Ranunculus is an Asian buttercup, or garden (Ranunculus asiaticus), one of the most decorative species belonging to the numerous buttercup family. Butterfly tubers are usually planted in April. Before landing, I soak them in ordinary water for several hours, you can additionally treat with some growth stimulant. I plant the tubers in cups "legs" down, no deeper than 8 cm. In OG, I usually land somewhere in mid-May.
Prevent the growth of the butterfly not only cold winds, excessive dampness and frost, but also dry weather. That's what a handsome buttercup is. To protect the plant, it is planted in pots, which, depending on the weather, are introduced into the house or, conversely, rearranged to a cooler place. English gardeners, despite the mild climate of the British Isles, often grow Asian butterflies in cool winter gardens - neither sudden frosts are scary, nor rain beating tender petals, nor voracious slugs.
In late June - July, almost spherical flowers of white, yellow, orange, pink or red appear. In some varieties of ranunculus, flowers are two-colored, petals of a delicate shade are sometimes decorated with a bright fringe.
The tubers are dug in August, after the death of the leaves, and laid for the winter in a dry non-freezing room. Fragile rhizomes are treated very carefully. It is especially important to remove excess land. To do this, you need to carefully wash the tubers in a solution of permanganate. Dry rhizomes at a temperature of +20 ° C, decomposed into one layer at the bottom of the box until completely dry.
Many garden butterflies form small brood tubers (child tubers). They can be separated and thus reproduce the most beautiful specimens. Dried tubers are stored in paper bags at low positive temperatures (+4 ... +7 ° C). Small tubers are recommended to pour dry sand, sawdust or peat so that they do not dry out.
So, in the conditions of the middle strip of Russia, garden butterflies are a rather capricious culture. In addition to not the simplest agricultural techniques, gardeners note that specimens grown from preserved tubers are often weaker than their predecessors, with smaller, duller flowers. Therefore, many have switched to the one-year culture of Asian butterfly - they do not dig up planting material and do not try to preserve it in winter, and every spring they buy new tubers. From my photos only the last, something did not find others, although I had different colors and all terry.