When to plant buttercups in the ground in the spring. Buttercup: types, composition, properties, application, recipes

General characteristics of garden buttercup

1. Ranunculus, or garden buttercup, is a plant that is rapidly gaining the sympathy of both experienced gardeners and beginners.
2. The beauty of the shapes and the limitless variety of shades amaze the imagination.
3. Garden buttercup was grown thanks to the work of breeders, who made it so that this plant bears little resemblance to its wild relative. There are many varieties and hybrids of this flower. The flowers of this plant will decorate any garden plot, flower bed or yard. Unpretentious, bright plant always attracts attention.
4. Garden buttercup is a low-growing, bushy perennial. Its height is on average approximately 55 cm. It is a weakly branching perennial, with an erect stem, a tuberous root system and flowers with a diameter of 5–10 cm, which can be simple, double or densely double.
5. The color range is very diverse, up to two and even three-color varieties. The photo of garden buttercups displays the infinity of shades and tones of this plant. Among the buttercups there are only blue and blue flowers.
6. Cut ranunculi can remain fresh for up to 7 - 10 days. The cut should be made clean, oblique at an angle of 45 degrees. Cut flowers don't like straight ones sun rays and drafts.
7. You should know that there are perennial and annual buttercups. When purchasing this plant for yourself, you must take this into account. But it also happens that some gardeners do not want to dig up the rhizomes of these flowers in the fall, but simply buy new roots or seeds in the spring.
8. However experienced gardeners They even recommend changing the roots every 3 to 4 years, purchasing new ones in special stores. This is due to the fact that over time, plants are exposed to viruses and may also lose their decorative properties.
9. You can also improve the health of plants by growing them from seeds.
10. However, it should be noted that, despite the unpretentiousness and impressive showiness of this perennial, it is poisonous. Therefore, it is recommended to grow it away from children and pets. It is usually planted in closed flower beds.

Types of buttercups

1. One of the species of the buttercup family is the garden buttercup. The scientific name of this plant is Ranunculus, which comes from the Latin word for frog. This is due to the fact that most types of buttercups, especially wild ones, love moisture and grow well in moist soil.
2. All buttercups can be divided into several subspecies. These are Asian, they include Persian, French and peony, and African, or they are also called turban-shaped.
3. From the very name of peony buttercups, it is clear that their flowers look like small peonies. The flowers are quite large, 7 – 10 cm in diameter, double, the color range is very wide.
4. French buttercups have semi-double flowers, while Persian buttercups are characterized by a very short stem and single or semi-double flowers.
5. African buttercups are densely double and spherical, very large compared to others.

