Ranunculus
Soak corms for about 2 hours before planting claws-down, then keep soil just moist rather than wet until shoots appear - overwatering dormant corms is the most common way to lose them to rot.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 10cm
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Mature height
- 30cm
- Flowering season
- Aug, Sep, Oct
- Common diseases
- Powdery mildew
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: March-April. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: April-May. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: May.
Growing stages
Germination & planting
- Soak corms for about 2 hours before planting, claws-down
- Space corms around 10cm apart in full sun
Establishment
- Keep soil just moist rather than wet until shoots appear, since overwatering dormant corms is the most common way to lose them to rot
- Watch for powdery mildew as humidity rises with warmer weather
Vegetative growth
- Powdery mildew can appear on foliage in humid conditions
- Water moderately once shoots are up, easing off the caution needed at planting
FloweringAugust to October
- Blooms appear from around August through October
- Powdery mildew can still affect leaves and stems while in bloom
Dieback & dormancy
- Let foliage die back naturally after flowering before lifting corms, so they can store energy for next year
- Lift and store corms over the dormant period in a dry spot to avoid the rot that comes with wet, dormant soil