The Cut Flower Podcast

Top Flower Growing Tips: Solving Your Ranunculus and Spring Bulb Questions

• Roz Chandler • Season 1 • Episode 96

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Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.

Welcome back to another episode of The Cutflower Podcast! I’m Roz Chandler, your friendly Agony Aunt of the cut flower world. In today’s episode, we dive into some of the most common questions about growing ranunculus and spring bulbs. Whether you're battling yellowing leaves, wondering about the perfect time to plant ranunculus, or trying to prevent squirrels from digging up your precious bulbs, I’ve got you covered.

This episode is part of my Dear Roz series, where I answer your gardening dilemmas with practical, easy-to-follow advice. Feel free to send your own questions to me at roz@fieldgateflowers.co.uk with the subject line Ask Roz, and I’ll happily answer them in future episodes.

Key Takeaways:

  • When to Plant Ranunculus: The best time for planting ranunculus corms is autumn (October-November), but in colder climates, February-March is ideal.
  • Tips for Getting More Ranunculus Blooms: Give your ranunculus plenty of sunlight, regular feeding with a balanced fertiliser, and deadhead spent blooms for continuous flowers.
  • Managing Yellowing Leaves: Overwatering or a lack of nitrogen could be the culprit; ensure your plants have well-drained soil and consider adding a balanced fertiliser.
  • Growing Ranunculus in Containers: Yes, you can! Just ensure good drainage, proper spacing, and sunlight.
  • Protecting Bulbs from Squirrels: Use chicken wire, sprinkle cayenne pepper, or plant daffodils around more vulnerable bulbs to keep squirrels at bay.

Make sure to subscribe and stay tuned for more tips and insights on creating a thriving flower garden. And don’t forget to send in your questions for the next episode of Ask Roz!


The Cutflower Podcast

[00:00:00] Roz Chandler: Hello, I'm here today as the Agony Aunt Roz, the Cut Flower World Agony Aunt. And where did this come from? And this is the second in a series. It came from, really, I was reading the Sunday Times Star magazine, and there's a, right at the back, I don't know if anybody else reads it, it's an article by Dear Dolly.

[00:00:22] Roz Chandler: Your love, your life, and your friendship dilemmas answered by Dolly Alderton, who's also an author and written a number of different books. But she, um, answers a question that's been sent in by the readers. Um, usually it's one question and then she answers it from her point of view. But I've decided to answer a few different questions in each episode and it'd be lovely if you would send your questions in to Ros, R O Z, at fieldgateflowers.

[00:00:47] Roz Chandler: co. uk. And if you put the subject line, Ask Ros, that would be great. And if there's interest in me carrying on this series of Ask Ros, then I'll carry on. Just let me know what you think. So today we're going to be answering a few questions. And we answer questions that are sent in to us, or that are in any of our groups, or courses, or any of our memberships.

[00:01:08] Roz Chandler: and common questions that people ask. So, I've got here, when should I plant ranunculus bulbs for the best spring display? And the answer is, dear Timing Tom, ranunculus are the divas of the flower world. They like to make an entrance and for a spectacular spring display, the best time to plant ranunculus corns is in the autumn, around October or November.

[00:01:35] Roz Chandler: If you're a colder climate, you might want to wait until late winter or early spring, i. e. February to March. These beauties thrive in cooler temperatures, so planting them in the autumn allows them to establish roots before the winter chill sets in. Just be sure to keep them in well drained soil and a sunny spot and they will reward you with the abundance of blooms come spring.

[00:01:55] Roz Chandler: And this year what we're doing here at Fieldgate is we're planting ranunculus bulbs undercover. Last year we did it in pots, this year we're probably looking at doing it direct into the soil and then outside as well. So how can I get my ranunculus to produce more flowers? Dear flower fanatic, to coax your ranunculus into producing a profusion of blooms is all about giving them the royal treatment.

[00:02:19] Roz Chandler: Firstly, make sure they're getting plenty of sunlight at least six hours a day. Ranunculus also appreciate a little extra nourishment, so feed them with a balanced liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks during the growing season. Deadheading or removing spent blooms is crucial and this encourages the plant to produce more flowers rather than focusing the energy on seed production.