Garden buttercup: planting and care, feeding

1. Ranunculus pretty unpretentious plant. Growing it will not cause you any trouble, special care buttercup does not require. Even novice gardeners can cope with this task. By care we mean loosening the soil, organizing proper rational watering of the plant, fertilizing, weeding, removing those rosettes that have already bloomed, fighting diseases and all kinds of pests, if required.
2. Moistening the soil must be done regularly, but without overwatering. This can lead to rotting of the plant, and subsequently even to its death. If it happens that you overdid it with water, then you should immediately dig up the plant, rinse the root system, disinfect it with a solution of potassium permanganate and let it dry for 2 - 3 hours. After this, plant it in the ground.
3. Buttercups are afraid of drying out the soil as much as they are afraid of overwatering. Their roots dry out and die. In terms of watering, buttercups are quite capricious.
4. It should also be noted that these unpretentious plants grow quite quickly. This cannot be allowed. Dig up the rhizomes, separate the “babies” from them and replant them in another place. Thus, it can be noted that these flowers reproduce very quickly. In one season, young plants produce up to three “babies”, and adults – up to seven.
5. This is a very heat-loving plant. Garden buttercup is planted in the spring, when the soil has warmed up by 6–8 cm. Presumably, this could be mid or late April or even early May. If there is still a danger of frost, the planted plants must be covered with straw or other insulating materials.
6. A place for planting this plant should be chosen that is sufficiently sunny, but protected from direct sunlight. It should be borne in mind that buttercups that are planted on very sunny area your yard will bloom for a very short time. Therefore, the ideal place for planting a garden buttercup may be a flower bed, which is located under some tree with a not very dense crown. Buttercups also do not like drafts. Therefore, it should be a quiet place with indirect sunlight.
7. Plant any other buttercups next to them ornamental plants not worth it. Despite all their attractiveness and abundance of flowers, these plants simply get lost among others due to their low growth. Ranunculi are usually planted in groups of several plants or even in fairly numerous masses.
8. The soil on which plants are planned to be planted must be loose and soft. These plants do not take root well in loam or sandy loam soil. Heavy soils stir with peat or sand. It is important that the soil absorbs moisture well when watering and retains it for a very short time. Experienced gardeners prepare the soil for planting, preferably in the fall, so that it settles well over the winter and mixes with the applied fertilizers.
9. The swollen tubers of the plant or the seedlings that have grown from seeds are planted in a hole to a depth of about 5 cm. Drainage must be placed in each hole to prevent the plant from rotting. One root sits in one hole. The garden buttercup tuber looks like an octopus. So, they must be planted with their legs down, otherwise they may simply not germinate. After planting, it is recommended to slightly moisten the soil, but do not overdo it to prevent rotting of the roots.
10. Expect the tubers to sprout in one and a half to two weeks. They will delight you with flowers within 2-3 months after planting. The number of flowers that a plant produces directly depends on the size of the tuber: the larger the tuber, the more flowers it will bear.
11. During active growth and the formation of a bush, it is necessary to fertilize the plant with nitrogen, and during the flowering period, apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. Fertilizing helps ensure that the garden buttercup blooms abundantly and develops well. Of course, if your soil is nutritious and oily, then fertilizing is not necessary.
12. IN open ground Ranunculus nodules do not overwinter. Even with reliable shelter in the cold season, they die.
13. At the beginning of autumn, when the flowering of buttercups stops and the leaves turn yellow, watering the plants is gradually stopped. Garden buttercup tubers are dug up, dried and cleared of soil. It should be noted that all work must be carried out very carefully, because the rhizomes of these flowers are very fragile.
14. For storage, the tubers are placed in plastic bags with peat or sand and placed in a cool place until spring. Throughout the winter, the rhizomes are examined several times. This is done for the purpose of early detection any root diseases.
15. If you find any disease, rot or mold, the affected areas should be treated with colloidal sulfur or brilliant green. If the affected area is very large, it is immediately removed. If you monitor the roots in this way, they can maintain their viability for more than a year.

Buttercup propagation

There are two main methods of propagating garden buttercup:

• seeds;
• root division.

Propagation by seeds

1. Collecting seeds from this plant at home is quite problematic. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase them in specialized stores.
2. If you still decide to collect the seeds yourself, then it is recommended to do this from the first dried flowers. So it is more likely that next year the buttercup will not lose its decorative effect.
3. Garden buttercup seeds should be sown in special containers at the end of February. The soil should be light and loose.
4. The sown seeds are sprinkled on top with a small amount of soil, which should then be well moistened with a spray bottle. The containers are covered with glass or film. A kind of greenhouse is created.
5. Periodically open the glass, remove condensation, ventilate and moisten the ground. Garden buttercup is grown at a temperature of 10 - 14 C in a shaded place.
6. Usually after 2 - 3 weeks the first shoots appear.
7. After this, the container is moved to a light windowsill, but there should be no direct sunlight.
8. After 4 true leaves appear, the plants are planted in separate pots.

propagation by rhizomes

1. Propagation by rhizomes is somewhat easier. As already mentioned, the buttercup tuber is somewhat similar to an octopus. If you are a beginner gardener and you do not have tubers stored from last year, then you should also purchase them in special stores.
2. The roots of this plant are packaged in a special way and, as a rule, are a little dry. The main thing is that they are not overdried, so that they do not break. Otherwise, this plant will not sprout.
3. It is recommended to moisten them a little before planting. First you need to make a dark solution of potassium permanganate and disinfect the roots in this solution for 20 - 30 minutes.
4. Then they are wrapped in a damp cloth and left at room temperature for 3 hours.
5. After this it is placed in plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator or any other cool place for a day.
6. After a day, the roots of the garden buttercup will swell almost twice and will be ready for planting them in the ground.

