Thanks for your question.

It is an interesting one and reflective of similar questions we have been receiving. Our mild 2023-24 winter and now an early spring has prompted several of us, I included, to start thinking of things that perhaps we should now be doing. When to start and when to plant your Ranunculus corms falls into this category. All things considered, such plantings are better done too late (up to a limit) than too early. I am a bit surprised by the directions on your package since planting these corms is usually a fall chore. Most corms need to go through a period of dormancy before they can be planted. The technical term is acclimation. I conclude that the instructions accompanying your bulbs suggest that these corms have already gone through this process. See:

https://grow.edenbrothers.com/planting-guide/ranunculus-bulbs/ - :~:text=Fall is the ideal planting,of hard frost is over.

The best time to plant your corms is when the soil temperature is about 50 degrees. When that will occur for Ramsey County, perhaps already, is difficult to predict. I can only provide you my best answer based upon the evidence currently available to me. I believe that you could start these corms inside within the next two weeks. Monitor the forecast for the upcoming weeks thereafter for your area. If the predicted night lows are around freezing, forestall planting your corms. Keep them inside in that case. Once you see that night temperatures will be in the upper 30’s, I would feel comfortable in putting them outside. As anxious as you might be to get them into the ground, if done too early the corms will simply rot.

Bottom line: if you start these corms inside towards the beginning of April with the anticipation of moving them outside at the end of April, then for sure things should be alright.

Good luck. Please get back to us with any further questions.