The birthplace of ranunculus is Asia Minor. Culture from the Buttercup family. And the plant itself is often called that: Asian buttercup. In the gardens of Russia and neighboring countries, it is not yet very common in gardens. But those who see these flowers for the first time fall in love forever with these bright terry half-peonies, half-roses.
In the Lyutikovsky family, up to 600 species grow on all continents except Antarctica. Alpine buttercup is used in landscape design. But for drawing up decorations, compositions, the Asian buttercup, or ranunculus, is preferable. From Latin the translation is "frog", obviously because the plant loves swampy places.
Buttercups are garden or Asian - one of the most beautiful and touching flowers. Charming and inimitable, so colorful, ranunculus are equally famous for their beauty and capriciousness. But the difficulties of growing, digging, ensuring proper wintering and summer dormancy still do not stop flower growers and gardeners around the world. As one of the finest cutting plants, buttercup really requires a special approach, including reproduction. And although the most popular and easiest method is to buy and separate tubers, you can also get your own buttercups from seeds. Moreover, this is how the best modern varieties and mixtures are most often sold.
Buttercup asiatic, or garden buttercup, Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus).
Difficult and fun, the process of growing buttercups from seeds will appeal to experienced gardeners and those who like more difficult tasks. And although in the same year, buttercups rarely bloom, but next summer they will amaze you with their colorful "heads".
Enviable variety of immodest ranunculus
Buttercup garden, or Asiatic buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus), also known as Ranunculus - a herbaceous perennial with a tuberous rhizome, the shape of which is most reminiscent of spiders and carrots. In length, the roots reach only 2.5 cm. Stems are weakly branching or non-branching, up to 50 cm in height. Leaves and shoots are heavily pubescent. The greens are few, tripartite, bright in color, a bit like dahlia leaves.
Buttercup flowers up to 6 cm in diameter are semi-double or double, very rarely simple. Most often they are solitary, consist of so many densely spaced petals that they seem almost artificial. They resemble balls, roses, peonies or turbans in shape. The garden buttercup blooms in June, flowering continues for a not so long period, but incomparable in its beauty.
Among garden buttercups, there are both tall and lower varieties that can be grown both in open soil and in a pot culture. Representatives of the four main decorative groups of buttercups do not lose their popularity today:
- cut varieties of the group of Persian buttercups, the flower shape of which really resembles legendary hats;
- touching French buttercups, the most graceful species with two rows of petals creating strikingly symmetrical patterns;
- long-flowering peony buttercups with their incredible variety of varieties;
- turban, Turkish or African buttercups, the flowers of which are striking not only in their spherical shape, but also in an incredible number of petals.
But new varieties and mixtures of buttercup - 'Bloomingdale Mix', 'Bloomingdale Strain', 'Rose Bicolor', 'Color Carnival', 'Double Pink Mix', 'Tecolote Strain', 'Tecolote Giants',' Rebecca Mix ',' Early Dwarf Strain ', etc.
The strategy for growing garden buttercups from seeds is the same for other types of buttercups, including perennials.
Self-collection of buttercup seeds and their selection for sowing
Seeds from garden buttercups can be obtained independently, even in the middle lane. But for this, the very first flower must be left on the plant. Seeds ripen only by the beginning of autumn. Since buttercups very easily scatter seeds, it is better to tie the seed-box with gauze in advance. One box contains up to 500 seeds.
They must be dried, sorted into small batches and stored in separate containers or paper bags. The storage conditions for buttercup seeds are similar to the ideal conditions for tubers: from 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, in a dry room and with frequent ventilation.
It is very important for buttercups to use fresh seeds from the previous season. They quickly lose their germination and the less they lie, the better. Please check the collection date carefully when purchasing. A large percentage of germination is possessed by seeds marked F1 - hybrids with increased endurance. The seeds on the market have a wide range in price, and the best buttercups are not always the most expensive.
You always need to be guided by the completeness of information: even plant seeds that are not labeled as hybrid varieties, if you buy them from a trusted manufacturer, which provides complete information about the sowing time, preferred agricultural technology and cultivation characteristics, it is better than the seeds of an unknown company.