Diseases and pests

1. It should be noted that this type of buttercup is quite resistant to various diseases and pests. The only and main threat to buttercups is waterlogging of the soil.
2. Overwatering promotes the appearance of root rot and threatens the plant's death. Therefore, experienced gardeners recommend placing drainage in each hole when planting buttercups.
3. If the summer is too rainy, then garden buttercups may also suffer from powdery mildew from cabbage moths that eat the leaves. It is recommended to combat these pests with special bio-insecticidal preparations, which can be purchased at any specialized store.
4. The leaves and flower stalks of buttercups may be covered with white mold, and the petals may be brown spots. This occurs as a result of infection of the plant by fungi.
5. Nematodes pose a great danger; they damage the roots of the plant. To prevent pest attacks, various insecticidal agents are used.

Garden buttercups in a flower pot

1. A small root system and a compact bush allow the garden buttercup to thrive in a flower pot right in the house.
2. Buttercups are fairly compact plants, so they do not require big pot. 15 cm in diameter will be quite enough. Drainage is required.
3. If the plant has enough light and nutrients, then even in winter it can delight you with bright and long-lasting flowering.
4. Some gardeners, having dug up buttercup rhizomes from their plot in the fall, transplant them into pots and keep them indoors. One root is placed in one pot.
5. Growing buttercups indoors is no different from growing them outside. The only thing is to limit access to them for children and pets.
6. The soil should be loose, it is best if it is a mixture flower earth and sand in equal parts.
7. Buttercups do well on the south side of the house, where the lighting is brighter. But they should still be shaded from direct sunlight.
8. IN winter time, if a flower is not artificially illuminated, then it will not bloom. In addition, this flower also requires some period of rest. It is much less than what is needed for other colors and is only 1 - 1.5 months.

Today we will talk about such wonderful plants as garden buttercups or Ranunculus. You will learn about what varieties of garden buttercups exist, how they reproduce and grow, you will see interesting photos these unique flowers, and also get acquainted with the features of their planting in open ground, care and much more.

Garden buttercups: varieties and varieties

Charming ranunculus flowers have been familiar to us since childhood. They are bright and beautiful, which is why they are often mentioned in songs, poems, and are also actively used in landscape design. Their poisonousness gave rise to the name, and their breathtaking beauty influenced the endearing form “buttercup”.

Ranunculus - delicate flowers of various shades

Buttercups are perennial plants whose root system is represented by tubers. Their color range is very rich. You can find these flowers in white, orange, red, pink and even bi-colored. There are two main varieties of these stunning plants.

There is a huge amount various types garden buttercups:

• multi-flowered;
• caustic;

Buttercups are caustic

• water;
• burning;
• creeping, etc.

The most common buttercups are yellow in color; they are often used in folk medicine. Many species are used as beautiful ornamental plants.

Planting a plant

To plant garden buttercups, choose warm and sheltered places from the wind. They are not too picky about the soil, but they will definitely like planting in well-drained, heated, moderately moist and humus-rich open ground. Let's look at how the planting itself is done.

Planting buttercups requires well-drained soil.

Ranunculus are planted in open ground in mid-May, when warm weather has already set in. Excessively wet or unheated soil can cause plant death. If frosts still occur in your region in May, then first plant the buttercups in peat pots or newspaper bags. You can leave the plants in the veranda or on the balcony; the optimal temperature for them will be 15-18 degrees. After warming arrives, it will become possible to plant buttercups in the flowerbed.

Planting these plants in open ground, where further cultivation will take place, involves first soaking the root cones in warm water for 2 hours, sometimes high-quality growth stimulants are used instead of water. After this procedure, the bumps will increase significantly in size.

