Peony planting and care outdoors in siberia

Maryin root

Siberia and the Far East are home to many species. The most valuable of them are Maryin root, steppe peony and Far Eastern white-flowered (milky-flowered), they have non-double, but bright numerous flowers that appear against the background of beautiful foliage, different in different species. They bloom earlier than garden varieties, which is important in the design in the early period, in addition, it is a good material for breeding work. Garden forms and varieties of peony for the most part represent a herbaceous perennial rhizomatous plant with a height of 60 to 100 cm. The bush is large, multi-stemmed, with beautiful greenery, which has a decorative appearance until mid-September. The flowers are large, showy, can be double, semi-double and simple, with different terms and duration of flowering.

Early varieties bloom in early June, late ones - in early July.By the age of 5, the bush reaches its optimal size and has from 20 to 50 flowers and, as an exception, 150. If you select the appropriate assortment, you can have flowering peonies on the site for 40-55 days.

Steppe peony In addition, you can increase the flowering period due to agrotechnical methods: using film frames, as on strawberries, you can cause earlier flowering, and when planting on the shady side of the site and covering the bushes with sawdust (10-15 cm), it can be delayed by 10— 12 days, thereby further extending the flowering period by 15-20 days.

Peonies grow well on soil rich in organic matter with sufficient moisture, do not like transplants and develop better in one place for 10-12 years, provided good agricultural technology.

Planting peonies is best done in pits, the size of which depends on the size of the planting material (50 × 50, 60 × 60, 70 × 70 cm), add humus (8-10 kg per hole) and superphosphate (200 g), mix well with the ground , pour water into the liquefied mass and plant a "cut" of peony so that its buds are not deeper than 3-5 cm from the soil level after backfilling with earth.

Gardeners make the mistake of planting peonies in loose soil without taking into account its precipitation. In this case, the plant turns out to be buried, does not bloom, sometimes even grows poorly. To correct the error, you have to lift the bush with a pitchfork and pour it into the hole of the earth or completely transplant, violating the root system. The distance between the bushes should be 80-100 cm.

In the spring, as soon as the snow melts and the first shoots appear, they carry out the first feeding with a flower mixture (50-80 g / m2) and loosening to a depth of 3-5 cm. fertilizers) and the third - at the end of August only with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

With a lack of moisture, abundant watering of plants is necessary during budding, flowering and at the end of August with secondary root growth. Timely watering has a beneficial effect on the overwintering of plants and their development next year. After each watering, the soil is loosened or mulched.

For larger flowers, one bud should be left on the stem. For better flowering next year, in the fall, the leaves are cut off and humus mixed with wood ash and bone meal is added under each bush. Planting peonies should be carried out separately, if they are in the shade of trees, the number of buds and their size are sharply reduced.

On older bushes, damage from a nematode (eel) is possible, which causes nodular swelling of the roots. Such plants should be dug up and burned, and the soil should be disinfected. Peony flowers can be damaged by bronze. This golden-green beetle eats away at the core of the flowers. Beetles should be collected in the morning and burned.

Often you can see ants on the buds, they are attracted by the sweet juice. The buds are sprayed with tobacco infusion, and the nearby anthill must be moved from the bush.

Peonies reproduce by dividing the bush, renewal buds, stem and root cuttings, seeds.

The division of the bush is carried out in the first half of August before the beginning of the secondary growth of roots or in early spring, as soon as the soil thaws. This is the most common breeding method for peonies. Most gardeners use it when transplanting plants to a new place. Many people believe that when transplanted, peonies do not bloom for three to four years. Meanwhile, if this operation is carried out on time and carefully (damage the roots as little as possible), the peonies will bloom the next year.

To do this, you need to know that in peonies, in addition to the spring growth of the roots, their increased growth occurs a second time - in the fall, from about August 20-25. Therefore, replanting and dividing roots should be carried out as soon as the soil thaws and before the beginning of the secondary growth of roots! It should be borne in mind that the root system of peonies grows depending on age up to 80 cm in depth and up to 90 cm in width.

Carefully digging in the bush with a shovel, they lift it with a garden pitchfork, trying to damage the roots as little as possible. They are washed from the ground with water from a hose and division is carried out, while you need to use a knife as little as possible, separating them in places where jumpers are formed in order to inflict less wounds.

To obtain the maximum number of divisions, it is better to take 4-5-year-old bushes and divide them into four to six parts, with four to five buds; you can leave one or two buds on the plot, but they begin to bloom with a delay of one or two years.

You can get seedlings of peonies without digging up the plant completely. To this end, the bush is cut with a shovel into two parts, one part is carefully removed from the soil and divided, as described above, and the other remains in the ground.

The cut part is sprinkled with crushed coal, the hole is covered with soil, watered with water - and the bush continues to bloom and develop. When transplanting old bushes to a new place, rejuvenating pruning is carried out, fleshy rhizomes are shortened, leaving roots 8-10 cm long near the buds of renewal.

There is another way to get peony seedlings without digging a bush. To do this, in the first half of August (before the onset of secondary growth), the bush is carefully unpacked, part of the renewal buds with a piece of rhizome is separated from it and planted in cold nurseries at a distance of 10 × 10 cm, covered with a film, rooting occurs on the fortieth day. Then the film is removed and covered with a sheet pillow for the winter. In the spring, plants are transplanted to school or to a permanent place. Such plants bloom in the third or fourth year of life.

The method of reproduction by layering is also built on the principle of preserving the bush. A wooden box 25-30 cm high is placed on a peony bush in the spring. As the bush grows, the buds are covered with loose earth or humus, gradually filling the box. Shoots grow and bloom normally (somewhat lagging in comparison with free-growing bushes). Roots are formed at their base. In the fall, the box is removed and the rooted stems are cut off, transplanted to a permanent place. Such plants begin to bloom in the fourth or fifth year.

Maryin root

Siberia and the Far East are home to many species. The most valuable of them are Maryin root, steppe peony and Far Eastern white-flowered (milky-flowered), they have non-double, but bright numerous flowers that appear against the background of beautiful foliage, different in different species. They bloom earlier than garden varieties, which is important in the design in the early period, in addition, it is a good material for breeding work. Garden forms and varieties of peony for the most part represent a herbaceous perennial rhizome plant with a height of 60 to 100 cm. The bush is large, multi-stemmed, with beautiful greenery, which has a decorative appearance until mid-September. The flowers are large, showy, can be double, semi-double and simple, with different terms and duration of flowering.

Early varieties bloom in early June, late ones - in early July. By the age of 5, the bush reaches its optimal size and has from 20 to 50 flowers and, as an exception, 150. If you select the appropriate assortment, you can have flowering peonies on the site for 40-55 days.

Steppe peony In addition, you can increase the flowering period due to agrotechnical methods: using film frames, as on strawberries, you can cause earlier flowering, and when planting on the shady side of the site and covering the bushes with sawdust (10-15 cm), it can be delayed by 10— 12 days, thereby further extending the flowering period by 15-20 days.

Peonies grow well on soil rich in organic matter with sufficient moisture, do not like transplanting and develop better in one place for 10-12 years, provided good agricultural technology.

Planting peonies is best done in pits, the size of which depends on the size of the planting material (50 × 50, 60 × 60, 70 × 70 cm), add humus (8-10 kg per hole) and superphosphate (200 g), mix well with the ground , pour water and plant a "cut" of peony in the liquefied mass so that its buds are no deeper than 3-5 cm from the soil level after backfilling with earth.

Gardeners make the mistake of planting peonies in loose soil without taking into account its precipitation. In this case, the plant turns out to be buried, does not bloom, sometimes even grows poorly.To correct the error, you have to lift the bush with a pitchfork and pour it into the hole of the earth or completely transplant, violating the root system. The distance between the bushes should be 80-100 cm.

