Ready for ranunculus and anemone?

Every year, we receive tons of messages asking “what are those beautiful flowers and can I plant them now?”  Well my friends, we want to share all of our insight on planting and growing ranunculus and anemone.

The ideal time to plant is in October.  Why are you reading this blog post now?  So that you can order your corms the minute you finish!   We want to plant in October so that these cold hardy plants can establish roots before exploding in growth come February.

Find an empty spot in your raised bed garden.  You’ll want to soak your ranunculus corms for a few hours so that they plump up before planting.  Trust me, you’ll notice a huge difference in size between the shriveled claw and the plumped up claw!  

Anemone corms look like small acorns.  They will also benefit from a good soaking (3-4 hours) prior to planting.  This is a very important step, so don’t skip it. 

Plant ranunculus corms with the claws pointing down, about 2 inches deep.  Space them 9-12 inches apart for optimal airflow. Cover completely and water in well.

Plant anemone corms with the pointy end down, about 2 inches deep.  If you are unable to tell which is up and which is down, you can plant the corm on its side and it will work its way on up!  Water in well and walk away.

You’ll do nothing if you have drip irrigation for the next few months.  You will likely see growth but flowers will not emerge until February.  Hang tight and trust the process.

If a freeze hits Houston, cover with freeze cloth.  No other protection is needed.

Ranunculus and anemone are always the first flowers that I see in the garden.  They are as close to a peony as we’re going to get, so enjoy!  

You’ll want to cut blooms when they are 1/2 way open to get the longest vase life.  Remove leaves from the stem that would sit in water.  Change the water every few days and make a new stem cut.  The more you harvest, the more you’re telling the plant to continue producing.  You’ll also want to deadhead regularly.  Remove spent blooms to encourage more growth.

Ready to buy your corms?  We recommend purchasing from Eden Brothers.

Favorite varieties from Eden Brothers:

Anemone~ De Caen White

Anemone~ Albino

Anemone & Ranunculus ~ Moonlight mix 

Anemone & Ranunculus~ Alpine mix

Ranunculus~ Bridal mix

Ranunculus~ Romantic mix