Some cultural tips from Biancheri Creations: Disinfect the ground bed approximately one month prior to planting the corms. The soil should also be cooled prior to planting. Root burn can be further prevented by planting the corms during the coolest part of the day. Rhizomes are planted 0.5cm beneath the soil with the sprout above the soil surface. Newly planted beds are covered with sterilised straw to keep the soil fresh. Drip irrigation is recommended because water does not accumulate on the leaves. Take care not to over-water. Ranunculus can also be successfully grown in hydroculture using inert substrates such as perlite and pumice. It can be easier to maintain water/nutrient substrate sterile and an earlier crop with a heavier yield of flowers can be expected. Lighting should be maintained at between 40,000 and 60,000 lux. It is recommended that flowers are harvested early morning or late afternoon. For storage over a period of 2-3 days, keep flowers in water at 2°C. For longer periods, keep flowers in water at 2°C for 5-6 hours after harvesting; remove stems from water until they are packed. Flowers should be returned to water 7 or 8 hours before delivery. For more information on the Company's 'Elegance®' seed raised series and the 'Success®' tissue-culture raised corms. "Floraculture International" E-mail: info@bianchericreations.it www.bianchericreations.it