When buying or collecting seeds on your own, it should be borne in mind that about a fifth of the seeds, and sometimes more, give an unexpected color during growth and flowering. The variety of buttercups and the ability to obtain unique color variations are considered one of the main advantages of the seed propagation of this plant.
Seedlings of a garden buttercup, asiatic
Soil and containers for sowing buttercups
Garden buttercups can be sown in the soil, but only in hotbeds or greenhouses (and even then, all the same - for seedlings). Therefore, this plant is much easier to sow directly into containers. In this case, the soil in both cases should be light, loose, loose, nutritious. You can use a generic seedling soil, but make sure it is pH neutral.
Before starting sowing, the soil must be disinfected. For buttercups, a solution of foundationol is often recommended, but soil treatment with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and ordinary scalding are also suitable.
Buttercup seeds can be sown both in special seedling boxes and in regular containers. The containers should be deep enough, but buttercups do not impose strict requirements on the height of the soil layer. Sowing is also productive in large boxes, which can be dug into the soil and taken out into the garden in the first year, giving up diving and planting in the soil, thereby providing a more stable environment for the plants.
Sowing buttercup seeds
The garden buttercup requires early sowing for seedlings, otherwise the plants will not have time to go through the entire development cycle before the arrival of frost and their tubers will not ripen before digging. Sowing seeds is carried out in February or in the first decade of March.
The container or box is filled with substrate and carefully leveled. Buttercup seeds are scattered over the surface of the soil, trying to place them as rarely as possible. The best option is to unfolding one by one with a distance of about 1.5 cm between seeds. After sowing, they are carefully covered from above with sifted soil. The soil layer, and accordingly the level of deepening, should not exceed 3 mm. Moistening of crops is carried out only after covering with soil (before sowing, the soil is not watered).After spraying, the boxes and containers are covered with foil or glass.
Seedlings of Garden Ranunculus, Ranunculus
Conditions for germination of buttercup seeds
Buttercups are not very fond of heat and for germination of seeds it is necessary to create not only stable humid conditions, but also a temperature environment of 15 to 20 degrees. In the first two weeks after sowing, it is even better to control the temperature more strictly, keeping it at about 12 degrees, but this is not necessary. If you sowed buttercups in boxes, then they can be transferred to a cold greenhouse or soil, dig in, cover with foil and leave until warming. Seedlings will appear later, only by May, but the plants will be hardened and grow faster.
What buttercups will definitely need for germination is the brightest lighting possible: boxes with buttercups should be placed on sunny windowsills. For these plants, you need to air every day and carefully wipe the glass or film, avoiding the accumulation of condensation.
Moistening at the stage before germination is carried out only by spraying with fine spray guns, maintaining a stable light soil moisture. Complete drying of the substrate or its dampness must not be allowed.
On average, the wait for the first shoots of garden buttercups takes from 15 to 20 days, but depending on the conditions, this period can be extended.
Growing plants
The film or glass is removed from the containers as soon as the first sprouts of buttercups appear. From this point on, the temperature for the plant is increased, but to moderate room indicators: about 18 degrees (it should not fall below, but indicators above 22 degrees are not welcome).
An important condition for the normal development of seedlings of a garden buttercup is supplementary lighting. The duration of daylight hours for this plant should be increased to 10 hours. Under conditions of warm spring and favorable weather, buttercups feel good on the southern window, but when supplemented, they develop better and do not stretch out so well.
Seedlings of Garden Ranunculus, Ranunculus
Diving seedlings and caring for young buttercups
Young buttercups are transferred to individual peat pots, to a greenhouse garden (a greenhouse is also suitable), to large boxes or to permanent containers with a large distance between plants, only when they release a third pair of true leaves. When planting in greenhouses or large containers, a distance of about 10-15 cm is left between the plants. If buttercups are grown in boxes dug in the soil, then after releasing the fifth and sixth leaves, they are simply transplanted to a permanent place, without diving.
Hardening of seedlings
Hardening buttercups is only necessary if the plants are grown in individual pots and as classic indoor seedlings. It has been held since April, placing plants in the fresh air during the day. Buttercups in greenhouses, greenhouses or in boxes dug in the garden simply need more frequent ventilation.
