The cultivation of Ranunculus is compelling from a good starting at the time of planting. In Sanremo and to a larger extent, throughout the Riviera dei Fiori, the climate is certainly favourable for the cultivation of flowers and historically there is extensive knowledge regarding this activity, which has remained largely still a form of artisanal and family-based entrepreneurship.
Managing to obtain large, valuable and quality flowers is the result of a series of countless choices such as: nutrition, the choice of the cultivation environment, defense and many others, but everything starts off from a good quality of the bulbs and attentiveness when implanting the bulbs.
The preparation of the substrates of soil and of the land takes place in the weeks before planting. In the case of the soilless underlayers a replenishment of substances is also included; a steam disinfection guarantees an environment free of fungal and bacterial pathogens, agents capable of causing extensive damage to the plants.
At the end of August, the containment of high daytime temperatures occurs through light screening with products distributed on the roofs of the greenhouses, combined with shading nets on the cultivation.
Lowering temperatures is essential in this phase, since thermal stress in a particularly delicate phase such as transplanting can lead to the death of the bulb.
Irrigation is definitely another crucial point in this phase and keeping the soil surface fresh and well moist allows a reduction in plant stress. At the same time, excess irrigation can favour the establishment of fungus capable of attacking and quickly leading to the death of the plant.
Attacks by pathogens represent a high risk and the use of natural antagonists and other formulations of natural origin allow us to effectively counteract the onset of such problems.
Agronomic techniques such as the right distance between plants and air circulation in the cultivation environments guarantee good defense on behalf of the plants, even against bacteria.
After 3 or 4 weeks, the black nets and screening products on the covering surfaces of the greenhouses are normally removed, encouraging the entry of a greater quantity of light and encouraging the thickening of the tissues. The use of phosphorus-based fertilizers allows the root system to get strengthened at this stage, which is essential for the success of cultivation.
It is interesting to note how different varieties, although following the same cultivation protocol in the same environments, behave in different ways, not only in terms of external appearance and growth, but also in terms of susceptibility to different problems and needs.
From all this we can understand how delicate this phase is and how the choices carried out during this period influence the entire season.