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Ranunculus Romance 'St. Tropez'

Ranunculus are prized by florist and growers alike for producing large, fluffy flowers atop long, sturdy stems.   Romance ranunculus produce less leaves and no hollow stems- thus less disease.  Propagation is prohibited; Romance ranunculus must be destroyed after the first growing season and may not be reused, replanted or sold.

  • »  Very early flowering
  • »  Excellent vase life
  • »  Size I
  • »  Propagation Prohibited
  • »  Packed in 50's



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Exposure
Full Sun
Habit
Upright
Season of Interest (Flowering)
Spring
Soil Moisture
Light Water
Moist, Well-Drained
Buds per Stem
6-10

Storage After Arrival

Unpack immediately upon arrival, ventilate if not immediately planted. Store at 58-65°F.

 

Pre-sprouting (preparation)

Pre-sprounting gives the bulbs a better and more even start for optimal rooting and flower development.

Soak the bags for 12 hours in water at a temperature of 70-80 degree F with 5 gr GA3 (Gibberellic Acid) per 100 liter maintain temp. of 70-80 degree F during this 12 hour period. Make sure that the whole bag is submerged in water for the whole period!

Dip the bulbs in a fungicide for about 15 minutes: 1% of Topsin (active ingredients: thiofanaat-methyand 500 g/l) + ½% Securo (active ingredients: pyraclostrobin 100 g/l + folpet 300 g/l).

Directly after soaking the bulbs for 12 hours and fungicide dip you need to plant bulbs directly in the ground, keep the soil moist. When direct planting is not possible, store the Ranunculus in a coldstore at 41 degrees F.

It is very important to make sure that bulbs do not dry out after planting. (When bulbs dry out you will have loss of germination of the bulbs).

 

Prior to planting:

Take a soil sample (before you start preparing the soil and bulbs).

Fertilizing depends on a soil and water sample / analysis.

PH: 5.8 – 6.3;

EC: 1.3 to 1.5.

 

Planting/Spacing

Plant in a moist and well-drained soil free from weeds, with a soil temperature below the 50 degrees F.

Plant approximately ½ to ¾ inch deep, spacing bulbs 6-8 inches apart within the rows and space each row 6-8 inches apart, max of 4 rows per bed.

Recommended to use 1 layer of nets for support.

Plant the bulbs with the center of the bulb facing up and the end of the roots down. Be careful of not damaging the bulbs when planting. Water bulbs after planting so the soil is moist and encloses around the bulbs.

 

Watering

In the beginning, utilize overhead watering. Later, water only by drip hoses.

Very important especially in the beginning of the crop to keep the soil moist at all times!

 

Fertilization

Until some years ago, only phosphate was known for a better root development. Now we know that the plants have a preferred order as it comes to the absorption of elements. In the first stage of growth they need sulfur, followed in order by boron, silicon, calcium, nitrogen, magnesium and last but not least phosphorus.

The availability of these elements – especially boron, silicon and calcium – are essential for a good start of the plants. If one of these elements is not (enough) available, the chain will be broken and the growing process might start slower or with more problems.

Apply your fertilizer according to your soil sample.

Approximately 1 week after planting, drench the soil with a ‘cocktail’ so the rooting is easier:

•              Risolex;

•              Topsin;

•              Proplant/previcure.

 

Growing

First 2-4 weeks you will see your Ranunculus sprouting in the ground, try to keep night temperatures around 15 degrees C at night and during day as cool as possible.

When plants have sprouted and are growing for about 4-5 weeks and you have sufficient foliage on the bulbs growing lower the night temperature to as cool as possible. (no frost) You get best quality Ranunculus when growing is as cool as possible, you can grow as cool as 2-4 degrees C. if possible keep sides open of greenhouse.

During night keep well enough ventilated to prevent mildew.

Grow Ranunculus as cool as possible.

 

Diseases and insects:

-          Botrytis and Mildew: spray with Flint, Ortiva or Switch (the only remedy that works curatively at low temperatures) and use leaf fertilizers + trace elements to make the leaves harder.

-          Leaf spot: spray preventive with Luna Privilege and use leaf fertilizers + trace elements to make the leaves harder. Because this disease is very contagious, it is important to spray preventive

-          Xanthomonas: gives round, purple-red spots, often with a yellow circle. Spray preventively with, for example, Serenade or Ranman Top. And use leaf fertilizers + trace elements to make the leaves harder.

-          Erwina: spray preventive with copper oxychloride.

-          Do regular spotting in the greenhouse to check for: Caterpillars, Aphids (Tepeki), Leaf Miners (Vertimec), Spider Mites, Thrips and Whiteflies. And spray when needed.

 

Flower harvest and treatment during harvest:

Do not pull the stems from the bulb always cut with knife!

Cool water buckets night before in cooler to have cold water in harvesting buckets.

When flowers are cut early in the morning, as soon as possible place them in water at a temperature of 40 degrees F (even before bunching) and store them in a cooler. If the crop is harvested later during the day and the stem dries in and will absorb less water, which is why it is important to place directly in water after cutting.

 

Cutting stage Ranunculus Romance:

Llet the flowers open and close for 3 days and then cut the flowers for maximum size. (this gives you larger flowers and longer vase life) .Harvest Ranunculus Romance flowers only early in the morning, cutting stem at ground level.

Add a Chlorine tablet of Florissant 520 into a bucket with water to be placed in the cooler.