CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to propagate and cultivate Ranunculus?

1. How to propagate and cultivate Ranunculus?

Ranunculus asiaticus, also known as celery flower and Persian buttercup, belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and the genus Ranunculus. With its large flowers, many petals and rich colors, it is an excellent landscaping material in warm temperate regions. It can also be potted and produced as cut flowers. It has a high commercial rate in Europe and is often cultivated in Chinese gardens.

1. Morphological characteristics and varieties

It is a perennial herbaceous bulbous flower. It has short spindle-shaped tubers, which are small, about 2 cm long and 1 cm in diameter, and most of them grow together on the shortened root neck. The plant is about 30 cm tall, with long and slender stems and few branches. Most of the leaves are basal, with long petioles, 1 to 2 times 3-compound leaves, with serrated lobes, or 3 deeply lobed. Single flowers are born at the top of the branches, or long pedicels grow from the axils of the leaves. The corolla is round, with flat petals, 8 in each round, slightly overlapping each other, forming two layers, with a flower diameter of 4 cm to 6 cm, and the garden variety can reach 10 cm. The flower colors are extremely rich, including white, yellow, orange, light red, scarlet, purple, brown and many other colors.

2. Ecological habits

It is native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. It likes a cool and sunny environment, avoids heat, and is relatively cold-resistant. It requires sandy or slightly clay soil rich in humus and good drainage, with a pH value of about 7. It can overwinter in the open field with a little protection in the Shanghai-Nanjing area, but it must be overwintered in a cold bed or cultivated in a low-temperature greenhouse in North China.

(III) Reproduction methods

Ranunculus is mainly propagated by division. After the mother plant is dug up, it is separated by hand and allowed to grow naturally. Each separated part must have a root neck. When planting, the soil should be covered shallowly, just enough to cover the root neck. It can also be propagated by seeds. After the seeds are mature and harvested, they should be sown immediately, at about 10°C, and roots will take about 20 days to grow.

(IV) Cultivation techniques

For bulbs planted in flower beds, the spacing between plants is 15 cm to 20 cm. When potted, one bulb can be planted in a small pot, and two bulbs can be planted in a large pot. It can overwinter outdoors in warm areas, but it needs to overwinter indoors in cold areas. The potting soil should be kept semi-dry to prevent the bulbs from rotting. During the vigorous growth period in spring, it should be kept moist at all times, but the soil should be slightly dry during the flowering period, and liquid fertilizer should be applied 1 to 2 times. It enters a dormant period in summer. After the bulbs are harvested, they should be fully dried and placed in a ventilated and dry place, otherwise they are very easy to rot.

Adopting forced cultivation, it can bloom at the end of the year. The method is to bury the bulbs in moist sawdust and treat them at a low temperature of 8°C to 10°C for 30 to 40 days to break dormancy in summer, and then plant them in late September to early October. The temperature can be kept at around 10°C in winter.

When potted, spraying 0.2% to 0.4% B9 can dwarf the plant. Generally, spray twice, the first time when the leaves just begin to sprout, and the second time when the flower buds are the size of beans. Although seedlings can bloom in the spring of the following year when sown in autumn, the first-year seedlings have fewer petals and smaller flower diameters, and their ornamental value is low. Generally, cut flowers, potted flowers, and flower beds are planted with one-year-old seedling bulbs.

2. How do animals reproduce? For example: ...

There are two ways of reproduction for animals: viviparous (mammals) - the fertilized eggs do not have an outer shell similar to an eggshell; they grow into individuals in the mother's body, and oviparous (reptiles, birds, fish, insects) - the fertilized eggs are wrapped in eggshells and hatched into individuals inside or outside the body. There are also some special reproduction methods, such as seahorses holding fertilized eggs in their mouths to hatch, and then raising baby seahorses in the "brood pouch" on the chest of male seahorses, but this reproduction method is also oviparous; one type of frog swallows the eggs into the mother's stomach to hatch, and then spits them out, but this is also a type of oviparous. It can be seen that although the reproduction methods of some animals seem special, they are actually viviparous or oviparous.

3. How do hydras, carps, sparrows, and rabbits reproduce?

Hydra reproduces by budding. Carp and sparrows lay eggs. Rabbits give birth to live young.