Ranunculus asiaticus, or garden buttercup, Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus)
Planting buttercups
You should not expect flowering from garden buttercups obtained from seeds already in the first year. But the plants are still planted in the ground in the first year of cultivation and adhere to the agricultural technology typical for adult buttercups - with planting in late spring and digging for the winter.
It is possible to plant young buttercups obtained from seeds only when the spring frosts pass, not earlier than May. Much more difficult is the question of where to plant buttercups - in garden soil or containers, which will then be displayed in the garden. Ideally, buttercups need a low temperature for active development and flowering, about 15-20 degrees, they are sensitive to the vagaries of the weather, they require stable humidity, which is easy to control by watering. And that is why in the first year it is easier to grow them in separate containers, and not in the ground.
When grown on an industrial scale, buttercups are sown and grown in boxes, simply by taking them out into the garden for the summer.This approach is very effective, it allows not only to control the conditions, but also not to lose plants as a result of unexpected cold snaps or extreme heat, transferring them from place to place. But caring for buttercups in a container culture will require complex, constant attention, the plants will depend on you in everything.
When planted in soil, caring for the plants is much easier. So the choice is really not so straightforward. Of course, some of the plants can be left as indoor, and those growing in greenhouses can be further grown there.
It will not be so easy to find the perfect place for buttercups. Buttercups are surprisingly moisture-loving plants, they like moderately moist soil, but not waterlogging. And the place for their planting should be chosen very carefully. Garden buttercups, provided that drainage is laid, prefer places with a high groundwater table (about half a meter deep - ideal), they feel great near water bodies or wet flower beds, where they do not suffer from droughts. But at the same time, dampness leads to decay of plants and we are talking precisely about the need for fresh, moist soil.
Buttercups can also be planted in ordinary flower beds, borders, on a flower bed for summer houses, but then watering will have to be carried out regularly. The quality of the soil is of no less importance. The soil should have a light, porous texture and high nutritional value. The reaction of the soil should be neutral. And one more nuance: buttercups should be grown in protected, comfortable areas, without drafts and cold winds.
Buttercup is planted in spacious, deep pits with drainage laid on the bottom. Buttercups are transferred along with peat pots or a large clod of earth, being careful not to disturb the soil clod around the rhizome. After installing the plant, while maintaining the previous level of deepening, fill up the soil, slightly compact it and immediately carry out deep watering, after which, if necessary, fill up the soil again.
At first after planting, to protect against possible night frost, buttercups can be covered with non-woven materials. This is how plants adapt better and bloom earlier.
During the entire stage of active vegetation and flowering, buttercups require enhanced care:
- For buttercups, you cannot do without regular feeding with a frequency of 1 every 2 weeks and without quite specific, only phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Some of the procedures can be replaced by mulching the soil with organic matter and adding wood ash.
- Watering is carried out during periods of drought, restoring comfortable soil moisture and compensating for any vagaries of the weather. The soil for buttercups is not allowed to dry completely.
- Faded shoots are removed in a timely manner, along with the entire peduncle.
- Weeding is carried out as often as possible, complementing the procedure by loosening the soil.
Ranunculus tubers, garden buttercup
Alternative breeding methods for buttercups:
- daughter tubers;
- separation of bushes.
We grow ranunculus at home
Growing buttercups indoors is easier than growing in flower beds. It is better to plant them not in single pots, but in a group, in large boxes. Thus, during the flowering period, you will get a small, very colorful meadow with a variety of colors and aromas.
In order for the ranunculus to develop and bloom well, planting and caring for the plant at home is carried out by analogy with growing in the open field. Any commercial flower primer is suitable for this culture. Before laying in the soil container, drainage is necessarily filled up; expanded clay is best suited.
Ranunculus - planting and care in containers at home
The soil does not need to be tamped, on the contrary, it is made loose and airy, after which the tubers are carefully deepened, and only then they are covered with a substrate, completely covering the roots.
At first, it is recommended to place the containers in a slightly cool place, and avoid active watering, keeping the soil slightly moist.During the period of active growth, the plants are fed with organic matter together with watering, and the soil is periodically loosened.
