Planting Ranunculus

Overview

Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus), also called the Persian buttercup, is a bright pop of color in the spring. The ranunculus looks like a camellia or poppy; its red, yellow, purple, pink or white blooms appear in late spring or early summer. It grows 12 to 24 inches tall with fine, parsley-like leaves that form a mound of foliage 1 foot tall. Some of the ranunculus hybrids, such as 'Tecolote,' have double flowers that look like peonies and come in pastel or bi-colored shades.

Step 1

Prepare a site in your garden two weeks before the final spring frost date. Choose an area that receives at least six hours of sun each day.

Step 2

Amend the soil with peat moss or compost if it does not drain well or is heavy clay. Ranunculus needs a sandy, dry soil. If the soil is too wet, the tubers the plant grows from will rot.

Step 3

Dig holes with a hand trowel 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart. Set the soil to the side.

Step 4

Place the ranunculus tubers in the holes, root "claws" pointing down. Cover the tubers with soil, tamp lightly with your trowel, and water.

Step 5

Water every two or three days for the first week, then once a week for the rest of the season.

Step 6

Apply an all-purpose liquid fertilizer once a week during the growing season, according to directions on the label.