Planting buttercup

It is necessary to dig a 5 cm hole in the soil and place the plant cones in it with the roots down. The distance between plantings should be at least 10 cm. Then, you can water the ground a little, but not abundantly, so that the plants do not begin to rot. As you can see, planting buttercups does not involve any complicated manipulations.

Buttercup care

Perennial garden buttercups are not capricious plants. But in order for your buttercups to grow healthy and please the eye, you should follow a few tips and provide them with proper care.

The root system of garden buttercups reacts quite sharply to both excessive moisture and excessive drought. Therefore, special attention should be paid to proper watering. Feel the soil from time to time, checking its moisture level. If you feel dry, then you should water the plant a little. Drainage in the form of pebbles or expanded clay, poured into the bottom of the planting hole, will help protect buttercups from overflowing; sometimes pieces of birch coals are added. By the end of flowering (August), watering must be gradually reduced.

To develop, buttercups need balanced watering.

Advice. Under no circumstances should you overfill your ranunculus with too much water or water too often. Such “obsessive” care can lead to the appearance of mold on the rhizome and rot, as a result of which the plant soon dies.

When the flower stalks and leaves die off (August-September), garden buttercups are dug up. Root system plants are shaken out of the ground, dried and stored in boxes or paper bags. For storage, choose a place with good ventilation and room temperature. However, there are those who simply throw away old rhizomes and buy new ones for planting in the spring. IN southern regions Buttercups with special protective cover can withstand winter relatively well.

Attention! Buttercup has very fragile roots that are easily damaged, so you should handle them carefully and carefully.

Fertilizer and feeding of buttercup

If you want your garden buttercups to grow healthy, bloom profusely and beautifully, then you need to feed them periodically. During the period of leaf growth, these perennial plants must be fed with special fertilizers rich in nitrogen. When buttercups begin to bud, they require phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. It is best to fertilize once every two weeks. Such simple procedures will ensure amazing growth and flowering for your buttercups.

Buttercups need mineral supplements at all stages of the growing season

Plant propagation

Garden buttercups can be propagated in several ways. Their tubers for summer period form several daughter cones, which are carefully separated, dried and stored until next landing. But these buttercups will bloom only in a year or two.

Buttercup root cones

In addition, growing garden buttercups accepts propagation by seeds. Due to their short viability, it is very difficult to obtain such seeds yourself. It's better to just buy them in a specialized flower shop. Seeds must be planted in March, in a loose mixture of peat soil and sand. The seeds should be sprinkled with soil and moistened with water from a spray bottle. As you can see, propagation of buttercups is quite simple.

Buttercup seeds

The planting is covered with film, periodically ventilated and the temperature is maintained at 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. The first shoots should appear after 2-3 weeks. After this, the container is moved to a warmer place (with an air temperature of up to 20 degrees). Seedlings require a large number of light, so it is best to place the container on a south window and provide it with additional lighting. Only in mid-May can the seedlings be planted in open ground for further growth.

Diseases and pests

Buttercups are very resistant to various diseases and pests. If you care for the plants incorrectly, for example, too much watering, then root rot may appear. Moreover, if summer season was too wet, these perennial flowers may be affected powdery mildew, and the leaves can attract annoying cabbage butterflies. Against pests, in in this case, you can use bioinsecticidal preparations.

Cabbage Butterfly

Garden shrub buttercups: combination with other plants

As mentioned earlier, for normal growth and development, buttercups need sunlight and relative shade. These conditions can be achieved by planting other plants next to them.

For example, all varieties of garden buttercups make an excellent combination with Arabis. This way they will receive not only the necessary shade, but also a lot of nutrients. They will also grow well near trees and bushes. If your purpose of growing is cutting, then nothing should hinder the growth of buttercups.