In the spring, as soon as the snow melts and the first shoots appear, they carry out the first feeding with a flower mixture (50-80 g / m2) and loosening to a depth of 3-5 cm. fertilizers) and the third - at the end of August only with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

With a lack of moisture, abundant watering of plants is necessary during budding, flowering and at the end of August with secondary root growth. Timely watering has a beneficial effect on the overwintering of plants and their development next year. After each watering, the soil is loosened or mulched.

For larger flowers, one bud should be left on the stem. For better flowering next year, in the fall, the leaves are cut off and humus mixed with wood ash and bone meal is added under each bush. Planting peonies should be carried out separately, if they are in the shade of trees, the number of buds and their size are sharply reduced.

On older bushes, damage from a nematode (eel) is possible, which causes nodular swelling of the roots. Such plants should be dug up and burned, and the soil should be disinfected. Peony flowers can be damaged by bronze. This golden-green beetle eats away at the core of the flowers. Beetles should be collected in the morning and burned.

Often you can see ants on the buds, they are attracted by the sweet juice. The buds are sprayed with tobacco infusion, and the nearby anthill must be moved from the bush.

Peonies reproduce by dividing the bush, renewal buds, stem and root cuttings, seeds.

The division of the bush is carried out in the first half of August before the beginning of the secondary growth of roots or in early spring, as soon as the soil thaws. This is the most common breeding method for peonies. Most gardeners use it when transplanting plants to a new place. Many people believe that when transplanting, peonies do not bloom for three to four years. Meanwhile, if this operation is carried out on time and carefully (damage the roots as little as possible), the peonies will bloom the next year.

To do this, you need to know that in peonies, in addition to the spring growth of roots, their increased growth occurs a second time - in the fall, from about 20-25 August. Therefore, replanting and dividing roots should be carried out as soon as the soil thaws and before the beginning of the secondary growth of roots! It should be borne in mind that the root system of peonies grows depending on age up to 80 cm in depth and up to 90 cm in width.

Carefully digging in the bush with a shovel, they lift it with a garden pitchfork, trying to damage the roots as little as possible. They are washed from the ground with water from a hose and division is carried out, while you need to use a knife as little as possible, separating them in places where jumpers are formed in order to inflict less wounds.

To obtain the maximum number of divisions, it is better to take 4-5-year-old bushes and divide them into four to six parts, with four to five buds; you can leave one or two buds on the plot, but they begin to bloom with a delay of one or two years.

You can get seedlings of peonies without digging up the plant completely. To this end, the bush is cut with a shovel into two parts, one part is carefully removed from the soil and divided, as described above, and the other remains in the ground.

The cut part is sprinkled with crushed coal, the hole is covered with soil, watered with water - and the bush continues to bloom and develop. When transplanting old bushes to a new place, rejuvenating pruning is carried out, fleshy rhizomes are shortened, leaving roots 8-10 cm long near the buds of renewal.

There is another way to get peony seedlings without digging a bush.To do this, in the first half of August (before the onset of secondary growth), the bush is carefully unpacked, part of the renewal buds with a piece of rhizome is separated from it and planted in cold nurseries at a distance of 10 × 10 cm, covered with a film, rooting occurs on the fortieth day. Then the film is removed and covered with a sheet pillow for the winter. In the spring, plants are transplanted to school or to a permanent place. Such plants bloom in the third or fourth year of life.

The method of reproduction by layering is also built on the principle of preserving the bush. A wooden box 25-30 cm high is placed on a peony bush in the spring. As the bush grows, the buds are covered with loose earth or humus, gradually filling the box. Shoots grow and bloom normally (somewhat lagging in comparison with free-growing bushes). Roots are formed at their base. In the fall, the box is removed and the rooted stems are cut off, transplanted to a permanent place. Such plants begin to bloom in the fourth or fifth year.

Tree peonies (Paeonia saffruticosa) are a group of species, natural and artificial hybrids and varieties of the genus Peony (Paeonia). It is a deciduous shrub up to 1.5 meters in height. Very decorative, thanks to the spectacular, bright green, double-dissected leaves and unusually beautiful, large (12 to 25 cm in diameter) flowers. They come in simple, double and semi-double shapes and in various colors: from snow-white to almost black, including yellow and purple.

The history of cultivation of the tree peony has more than two thousand years. In the wild, the tree peony grows in the highlands of southeastern China, therefore the Chinese are the ancestors of the introduction of these plants into culture and subsequent selection. Around the 7th-10th centuries, the tree peony comes to Japan, and the Japanese contribute to the development of this culture. The tree peony came to Europe only at the end of the 18th century, gained popularity in the gardens of England, France, Holland and, of course, did not leave European breeders without work. As a result of this centuries-old work, more than 1000 varieties of tree peony have been created, which are subdivided into several groups:

• Sino-European - with heavy double flowers;
• Japanese - with non-double or semi-double light and airy flowers;
• hybrids of yellow peony and Delaway peony - with yellow flowers.

There is another group of tree peonies - mountain peonies - the newest group created with the participation of alpine species and has a number of advantages for growing in our rather harsh conditions. This is:

- increased winter hardiness;

- Stronger annual growth in comparison with tree peonies;

- early flowering.

Tree peonies have a number of features that must be taken into account when growing them.

The first is slow growth. Yes, the tree-like peony grows slowly, but every year it becomes more and more beautiful. So be patient and it will definitely be rewarded.

Secondly, it is a long-liver, in one place it can grow for more than 100 years. This must be taken into account when choosing a location.

Thirdly, it is very tenacious. If in the spring it seems to you that he is gone, frozen, dried up, the buds do not bloom, do not rush to say goodbye to him. After some time, new shoots may appear, and even with buds.

Buying a tree peony

When choosing a tree peony seedling, you should pay attention to the fact that the planting unit has 2-3 lignified shoots no more than 25 cm high, with unblown buds. In this case, the buds should be large enough and glossy. The roots should be well developed, ideally the length of the roots should be equal to the height of the crown.

Planting a tree peony

A place for planting peonies is chosen sunny or light partial shade, protected from the winds.

Tree peonies grow on almost any soil, but prefer permeable loams with a weakly alkaline reaction

The best time to plant tree peonies is from mid-August to mid-September.

A pit for planting a peony is prepared in advance, in about 2-3 weeks. It should have dimensions of 80x80 and a depth of 60-70 cm.A drainage layer of 15-25 cm is poured at the bottom of the pit, then it is covered with a soil mixture consisting of garden soil, humus and peat in equal proportions with the addition of ash, bone or dolomite flour, potassium sulfate and superphosphate (about one glass each).

When planting, gently straighten the roots of the peony over the formed surface of the fossa, and fill it with the remaining soil mixture so that the root collar is at the level of the soil, tamp and water.

But, since planting material is supplied for sale mainly in the spring, the question arises: what to do in this case? There are at least two solutions.

1. Plant the cut in a pot with a volume of 5-6 liters, with the onset of a stable positive temperature, take it out into the garden and wait for a favorable time for planting, carefully transferring the plant from the pot to the prepared hole. In this case, it is important to prevent waterlogging and stagnation of water during the period of overexposure.
2. Plant in the same way as in autumn. In this case, it is advisable to choose a planting time when the danger of recurrent frosts has already passed and a steady heat has not yet come.

In my practice, I used both of these methods: the mountain peony was planted in the spring, and the yellow-flowered peony was overexposed in the fall. Both are still growing and developing.

