Is it possible to grow peonies at home?

2 parts: Planting a peony in a potPeony care

Peonies are hardy plants from zones 3-8. However, they perform at their best in regions where the weather is slightly cold in winter. In zones 8 and 9, these plants may not flower if the temperature stays warmer than they like during the “colder” periods of the year. It is relatively easy to grow peonies in a pot.

Part 1 Planting a peony in a pot

1. Choose a peony that will fit the pot.

   Peonies (Paeonia spp. And hybrids) are usually grown outdoors, but they can also be grown in a pot. Choose a variety that, by nature, remains smaller.

   • Some peonies such as "Zhao Fen" (Tree peony "Zhao Fen" or "Zhao Pink") can grow to a height of 0.9 m to 1.8 m and a width of 0.6 m to 1.2 m.
   • Two smaller, more suitable variants of "Zhu Sha Pan" (Peony "Zhu Sha Pan" or "Kinnabar Red"), which grows in height and width from 0.6 m to 0.75 m, and "Narrow-leaved Peony" (Paeonia tenuifolia), which grows only 0.3 - 0.6 meters in height and 22 to 49 cm in width.
2. Choose the right pot for your peony.

   Pot the peony in early spring. Place it in a container that is at least 30 cm in diameter and 45-60 cm deep to give the peony plenty of room to grow.

   • Larger varieties will require an even larger pot. The container should also have several drainage holes at the bottom.
   • Growers should also note that these plants do not respond well to transplanting and must start their lives in large containers. Thus, a 5 liter pot is ideal for peonies.
3. Fill the container so it is half full with peat potting soil.

   Place the tuber on top of the potting mix to check the depth. There should be no more than 2.5-5 cm of soil above the top of the tuber.

   • When the potting mix is ​​at the correct depth, mix the water with it until the mixture is wet.
4. Add compost to the soil.

   Before planting a peony bulb, it is a good idea to sprinkle the compost in the soil for additional nutrients.

   • In spring, peonies are also advised to add a small amount of slow release fertilizer with low nitrogen content.
   • This will help keep them healthy and encourage flowering, but will not burn the plants like other types of fertilizers.
5. Place the peony tuber on top of the wet mixture with "eyes" or buds growing upwards.

   Finish filling the pot with potting soil and pour over until the water runs out from the bottom. Peony bulbs should be covered with only 2.5-5 cm of soil.

   • Gardeners need to be careful in such cases, because peonies that are too deep will not bloom.
   • Instances that produce lush foliage but not flowers may need to be dug up and transplanted to the correct depth before they can produce flowers.

Part 2 Peony care

1. Give the peony the light it loves.

   Set up the container outdoors in a sheltered place where the peony will get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight. Peonies require a lot of light to grow and color.

   • If the peony will be grown indoors, place it in front of the south or west side of a window, where it will receive plenty of direct sunlight.
2. Use grow lamps in addition to natural light.

   Grow lights are essential to supplement natural light. Use a four-lamp fluorescent light fixture with two dedicated full-spectrum 40-watt fluorescent lamps and two 40-watt cool white lamps.

   • Adjust the device so that the lamps are 15 cm higher than the peony and leave it for 12-14 hours every day.
   • The lamp must be connected to a timer that turns it on in the morning at sunrise and turns it off at the end of the day.
3. 

   Water the peony. Water the peony when the top 2.5 cm of the potting mix is ​​dry. Pour the water evenly over the potting mix until the water runs off the bottom of the pot.

4. Feed your peony with houseplant fertilizer.

   When the peony has new stems, start giving it houseplant fertilizer every four weeks.

   • It is important to use fertilizer for indoor plants, as opposed to fertilizer for garden peonies, as it is grown in a container.
   • Water soluble fertilizer is best. Always fertilize after regular watering. Stop feeding around mid-summer.
5. Prepare the plant for a dormant period.

   In late summer, water the peony less often. Let the soil dry completely before watering it again to encourage the peony to retire for the winter. Peonies should have two to three months of rest.

   • If the peony is grown indoors, slowly reduce the additional hours of light to coincide with the short autumn days.
   • If the peony is outdoors, leave it until the first bitter frost.
6. Trim the stems and move the plant to a cool, dark place.

   When the leaves begin to turn yellow and die, use a hand pruner to cut the stems.

   • Place the pot in an unheated garage or cool place in your basement. Take it out again in the spring when it gets warmer.
   • Place it outdoors in a sunny location or in front of a window and water abundantly.

Tips

• Peonies tend to bloom more profusely after they reach full maturity at 3 years of age.
• Those who grow peonies should avoid watering the plant heads because it can encourage disease and other pests to take hold.

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Peonies are a spectacular decoration of gardens, a powerful shrub with large and fragrant flowers. But growing such a bush at home is not easy. If it is not possible to create optimal conditions for growth for a potted peony, its shoots grow weak, lethargic, and flowering does not come. Only with some effort can you achieve that the garden plant will become a decoration of the residential interior, the result sometimes exceeds expectations.

1 Suitable varieties

Common varieties of garden peonies reach a height of 60-120 cm, so growing them indoors requires a lot of space. Low-growing varieties are more popular among lovers of indoor plants - patio peonies, reaching half a meter in height. Their varieties:

• "Rome" is a medium-flowering variety with pink flowers;
• "Oslo" - a variety with simple, raspberry flowers, very early flowering;
• "Moscow" - medium-early variety with semi-double red flowers;
• "London" is an early variety with double burgundy flowers.

The flowers of the patio peonies are slightly smaller in size than the flowers of the garden herbaceous peonies, although they retain their aroma. But they are also characterized by a smaller size of the root system, which allows them to grow undersized varieties in greenhouses. The color palette of these varieties is very diverse: from snow-white to maroon. Flowers are simple, semi-double and double.

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2 How to grow a peony at home?

For planting in a pot, rhizomes of 2-3 years of age are used. Under optimal conditions, they can begin to bloom a few months after planting. There are 3 main conditions for the successful cultivation of indoor peony:

1. 1. spacious container for the root system;
2. 2.Long-lasting solar lighting;
3. 3. Sufficient supply of water and minerals.

A pot for growing a peony must have a volume of at least 5 liters and a diameter of more than 30 cm. The depth of the pot must exceed the diameter and be at least 50 cm. Such plants thrive in large wooden boxes lined with thick cloth. There must be drainage holes in the bottom of the container in order to avoid stagnation of water and acidification of the roots.

Planting a peony in a pot is carried out in the spring. A layer of coarse pebbles or sand, broken brick, perlite is placed on the bottom of a suitable container for proper drainage, then the pot is half filled with a mixture of garden soil and peat. This layer is well moistened with water, the rhizome is carefully placed on top, buds upward, trying not to damage them. Next, the rhizome is covered with soil, but it should be close to the surface, no deeper than 2-3 cm, otherwise the plant may not start growing. The peony does not tolerate transplanting well, so it should be planted immediately in a large pot.

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3 Optimal conditions

Indoor peony is located in a bright, unshaded place, it needs at least 12 hours of sunlight per day. An open balcony, loggia, terrace are well suited for this. Indoors, the plant should be placed by a wide window in the south or southeast side, but protected from drafts. With a short duration of daylight hours, additional illumination with the help of fluorescent lamps is practiced. Watering is regulated in accordance with the moisture content of the soil - after the complete drying of the top layer of soil 2 cm thick. The plant does not need spraying and does not require high humidity. But you should not place it near heating devices that create a flow of warm dry air.

An ideal place for growing indoor peony at home will be an open balcony overlooking a cozy courtyard without drafts. Indoors, the plant will lack sunlight.

Large indoor plants consume a large amount of nutrients during the growth process, therefore, the supply of mineral elements in the soil must be regularly replenished. When growing peonies, the introduction of mineral fertilizers is carried out in 3 stages:

• after the appearance of the first shoots, nitrogen-potassium fertilizers are applied for the growth of shoots;
• during the budding period, fertilizing with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is carried out in order to get large flowers;
• 2 weeks after flowering, potassium and phosphorus are added to restore plant resources.

At the end of summer, watering the indoor peony must be reduced to provide it with the conditions for a smooth entry into a state of dormancy. At this time, the duration of the light period is shortened and the growing temperature is lowered.

Even undersized varieties of peonies are difficult to grow in greenhouses. The root system of this plant needs space, and the aboveground part needs an abundance of light. Only by creating optimal growing conditions can peony bloom at home, even though this plant is considered unpretentious in the garden.

Peonies are very beautiful and fragrant flowers. They are often found in garden beds. And if you are wondering if it is possible to grow peonies in a pot, we answer: you can. To do this, you need to know the features of home cultivation of these beautiful plants.

Home cultivars

First of all, it is worth deciding which varieties can be grown in an apartment or house.The fact is that the peony is a rather tall and voluminous bush that is unlikely to fit in an ordinary flower pot. And it is very difficult to grow such a plant in an apartment. Therefore, flower growers recommend choosing special varieties for home growing.

Garden varieties form bushes with a height of about 60–120 cm. Therefore, they are not suitable for an apartment, as they require a lot of space, large pots and special care. For home conditions, stunted species (patio peonies) that do not grow taller than 50 cm are best suited.
Patio species form slightly smaller buds than regular garden varieties. The color of flowers can be very diverse: from white to rich or maroon. However, despite their small size, their flowers exude a pleasant aroma. Due to the small size of the plants, their root system is small and fits easily into a flower pot.

It is best to plant the following varieties of peonies in an apartment:

• Rome. Forms pink buds. Has an average flowering period;
• Moscow. The plant blooms with red double flowers. This is a mid-early variety;
• Oslo. Raspberry buds of a simple type are formed on the bush. Very early flowering variety;
• London. Differs in early flowering period. The buds are terry and painted in burgundy color.

Such species on the windowsill can be grown with little effort and time.

