Growing Ranunculus and Poppy Anemone

For Zones 4-6, get started in late winter

  1. If your corms arrive in fall, leave them in their packaging and store them in a cool dry place until late winter (late February / early March). If your corms arrive in late winter, start right away. The corms you received are dormant.

  2. Soak corms for 3-4 hours in cool water (40–50˚).

  3. Sprout the corms. Fill a planting tray (with drainage holes) with 2" of slightly moistened (NOT WET) potting soil. Set in the soaked corms, spacing them out so they have room to swell to about twice their original size. Cover with a scant inch of soil.

  4. Watch and wait. Set the tray in a cool dry dark place (40–50˚) for a few weeks. Monitor moisture level carefully—soil should be slightly moist. When little white roots have developed, the corms are ready to be planted out.

  5. Transplant sprouted corms into beds of rich well-drained soil. Plant 2" deep and 6" apart for anemones, 8-9" apart for ranunculus, in full sun. Follow the same space requirements if planting in pots.

  6. Protect plants from both frost and heat. If temps drop to near-freezing, protect plants with floating row cover (like Covertan). When temps exceed 70˚, you can prolong bloom time with shade cloth. If growing in a greenhouse, maintain temps between 40–60˚ for best results.

  7. Flowering: Blooms from late spring into early summer. For best vase life, cut ranunculus stems when buds have color and some marshmallow-y squish, but have not yet opened. Cut anemone as soon as blooms open.

  8. End of season: When temperatures rise above 70°, plants will stop producing new buds and start going dormant. Once fully dormant in summer, you can dig your corms, cure them for a few days, and store them for planting next winter.   Zones 6 and colder, either dig corms, cure to dry for a few days, and store until next winter. Or, start looking for varieties to grow next year!

For Zone 7-10, plant in fall

  1. The corms you received are dormant. Soak them for 3-4 hours in cool water (40–50˚) before planting.

  2. Transplant corms into beds of rich well-drained soil. Plant 2" deep and 6" apart for anemones, 8-9" apart for ranunculus, in full sun. Follow the same space requirements if planting in pots.

  3. Protect plants from both frost and heat. If temps drop to near-freezing, protect plants with floating row cover (like Covertan). When temps exceed 70˚, you can prolong bloom time with shade cloth. If growing in a greenhouse, maintain temps between 40–60˚ for best results.

  4. Flowering: Blooms from late spring into early summer. For best vase life, cut ranunculus stems when flower buds have color and some marshmallow-y squish, but have not yet opened. Cut anemone as soon as blooms open.

  5. End of season: When temperatures rise above 70°, plants will stop producing new buds and start going dormant. In Zone 7 and warmer, plants can perennialize in good conditions, yet some growers prefer to dig corms after summer dormancy and replant the following fall. Or, start looking for varieties to grow next year!