Depending on when you planted the bulb, the ranunculus blooms. But how do you plant the onion correctly, what does it actually look like and why does it need gentle treatment in winter?

The ranunculus bulb (above left) doesn't exactly look like other plant bulbs

Ranunculus bulbs - strange formations…

The bulbs of the ranunculus do not look like conventional vegetable onions. Therefore, they are also often referred to as tubers. But even this term quickly leads to misunderstandings. Ranunculus's outlasting organs look more like small squids.

They are composed of several elongated, tentacle-like root formations. The 'tentacles' hang together like a bunch and are connected to each other at the top. The shoot sprout from the upper part in spring. The color of the tubers is usually light brown to ocher.

Planting onions - when and how?

The timing of planting the bulbs is crucial for good growth. It is best to plant them in the ground in autumn. Then they still have enough time to gain a foothold. Alternatively, you can plant the bulbs in March.

Timing is not the only important thing when planting. You should also pay attention to the following:

  • only plant healthy bulbs
  • Soak the onions in water for a few hours beforehand
  • Plant 5 cm below the soil surface
  • with the 'tentacles' down
  • permeable soil is necessary (normal potting soil is sufficient)

Propagation - detach brood tubers

Ranunculus bulbs are the basis of propagation. So-called brood tubers form on them in summer. They are smaller than the mother tuber. In order to propagate the plant, the brood tubers must be separated when digging up the mother tuber and planted separately.

Overwinter the bulbs correctly

In order to be able to survive the winter unscathed, it is advisable to dig up the bulbs in autumn and to overwinter them safely:

  • Protect onions outdoors with brushwood, fleece or compost
  • better method: dig up onions and quarter them
  • Hibernation quarters: frost-free, cool, dark, dry, airy
  • e.g. B. in sand or a wooden box

tips

When handling the bulbs, you should always keep in mind that they are poisonous, just like the other parts of the ranunculus!

Category:

Vegetable garden