General description, tips for growing buttercup, recommendations for the reproduction of ranunculus, difficulties in leaving, interesting facts, species. Buttercup (Ranunculus) is a herbaceous plant genus with a one-year or long-term life cycle. All of them are included by scientists in the Ranunculaceae family. They prefer to settle in wetlands, are aquatic or terrestrial grasses that have a caustic, and sometimes even poisonous juice. Most of these representatives of the green world can be found in the Northern Hemisphere, with temperate or cold climates. But the native distribution area falls on the lands of Asia Minor. Today there are up to 600 species of them. In the vastness of Russia, there are up to 40 varieties, but most often there are caustic buttercup (Ranunculus acris), multicolor buttercup (Ranunculus polyanthemos) and creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), not uncommon Poisonous buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) and water buttercup (aquatilis)).
The plant got its name thanks to the Latin word "rana" meaning "frog". All this is due to the fact that members of the family live in water or in close proximity to it, like amphibians (frogs). Sometimes you can find how the plant is called "ranunculus", occasionally "ranunculus" based on the transliteration of the Latin term.
In buttercup, the root system is predominantly short and fibrous, usually multiple root shoots with tuberous thickenings, collected in a bunch, are formed on it. The ranunculus itself does not exceed 40-50 cm in height.
The leaf plates are located on the branches in the next sequence, their shape is solid or dissected. Sometimes such a dissection is so deep that the leaves are very reminiscent of dahlia leaf plates. On short stems, there is the formation of simple or densely double buds.
When blooming, the flowers are arranged singly or grow in complex inflorescences. The shape of the inflorescences is spherical, reaching 8-10 cm in diameter. There are 3-5 sepals in the corolla of the flower, most of the varieties have five petals, sometimes their number is less or slightly more. Each petal has a honey pit at the base. It can be bare or covered with small scales. The number of stamens and pistils is large. The pistil itself consists of a single carpel, with a unilocular ovary.
The shape of the flower from the very beginning is very reminiscent of miniature roses, and when the bud opens completely, it becomes like an oriental poppy. Some varieties have flowers that resemble globular chrysanthemums or pompon dahlias. The color of the petals of flowers is bright and varied: snow-white, cream, milky, pinkish, yellow, orange and even purple. Only shades of blue, blue and purple are missing. The flowering process begins in the middle of summer and lasts for a month, but if the August days are not particularly sultry, then the buttercup flowers will delight the eye until the end of summer.
This plant has no special application. However, despite their apparent unpretentiousness, some species have long been used in folk medicine, curing multiple ailments, but garden varieties (mainly with double flowers of yellow and multi-colored shades) are usually planted in flower beds in front gardens and gardens as ornamental crops. Most often it is customary to grow Buttercup and Asian Buttercup.
Recommendations for growing a buttercup in the garden at home
- Location and lighting. This plant is very light-loving; places in partial shade (which is preferable) or in the sun are suitable. If the buttercup grows in the garden, then the place should be protected from drafts and sudden gusts of wind. When cultivating a plant in indoor conditions, a pot with a flower is placed on the east or west window, but in this case, the southern orientation will not hurt.
- Planting a buttercup in open ground. Plants are usually planted in mid-May, when night frosts have passed. Soil for buttercups should be acidic at pH 5, 5–6, 5, nutritious and light, with good water permeability and moderate moisture. A soil of black soil with sand and humus or peat, which is neutralized with chalk, is suitable. Loam is prohibited. At the bottom of the hole there should be a drainage layer (sand or expanded clay), otherwise the buttercup root system may simply rot from waterlogging. Before planting, it is recommended to dig up the soil, add compost to it and process it with a foundation solution. The distance between plants is 10-15 cm.
- Care in the garden. For ranunculus, when grown in open ground, not only proper watering is needed, but also regular loosening of the soil, fertilization, weeding from weeds and timely removal of dried flowers so that they do not interfere with the flowering of other buds. After the buttercup has faded, but watering is gradually reduced, and when the foliage turns yellow, they stop it altogether. In late summer or early autumn, the tubers of the plant are to be dug up, then they are dried, cleaned off the soil and stored in special boxes in one layer. Then they are still dried at a temperature of about 20 degrees. After the tubers are well dry, they are packaged in paper bags, preferably perforated, and there they are stored until spring planting. During storage, heat indicators should be within 4-6 degrees. All the operations described must be carried out carefully, since the tubers are quite fragile. When grown in the garden, it is recommended to spray with a 0.2% solution of mercaptophos 2-3 times a week for the prevention of pests.
