Crop Rotation Group
Miscellaneous
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Soil
Fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost, with a slightly acidic pH.
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Position
Full sun.
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Frost tolerant
Winter hardy only in mild climates. Dormant Persian ranunculus roots can tolerate temperatures to 23°F (-5°C).
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Feeding
Drench with a liquid organic fertilizer when plants begin to bloom in early summer.
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Companions
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Spacing
Single Plants: 5" (15cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 5" (15cm) with 5" (15cm) row gap (minimum)
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Sow and Plant
Ranunculus are grown from dormant claw-shaped corms, which can be planted in autumn in mild winter climates, or early spring in temperate climates. Soak corms in water for 2 to 3 hours, and then plant them side by side, claw sides down, in a shallow flat, barely covered with soil. Transplant to containers or beds when the first green shoots appear. Young plants need water when they are actively growing, but avoid keeping the plants too wet.
Our Garden Planning Tool can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
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Notes
These corms grow best where both summers and winters are mild, or they can be grown as winter annuals in hot summer areas. A single plant can produce more than 20 blossoms. To overwinter ranunculus in cold winter areas, bring containers into a cool basement and allow them to dry out. Let the dormant corms rest in the soil-filled pots until spring. Survival may be spotty.
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Harvesting
Persian buttercups are beautiful cut flowers, often grown specifically for use indoors. Keeping blossoms cut also extends the bloom time of the plants, which can be as long as six weeks.
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Troubleshooting
Persian buttercups grown as perennials often develop powdery mildew late in the season. Badly affected plantings should be replaced. Like wild Ranunculus species, called buttercups, Persian buttercups contain compounds that make them unpalatable to animals.
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