GROWING RANUNCULUS LIKE THE PROS

Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar grows picture-perfect flowers, and none are prettier than the ranunculus blooms it features every spring. Kathleen Sommer, Roger’s horticulturist, offers advice on how to duplicate their show.

Tubers: Start with the finest-quality jumbo tubers available. Don’t settle for tiny rejects sold at discount stores.

Soil Preparation: Work the soil well, to a depth of at least 10 inches. Add Bulb Booster, a high-phosphorus fertilizer. (We formerly used bone meal, but it works too slowly and is low in nutrients.)

Planting: Place the tubers close together, with the head up and toes down. For maximum effect, plant as close as two inches apart. Barely cover them with soil. Water sparingly until growth starts.

Feeding: Fertilize with a liquid fertilizer, such as Roger’s Flower Food (20-22-13) every two weeks while the plants are growing vigorously.

Post-bloom: Discard the tubers. Ranunculus tubers generally perform poorly the second year, although some gardeners are successful in naturlizing them in summer-dry gardens.