[00:02:42] Roz Chandler: And don't forget, ranunculus love cool weather, so mulching around the plants can help keep their roots cool and happy. It's a cool plant. My ranunculus leaves are turning yellow. What's going wrong? Dear worried gardener, yellowing leaves on your ranunculus can be a cry for help. One common cause is over watering, which can lead to root rot.

[00:03:05] Roz Chandler: Ranunculus prefer well drained soil, so if you're noticing yellow leaves, check to make sure the soil is just not too wet. Another possibility is that it's nutrient deficient, particularly a lack of nitrogen, which causes leaves to turn yellow. A balanced fertilizer should help address this issue. Lastly, if you're planting your corms too shallowly, too wet.

[00:03:27] Roz Chandler: Or too much shade, they might not be getting the right conditions to thrive. A little detective work will help you solve this mystery. So it's usually water is, is overwatering is number one, lack of nutrients, number two, and if you planted the corns too shallowly or it's in the shade, they want sunshine.

[00:03:48] Roz Chandler: Can I grow ranunculus in containers? And if so, how? Dear Container Connoisseur, Absolutely, Renuclis can make a stunning addition to your container garden. The key to success with potted Renuclis is good drainage. Choose a container with drainage holes and fill it with high quality potting mix that has some added grit or perlite to improve the drainage.

[00:04:09] Roz Chandler: Plant the corms about two inches deep with their claws facing downwards. So it's like a crab, you've got to put the claws facing downwards. and space them a few inches apart. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged and place the container in a sunny location. As they grow, you can move them in a spot where they enjoy cooler morning suns.

[00:04:30] Roz Chandler: That would be lovely, wouldn't it? So that's all about, um, yeah, let's add some questions in about other things. Um, what bulbs should I be planting in September and October is always a common question. Dear Bulb Beginner, September and October are prime time for planting flower, spring flowering bulbs, setting the stage for a vibrant display after winter's grey days.

[00:04:56] Roz Chandler: It's the first bloom of colour. Now's the time, i. e. in September. It's really September and October to get your daffodils and your crocuses and your hyacinths into the ground. We leave our tulips until November. We need a cold period, the soil needs to be cold. If you put your tulips in too early, they will be prone to disease.

[00:05:18] Roz Chandler: We definitely, definitely do not put our tulips in until November and some Sometimes into December. We want it to be the right climate. How do I plan for a continual spring bloom? Dear spring strategists, the secret is non stop spring show is layering your bulb planting. So if you're doing container planting you can layer them.

[00:05:40] Roz Chandler: Start with late winter bloomers like snowdrops and crocuses, then layer in mid spring stars like daffodils and hyacinths, and top it off with late spring tulips. Staggering your bulb planting in this way ensures there's colour all the time. As one fades, another one will be ready to take the place. You can do that in containers, so it's called lasagna bulb planting, or you can actually just do it in your garden too and just stagger your spring blooms.

[00:06:07] Roz Chandler: Another question and I can understand this one. The garden is prone to squirrels. How do I stop them digging up my bulbs? Hmm. Dear squirrel sufferer, squirrels can be a gardener's nemesis when it comes to bulbs. To deter them, try covering your freshly planted bulbs with a layer of chicken wire, which you can remove in spring once the shoots start emerging.

[00:06:28] Roz Chandler: Alternatively, sprinkle some chili powder or cayenne pepper over the soil. Squirrels really, really don't like a spice, a spicy surprise. So I would, um, another trick is to plant daffodils around your more delicate bulbs. They're toxic to squirrels and they may act as a natural deterrent. Whatever method you choose, don't let those cheeky cheeky little squirrels come and take your bulbs.

[00:06:52] Roz Chandler: So I hope that's helped today in talking about bulbs and what's happening around this time of year. Again, any questions you've got please email me at rosroz at fieldgateflowers. co. uk and use the subject line Ask Ros and I'll be taking your questions and answering them in podcast. So if you like this series, I will continue with it in my Dear Ros I've got a question and also could probably turn them into blogs so you could go online and have a look at thecutflowercollective.

[00:07:22] Roz Chandler: co. uk and pick up a blog and see the information too. Another way of doing it and saving it. So do let me know. Have a good week.