- Growing buttercup at home. Plants should be planted in clusters rather than singly. When landing in a box, drainage holes are made in it, it should be large and wide, and a layer of drainage is placed on the bottom, before pouring the soil. Planting takes place in the same way as when growing in the open field. After planting, abundant watering is carried out and for the first time they contain buttercups at a temperature not higher than 12 degrees with regular moistening of the substrate. When the height of the sprouts becomes equal to several centimeters, the temperature is raised to 20-22 degrees. During the flowering period of the ranunculus, it should not fall below 18 degrees, otherwise the buttercup will quickly discolor.
- Watering for buttercup needs regular when the plant is grown in a home or garden environment. But here it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the roots will rot from waterlogging. A sign of decay is the formation of mold on the foliage and the shedding of buds. Damaged parts should be removed, the soil around the buttercup should be loosened, and watering should be reduced. If the summer is very dry, then the plant is affected by spider mites.
- Fertilizers for buttercup. As soon as the first shoots hatch, and the plant begins to grow deciduous mass, it is recommended to apply top dressing every 14 days. Compositions with nitrogen (for example, Kemira-universal) and potassium are used at the rate of 40-50 grams per 1 m2 of soil. During the flowering period, it is better to use potassium salt, potassium sulfate or wood ash. It is also recommended to loosen the ranunculus soil frequently.
Buttercup self-propagation tips
To propagate ranunculus, you can sow seeds, plant bulbs or divide the rhizome of an overgrown bush.
When seed propagation, it is recommended to buy planting material, since the collected seeds have a low germination rate, and their collection is quite difficult. Buttercup seeds are sown in the last winter days or at the very beginning of March. They are placed in a loose substrate mixed of peat, leafy soil and sand (in a ratio of 1: 1: 0, 5). Top seeds are sprinkled with a small layer of soil (1, 5–2 cm) and sprayed with a spray bottle. A pot of crops should be wrapped in plastic wrap or a piece of glass should be placed on top. Germinate seeds in a temperature range of 10-12 degrees. It is important not to forget about regular ventilation and removal of condensate from the shelter, as well as moistening the soil when it dries.
After 2-3 weeks, you can see the first shoots of ranunculus. Then the bowl with the crops is transferred to a warmer place, where the heat readings are about 20 degrees with good diffused lighting and the shelter can be removed. The container is placed on the south window with shade from direct sunlight. If the lighting level is not enough, then artificial lighting will need to be organized. When 4–5 true leaf plates are formed on the seedling, a pick is made into separate pots made of peat-humus material. When warm weather conditions are established, it is possible to plant the grown buttercups in the ground without removing them from the pots. Flowering can only be expected next year, so a faster breeding method is preferred.
At a time when the soil has already warmed up enough and the threat of frost has passed (late April or early May), you can plant buttercup bulbs. Before planting the bulbs, it is recommended to place them in a humid place for several hours - wet moss or sawdust will do, in extreme cases, a sponge. Some growers simply soak them in cold water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Often, a stimulant of growth and root formation is dissolved in water.
Since the buttercup really does not like transplants, it is important to plant it correctly - to choose its location. For planting, they dig a hole 5–8 cm deep and put the nodule of the ramunculus with the "beak" down. A distance of about 10-15 cm is maintained between the tubers. If a sharp drop in temperature is predicted, then cover the flower bed with agrofibre or straw. After a period of 2-3 months, you can see several peduncles originating from each nodule, after a little more time the first buds will open.
Buttercup care problems and solutions
The most important thing is that all the troubles when growing ranunculus are associated with unregulated watering, if you properly moisturize, you will not have to fight either diseases affecting the buttercup or harmful insects, since this is a representative of the flora that is quite resistant and similar negative factors.
