I cut my first ranunculus bloom in mid-April. I had spent the previous week checking on it daily, eagerly waiting for it to bloom enough to add to a bouquet.
The bloom was from the first succession I presprouted in early October. The November-planted ones now have a flush of buds about to bloom, while most of the ones I put in the ground in December and January are still lush and leafy but doing nothing (yet) in the flower department.
So it seems my ranunculus experiment worked: succession planting ranunculus in Seattle over several months does affect bloom times.
Succesion planted in mid-December. Photo taken on April 20.
Turns Out I Was VERY Wrong About Succession Planting
Last season, it seemed like everything kind of bloomed at the same time, so I wasn’t convinced that succession planting worked as the Flower Instagram influencers claimed. (I’m growing more skeptical of viral flower hacks each season.)
Plus, succession planting works differently in different climates, so I wasn’t sure how Seattle’s mild winters would impact bloom time for ranunculus.
To figure it out, I kept careful track of when I planted ranunculus this past year. I planted more than a thousand corms, spread out over two(ish) successions a month through late January.
If I was wrong, I wanted Mother Nature to rub my face in it.
Mid-April came around, and Mother Nature did in fact rub it in my face: I had plants at every stage of the process — buds on the late-fall-planted ones, flowers on the earliest succession, and full lush foliage with zero blooms on everything I put in the ground in December and January.
Photo taken in late March of ranunculus planted presprouted in mid-December
I also noticed some Seattle-area growers on Instagram had blooms even earlier than mine. When I asked them when they planted their corms, they said they either left their ranunculus from last season in the ground over summer or started their first succession in September.
I plan to leave some in the ground over the summer and want to try starting a succession in September to see if I can get earlier blooms.
But, it’s important to note that we did have an unusually warm and mild winter here in Seattle, which might’ve nudged the timeline along a bit faster than normal.
Ranunculus variety: Tecolote Cafe
My Row Cover Trick
I’m still keeping low row cover on most of my ranunculus — not because they need frost protection at this point, but because I’ve found it improves stem length.
When flowers are growing behind something that breaks the wind, they grow taller. The stems get longer and more useful for bouquets.
I use fiberglass hoops (from Amazon) and low row cover to break the wind
I noticed this by accident a couple of years ago (because I was too lazy to remove it after the last frost) and have been doing it on purpose ever since.
The hoops I use are (unfortunately) from a company that appears to no longer exist. The closest alternative I’ve found is fiberglass hoops that come in multiple pieces—they’re fine and work, but they’re not as good as the original. If you’re in the market for something easy to store during the off-season, that’s your best current option.
When it starts to get a bit warmer, I will swap out the frost cloth with shade cloth. That helps break the wind and keeps the plants cool on warm days, which hopefully also extends the growing season.
RIP: Pouring One Out For the Latest Batch of Ranunculus Killed By Me
I wrote a whole post a while back about how I managed to kill hundreds of ranunculus corms.
I’ve since discovered two new and exciting ways to massacre ranunculus.
Death by neighbor’s cat
The ginger cat who treats my flower beds as his personal litterbox did significantly more damage to my ranunculus than I’d previously calculated. Pawing around in flower beds to find the perfect place to go potty, as it turns out, is an effective way to destroy corms.
Me and The Ranunculus Pooper
Fortunately, I’d presprouted extras earlier in the season and potted them up with the intention of selling them. Those backups let me fill in some of the cat-related casualties.
But oh wait, there’s more: Death by Dehydration.
I can’t blame the cat for this one. So most of those potted backup ranunculus — the ones I just praised for saving the day — died thanks to my neglect.
I had them in three-inch pots outside. We had several days without rain and some warm-ish weather. They dried out and died out. (Whoopsies.)
The ones that survived filled in the gaps left by the cat.
Let's pour one out for my latest plant victims
What’s Coming Next: Variety Breakdown
I planted several varieties this year and have been tracking how each one performs — stem length, bloom time, color, and whether they survived the various threats I’ve described above. I’ll have a full variety breakdown up in the next few weeks, including which ones are worth ordering again and which ones I’m quietly removing from the rotation.
If you want to know when that post publishes, the easiest way is to sign up for my email list. I send about one email a week — no Instagram perfect nonsense, no spam, just what’s actually happening in the garden.
In the meantime, if you’re wondering whether the ranunculus season is worth all of this work, it is.
Growing ranunculus in Seattle, and have questions? The post below goes deep on another way NOT to kill your corms — I’ve accidentally done extensive field research on this topic.
Read the blog post here: How to Not Kill Ranunculus
FAQ: Growing and Succession Planting Ranunculus in Seattle
When do ranunculus bloom in Seattle?
In the Pacific Northwest, ranunculus planted in early fall (September–October) typically bloom in March to mid-April. Corms planted in December or January will bloom later — usually May or into early summer, depending on the variety and the weather. Seattle’s mild winters make fall planting viable in most years.
Does succession planting of ranunculus actually work in Seattle?
Yes, though the bloom spread is more modest than in warmer climates. In a West Seattle garden with fall-through-winter succession plantings, the difference between early October and January plantings was roughly four to six weeks of staggered blooms. It won’t give you flowers all summer, but it meaningfully extends your cutting season.
How early can you plant ranunculus corms in the Pacific Northwest?
Most PNW growers start in October for fall planting. September is possible and may get you earlier blooms — I’m planning to try it this coming season and will report back.
Do ranunculus come back every year in Seattle?
Ranunculus are technically perennials but behave as annuals in most Seattle gardens. The wet winters here can rot corms left in the ground, so most growers either dig and store them after bloom or replant fresh ones each season. Some gardeners have success overwintering in very well-drained raised beds, but it’s not a guarantee.
Does row cover help ranunculus stems get longer?
Low row cover can improve stem length by reducing wind. It’s not primarily a frost protection strategy at this point in the season — it’s a stem length strategy. It is worth trying if you’re cutting for bouquets and want longer, more useful stems.