Tree peony care

Top dressing - if the peony is planted correctly, then in the first two years, feeding can be omitted. Starting from the third year, the first top dressing is carried out on the snow with nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. The second - before flowering with the same fertilizer composition. The third - after flowering - phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. I use fertilizer "Fertika" ("Kemira"), respectively, spring and summer.

Watering - plentiful, but not frequent. In dry weather, an adult bush should be watered once a week at the rate of 2-3 buckets per bush.

Pruning - held every spring until the beginning of the growing season: dried shoots are removed, old shoots are shortened by 10 cm. This gives the plant the opportunity to awaken the adventitious buds at the base of the plant. Another pruning is done after flowering. In this case, it is necessary to remove the faded bud and cut the peduncle 2 buds below. Based on my own experience, I strongly recommend this operation, as it contributes to further growth and abundant flowering next year.

Fig. 1 Pruning a tree peony after flowering

Shelter of a tree peony for the winter

In Siberia, it is necessary to cover the tree peony. I cover my peonies like this: I tie the crown, cover it with spruce branches, wrap it with covering material in several layers and tie it again. It is enough just to wrap a mountain peony with a covering material.

Tree peony transplant

A tree peony transplant is very painful. Transplanted bushes take a long time to recover, sometimes over several years. If there is a need to transplant a healthy bush, then carefully dig in it, trying not to damage the root system, and transfer it with a lump of earth to a prepared hole. If the bush has signs of illness, and you want to reanimate it, then after digging the bush, gently rinse it under running water, inspect the roots, remove the diseased, process the sections with a dark burgundy solution of potassium permanganate, sprinkle with crushed coal and plant in a prepared place.

Tree peony rejuvenation

If your peony bush has reached a mature age (20 years or more) and began to lose its decorative effect, then the bush can be rejuvenated by cutting it in the fall almost to the very surface of the soil. This will give an impetus to the awakening of the adventitious buds at the base of the shoots.

Diseases and pests of tree peonies

Tree peonies are very resistant to disease.In 10 years of caring for them, I have never noticed signs of illness or pest damage. But, nevertheless, tree peonies can be subject to gray rot and brown spot disease. In case of a disease with gray rot, it is necessary to remove damaged shoots and spray with a 6-7% solution of copper sulfate or a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per 10 l of water). In case of a brown spot disease, it is necessary to remove and burn diseased leaves and spray with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Reproduction of tree peonies

There are 5 ways to reproduce tree peonies.

1. By dividing the bush

This is the most acceptable breeding method, carried out at the same time as planting a peony, i.e. from mid-August to mid-September. It should be a 5-6 year old, healthy bush with 7 or more shoots, with a distance of at least 3.5 cm between them.The bush is carefully dug up, washed off the ground with a stream of water with a weak pressure, the shoots are cut to a height of 10-15 cm and wither in the shade for 2-3 hours. Then the rhizome is divided in such a way as to obtain divisions with 2-3 buds and a part of the root of at least 10 cm. Places of cut and damage are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with crushed coal. The divisions obtained in this way are planted in pits prepared in advance.

2. Layers

Peony propagation by layering begins in May, before flowering. To do this, take a strong shoot, bend it to the ground, and make an incision at the point of contact of the shoot with the ground. The incision is powdered with rooting stimulants, a small spacer can be inserted. After that, the shoot is pinned to the surface of the soil, covered with a layer of earth 10-15 cm high and made sure that the earth does not dry out in this place. The roots should appear in late August - early September.

3. Cuttings

From about mid-June to early August, the tree-like peony can be propagated by cuttings. Semi-lignified cuttings are cut obliquely under the bud, the leaf blades are shortened by half, treated with root formation stimulants and planted in boxes with a mixture of sand and peat in equal amounts to a depth of 1.5 cm.The boxes are covered with foil and constantly watered and sprayed. At the end of September, rooted cuttings are planted in separate pots and left in a greenhouse until spring. In the spring, when the plants start to grow, they are planted in a permanent place. Peonies bloom with this method of reproduction in the 5th year.

4. Vaccination

With this method of reproduction, the roots of a herbaceous peony are used as a stock, horses and a tree peony can also be used. In this case, you need to monitor the appearance of root growth and remove it. This can be avoided by using your own peony roots. It is advisable to keep the harvested roots for 2-3 weeks in a cool room. Cuttings with two buds are cut in early August and cut from both sides in a wedge shape. An incision of the same shape is made on the rootstock, the rootstock stalk is tightly inserted, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap and tied. The prepared material is laid horizontally in a moistened layer of sawdust and placed in a cool, shaded place. A month later, when the scion grows together with the stock, plant it in a greenhouse so that the lower peephole is 5-7 cm deep. It is planted in a permanent place after 2 years.

5. Seeds

The advantage of this method is that the plant grown in this way will have increased immunity and more easily adapt to environmental conditions. It is best to sow with freshly harvested seeds. Seeds are sown in the ground in September-October. In this case, flowering occurs in 4-5 years. If the seeds lay for several months or years, the germination rate decreases sharply and the seeds require stratification and even scarification. The stratification process is quite complicated, personally I will not have the patience to follow all the recommendations exactly. I myself sowed purchased seeds in the spring in open ground. Of 10pcs.I had 2 seedlings in the 2nd year and 1 seedling in the 3rd.

Using the tree peony

The tree peony is an unconditional soloist. He shows his best qualities in single plantings, especially good against the background of the lawn. You can also use it in group plantings, large bushes perfectly serve as a background in prefabricated flower beds. And, of course, it's a great cut.

Russian selection

And I would also like to say a little about the Russian selection of tree peonies. Breeding work has been carried out by the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University for over 30 years. During this time, more than 40 varieties of tree peonies have been registered, which are included in the catalog of varieties and are recommended for use in production. These are winter-hardy varieties, they feel great not only in central Russia, but also in the Urals and Siberia.

The most popular varieties of Russian selection:

• white - Lomonosov, Moscow University, Maria, Anastasia Sosnovets;
• pale pink - Dmitry Kapinos;
• yellow - Kuindzhi, Academician Sadovnichy;
• red - Vladimir Mayakovsky;
• salmon - Irina, Marianna;
• purple-pink - Nikolay Vavilov, Yulia Drunina;
• lilac-beetroot - Peter the Great.

Below is a photo of Mountain Peony and Tree Peony "Yellow Bird".

  

  

  

BOCHAROVA T.M.

Peonies planting and care

Peonies are flowers of impressive size, of various colors: bright red, crimson, deep pink, white. Who wants to grow these wonderful flowers in their country house, read the article: peony planting and care in the open field. Not everyone knows that the appearance of a peony bud depends on the type of flower; they can be double, smooth or pompous. Peonies look very beautiful, resembling rosettes with a noticeable core.

The beginning of flowering of peonies falls on the end of May - beginning of June. The height of the bush can reach 90 cm. Peonies are a perennial garden culture that delights the eye with its splendor for more than one year. It is not difficult to grow a peony (Paeonia), it is not a capricious plant that does not require laborious maintenance.

Types and varieties of peonies

To date, more than five thousand varieties of peony are known. All species of this family are divided into herbaceous and arboreal. Treelike varieties are shrubs that grow up to 2 m. Herbaceous species do not require special care, they bloom for many years in a row. Basically, by the second half of July, herbaceous varieties of peonies fade. To prolong the enjoyment of the flowering specimen, it is necessary to plant flowers with different flowering times.

Attention! The variety of peony for planting is selected individually, depending on its future location. For planting next to the curb, herbaceous types are more appropriate; when planting alone, tree peonies are better suited.

Tree peonies are classified into 3 varieties:

1. European ones are distinguished by large flowers with double petals of various colors - from pinkish to deep crimson. Their leaves are dense, fleshy, large in size.
2. Japanese are terry and semi-smooth, inflorescences are not so heavy. This variety stands out for its increased resistance to frost. This feature is due to the method of cuttings, when cuttings are grafted to the root system of herbaceous peonies. This method allows the thermophilic plant to survive the harsh natural conditions of the Russian winter.
3. Hybrids bred by crossing Delaway and Yellow peony. This semi-shrub species has a bright yellow hue with a prominent red mark at the base of the bud. The trunk does not branch out and grows up to 2 m in height. On one branch, basically, from 3 to 5 inflorescences. The blossoming flowers can be up to 10 cm in diameter.

Tree varieties of peonies take root well and develop in illuminated places that are not accessible to direct wind. The soil base must be selected fertilized and well permeable to moisture, avoiding stagnation of water.In winter, representatives of this species should be covered with coniferous branches and barriers from boards, in order to avoid freezing.

Attention! The soil for planting tree peonies must have good drainage.

Nowadays, hybrid varieties obtained by repeated crossing of various varieties are becoming increasingly famous. Hybrids are unique, as they combine the properties and external qualities of herbaceous and tree-like types.

The result is a unique color, large flowers, good frost tolerance. Crossed species are relevant for use in landscape decoration, because their indisputable qualities are the increased duration of flowering, a wide range of colors and a unique aroma.

The classification of herbaceous varieties is more extensive than tree varieties. The main varieties include:

1. Maryin's root (evading peony), having large, upright stems in diameter, up to 1 m high. Sufficiently large pink flowers are the distinctive features of this variety. Flowering occurs in May - June. It is used as a medicine and to decorate the territory of a garden plot.
2. The medicinal peony used to be used only for medicinal purposes, but now it is widely known as a beautiful flower for decoration. The inflorescence has no aroma, the size is up to 12 cm. The color of blossoming buds is usually dark red. This variety is widespread, mainly in the middle zone of our country. Flowering begins in early June.
3. The narrow-leaved peony is an attractive decorative element for unshaded areas that are not subject to increased watering. During the flowering period, they delight with beautiful raspberry buds, but already in the second half of May they fade and cease to be a decoration of the territory.
4. Peony Mlokosevich is named after the researcher who discovered this variety on the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains in the 19th century. The unique yellow color and bluish color of the leaves makes it interesting for lovers of peonies. Another distinctive feature is the very slow blooming of the buds, which, when opened, reach 12 cm. The flowering time varies depending on the climate, but this usually occurs in May.
5. White-flowered peonies are a wide variety, which in turn is divided into a number of subspecies. These are simple, semi-double and Japanese varieties.

The most famous of the semi-double:

• Miss America is a tall plant with lush white buds;
• Cytheria - flowers of medium height, changing color during flowering, from deep burgundy at the beginning to white-pink at the end;
• Lastres - flowers with a five-row arrangement of red petals. The height of the bushes is decent and reaches 70 cm.
• Japanese white-flowered peonies are the most popular and widespread. The main varieties of this species:
• Velma Atkinson - flowers with predominantly early flowering, pink tint;
• Pearl placer is a type of later flowering and long duration of flowering. It smells like roses;
• Karara is a medium-sized variety with a diameter of blossoming flowers up to 16 cm.

It is not possible to describe all the varieties of the peony family, and these are only a few of the existing five thousand. The list of varieties is constantly replenished with newly discovered or bred, raising the art of breeding peonies to the rank of a certain philosophy.

Peonies exist for every taste, even the most fastidious gardener will like any one for growing and decorating his site.

Photo peonies

Peony planting and care in the open field

Choosing and preparing a place for planting a peony

The key to a successful planting of peonies is the optimal location for the flower. The area for peonies should be sufficiently lit, especially in the morning, not shaded by other garden crops.

Peonies negatively perceive strong gusts of wind, so they should be placed near the walls of buildings, fences, or protected from drafts by higher shrubs or trees.

It is better if the selected site is located on a hill, because peonies do not tolerate too moist soil, and places in the lowland are categorically not suitable for them.

Attention! If the composition of the soil mixture on the site is not suitable for peonies, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work to improve it.

Previously, a few weeks before the transplant, the area for peonies must be prepared. It is necessary to make a depression for one and a half shovels and fill it with soil prepared from humus, peat, ordinary soil and sand, taken in the same amount. For proper growth, 0.5 liters of ash should be added to this mixture.

Peony planting time

For planting peonies in open ground, early autumn is considered the most suitable time. It is at this time that there are no large values ​​of air temperature, more rains, which improves the adaptation of the plant in a new place. Before the onset of cold weather, the flower will have time to strengthen due to the active growth of new branches of the roots.

Attention! Peonies planted in spring are more susceptible to disease and recover more slowly. Flowers transplanted in autumn take root better and begin to develop rapidly in spring.

If it is necessary to plant in the spring, then this must be done before the air has time to warm up to 10 degrees. If this condition is not met, then the probability of plant death is high.

Peony care basics

Since peonies are usually grown in outdoor gardens, the rules of care are considered in relation to growing outdoors.

Temperature and lighting

There are no specific temperature characteristics. Each grower chooses a variety designed to grow in his climatic zone and adapted to specific temperature conditions. Accordingly, the selected variety tolerates the temperature of its climate well and is unpretentious to adaptation.

Peonies are plants that love sunlight. Their leaves and flowers are not afraid of exposure to direct sunlight. Growth is possible in light shade, but periods of good lighting should prevail.

Requirements for the composition of the soil

An important role in the proper development of the peony bush is played by a suitable soil composition. An optimally selected soil mixture when planting is a guarantee of beautiful flowers that will delight the eye and decorate the site.

For peonies, a soil that has a slightly acidic or alkaline reaction is well suited. If the soil is clayey, then the addition of sand is required, in the case of sandy soil, humus must be added, and limestone rocks must be introduced into the soil with an acidic environment at least a year before planting the peonies.

The planting process is very important in the life of the plant and requires some preparation from the gardeners. Under the peony, you need to dig a hole 70 cm deep. It should be prepared a month before planting and filled with a specially prepared soil mixture of peat, sand, humus and the necessary fertilizers. This mixture is filled with ordinary soil and left to settle. After 3-4 weeks, peonies can be planted.

Attention! Fertilizers applied to the soil should not fall directly on the root system of the peonies.

Waiting for soil shrinkage is required to prevent the buds of the transplanted peonies from covering with soil.

Watering

Peonies should be watered sparingly. These plants are adversely affected by nearby groundwater. The soil for peonies should have good drainage and be loosened. In hot summer weather, when peonies are actively blooming, they need to be watered more often and with plenty of water. Watering should be done directly under the roots, without watering the foliage.

Frequent loosening of the soil helps to ensure optimal development and growth. In loose soil, the necessary moisture reserve is better retained, weeds and dangerous pests appear less.

Top dressing

In the first year after planting, additional feeding is not required. Fertilizers begin to be applied to the soil mixture after the plant reaches two years of age.Top dressing is carried out with urea, crystalline or any other nitrogen-containing mixture. During the period of spring and summer, it is advisable to feed peonies 3 times:

• the first feeding is carried out with the onset of spring, sprinkling with carbamide or potassium sulfate in an amount of 15 grams;
• the second time, peonies are fertilized with a solution of urea or superphosphate, when future flowers are formed;
• the third feeding is done 2 weeks after the end of flowering to form buds for the next year.

Pruning

One of the necessary procedures for growing peonies is pruning. Autumn is considered the best time for pruning. This helps prepare the plants for a safe existence during the winter.

It is optimal to cut the bushes at the beginning of cold weather. For the winter months, shoots of about 4 cm remain, covered with spruce branches.

It is wrong to prune peonies immediately after the end of flowering. This will remove the buds of the inflorescences that were laid for the next year. Pruning during the flowering period, the peony will lose the opportunity to bloom in a year.

Preparing a peony for winter

After a vigorous flowering, garden peonies must be prepared for the winter period. This includes weeding and loosening the soil around the bushes.

In autumn, it is necessary to cut the leaves and stems low so that fungal diseases do not develop. In the case of severe winters, the shrubs need to be covered with spruce branches. The same procedure is carried out to protect all juveniles.

Features of planting and caring for peonies in Siberia, in the north

The Siberian region and the Far East are considered the native territory for some species of peonies. The most famous of them are Maryin root, Far Eastern white-flowered peony and steppe. These cultures are among the first to bloom in the conditions of Siberian nature, which gives them special value in the formation of landscape designs of these territories.

The climatic conditions of the region have the following influence on the development of flowers: cold weather during the period of budding slows down blooming, the subsequent heat accelerates flowering. To increase the duration of the flowering period, it is necessary to adjust the conditions, bringing them closer to natural for certain varieties.

Peonies are unpretentious plants, some varieties of which can grow in northern climatic conditions. Autumn mulching of the bushes becomes a prerequisite here.

The main cultivar for cultivation in northern nature has become the evading peony (Maryin root). His winter hardiness indicators are higher than those of others, which allows him to enjoy his flowers in northern nature.

Reproduction of peonies

The breeding methods of herbaceous or treelike peonies have their own characteristics, but there are also the same methods for all types.

A propagation method suitable for any type of peony is by seed propagation. It should be borne in mind that this method is quite long, because the flowering of plants will appear on average only after 5 years. However, not all varietal peonies will retain their varietal characteristics.

The most commonly used method is the division of the bushes. This method is used for tree and herbaceous varieties without exception. The separated parts of the bush usually quickly adapt and flowers appear on them already in the second year after breeding. Dividing a herbaceous peony is also a kind of way to rejuvenate a bush. And tree-like plants can be divided only if they have grown enough.

In addition to the basic methods, tree peonies can be propagated by cuttings and air layers. They also use grafting of the roots of one variety on another, including tree-like on herbaceous. Herbaceous varieties are propagated by cuttings of roots and separation of a part of the plant.

Peony care features by seasons

In the spring. The first sprouts of peonies appear early, even from under the snow. If the autumn mulching of the bushes was carried out, then at the beginning of April it is necessary to carefully remove the covering structure.In the first days of May, the first feeding and preventive spraying against diseases are carried out.

Summer. Summer care includes weeding the land around the bushes, timely watering and the necessary fertilizing.

In the autumn. Pruning leaves, destroying the tops in case of fungal attack, or shelter with cut foliage if the plant is healthy.

In winter. Special warming is carried out if the peony is young or in conditions of harsh winters. Older specimens will not require insulation under normal winter conditions.

If peonies don't bloom

A common problem when breeding peonies is the lack of flowers. This problem may have the following reasons:

• excessive deepening of the kidneys during planting;
• little light and too wet soil;
• a large age of the bush, its rejuvenation is required by division;
• unsuitable composition of the soil base, acidic environment, it is necessary to add ash or limestone;
• removal of the kidneys during pruning in the previous year;
• insufficient amount of applied fertilizers.

Determining the problem moment will allow you to make the right decision and improve the condition of the peony, which will certainly manifest itself in the appearance of flowers on it.

Peony pests and diseases

Growing outdoors is an increased risk for the plant to be damaged by disease or pest. The care of the gardener becomes the protection of peonies from these negative influences.

The main pests:

• aphid;
• root nematode;
• caterpillars;
• bronze.

Bronze and caterpillars are collected from flowers by hand and destroyed. Additionally, a solution of aconite is applied to the plants.

To eliminate the root nematode, a special set of fertilizers is used and replanting in the immediate vicinity of the peonies of plants that the pest does not tolerate.
Chlorophos is used to combat aphids.

The most undesirable diseases of peonies are caused by fungi. This is brown spot, rust, gray rot.

Gray rot is a characteristic grayish bloom on foliage and flowers. The trunk of the bush dries up and becomes brittle, the flowers turn black. For healing, fungicides are used with which peonies are processed.

In order to prevent the disease, the soil is loosened, the distance between the individual bushes is observed, the stems and leaves are not left at the end of the pruning.

If yellow spots are seen on the foliage of the peonies, then the plant is damaged by rust. The leaves begin to curl and dry. Eliminate the disease by using fungicides. In order to avoid the death of plants from brown spot caused by a fungus, in the spring they are sprayed with celandine infusion or Bordeaux liquid.

The peonies in the garden are gorgeous. They become a wonderful decoration for any site. But it must be remembered that only the right care and maintenance of the plant will allow you to enjoy wonderful flowers for many years in a row.

Video tips: how to properly plant and care for peonies

Peony is one of the most amazing and beautiful ornamental plants. This flower is second only to the rose - the real queen of the garden. Peony flowers are short-lived, but they are able to fill the garden with marvelous colors and magical aromas, and give its owner unforgettable emotions.

Peony flowers are very different, they differ in color, shape and have an enchanting scent. Peonies are able to grow for many years, bringing real joy to their owners with their amazing flowers.

The peony remains an adornment of any garden even after flowering: its leaves are no less beautiful and attractive.

Homeland of the plant

This amazing flower was cultivated in China as early as 5th century BC. Chinese emperors admired him. The first was domesticated Peony lactobacillus - a plant common in China, Siberia and Mongolia. The name of this flower comes from the name of the legendary healer Pean, who was so skillful that he healed the wounds of gods and heroes.

This flower arrived in Europe rather late - in the 18th century and quickly became a universal favorite.It took its rightful place in the royal gardens of Europe, hundreds of breeders began work on breeding varieties. In the 19th century, the peony crossed the Atlantic and quickly conquered the New World.

General description of the flower

Peonies are a member of the Peony family. It includes 32 species.

These are perennial plants, with a herbaceous, shrub or semi-shrub stem, reaching a height of one meter.

Although, the tree-like peony, which is the symbol of China, grows up to two meters. Peonies have a powerful rhizome, with thickened cone-shaped roots. Large leaves of rich green color are arranged alternately. The shape of the leaf plate is trifoliate or pinnately divided.

Peony flowers are large, single. The petals form a corolla. There are five sepals, most often the petals are also five. The petals have a very rich color palette. There can be up to eight pistils, many stamens.

Complexity, whimsicality, availability of cultivation

Growing peonies does not cause much trouble, the agricultural technology of peonies is not difficult even for not too skillful gardeners, if you follow simple rules, these flowers will bring you joy for many years. This is another important reason for the widespread popularity of the peony.

The breeders did not deprive the peony of their attention: today several thousand varieties of the plant are known, new ones are constantly appearing. There are several nuances that are important for the growth of a peony.

Planting peonies in the open field. Optimal time

Autumn - the best time for transplanting and planting peonies. In the spring, these manipulations are not recommended.

The most important thing when planting a plant is choosing the right place. Pay particular attention to the following:

• A peony needs at least five to six hours of intense sunlight.
• The flower does not tolerate drafts.
• It is better not to plant the plant in the lowlands.
• Do not plant the peony too deep, it will bloom poorly.

Planting a flower in the fall

It is better to plant and transplant peonies in early autumn. This will give the plant plenty of time to prepare for winter.