Video "How to prepare a peony for planting"

This video will show you how to properly prepare peonies for planting.

The necessary conditions

To grow strong and healthy indoor peonies, it is necessary to organize optimal conditions for them. If the plant was planted under inappropriate conditions, then the emerging shoots will be lethargic and weak, and flowering will not occur at all.

When growing peonies at home, three main conditions must be observed:

• a spacious pot for the normal development of the root system;
• correct water regime and feeding (the intake of minerals is especially important);
• optimal light mode - at least 12 hours of illumination per day.

A pot for a peony should be chosen with a volume of at least 5 liters, with a diameter of about 30 cm. The depth of the container should be greater than the diameter and not less than 50 cm. Instead of a pot, you can plant flowers in wooden overall boxes, which are lined with thick cloth.

Regardless of its type, the selected container at the bottom must have drainage holes. Excess moisture will be removed through them.

For better survival, experts advise planting rhizomes in a flower pot at the age of 2-3 years. If the planting was correct and all the conditions of detention were met, then the plant will bloom in a few months.

Planting instructions

Indoor peony should be planted in a pot in the spring. The landing itself is performed as follows:

1. A drainage layer must be laid on the bottom of the selected container. You can use large pebbles, broken brick or perlite. Sand is poured over the drainage.
2. Next, the pot (up to half the volume) is filled with a mixture of peat and garden soil. This layer should be well moistened with water.
3. The rhizome of the plant is set on top of the soil layer (the soil should look up). You need to work very carefully so as not to damage the underground part of the flower. It should be noted that the rhizome should be placed close to the surface and not buried more than 2-3 cm. Otherwise, the peony will not grow.
4. After that, the remaining volume of the container is filled with soil mixture.
5. Then compost can be added to the pot so that the flower has all the necessary nutrients for its growth and development. After that, watering is performed.

This plant does not tolerate transfer to another pot. Therefore, it should be planted immediately in a large container in order to minimize the frequency of replanting.

Further care of the flower

After planting a peony, so that it takes root in a new place as quickly as possible and grows, you need to organize correct and balanced care for it.

The planted flower should be placed on an unshaded light windowsill. The light on the peony must fall at least 12 hours in a row. If there is not enough light, it is necessary to install additional illumination, organized using fluorescent lamps.

Indoors, it is recommended to place the pot on the windowsill of windows facing the southeast and south sides. In this case, the flower should be protected from drafts. You can even put a container with a plant on a glazed balcony, terrace or loggia.

Watering the plant is done regularly. Water should be added after the top layer of earth (2 cm thick) is completely dry. At the end of summer, watering is reduced to allow the flower to smoothly transition to a dormant state. At the same time, the lighting period should be gradually reduced, as well as the room temperature should be lowered.

Additional spraying of the peony is not carried out. It also does not need high humidity in the room. However, it is forbidden to put a flower pot near heating appliances.

In the process of growth, the peony should be periodically fed, since this plant consumes a lot of nutrients, which leads to a rapid depletion of reserves of mineral components in the soil. Top dressing is carried out in three stages:

• after the formation of the first stems, nitrogen-potassium fertilizers must be added to the container. They will stimulate the peony to grow shoots;
• during budding, fertilizing with potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen is performed. These substances will allow the flower to form large buds;
• 14 days after the beginning of flowering, phosphorus and potassium are reintroduced, which will allow the plant to recover after the budding period.

Each season, the fertilizing cycle is repeated.

Possible difficulties

Low-growing varieties of peonies, like the taller varieties, are quite difficult to grow at home. Therefore, it is not surprising that many growers are faced with the following difficulties:

• formation of sluggish bushes and lack of flowering. The problem lies in the lack of lighting of the flower. It is solved by installing additional lighting equipment;
• in the spring, the peony is in no hurry to grow actively. To solve the problem, dressings with a low nitrogen content are introduced into the pot;
• after planting, the plant does not form new stems or, on the contrary, actively grows green mass, but does not bloom. Most likely, the rhizome is too deeply planted and should be transplanted;
• it is necessary to avoid watering the plant heads, otherwise pathogens and parasites will appear in the pot.

Based on the above recommendations, it becomes clear how to grow low-growing peonies at home in an ordinary flower pot. There is nothing difficult here, you just need to adhere to certain rules.

It is quite easy to grow peonies on your site in a summer cottage village, despite the necessary skill and knowledge. These flowers are one of the favorites of gardeners. Despite its popularity, few people imagine how to grow peonies at home, what kind of land to use for this and what kind of pot it is desirable to choose for future beauty. Peonies at home are a great alternative to flower beds and flower beds that take up a lot of space.

It is quite easy to grow peonies on your site in a summer cottage village, despite the necessary skill and knowledge. These flowers are one of the favorites of gardeners. Despite its popularity, few people imagine how to grow peonies at home, what kind of land to use for this and what kind of pot it is desirable to choose for future beauty. Peonies at home are a great alternative to flower beds and flower beds that take up a lot of space.

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