It’s middle of January in cold snowy Vermont. Most people are reveling in skiing, snow boarding, sledding, snowball fights, ice skating and snowmen, not us. Here at The Painted Tulip it’s time to start our season. We always start with anenomes and ranunculus.
Though it’s freezing now by end of February, it’s warm enough in our high tunnels to plant them. The days are longer so there’s enough warmth to survive and grow. We use many layers of row cover to keep the day’s heat next to the plants from freezing in the evening. This technique has worked well for years. By starting all the spring flower plants early, I can fill up the high tunnel and then move on to the summer high tunnel in March (we have two 30 foot x 80 foot high tunnels). I start the season on my own, so I need as much time as possible.
This week we start by soaking the Italian ranunculus and anemones. I do a few hundred a day. I line trays with paper and fill with soil, then place the plumped up corms and tubers in the trays and cover with moist soil, finally putting them in my not running walk in cooler. I use a non LED light bulb for heat if needed and keep a fan running for air circulation. 
Once the trays start sprouting I use a few horticultural LED lights to keep the plants photosynthesizing, watering as needed. By the time I am transplanting them in the high tunnel at the end of February, they have nice growth to give them a great start. The plants really start growing in March and April as temperatures and daylight increase. They generate great foliage and by end of April and send little buds start poking out of the ground.
Then May comes and rewards us with beautiful blooms. These continue to reward us with blooms till mid-June. We use shade cover to keep temperatures closer to 60. We grow three types of Ranunculus that we stagger a bit to elongate bloom time. The Elegance Italian Ranunculus are first, then the La Belle series, and finally the Amandine series which is tolerant of warmer temps. This season we added the Butterfly series which is a single bloomer with many blooms per stem. Hoping these will be ready for the week of Mother’s Day.
When do you start your growing season? If you have any tips or trends you would like to share please leave a comment below. It’s wonderful to share so we can all grow amazing gardens no matter how big or small. Farm on!
Warmly,
Nicole, thanks for the timely post on Ranunculus. I am growing for the first time and your info was very much appreciated! I am growing in Zone 6b and got half of mine in the grd under cover yesterday. What is your growing zone? I look forward to reading your posts and as a new flower farmer I am amazed how you and other successful growers are so willing to share your tips and secrets! It means a lot. Thanks, marla Twenty Acre Wood flower farm.
Marla
I am growing zone 4b. In the high tunnel would be 5b then add few layers of heavy row cover that makes it 6b. So glad to help. Please share these post/ blog with other farmers that would find this info valuable. Warmly, Nicole
Thanks for the inside look at flower farming. Did you have any trouble with snows lasting forever, and then the unseasonably warm and now cold weather in your area?
The heat cause bolting of stock and Ranunculus. But with Cv 19 changes I knew I would not sell all my Ranunculus due to no weddings. My high tunnel is now a rainbow of blooms.
Wonderful post. The flowers look great. Thanks for sharing!!
Hello from a 4a grower! I grew LaBelle mix last year and loved it, planted late Feb in the high tunnel with row cover. From my records it looks like I had a good number of blooms by May 25. My question is – have you been able to get LaBelle blooms for Mother’s Day, and if so, when did you start the corms to harvest by that date?
Thanks!
Very few for mother’s Day! I usually have to put up a shade cloth around that time as we get those random 70* days.
Hi Nicole,
Thank you for sharing your tips, I appreciate it! I live in upstate NY so a very similar climate. I wanted to grow ranunculus for my mid July wedding. I’m stuck as to whether I should keep them in doors with led lights and an AC haha or if I woukd be able to start indoors and transfer outdoors, but as you know July gets pretty warm. Do you think if I planted them outside and provided shade for them that they would still bloom? Have you ever tried getting blooms in the summer? Your advice is much appreciated!!
Kayla
Thank you so much for this sharing this info! I’ve wanted to try ranunculus for some time in my Zone 4a hoop house and this is super helpful! I was contemplating starting some now, but think I’ll wait for an earlier start next year….one Idea I had is growing them now and planting them outside the hoop house so they’re cooler? Anyone have experience with field growing them? Any good sources for bulbs you could pass along would be much appreciated….I’ve been looking at Eden bulbs….hmmmm.
Thank you so much!