Prepare planting holes. The hole should be 60x60x60 cm in size. Put drainage (20 cm thick) in the hole, top dressing consisting of humus, compost, lime, superphosphate and wood ash. Fill the hole with a mixture of compost and soil. When the soil settles, you can start planting the plant.

In the next step, you should dig out the rhizome of the peony and this must be done very carefully. Better to use a garden pitchfork. You need to dig a bush with them and remove the rhizome. Remove the soil and dry it. Then the rhizome should be divided into parts, 15 cm long, containing roots and several buds. It is recommended to dip the rhizome pieces into a potassium permanganate solution to destroy root rot.

Good results are obtained by dipping rhizomes in a solution of heteroauxin.

Remember, deep planting is one of the most common reasons for the lack of flowers. The upper bud should not be deeper than 3-4 cm. In the first year, the peony blooms very rarely and does not look very healthy.

Planting in spring

Usually this plant is not planted in spring. But if it is necessary, then it is better to proceed as follows. Transplant the peony into a pot and place it in a cool room (cellar), keeping the soil moist at all times. In May, plant the plant directly in the pot, and in the fall, transplant along with the soil in which the root system is located. Planting should be done as described above.

Soil preparation and gardening

It is important to choose the right habitat for the plant, its growth depends on it. Find a well-lit place for the flower, not far from the nearest shrub or tree. Peonies grow normally in the shade, but bloom much worse. The landing site should not be flooded with water.

Peony care

Peony is an unpretentious plant, it does not cause unnecessary trouble for flower growers. However, there are nuances when growing it, you need to know them.

The peony can grow on any soil, but loam (6-6.6 pH) gives preference. The peony does not like wet soils, so do not plant it in lowlands. High humidity leads to root rot and death of the flower. If you did everything correctly, then the plant can not be fertilized for a whole year. Water the plant regularly.

Spring care

In the spring, the plant needs abundant watering. You need to do it once a week, spending two buckets of water for each bush. Moisture is especially important during flower formation.

Autumn care

In the fall, you should remove all dead leaves and parts of the stems and burn them, so you are guaranteed to destroy pathogens. Then you need to cover each bush with ash and leave to winter. Adult peonies do not need shelter.

Top dressing and fertilization

In the first year after planting, it is better not to get carried away with top dressing. Then use liquid forms of dressings. At the beginning of spring, nitrogen-potassium fertilizing is used, during the period of bud formation, fertilizing containing phosphorus and nitrogen is used. After its completion, potassium-phosphorus feeding is recommended, it can be continued until mid-autumn.

Watering

For a peony, you need not very frequent, but quite abundant. It is recommended to water it once a week, but spend at least two buckets of water per bush.

Watering is extremely important during peony flowering. Insufficient watering is one of the main reasons for the lack of flowers. The water should fall under the flower bush.

Illumination

Peonies are sun-loving plants, they need 6 hours of sunshine. But the southern parts of the garden, where the plant can get burned, is best avoided.

Temperature regime

Peonies are not too demanding on temperature. The climatic conditions of the temperate zone are quite suitable for them.

Peony transplant

Peonies are transplanted in early autumn. First, choose the right place for planting and prepare the hole (this has already been described above).

For transplanting, you must carefully dig out the rhizome of the peony, prepare a hole for it and place the plant in it. Apply enough fertilizer.

Transplanting flowers in spring is not recommended.

Reproduction

Reproduction by dividing the bush

Florists use this method most often. You need to take an adult plant that has already bloomed. Then the rhizome is carefully dug in and carefully removed from the ground. Rotten roots are removed, and the rhizome is divided into parts (the planting method is described in detail above). The ground part is almost completely cut off. Usually this work is done in early autumn. Cover the planting site with a layer of peat.

Propagation by root cuttings

Quite a reliable way, it consists in the fact that part of the root is planted in the hole. By winter, she manages to take root and hibernate normally. But you will see the first flowers in a few years.

Seed propagation

Peonies can be propagated by seed. True, this does not preserve the quality of the variety. Growing peonies from seeds more often used by breeders.

Blooming peonies

The peony has a large single red, yellow, bright crimson or white flower. It can be terry, fluffy, or rosette-like. Yellow numerous stamens are clearly visible. Flowers usually appear in May or early June.

There are several groups of peonies that differ in the structure of flowers:

• Japanese. The stamens and pistils are located in the center of the flower, they form a kind of cluster (pompon).
• Non-double. The flowers are large, with two rows of petals, the leaves are corrugated.
• Semi-double. The flowers are large, the stamens are in its center, several rows of petals.
• Anemoid. The lower petals are very wide, the inner petals form a ball. It is considered a transitional form between double and Japanese peonies.
• Terry. The flower has a spherical shape, when the petals open, a bright and colorful ball is obtained.
• Rosy. The flowers are large, the petals strongly resemble rose petals.

After the end of flowering, remove the wilted flowers, and carry out the next top dressing.

Pruning

It is worth pruning peonies in late autumn, before the onset of the first frosts, if this needs to be done earlier, leave a few leaves on the bush so that the plant can accumulate strength.

Autumn pruning is carried out almost to the ground level.

Preparing peonies for winter

In autumn, when the leaves turn yellow, you need to gradually reduce the intensity of watering. Newly planted plants should be covered with a layer of peat and they will winter well. Peat should be removed in spring. Old plants are frost-resistant and there will be no problems with their wintering either.

Popular varieties of peonies

The breeders have done a great job, today there are a large number of varieties of peonies. The variety of these colors allows you to create amazing flower gardens, combining them with flowers of different colors and sizes.

It is impossible to name all varieties of peonies that are deservedly popular with flower growers. Here are just a few examples.

1. Variety "Starlight". They have large flowers of light cream color, anemic shape.
2. Variety "Suzy Ku". Huge double flowers are painted in a pleasant light pink color. The leaves are small, narrow.
3. Variety "Westerner". It has white flowers of medium size in Japanese form. Blooms relatively late.
4. Variety "White bowl". It has medium-sized flowers, dark pink in color.
5. Variety "Amabilis". The plant has light pink flowers, the petals of which turn white at the edges when flowering ends.

The fine-leaved peony deserves special mention - a plant that has been cultivated by gardeners for several decades. This peony is listed in the Red Book, but among flower growers it is at the top of its popularity.

ITO hybrids are also very popular: this is the result of crossing tree and herbaceous peonies. An excellent example of such plants is

Coral Sunset.

Another peony that is a frequent visitor to our gardens ispeony bartzella... This is a beautiful plant with Japanese-shaped flowers, bright lemon color.

Diseases of peonies

Gray rot

The most dangerous enemies of peonies are diseases caused by microscopic fungi. Here are the main ones:

• rust;
• gray rot;
• powdery mildew;
• brown spot.

Gray rot. Appears in May, infects leaves, stems and buds. A symptom of gray rot is a gray coating on the organs of the plant. It is better to burn the affected parts. Copper sulfate and fungicides are effective remedies.

Powdery mildew. A whitish bloom forms on the stems and leaves. Fungicides are used to treat the disease.

Rust. The disease is characterized by the formation of dark brown spots. The disease leads to twisting and drying of the leaf plate. Fungicides are used to treat the disease.

Brown spot also manifests itself in the form of specific spots on the leaves, areas of the stem and buds. They are off-white in color. The disease is dangerous, leading to leaf fall. This disease is treated with fungicides.

The main problems faced by novice growers

Why does not the peony grow

A flower can grow poorly due to a number of reasons: the wrong choice of planting site (little light), insufficient mineral feeding or insufficient watering. Also, unsatisfactory growth is noted in the case of transplantation without dividing the rhizome.