If the soil is swamped due to abundant watering, then root rot develops quite quickly, therefore, when planting, it is recommended to lay a layer of drainage material on the bottom of the hole. However, if the summer period turned out to be very damp, then buttercups suffer from powdery mildew - the leaves and stems are covered with limescale. To combat this nuisance, all damaged peduncles and leaves should be removed and treated with folk remedies:
- soap and soda ash solution - dissolve 25 grams of soda ash in a 5 liter bucket of hot water and add 5 grams of liquid soap there. The drug is cooled and sprayed with buttercups and the topsoil 2-3 times every 7 days;
- baking soda and soap - 1 tablespoon of baking soda is dissolved in 4 liters of water and half a teaspoon of soap. The regularity of spraying is the same;
- potassium permanganate solution - 2.5 grams of potassium permanganate dissolves in a 10-liter bucket of water.
Of the chemicals used in the formation of powdery mildew Fundazol, Topaz, Acrobat MC and the like.
Often, ranunculus leaves fall prey to cabbage butterflies, and the root system suffers from nematodes. Here it is recommended in the first case the use of Aktellik or Karate, and in the second - Nematofagin or the like.
Interesting facts about buttercups
All excellent colors in buttercup buds are the fruit of persistent breeding work and they no longer resemble their basic decorative varieties - Buttercup creeping or Buttercup. These plants were considered a weed in the owl for a time and could quickly infest crops in the old days. And only in the middle of the 16th century, some of the ranunculus species aroused interest among flower growers, and already in the 17th century the buttercup itself, and the hybrid varieties bred, gained deserved popularity along with tulips or the well-known carnations. At that time, it was possible to grow buttercups with simple flowers, but rather unusual shades - grayish or olive green. Then the fashion tribute shifted to variegated varieties. Today, flower growers are interested in varieties with strong stems and a double shape of flowers.
The name ranunculus was given by the buttercup by the ancient scientist Pliny, who noticed the love of this representative of the flora for swampy and watery areas. Buttercup was brought to the territory of European countries, namely to England from Turkey in the 16th century, but by the end of the 19th century its popularity had greatly weakened, and its revival began only at the present time.
The peculiarity of the buttercup also lies in the fact that its flowers can stand in a vase for 14 days if the water is periodically changed. On the lands of Italy, gardeners call ranunculus - "Golden buttons of meadows."
There is a legend that small stars became buttercups, which Jesus turned into plants in order to present as a gift to his mother as a sign of his filial love and respect …
Buttercup species
- Acid buttercup (Ranunculus acris) is a herbaceous plant, which is popularly called "chicken acid". In height, it can grow up to 20-50 cm. The leaf plates in the lower part have long petioles and reach 5-10 cm in length, their shape is pentagonal and finger-divided. The upper ones grow sedentary, with a division into three parts, the outlines are linear, the lobes are serrated. During flowering, the petals of the buds are cast in a bright yellow color, when opened, they can reach 2 cm in diameter, they can grow both singly and gather in a semi-umbellate inflorescence. There are five sepals and petals, the number of stamens and pistils is multiple. The flowering process begins in June. When fruiting, a multi-root ripens. All parts of the plant contain a caustic volatile substance with a pungent odor - anemole (protoanemonin), which resembles camphor. It can irritate by its action all mucous membranes: eyes, nose and larynx, and also affects internal organs. The caustic buttercup also contains saponins, alkaloids, ascorbic acid, cardiac glycosoids, flavone compounds and the carotenoid of flavoxanthia. Very poisonous. Despite this, it is used by traditional healers to heal wounds and burns, with furunculosis, rheumatism, headaches and help with tuberculosis. There is a double form with the name "Flore pleno", which has rather large flowers of bright yellow color, it is grown as an ornamental crop.
- Asiatic buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus) also called Buttercup garden, Buttercup hybrid or Ranunculus Asian. It resembles the territories of the Eastern Mediterranean, southwestern regions of Asia, Southeastern Europe (areas of the Carpathians, Crete, Rhodes), and lands in the northeast of the African continent also sprout there. Plant height rarely reaches 50 cm. The stem is straight with branching. Leaves covered with fine hairs. When opened, the flowers reach 3-5 cm and are distinguished by a variety of colors. A very popular garden plant that gave rise to a large number of bred varieties and hybrids.
What a buttercup looks like, see the video below:
