderful idea!

[@ilenehales7849]

I think this year the weather has to do with poor ranunculus production, unless you have a hoop house. I have one bud coming, fingers crossed I get a flower. Crazy weather here in Saskatchewan, Canada. First lots of snow, then lots of cold rain. Hope next year is better for you.

[@gr8gardn]

It sounded like the south side of your current space is ideal! Getting both the R & A planted out there MUCH sooner might give you a really nice early jump on the season. Then they might be over in plenty of time for other crops. It may be worth a 2nd try and getting your microclimate to work for you! I got NOTHING from R and only 2 A blooms on my 1st try this year. I pretty much did what you did-got them in the ground way too late for the conditions, mostly heat. I even put up a tunnel with 50% shade cloth for them but they were still too big and it got too hot too fast for them. I will not hesitate to get them out way earlier next year and just keep row over handy for very cold nights.

[@SunshineFlora]

Great info thanks!

[@honoregale856]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Runuculus. I am in NW England and decided to try them for the first time and it seems all over the world growing conditions have been variable and unexpected this year! My corms developed well but were planted out on an exposed allotment. We have experienced a long, cool spring here followed by wind and rain. One area is doing moderately well and happened to have some self sown poppies amongst them which I think gave them some shade and protection and they have a few blooms developing. The second area is not happy at all with yellowing leaves which I put down to poor soil quality but now I think they got frosted and I doubt I will get any blooms. But I will try and save the corms and give it another go next year but because of the cooler conditions in this part of the country keep them under fleece for quite some time. Snapdragons look beautiful. Again mine look nowhere near as good!

[@maryt8600]

Did you sow in autumn, I'm in the same area as you, but I didn't get to plant this year so I was wondering if I could sow at the same time as my tulips. I'm just a home gardener.

[@honoregale856]

@@maryt8600 Hi I’m in Chester UK. I did a spring planting of the corms and they went like text book. I think the main problem was I was too keen to get them out (such a common problem!). They are on my allotment which is exposed with no shelter and because we have had such a long cool spring they just sat. Definitely next year I will cover them with fleece. I noticed this morning half a dozen blooms on them so bless them they are trying hard to please me!

[@SunshineFlora]

I think they are a tricky crop! 😊

[@honoregale856]

@@SunshineFlora thought you might like to know I have four small blooms - hurrah!

[@carolrawsthorne7655]

Hi. I’m from the N/W of England too. It’s September 2023 and I planted a 100 corms in my cutting patch but the heavy wind and rain ruined them. I’ve got some in pots and they are just starting to bloom. I’ll try again next year. Good luck with yours.

[@kaitlinjohnson2915]

I got quite a few blooms, but a lot of mine were not the big fluffy blooms that I was hoping for. They seemed more like semi-doubles. I got all my labels mixed up, so I’m not sure which ones those were, but I ordered some from Eden Bros, and I suspect they were the leas fluffy ones. I think the ones that I ended up liking the most were the La Belle Lemon and (maybe?) La Belle salmon. Those ones were far more of what I was expecting. I planted in raised beds in kind of part-sun/dappled sun. I also had anemones that started flowering quite a bit earlier, but it was also kind of a mixed bag with them as well. I’m not sure that I will grow either of them next year, though I’m guessing if I don’t, I will be super jealous seeing everyone else’s. The bed where I planted my anemones ended up having a ton of reseeded dill and anise hyssop and I think it kind of shaded the soil and kept it a little cooler and it was nice to already have some fillers growing in that bed and I didn’t have to turn it over!

[@SunshineFlora]

Thanks for the info! I’m determined to have a better crop next year. They are the in between flowers I need

[@Littlebitesofjoy]

When you planted them out, did you cover them? I covered mine and sadly I think I created a greenhouse effect on warmer days and they got pretty hot. Also do you save your corms from year to year?

[@JillBretherton]

my ranunculus have been brilliant but only the ones in the ground.The ones in any kind of container flowered but the flowers were smaller & the leaves turned yellow more quickly. I think planters get too hot compared to the cool earth. `My ones in the ground are just starting to go over now as we are having a heat wave here in UK but the ones in pots, even in cooler more shaded areas, struggled and fizzled out much sooner.

[@SunshineFlora]

Good to know! Maybe that is also my issue

[@leighrockey3473]

(Sorry this comment is late- I just came across this video) I live in N.W. Pennsylvania, zone 6A. I started my ranunculus around the same time you did with the same method. I DID research quite a bit before I bought them & they looked really healthy as corms. They looked great as seedlings but then began to rot, one by one- I did not get one bloom. My theory is that because we have such a wet spring, it was just too much water for them, then when it warms up- it happens too quickly. I'm not sure how similar our weather is but I thought I would share because we're both pretty north. Do your springs go from cold to hot quickly? I wonder how they would fair earlier in your cold frame...

[@SunshineFlora]

Agree - it got really hot so quick here and i think it was too much for mine

[@aongv]

My ranuncs failed terribly. But anemones did great.

[@dottmcse]

Thanks for sharing! I ordered heavy on the ranuncs this year, fingers crosses. I am really interested on the hoop house you choose. I am getting ready to make a purchase of a 20x10.

[@kimpollard6021]

Mine did the same thing, not been really hot here yet either. I had them in part sun part shade. Only a few sad blooms. can I dig them out and dry them to try again next year?

[@SunshineFlora]

Yep!

[@shamshersinghfarmernews884]

👍 💚

[@sislertx]

I had a total bust last year in my 200 ...i still dont know why

[@SunshineFlora]

They are hard. Hopefully I will actually be successful next year!

[@TheEldersHomestead]

mine didnt bloom at all:( the leaves were great but no blooms

[@brookehoffman7939]

Funny question, I really like your shirt. Can I ask where you got it?

[@SunshineFlora]

Thanks! It came from Because Tees

[@juliepuhr9806]

Where do you buy your ranunculus? I had terrible growth this year and ordered them on line. I need a better source

[@Flanuora]

I’m also in Iowa and the Avivi Ranunculus didn’t bloom for me either.

[@SunshineFlora]

Good to know thank you

[@hamarijz-borokgoro]

Did you reuse any of these corms that didn’t flower in 2024?

[@SunshineFlora]

No but I am saving my corms this year

[@jenniferwolford4646]

Why not leave them? They will continue to bloom, especially since it's primarily in the shade.

[@SunshineFlora]

We have temps in the 90s and 100s now - they are starting to yellow

[@martiee6882]

How early do you suggest sprouting ranunculus in my zone 4a?

[@SunshineFlora]

I think I started mine early March last year

[@jrockwood7764]

Are you going to save any of the corms from this year?

[@SunshineFlora]

I don’t plant to

[@jasofalltrades6052]

Your should is lacking in nutrients...I don't know your watering schedule but also may be over watering...

[@riverunner9978]

I won’t dedicate any real estate to ranulunclus again.

[@juliepuhr9806]

Oh i saw. This doesn’t help the average gardener since you buy wholesale

[@SunshineFlora]

Try Eden Brothers. You can also join the Facebook group i mention in videos - anyone can be a part of that and order. Wholesale for the small scale gardener