Buttercups in a common flowerbed

Garden shrub buttercups in landscape design

Luxurious perennial rununculus are often used in landscape design. Their varieties are capable of creating a truly charming composition, original, stylish, unusual. Group and mass plantings of these plants will decorate the surrounding space with their presence (flower beds, alpine slides, rockeries), and in combination with other shrubs and flowers they will create a simply amazing flower bed. They are also planted in pots or stylish patio containers, which look very fresh in modern landscape design.

Buttercup in landscape design

Garden buttercups are very beautiful, unpretentious and amazing plants. They are able to decorate any piece of land with their appearance, make it bright, unique, and become indispensable attributes in landscape design. Growing them will bring you a lot of pleasure. Give them your care, love, warmth, give them proper care, then they will reward you with their gorgeous blooms.

Planting buttercups with seeds: video

Varieties of buttercups: photos

Garden buttercups are beautiful flowers that resemble miniature roses or poppies in shape. They don't require special attention in care and at the same time give the flowerbed originality and a beautiful appearance. It is this combination of qualities that has allowed these flowers to gain popularity among many gardeners.

Description of the plant

Buttercup (or ranunculus) - perennial herbaceous plant, found naturally in Australia, Asia, Northern and South America, Africa, Europe. Garden buttercup appeared thanks to the work of breeders. It differs from its wild relative in the size of the flower and the variety of colors.

Garden buttercup is a low-growing bushy perennial, with a height of 40 to 100 cm. Its stem is erect, the root is tuberous. Flowers from 5 to 10 cm in diameter, simple, semi-double or double, varied color range. The exceptions are blue and blue colors, which do not yet exist.

IMPORTANT. All buttercups are poisonous, so it is not recommended to plant them in the yard if there are children in the house.

The most popular varieties and varieties of buttercups with photographs

There are two varieties of this flower. Which include several subspecies:

• Asian (Persian)- plants about 40 cm high with double or simple rose-like flowers.
• Afirican (turbaned)- have more large leaves and petals curved inward. This variety is more like a peony.

The most popular when grown in the garden are the following types flower:

• Caustic– widespread in nature, grows in meadows and forests of Asia and Europe. It has medicinal properties. Blooms golden - yellow flowers in June. Winter-hardy, can grow in partial shade.
• Akonitofolia (or boretefolia)– bushy plant up to 80 cm in height. Flowers are white or yellow.
• Anemonefolia– low-growing, about 30 cm, yellow-flowered, less often white-flowered.
• Multifloral– from 40 to 80 cm in height. The flowers are yellow and shiny. Blooms from June to August.
• Hybrid varieties– bred from an Asian species. They have a variety of colors and flower shapes. There are even two-tone colors.

IMPORTANT. Experienced flower growers It is advised to change the varieties of buttercups on your site every 3-4 years, acquiring new rhizomes, since over time they lose their decorative properties.

Time and place for planting buttercups in open ground

In mid-May, buttercups are planted in open ground.

Buy planting material costs in February-March. Before planting, store the tubers at 17 degrees in a ventilated area. Buttercup seedlings are planted in early April. But keep in mind that this flower does not like to be transplanted, so you need to plant it in peat pots or tablets. But it is more advisable to immediately plant the flower outside.

Buttercups are planted in open ground in mid-May, after the onset of real warmth. This plant is heat-loving and cannot tolerate even short-term frosts.

To board you need to select sunny place, but with diffused sun or some partial shade. It is important to choose a place protected from drafts and gusts of wind. The ideal place would be near a bush that provides shade for part of the day, or under a low, not too spreading tree.

IMPORTANT. If you plant a buttercup in a place that is too bright and sunny, it will not bloom for long and not abundantly.

Neighborhood in a flowerbed with other plants and flowers

You should not plant buttercup next to bright colors, against their background, small bushes will get lost. The exception is the blue anemone; the buttercup looks good with it.

IMPORTANT. Watch how the buttercup grows in the flowerbed. This flower is quite aggressive and can crowd out other flowers, taking over their space with its root system.

Soil composition requirements

Buttercups prefer light, loose soil with neutral acidity. In addition, the soil must be nutritious, so it is recommended to add humus to it before planting.