Buttercups during the period of active growth
After flowering at home, the ranunculus is moved to a shady place, where the aerial part of the plant gradually dries up and is cut off. During this period, the tubers should be transplanted into new soil. Digging them up, you will find on each rhizome from 5 to 7 children, which should be separated and planted. The dormant period in buttercups lasts about a month, then they will grow again.
Growing ranunculus in pots at home
Features of the garden growing method
The ranunculus will open up to the greatest extent in the open field in the shaded areas of the garden. The flower shades will be brighter and the flowering period will be longer.
It is not recommended to choose areas with drafts, but to plant it after the complete end of the frost period.
The soil for planting should be light, without moisture stagnation and with good absorbency. It is advisable to choose a fertile soil with a neutral reaction.
Many experienced gardeners recommend black soil, in which a mixture of sand and humus should be added or supplemented with peat diluted with chalk. In loamy soil, the plant will wither and die.
Drainage is an obligatory element, for example, by laying a sand layer. Do not forget to dig up the soil well before planting, improve it by adding compost. It is also worth using a foundation in a solution.
The seeds are characterized by a low level of germination, so this method of growing is not recommended. If you do this, then the seeds should be collected from the buds that opened first. After they have faded, they are covered with gauze.
When two pairs of leaves are formed, dive through the pots.
Landing in open areas is carried out at a stable ambient temperature. Well, flowering should be expected only in the new year.
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If you want to know how to plant ranunculus correctly, then using tubers is the best way. After warming up the soil at the end of April, you can plant the plant. The tubers are preliminarily kept in a damp sponge or sawdust.
Soaking in cool water is acceptable or you can take a weak potassium permanganate in solution. Having chosen the most convenient place in the garden, it is necessary to dig holes up to 8 cm deep. Tubers are laid in them so that their "beak" is directed downward.
Description of ranunculus and its species
The stem can be 0.2-0.8 m high. It has a strongly dissected openwork foliage with abundant prolapse. Flowers can be semi-double, double and double-double. They reach 5-10 cm in diameter, but have practically no smell. The culture blooms for a long time. When one bud fades, another immediately grows. The tuber has several shoots, they look like "crow's feet".
The plant produces poisonous sap, so wear rubber gloves to take care of it.
Ranunculus acris is a frost-resistant perennial. The stem is up to 1 m high. At the beginning of summer, bright yellow buds with a diameter of up to 2 cm begin to bloom. In nature, it grows on the banks of rivers and reservoirs.
Ranunculus acris
Ranunculus acontifolius is also a perennial with a strong branched stem. Up to 0.6 m in height. It has unpretentious white buds, 3-4 of them on the stem. Can withstand frosts down to -29 ° C.
Ranunculus acris Multiplex has tall stems and large, bright yellow buds.
Ranunculus acris Multiplex
Ranunculus alpestris prefers well-drained and fertile soil. Blooms in June and July.
Glacial buttercup grows naturally in the Alps. He needs a soil with good drainage. When planting in the ground, it is advised to add peat and peat moss. He is planted in alpine hills. On a compact stem, 1-3 white-pink flowers.
Glacial buttercup
Asiatic buttercup has simple or branched stems up to 0.5 m high and fleshy rhizomes. The buds bloom in June and July. Has types:
- Persian ranunculus - its blossoming buds resemble small roses, they are simple or semi-double;
- African or turban - it has double flowers, leaves are large;
- French has semi-double flowers;
- peony - the flowers resemble peonies, they are large and double.
Ranunculus Purple Picotee is a compact plant. It blooms in white double flowers with a purple petal at the edges.
Ranunculus Purple Picotee
Buttercup double pink Buttercup - up to 40 cm high. The flowers are pink, and the petals at the edges turn into a white shade.
The stores also sell mixtures of different varieties, for example, the Blomindale F1 mix buttercups are the buds of snow-white, scarlet, lemon, pinkish, reddish shades. Stems up to 25 cm high.
Ranunculus Bloomingdale F1 mix Bicolor - bushes up to 25 cm high, have medium-sized leaves and large double flowers of different shades. They are faded in the middle and have a rich tone around the edges of the petals.
