I bought this gorgeous ranunculus last year and was delighted with its rose-like blooms.
I found ranunculus bulbs a few days ago at Meijer's and purchased two bags for a total of twenty bulbs. I had never planted them before and discovered today, quite by accident, that I had planted them
upside down. I'm so glad I discovered that huge mistake. I should have done the research
before planting the odd shaped bulb.
I assumed, (or misunderstood the package instructions), that the stem went on top with the tubers pointed up. Not so, according to several internet sources, you plant it pointed down. Now I have to replant 20 ranunculus.
I bought this gorgeous ranunculus last year and was delighted with its rose-like blooms.
I found ranunculus bulbs a few days ago at Meijer's and purchased two bags for a total of twenty bulbs. I had never planted them before and discovered today, quite by accident, that I had planted them upside down. I'm so glad I discovered that huge mistake. I should have done the research before planting the odd shaped bulb.
I assumed, (or misunderstood the package instructions), that the stem went on top with the tubers pointed up. Not so, according to several internet sources, you plant it pointed down. Now I have to replant 20 ranunculus.
Poor Robin. At least you didn't plant over 100 of them that way. 20 isn't that many so it shouldn't take you too long. I got a bulb but didn't plant it in a deep enough pot. The flowers are gorgeous I love that purple color.
ReplyDeleteomg, I can totally relate. I did that my first year gardening with a begonia tuber!! My neighbor had a great laugh about it to my embarrassment! When we dug it up, it had sprouted and was curving around the tuber and coming back up!! I'm glad I'm not alone in doing these things! Good luck replanting.
ReplyDeleteThose are really beautiful. Do you think they may have come up anyway?
ReplyDeleteThose really do look like roses, that's what I thought until I read your text. Beautiful. I seem to remember an old Martha Stewart show, the old ones before she decided to have people like her, rather than just giving us useful info, where she was planting these in her garden, herself, hands dirty. Anyway, I remember her saying to think of it this way, the roots are like fingers and you want them to point down so they can grab the soil. I even wrote it down in my journal. Maybe that will help you remember too.
ReplyDeleteDon't feel too bad. All roots have their special way of being planted. I have done this with other bulbs etc. Just a lesson learned. Now get ready for some of those beautiful blooms. They do look like roses.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in the past I read that if you plant a bulb upside down it will turn itself. I don't know if this is true of all bulbs or only specific varieties.
ReplyDeleteLast night I was teaching a class on annuals and bulbs and I couldn't decide on which was the top and which was the bottom of the crocosmia bulbs. It was pretty funny and a bit embarrassing.
Hi there Robin, good job you found out so quickly! What stunning flowers they are :-D
ReplyDeleteRecently, I read a very interesting tip about planting bulbs. If you are unsure which 'way up' to plant bulbs you could plant them on their sides and that way they sort it out for themselves! Don't know if works or not as I haven't tried it, but it sounds like it would work :-D
It is something how plants can thrive despite the things we do to them. That is a beautiful flower. I've never grown them, but if I do, I'll always think of your mistake, so thanks for publicly admitting it.
ReplyDeleteI hate when that happens. Hang in there, babe. Just keep repeating some mantra and make it a zen experience. Keep in mind how beautiful they'll be when they do pop up! Debi @ GHT
ReplyDeleteThose are very beautiful. Too bad you have to find all those bulbs and replant. I hope they bloom beautifully for you to repay you for all the work :)
ReplyDeleteThe color and form of that flower is just beautiful...I wonder what it would look like upside down? :-)
ReplyDeleteI would have done the very same thing, in planting it that way. Only us true gardeners would take the time to go back and do it all over again!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Vanillalotus, I'm so glad i didn't have that many to replant, although I'd love to see that many in bloom at one time.
ReplyDeleteKathleen,I don't think I've ever planted begonia tubers. If I do I'll make sure I know which end is up.
Jayne, I think they would have. They were well on their way already.
Frances, don't they look so much like roses? I love them! That is a handy tip to remember, thanks for sharing it.
Lisa, are you drying out down there yet? After all of this rain I'm ready for these beautiful blooms.
Melanie, they were already in the process of turning, now I've confused them even more by turning them back around.
Shirl, when I did a Google search on this, I found a tip that suggested the same thing. I think it would have worked for these, since they were turning.
Been there, done that...not to worry, Robin, bulbs and corms, like seeds, are programmed to survive, so if you haven't dug them up, don't worry. They'll be fine. Ranunculus are marginal for me here so I don't plant them anymore, though I've been tempted to try them in a big pot where they'd get a little more heat and perhaps come along more quickly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ranunculus info; you'd think I'd be able to get it right but these guys are genuinely confusing. I have a mix and am hoping for some COLOR this summer. I think I can plant some outside now (in Virginia) . . wish me luck. Looking forward to exploring this interesting site. Hurrah for spring!
ReplyDelete