The ranunculus, originally from the Orient, enchants like a fairy tale from the Arabian Nights. With the often bulging flower balls, they look fantastic in the garden, in a pot or as cut flowers in a vase. Why does it sometimes make sense to cut them?
Why and how should you cut ranunculus?
Cutting ranunculus is useful for removing wilted flowers and leaves, extending the flowering period, obtaining cut flowers and removing diseased parts of the plant. Gloves should be worn when cutting and the clippings should be disposed of immediately as ranunculus are poisonous.
Cutting as part of care: cleaning out the leaves and flowers
Especially when ranunculus are in pots, they soon look less vital when their old, dried leaves and wilted flowers hang limply. You should therefore remove or clean out such parts regularly. This is recommended in the course of care not only for visual reasons, but also for reasons of preventing illness.
Prolong the flowering period
Ranunculus can bloom for a very long time. The prerequisite for this is that they have a lot of strength. This is only the case if the withered flowers are removed quickly, before the seeds can form. It is best to cut off the flowers immediately after they wilt. This allows the plant to form new flower buds.
Win cut flowers for the vase
The double varieties of ranunculus in particular are visually appealing and are therefore perfect as cut flowers! If you have grown your own ranunculus, you can cut off the flowers of these plants as soon as they bloom and drape them in a vase. In floristry they represent charm and uniqueness.
Be careful when cutting – ranunculus are poisonous
Note the following:
- Ranunculus are poisonous
- Sensitive people should wear gloves (€9.00 on Amazon) to avoid skin irritation
- otherwise: wash your hands after cutting
- Dispose of cuttings immediately
Remove diseased parts as quickly as possible
Another reason that makes picking up scissors a sensible action is disease infestation. It is not uncommon for the poorly winter-hardy ranunculus to be affected by powdery mildew. If you notice affected plant parts, you should cut them off with clean scissors and dispose of them.
Tip
In general, ranunculus don't necessarily need to be cut. Even without a cut, they remain cheerful and sprout again every year - provided they overwinter well.