Ranunculus bloomingdale f1 mix bicolor
How to care for your garden ranunculus
Planting and caring for ranunculus is not particularly difficult. The plant does not like excessive soil moisture, so watering should be moderate. But the regularity must be observed. If mold appears on the leaves or buds fall, you should try to reduce the amount of watering.
In this case, the soil near the flower must be loosened, after removing the dead plant elements. If the inflorescences have already completed the flowering period, then they must be promptly removed.
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Potash fertilizers are used for feeding - potassium salt, potassium sulfate or ash. During flowering, 45-50 g is applied to an area of 1 m2 at intervals of 1 time in 14 days.
The plant is susceptible to spider mites. Damage by aphids and thrips is also dangerous. If silvery or light spots appear, it is necessary to promptly treat with an insecticide.
Spraying with 0.2% mercaptofs solution 2-3 times weekly is effective as a preventive measure.
A humble buttercup with an exotic appearance
The Buttercup family has more than 600 species; its representatives are found on all continents, except for Antarctica. For lovers of rock gardens and rockeries, the high-mountain alpine buttercup is of interest, but the garden or Asian ranunculus buttercup has the greatest decorative value. By the place of its natural habitat in Asia Minor and in the southeast of Europe, it is also called Syrian.
It is a perennial herb that grows in one stem up to half a meter high. Unlike other species, ornamental ranunculus propagates with tuberous roots, similar to small crabs or spiders. The leaves are emerald green, tripartite, pubescent, juicy, which makes the plant fragile. Each tuber expels up to 4 peduncles, forming from 1 to 10 flowers with a diameter of 4-7 cm, collected in beautiful lush bouquets. The palette is striking in the variety and saturation of shades - red, yellow, white, crimson, orange, purple.
Perennial ranunculus, like most tuberous crops, is an ephemeroid. Its life cycle can be conditionally divided into several periods:
- vegetation including flowering (spring-summer);
- dying off of the aerial part - ripening of the tuber (early autumn);
- dormant period - the laying of flower buds for the next year;
- renewal of vegetation.
Garden forms of decorative culture were known as early as the 16th century. Modern breeding is aimed at obtaining large flowers, expanding the color gamut, increasing the duration of flowering, and developing border varieties.
How to care after flowering
In the fall, the ranunculus plant must be dug up. Do this when the leaves turn yellow and dry. After cutting off the leaves, the tubers should be carefully removed from the soil. This perennial flower, wrapped in moss or a paper bag, should overwinter in a basement at a temperature of 5-6 degrees.
Beforehand, a half-hour etching in a solution of foundation is required, and then it must be dried for several days. On the open ground, the rhizome can be left in the ground, covered with foliage or spruce branches.
But this can only be done if there are no frosty winters in your climatic zone.
If you keep ranunculus flowers at home, then after the end of the flowering period they should be placed in a shaded place. When the leaves turn yellow and dry, the plant is transplanted into new soil and left in a room with a temperature of 16-18 degrees.
New shoots can be seen already in April. The dug up tubers are stored in the basement or in the refrigerator. But in order to preserve the beauty of flowering, it is recommended to buy new tubers for planting.
Ranunculus is a wonderful flower to decorate your flower bed or balcony. The plant can be used in bouquets or kept in a vase of water. The growing process is simple and the flowering is great.
Ranunculus care after planting in open ground
The weather is changeable in spring, so the first thing to do after planting ranunculus in the ground in Siberia, the Urals or the Non-Black Earth Region is to cover the area with a film or non-woven covering material. Such protection will not be superfluous until the sprouts hatch and gain strength.
The greenery above the flowerbed is shown in 10-12 days. Since the plant is moisture-loving, the soil surface above the tubers can be mulched. This will save time on maintenance:
Photos of ranunculus
Old and modern varieties
The selection of ranunculus dates back several centuries, hundreds of varieties have been bred with various colors, petal shapes, and the degree of terry. In Europe, it is very popular as a container culture and decorates windows, balconies, verandas, and gazebos everywhere. In our gardens, this plant is a rarity, which is evident even from the name of the varieties sold. Basically there is a name (garden buttercup or ranunculus) and a color designation (yellow, pink).
