The term buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus) refers to a group of several hundred plants which includes herbaceous species, mainly terrestrial, with preference for marshy soils and amphibious species. Often sold as cut flowers and common garden plants, these plants offer brightly colored blooms. A number of brightly colored varieties with multiple layers of rosette-shaped petals are a good choice to plant indoors. Most varieties of buttercup will grow to about 35-40 centimeters in height. However, in order to grow beautiful buttercups you need to know how to plant them and how to care for them afterwards.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Plant the Buttercups
Step 1. Choose a location for the buttercup taking into account the climate in your area
Buttercup plants prefer a sunny position, but if you live in a particularly hot area, a little shade is fine. Buttercups tend not to tolerate severe frost, so if you live in a cold area it is advisable to store the tubers, also known as bulbs, during the winter.
Storing buttercup tubers is presented in step 6 of method 2 later in the article
Step 2. Find a spot to plant the buttercup where the soil drains well
In addition to planting buttercup in the sun, you also need to take the soil into account when choosing a location for your plant. Buttercup grows well in well-drained soil and prefers a sandy, rich composition. Avoid planting buttercups in areas where puddles stay long after rain, or where the soil is very clayey.
You can tell if the soil is mostly clay by squeezing a handful of moist soil in the palm of your hand. If it tends to clump, you probably have a lot of clayey soil. You can improve soil drainage by mixing the soil with a generous amount of fibrous plant matter (such as bark or grass clippings) or well-rotted manure. These "additions" to the soil will help the buttercup grow
Step 3. Plant your buttercup starting from the tubers (ie bulbs) if possible
Tubers, or bulbs, are generally the preferred way to grow buttercup. A tuber is similar to a root; buttercup tubers resemble spiders, claws or bunches of bananas. Their particular appearance is useful when it comes to planting: bury the tuber with the pointed end - the "claw" or "spider legs" - facing downwards. To plant your tubers:
- You should plant the smaller varieties about 5 centimeters deep and 12-13 centimeters apart.
- Plant larger varieties, such as Ranunculus Telocote, 30 centimeters apart.
- It is not necessary to wet them before planting them. It is best to plant in groups of about a dozen bulbs for maximum effect. Plant as soon as the last frosts are over, usually in spring.
- Water the tubers and the soil around them after planting. Watering will help settle the soil.
Step 4. You can usually determine how many flowers you will get by looking at the tuber or bulb
The size of the bulb helps to estimate the number of flowers the plant will produce.
- Jumbo are the largest, around 7.5cm in diameter, and will produce 30-40 flowers each.
- The smaller tubers, about 5 centimeters in diameter, are capable of producing a dozen or so flowers.
Step 5. Try growing buttercups from seed if you can't buy the tubers
Buttercup can also be grown from seed. It is preferable to sow indoors in September, as buttercup seeds prefer cool temperatures. To plant buttercup seeds:
- Sow - or seed - in pre-moistened compost that is light and suitable for growing seeds.
- Do not cover the seeds with soil. Keep the soil moist and out of direct sunlight.
- Keep the seeds at a temperature of around 21 ° C and a bit cooler at night. The seeds should germinate, or develop into small seedlings, in about 2-3 weeks.
- Wait until young plants have about half a dozen leaves before transplanting into larger pots. Protect these young seedlings from frost and transfer them to the ground outdoors the following spring if you want.
Step 6. Consider planting your buttercup in a container
To plant potted buttercup tubers, fill the container three-quarters full with soil. Place the tubers about 10 inches away from the others and add soil to the container so that the tubers are covered with about 2 inches of soil. Water the tubers to settle the soil.
- Remember that container plants tend to dry out more easily than those grown in the soil, so take this into account when watering during the growing season. Watering is discussed in step 2 of method 2.
- Keep in mind that buttercup plants tend to form a large root system, so don't put too many in containers.
Step 7. Keep animals away from the buttercup, as the flowers are poisonous
All buttercup plants are poisonous to animals, and can also be harmful to dogs, cats and people. Plants have an unpleasant taste and cause blisters on the mouth. This means that animals typically avoid eating them unless there are other plants available, and that's okay if you have deer in your area, but not okay if you have other pets.
Try to plant buttercups in an area where your pets and livestock cannot reach them, such as a walled garden or pot (see step 6 above, in this section)
Method 2 of 2: Caring for Buttercups
Step 1. Give the plants specific nutrition approximately every two weeks
During the active growing season, which is generally from spring to summer, try to support your buttercup plants by feeding them every two weeks. Start doing this as soon as the first shoots appear on the plant.
A water-soluble general-type plant food or one that you incorporate into the soil is fine; this encourages the plant to produce flowers. You can purchase the nutrition at your local garden supply store
Step 2. Water the buttercup
You should mind watering your tubers as soon as you've planted them, as mentioned above. Continue watering your new plants every 10-14 days. When the first leaves appear on the plants, you should try watering them once a week.
Continue to water your plants once a week until autumn approaches. In the fall, the buttercup hibernates, or dormancy, and does not need to be watered. The dormancy period is more thoroughly covered in step 5 of this section
Step 3. Defend the buttercup against parasites
Unfortunately, the buttercup can fall prey to pests such as snails and aphids. Thankfully, there are solutions you can take to make sure these pests stay away.
- Fight snails with snail pellets, which you can spread around the buttercup. You can purchase these pellets at a garden store.
- A standard aphid spray or insecticidal soap should be applied in case of an aphid attack.
Step 4. Remove faded flower heads with sharp garden scissors
As with most plants with flowers, it is advisable to remove the withered flower heads when they are dry and dead. This not only makes the plant look more orderly, but encourages the formation of other flowers and reduces the amount of energy the plant would devote to seed formation, and this helps it stay strong.
Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut off dead flower heads as soon as they begin to appear in poor condition. Try cutting the flower at the base of the stem, covered by the leaves
Step 5. Allow your plant to hibernate during the winter
Once the flowering season in the fall is over, allow the foliage to rest. Going to rest means that the plant goes dormant until the next flowering season. To encourage the plant to regrow the following season:
Avoid cutting dead growth before the first frost. You don't need to water while the plant is dormant; In fact, these plants are better off if they are not watered while dormant in the winter
Step 6. If you live in an area with severe frost, keep the buttercup indoors during the winter
Buttercup tolerates a light frost if left in the ground during a fairly mild winter. If your climate has severe frosts on a regular basis, then dig out the tubers and store them in a cool, dark place, such as a garden shed, for the winter.
Try to avoid taking them into a heated space like your home, as they tend to rot in these conditions
Step 7. Realize that many gardeners treat buttercups as annuals
Due to the difficulty of stabilizing the buttercup as a perennial plant (that is, it blooms year after year), many gardeners treat it simply as an annual (a plant that blooms only one year). However, if you are determined to see your buttercup bloom again, extract your tubers for the winter, as described in the previous step.
Step 8. Preserve the blooms you cut
Beautiful cut flowers can be obtained from the buttercup, which generally stay healthy for a while after cutting if proper measures are taken. To preserve the life of buttercup cut flowers, cut them early in the morning just as the buds start to open.