Landing technology

Before planting, the tubers are soaked for 10-12 hours so that they are saturated with moisture. You can use a growth stimulator or a solution of potassium permanganate. Swollen roots become like spiders. Once this has happened, you can begin planting.

For planting, holes are prepared and drainage is placed at the bottom. Tubers must be planted 5 cm deep. A distance of 15-20 cm is left between the plants. The tubers are planted with their stems down. Shoots appear in 10-14 days.

IMPORTANT. If after planting there is a threat of frost, the buttercups must be covered with straw or covering material.

Caring for buttercup flowers in open ground

Buttercup is an unpretentious plant

Buttercup is a rather unpretentious plant and does not require any special attention to itself. It is enough to water, but without waterlogging, and loosen the soil to ensure air access to the roots.

Important for regular flowering timely feeding once in two weeks. At the beginning of the growing season, fertilizing is carried out with nitrogen fertilizers. From the beginning of budding until the end of flowering, potassium-phosphorus mixtures are added.

During flowering, you need to remove all fading and drying flowers. At the end of flowering, the frequency and abundance of watering is sharply reduced. If this is not done, the roots may rot. As soon as the foliage begins to wilt, stop watering.

IMPORTANT. In rainy weather, the place where buttercups are planted should be covered with film to prevent the roots from becoming waterlogged.

Tuber storage

Buttercups cannot tolerate frost, so they are dug up for the winter. This should be done in September, after the above-ground part has completely dried. The dug up tubers are cleaned of soil and dried. It is recommended to store them in a dry room at a temperature of 19-21 degrees. For storage they are wrapped in cloth. You can also place the tubers in pots with dry peat.

What do buttercups get sick of?

The plant is resistant to diseases, but still improper care some problems may arise. Overwatering can cause root rot. This can be avoided with drainage and regular watering. If you notice mold on leaves and flowers, remove them and stop watering immediately. Loosen the soil to ventilate the roots.

Excessive moisture is also indicated by the dropping of buds. Dry the soil and the buttercup will come to life and continue flowering.

In cold, damp weather, the plant may be affected by powdery mildew. For prevention and treatment, use special fungicides for this disease.

Plant pests and their control

Nematode, a common pest on this plant

A frequent guest in the buttercup root system is a nematode. If you notice that the foliage is curling and the plant is lagging behind in development, then it is affected by this pest. You can get rid of it by digging up a bush and washing the roots in water at a temperature of 50 degrees with potassium permanganate.

The appearance of yellow or silvery spots on the foliage indicates a spider mite infestation. In this case, the plant must be treated with an insecticide.

Methods for propagating buttercups

The most in a simple way Reproduction is root division. During growth, many additional child roots are formed around the main tuber; from each of them you can get an additional flower bush.

It is quite difficult to get new plants from seeds., because their germination rate is quite low. Sowing is carried out at the end of February in boxes filled with a mixture of soil and peat or sand. Make grooves in the soil, lay out the seeds and sprinkle them with a layer of soil no higher than 2 cm.

For the first two weeks, boxes with crops are kept at a temperature of 10-15 degrees. The soil must be constantly moist, since even slight drying will lead to the seeds not germinating.

After three to four weeks, the first shoots appear. The boxes must be moved to a warm place, at least 20 degrees. Sprouts need the brightest place, preferably on a south window. In cloudy weather, seedlings need lighting with special phyto-lamps. Seedlings can be planted in open ground by the end of May.

IMPORTANT. Buttercup grown from seed will bloom only in the second year.

Buttercup as a decoration for the garden and plot

Buttercup is suitable for decorating any garden

The combination of buttercups of different shades can create real landscape compositions. In a flowerbed they are planted in the foreground in small groups. You can also use these perennials to create pops of color in your lawn.

These flowers look great in pots, vases and patio containers. Beautiful combinations can be achieved by planting buttercups with decorative foliage plants, for example, with hostas. This flower looks great on alpine slide in combination with stones. Densely planted bushes along the edge of the flowerbed also look impressive. In this case, they act as a living border.