Let's try to understand the assortment in more detail. All garden flower forms are usually grouped into 4 groups.
- The Persian variety is the oldest and includes tall varieties for cutting. Flowers are large, double or semi-double, bloom in spring.
- Turkish or Turquoise buttercups are distinguished by petals twisted inside the flower, they are also called peony-shaped.
- French ranunculus is less terry than other forms, white to purple in color, blooms in summer.
- The Asian group is the most extensive and continues to grow through the efforts of breeders. A feature of varieties and hybrids of the Asian species is low-growing bushy plants that are quite resistant to heat and bloom throughout the summer.
Here are examples of the most popular varieties and hybrids of crops that vegetate quite productively in our climatic conditions.
- Bloomingdale, we sell tubers as Blooming Valley - an extensive group of hybrid ranunculus, coming in one color (white, red, yellow, pink, orange) or as a mix of colors.
- Color Carnival is a beautiful variety with high stems up to 70 cm, perfect for cutting. Flowers of warm colors create a bright sunny island in the garden, above which butterflies and insects are constantly circling.
- Superbissima is a tall variety, mainly with white and red semi-double flower heads.
Varieties for a bouquet
Advice! It has been noticed that ranunculus, when propagated by tubers, loses its decorative qualities after a few years. This applies to modern hybrids, which are better bought annually, and old proven varieties can be bred on their own.
Storage of planting material
Nodules left to winter in the ground cannot stand the cold and die, therefore they must be dug out. This should be done before the shoots and leaves completely dry out. If this period is skipped, the nodules are easily lost in the soil, and it will be impossible to find them. The dug bulbs are dried, the stems are cut from them, the children are detached and freed from the ground with a soft brush.
Before laying the nodules for the winter, they must be placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, dried again and folded into a paper bag. You can keep them in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator or in the basement, keeping them moderately humid to preserve the ranunculus. Growing flowers depends on the storage conditions of the roots.
During the winter, you need to monitor the bulbs for the occurrence of fungal diseases. If an unhealthy plant is identified, the place of the disease must be treated with colloidal sulfur or brilliant green. A deeply affected plant is immediately removed, since the disease can spread to the rest of the roots.
After wintering, buttercup tubers are sorted out: they are dry, rotten and limp, and the rest are prepared for planting in the ground.
Conditions for germination of buttercup seeds
Buttercups are not very fond of heat and for germination of seeds it is necessary to create not only stable humid conditions, but also a temperature environment of 15 to 20 degrees. In the first two weeks after sowing, it is generally better to control the temperature more strictly, keeping it at about 12 degrees, but this is not necessary. If you sowed buttercups in boxes, then you can transfer them to a cold greenhouse or soil, dig in, cover with foil and leave until warming. Seedlings will appear later, only by May, but the plants will be hardened and grow faster.
What buttercups will definitely need for germination is the brightest lighting possible: boxes with buttercups should be placed on sunny windowsills. For these plants, you need to air every day and carefully wipe the glass or film, avoiding the accumulation of condensation.
Moistening at the stage before germination is carried out only by spraying with fine spray guns, maintaining a stable light soil moisture. Complete drying of the substrate or its dampness must not be allowed.
On average, the wait for the first shoots of garden buttercups takes from 15 to 20 days, but depending on the conditions, this period can be extended.
Buttercup propagation by tubers
With the onset of autumn, the foliage falls off and the handsome ranunculus blooms, the tubers of which must be immediately dug out to avoid re-germination and put into storage. This must be done because this plant is not frost-resistant and dies when cold weather sets in and the temperature drops more than -7 ° C.
In most buttercups, the root division process takes place: daughter nodules-babies grow on the mother bulb, additional rhizomes, which are carefully separated and used for further planting. Separation must be done carefully so as not to damage the thin roots.
Adult tubers form from five to seven children per season. Ranunculus, the bulbs of which must be treated with a fungicide after separation, should be left alone until spring.
Every three to four years, the rhizomes of ranunculus are replaced with new roots, which are purchased in flower shops. They are renewed because over time the bulbs infect viruses, and the plant loses its decorative effect.