Features of growing in a pot and at home

Buttercups feel great not only in a flower bed, but also in a flower pot or flowerpot. Used for growing in pots low-growing varieties, up to 40 centimeters. If the plant is taller, it needs to be supported, and it immediately loses its decorative effect.

With absence garden plot You can grow a beautiful buttercup on the balcony. The main condition is a sufficient amount of light and heat. Just avoid exposing the bush to direct sunlight.

The container must be selected at the rate of 1 liter of soil per bush. It is permissible to place up to three copies in one container. The pot is filled with a mixture of leaf soil, sand and humus (1X1X05). When growing in pots, more frequent watering is necessary because earthen lump dries out quickly.

After flowering and drying of the foliage, the pot of buttercup is placed in a dark, dry place for 1-2 months for the winter. This is a period of dormancy for the rhizome, after which a new above-ground part will appear.

REFERENCE. After the leaves die off in the open ground, Asian buttercup can be planted in a pot and moved indoors. When planting in August, by November you will have a flowering bush in your apartment. Given sufficient light, the buttercup will bloom all winter. It should be placed on a south window.

Garden buttercups can decorate any area, which will literally be transformed with their appearance. Give them a little attention, and they will give you lush and fairly long-lasting flowering.

Buttercup ranunculus(lat. Ranunculus, from the word rana - frog) is a genus of herbaceous perennials of the Ranunculaceae family. Representatives of the genus are distinguished by their caustic sap, which makes all parts of the plant poisonous. The similarity of these plants with frogs is manifested in the fact that many types of buttercups in nature live in water or near bodies of water, like the mentioned amphibians. There are about 360 species of buttercups distributed in the world, growing in the Northern Hemisphere in areas with temperate and cold climates, but mainly the garden buttercup, or Asian buttercup, is grown in culture, its numerous varieties and varieties, which decorate our gardens with flowering in mid-summer for a month. These products of the laborious work of breeders, stunning with their variety of colors and beauty of shape, no longer bear much resemblance to their wild relatives - creeping buttercup or field buttercup, which littered the crops of our ancestors. And all because in the middle of the 16th century, some species of this plant became interested in flower growers, and at the end of the seventeenth century, the buttercup plant, as well as its hybrids bred by that time, became as popular as tulips or carnations.

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Planting and caring for buttercups (in brief)

• Landing: planting seeds for seedlings - in early March, planting seedlings in open ground - in mid-May.
• Excavation: in August-September.
• Storage: in a perforated paper bag at a temperature of 4-5 ˚C.
• Bloom: June August.
• Lighting: bright light, partial shade.
• The soil: neutral, fertile, drained and light, but not loamy.
• Watering: moderate, regular.
• Feeding: during the growth of green mass - once every 2 weeks with nitrogen fertilizers, and during the flowering period - with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
• Reproduction: tubers, seeds.
• Pests: cabbage butterflies, spider mites, nematodes.
• Diseases: root rot, powdery mildew, gray rot.

Read more about growing buttercups below.

Ranunculus flowers - description

The garden buttercup flower is a herbaceous perennial plant with an average height of 65 cm. Its rhizome is tuberous, fleshy, the stem is leafy, branched, the leaves are trifoliate, similar to leaves dahlia, flowers with a diameter of 8-10 cm are simple, double or densely double in bright colors: purple, white, salmon, pink, red, orange, cream, yellow - many shades, except for blue and dark blue, there are bicolor varieties. They retain freshness for a long time when cut - at least a week. But despite all these advantages, the buttercup flower is poisonous, so keep it away from children and pets.

Growing buttercups from seeds

Buttercup flowers reproduce by dividing the rhizome or by seed. If you decide to grow buttercup from seeds, you should know that it is best to purchase planting material in specialized stores or departments, since collecting the seeds of your own plants is difficult, and their viability is low. Buttercup seeds are sown at the end of February or beginning of March in loose, light soil consisting of peat soil (one part), leaf soil (one part) and sand (half part). The seeds are lightly sprinkled with soil on top, which is then moistened with a spray bottle. The container with the crops is covered with glass and kept at a temperature of 10-12 ºC, regularly ventilated and removing condensation from the glass. Shoots usually appear after 2-3 weeks, and then the container needs to be moved to a warmer and brighter place (about 20 ºC), and a south-facing window with shading from direct sunlight is most suitable for this. If necessary, provide additional lighting for the seedlings. In the phase of 4-5 true leaves, young plants dive into peat-humus pots.

Planting buttercups in the garden

When to plant buttercups

In mid-May, when the last night frosts are behind us, garden buttercups are planted. The best place for buttercups in the garden - sunny or semi-shaded areas, protected from drafts and sharp gusts of wind. Buttercups prefer neutral or slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.6), nutritious, permeable and light, as well as moderately moist, since in too wet soil the roots of the buttercup can rot.

How to plant buttercups

At the bottom of each hole, dug at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other, pour a little drainage material - sand or expanded clay chips, then place the seedling in the hole along with a peat-humus pot, and if you grew seedlings in plastic or ceramic pots, then transfer the seedling into the hole together with a lump of earth, fill the hole with garden soil, compact it and water the area. IN this year, unfortunately, buttercups from seeds are unlikely to bloom, but in the next year they will probably bloom.

Buttercup care

How to grow buttercups

Caring for buttercups in the garden includes properly organized watering, loosening the soil, weeding, fertilizing, timely removal of wilted flowers and pest or disease control, if the need arises. You will also have to make sure that the buttercup does not grow beyond the limits that you have set for it and does not displace other, less aggressive plants from the garden bed or flowerbed. It is necessary to moisten the area with buttercups regularly, without skipping watering and avoiding waterlogging of the soil, since buttercups are very sensitive in this matter. As you can see, planting buttercups and caring for them in the garden is a simple task that even a novice gardener can do.

Fertilizing buttercups

During the period of increasing leaf mass, the buttercup is fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen, for example, Kemira-universal, every two weeks, and when the process of bud formation begins, potassium-phosphorus fertilizer must be applied at the same frequency.

Pests and diseases of buttercups

Growing buttercups has another advantage: when proper watering you won't have to fight any insects or diseases, since buttercups are very resistant to both diseases and pests. But if you overdo it with moistening the area, the plants can be affected by root rot, which is why it is so important to place a layer of drainage in each hole when planting. To be fair, it must be said that sometimes, in very wet summers, buttercups are affected by powdery mildew, the leaves of the plant can attract cabbage butterflies, and the roots can attract nematodes. If you find pests, use bioinsecticidal preparations to combat them.

Buttercups after flowering

When the buttercups fade, their watering is gradually reduced, and when the leaves turn yellow, watering is stopped completely. In August-September, buttercup tubers are dug up and dried to remove garden soil, laid out in one layer in boxes and dried at a temperature of 20 ºC, then laid out in paper bags with perforation and stored until spring planting. All manipulations are carried out very carefully, since buttercup tubers are very fragile.

Types and varieties of buttercups

IN garden culture most commonly grown buttercup , or hybrid , or asian buttercup , or ranunculus asiatica(Ranunculus asiaticus). This popularity is due to the variety of forms and rich color palette of varieties and hybrids of this species. In addition, Asian buttercup is an excellent cut flower. All varieties and forms of this species are divided according to the shape of the flowers into four groups:

• turbaned buttercup, or African, densely double, the shape of a flower resembles a ball;
• French buttercup, semi-double, which has only two rows of petals;
• Persian buttercup, low growing with simple or semi-double flowers;
• peony-shaped buttercup, terry, with large flowers.

Popular varieties: Bloomingdale Rose Bicolor – double buttercup white with pink edges of petals; Purple Picoti - white buttercups with purple dusting at the tips of the petals; Double Pink Buttercup is a densely double variety with tightly adjacent pink petals.

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