Why does not the peony bloom

The absence of flowers on the plant, most likely, indicates an improper planting of the rhizome. It is probably set too deep. Also, poor soil and a lack of feeding, poor lighting of the plant, insufficient watering during the period of bud formation leads to a lack of flowers. Plants that are too old do not bloom.

Why does the peony not rise

The germination of peonies depends on the quality of the seed, as well as the degree of soil preparation.

Planting peonies is best done in pits, the size of which depends on the size of the planting material (50 × 50, 60 × 60, 70 × 70 cm), add humus (8-10 kg per hole) and superphosphate (200 g), mix well with the ground , pour water into the liquefied mass and plant a "cut" of peony so that its buds are not deeper than 3-5 cm from the soil level after backfilling with earth.

In the spring, as soon as the snow melts and the first shoots appear, they carry out the first feeding with a flower mixture (50-80 g / m2) and loosening to a depth of 3-5 cm. fertilizers) and the third - at the end of August only with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Often you can see ants on the buds, they are attracted by the sweet juice. The buds are sprayed with tobacco infusion, and the nearby anthill must be moved from the bush.

To do this, you need to know that in peonies, in addition to the spring growth of the roots, their increased growth occurs a second time - in the fall, from about August 20-25. Therefore, replanting and dividing roots should be carried out as soon as the soil thaws and before the beginning of the secondary growth of roots! It should be borne in mind that the root system of peonies grows depending on age up to 80 cm in depth and up to 90 cm in width.

To obtain the maximum number of divisions, it is better to take 4-5-year-old bushes and divide them into four to six parts, with four to five buds; you can leave one or two buds on the plot, but they begin to bloom with a delay of one or two years.

There is another way to get peony seedlings without digging a bush. To do this, in the first half of August (before the onset of secondary growth), the bush is carefully unpacked, part of the renewal buds with a piece of rhizome is separated from it and planted in cold nurseries at a distance of 10 × 10 cm, covered with a film, rooting occurs on the fortieth day. Then the film is removed and covered with a sheet pillow for the winter. In the spring, plants are transplanted to school or to a permanent place. Such plants bloom in the third or fourth year of life.

Do you like time-tested varieties? Then we suggest you choose high-quality flower seeds in the Sady Rossii store. This store has been on the market for 30 years, we buy seeds here ourselves and are always confident in the quality of the planting material. Sending by mail as soon as possible.

Content

Tree peony, planting and caring for him in the garden

These flowers have always been popular due to their decorativeness: their large ornate flowers, carved leaves and straight stems look great next to any plants. So the plant is perfect for decorating both the parterre area and the background of a flower garden.

Surprisingly, this shrub is a long-lived garden. With proper care, this plant can delight you with its flowering for about fifty years. But the most important thing is to choose the right place for it. These are light-loving plants, but they do not like drafts, wind and direct sunlight. Therefore, they need to be planted where there will be light partial shade and there will be no wind. In addition, peonies do not like stagnant water in the soil.

You can plant a flower both in autumn and spring. But due to the fact that most of these plants are imported to us from China, the bulk of them enter our country in the spring. These plants are sold with an open root system, so they can be planted in a flower bed immediately after purchase.

Having prepared the pit, you can start planting: the seedling should be installed in the hole with the roots straightened, and its neck should be at the level of the soil. After planting, the ground around the peony needs to be lightly tamped and watered well.

Preparing a hole slightly larger than the root system of the bush. Watering.

To make it more convenient, you can divide the order of fertilization into stages, but remember, this is only for bushes whose age is 3 or more years:

All fertilizers need to be applied not before watering, but after, so there will be less likelihood of burns on the roots.

Applying a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers under the bushes can provoke the appearance of gray rot, from which the plant can die. So it's best to keep them to a minimum or not use them at all.

Watering is required not too frequent but good. Once every two weeks, 7-8 liters of water are poured under the bush. In a drought, you need to water more often, and even better, after watering, mulch the soil around the bush.

Shelter of tree peonies for the winter

If you cut off sufficiently mature bushes in the spring to the first, uppermost sinus, then you can achieve a more lush and intense flowering.

Shrubs reproduce in several ways:

Grafting is the most common method and is ideal for rare varieties. The grafting is done on a herbaceous peony, more precisely, on its roots. In order for everything to work out as it should, in August, cuttings with a wedge-shaped end should be cut, which is grafted onto the root of a herbaceous peony (it is simply inserted into the incision at the root and wrapped in polyethylene). After grafting, they need to be kept in wet sawdust for about a month, and when the cuttings take root, they should be planted in a greenhouse, where they will be grown for two years. Cuttings and layering - this method is similar to the propagation of roses. You need to take the stiff part of the shoot with a bud, cut it off (it is better to do this in late spring) and plant it to a depth of about 1.5 centimeters in a box with peat and sand in a 1: 1 ratio. The stalk deepened into the soil should be sprayed with water and covered with foil. Cuttings will take root by mid-autumn, and then they can be planted in a greenhouse, where they will overwinter. Dividing a bush - this simple method allows you to make several small plants from one large plant. It is often used by amateur gardeners, dividing a five-year-old bush into several divisions, in each of which 4-5 replacement buds are left. But here you need to remember that the plant may not bloom for a couple of years after such a procedure, since it does not like transplants.

In order to transplant a peony to a new place, you need to try to remove it from the ground without damaging the roots, preferably with a large lump. Then shake off the ground a little with your hands, rinse the rest from the hose.

A solution of potassium permanganate, dark cherry color.

In such cases, it is necessary to cut off all diseased shoots and burn them, and sprinkle the bush with copper sulfate 6%.

Tree peony

Tree peony: planting, care, cultivation

Landing... Preparing a pit forplanting (transplanting) a tree peony in the fall, add leaf humus to the soil. For specific tree peonies that are grown on their own root system, plant at the same level as the seedling is in the container or was grown in the nursery (on seedlings with an open root system). Varietal specimens of tree peonies are now more often grafted onto the root system of herbaceous peonies. Such grafted seedlings should be deepened into the ground so that the grafted site is at a depth of approx. 15 cm in the ground. This planting method, according to the RHS, will allow the tree peony to grow its own strong root system and reduce the number of offspring from the roots of the herbaceous peony rootstock.

It should be added that tree peonies do not like transplants and can "come to their senses" and not bloom after it until 4 years.

Frost resistance... Tree peonies are hardy plants. Peony rock frost resistance, according to some sources, is from climatic zone 2 (it can withstand temperatures down to -43 degrees). At the same time, the buds and leaves of treelike peonies can suffer from late frosts.

Top dressing and mulching... In spring, apply a general balanced fertilizer under the tree peony (avoid excessive nitrogen). Mulch on top of the fertilizer with a generous layer of organic mulch (leaf humus, garden compost, bark, etc.) around the crown, avoiding covering the base of the trunk of the tree-like peonies with mulching materials.

Pruning... Remove dead branches in spring and seed heads after flowering, shortening the branches slightly if necessary. Most varietal tree peonies do not require strong pruning (the exception is a rapidly growing peony making it, its old branches can be partially cut out in autumn if necessary).

Pests and diseases of tree peonies... Tree peonies are affected by gray peony rot. fungi, caterpillars and viral infections. Please note that honey mushrooms (honey agarics) growing at the base of the tree peony are parasites and can destroy the plant. The ants that sometimes cover the buds of treelike and herbaceous peonies, despite popular belief, do not harm the plant, they simply collect drops of nectar that stand out from the buds of the peony.

Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa). Young leaves Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa). Flowers Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa). Bud

Delavea peony (Paeonia delavayi) - differs in narrower and more strongly dissected leaves Paeonia ludlowii Shrub peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) Rock peony, Joseph Rock peony (Paeonia rockii, paeonia Joseph Rock) is a white semi-double peony with burgundy spots at the base of the petals. See photo The group suffruticosa (Paeonia? Suffruticosa) - hybrids of the peony rock with the shrub peony. See photo Gansu Mudan Chinese Hybrid Group Zhongyuan Mudan Chinese Hybrid Group

Reproduction of tree peonies presents considerable difficulties. Species plants can theoretically be propagated by seeds, but this requires double stratification (in nature - 2 winters): after the first, the root is formed, and after the second, the stem and leaves. If you have the time and desire to experiment, then immediately sow the seeds of the species tree-like peony collected in the fall in the garden in open ground, mark the sowing site and ... wait a couple of years before the first shoots, remembering to water in dry weather. You can simply leave a couple of seed heads and let the seeds crumble when they are ripe. Treelike peonies from seeds bloom in the 4th-5th year.

It is not always possible to apply air layers to a tree peony because this plant is upright growing. If you find a branch that is long and flexible enough to be pressed to the ground, then anchor it to the ground and moisten it regularly. To build up an independent root system suitable for separation, it will take 2-3 years for layering of a tree peony.

Propagation of tree peonies by cuttings gives a very small percentage of rooting. For cuttings, take semi-lignified shoots of the plant in the middle of summer.

Features of caring for peonies in Siberia

Early varieties bloom in early June, late ones - in early July. By the age of 5, the bush reaches its optimal size and has from 20 to 50 flowers and, as an exception, 150. If you select the appropriate assortment, you can have flowering peonies on the site for 40-55 days.

Steppe peony In addition, you can increase the flowering period due to agrotechnical methods: using film frames, as on strawberries, you can cause earlier flowering, and when planting on the shady side of the site and covering the bushes with sawdust (10-15 cm), it can be delayed by 10 —12 days, thereby further extending the flowering period by 15—20 days.

Peonies grow well on soil rich in organic matter with sufficient moisture, do not like transplants and develop better in one place for 10-12 years, provided good agricultural technology.

Gardeners make the mistake of planting peonies in loose soil without taking into account its precipitation. In this case, the plant turns out to be buried, does not bloom, sometimes even grows poorly. To correct the error, you have to lift the bush with a pitchfork and pour it into the hole of the earth or completely transplant, violating the root system. The distance between the bushes should be 80-100 cm.

With a lack of moisture, abundant watering of plants is necessary during budding, flowering and at the end of August with secondary root growth. Timely watering has a beneficial effect on the overwintering of plants and their development next year. After each watering, the soil is loosened or mulched.

For larger flowers, one bud should be left on the stem.For better flowering next year, in the fall, the leaves are cut off and humus mixed with wood ash and bone meal is added under each bush. Planting peonies should be carried out separately, if they are in the shade of trees, the number of buds and their size are sharply reduced.

You can get seedlings of peonies without digging up the plant completely. To this end, the bush is cut with a shovel into two parts, one part is carefully removed from the soil and divided, as described above, and the other remains in the ground.

The method of reproduction by layering is also built on the principle of preserving the bush. A wooden box 25-30 cm high is placed on a peony bush in the spring. As the bush grows, the buds are covered with loose earth or humus, gradually filling the box. Shoots grow and bloom normally (somewhat lagging in comparison with free-growing bushes). Roots are formed at their base. In the fall, the box is removed and the rooted stems are cut off, transplanted to a permanent place. Such plants begin to bloom in the fourth or fifth year.

Tree peony - planting and care

Planting and caring for a tree peony

Admirers of this remarkably beautiful flower have a natural question, how to care for a tree-like peony so that it develops well and blooms profusely?

Reproduction of a tree peony

Diseases of the tree peony

Sometimes gardeners express bewilderment about the lack of flowers in healthy-looking bushes. Most often this is due to a lack of watering, the old age of the bush, improper preparation of the planting site (there is no drainage or the roots are planted at insufficient depth) and an unsuccessful place for growing a tree peony. In the last two cases, it is required to transplant a tree-like peony. When choosing a new planting site, remember that the plant needs sunlight and space.

Luxurious peony in China has long been a personification of beauty and was called the imperial flower. Peonies adorn ancient Chinese vases, paintings and household items. Now there are more than 30 plant species. Treelike peony is a shrub 1 - 1.5 m high with large spreading leaves. The plant blooms very profusely, 30 - 50 flowers can bloom on the bush at the same time. The flowers are very large with bright varied colors: white, crimson, pink, lilac, burgundy, yellow. There are varieties that bloom with beautiful double flowers. Usually, the flowering of a peony does not exceed two weeks, but a bush with rich green large leaves in itself is a decoration of a garden or a section of a country house.

When planning to plant flowers in your own garden, keep in mind that although caring for a tree-like peony is not difficult, since the plant will grow in one place for many years, its preferences should be taken into account. Peony is a fairly light-loving plant, based on this, choose a well-lit or slightly shaded area. Take care of good drainage, as the plant does not like stagnant moisture in the root system. At the bottom of a fairly spacious hole (size approximately 70x70 cm), create a layer of soil mixed with compost or manure. To make the bush start better, and the peonies bloom well and be healthy, add a little complex fertilizer and 1 spoonful of copper sulfate. The plant does not like acidic soils, so if this type of soil is on your site, mix a glass of slaked lime into the ground.

The peony needs regular loosening and weeding. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to the soil in May. In the spring and before the flowering of the tree peony, it is necessary to water it often and abundantly. In May, when the buds are awakening, you need to trim the stems of the treelike peony to the first living bud. At the end of autumn, the flowers are covered with burlap or spruce branches, having previously tied the shoots (you cannot bend them down - they will break!)

The plant is resistant to diseases and pests, usually only weakened bushes are affected. Sometimes the flower suffers from gray rot.To get rid of the lesion, the peony is sprayed with a 0.6% solution of copper sulfate or a 0.3% solution of potassium permanganate. Severely affected bushes are burned. If the leaves of the plant are covered with brown spots, they are cut off and destroyed. The flower is sprayed with 1% Bordeaux liquid.

If you want the plant to please you with its color for as long as possible, plant different varieties of peonies - there is a certain time interval in their flowering periods. And when some types of peony have faded, other varieties of it will be covered with color.

Tree peony. Planting and leaving

A tree peony, planting and caring for which is not very difficult, many gardeners would like to have in their garden. But how to properly plant this perennial plant so that it will delight you with its flowering for more than a dozen years? And does it need to be fertilized?

In China, tree-like peonies grow, which are 500 years old. They are protected by law as historical monuments.

This is due to the fact that in the wild they grow on mountain slopes or in deciduous forests. Therefore, if you have heavy soils on your site, be sure to organize good drainage and add bone meal, lime or superphosphate to the soil. Do you want to plant several plants nearby? Make sure that the distance between them is at least one and a half meters.

Planting a tree peony in spring

First you need to prepare a hole for planting, the depth of which should be about 70 centimeters. At the bottom of the pit, drainage should be made from sand, expanded clay or gravel (the thickness of the gravel layer should be about 30 centimeters). In acidic soil, you can add thirty grams of lime.

So, the entire landing can be divided into several stages:

1. Choosing a location that is sunny and draft-free.
2. Drainage.
3. Top dressing, in equal parts superphosphate (can be replaced with ash), dolomite flour and potassium sulfate, in a glass.
4. Composting must be mixed with the soil.
5. Planting so that the root collar is at the level of the soil surface.
6. Mulching with humus.

Proper care of a tree peony

Within two years after planting, the flower will not require any special care, but in the third year it will have to be fed at the beginning of spring with bone meal (it needs about 350 grams for each bush). You can also water the bushes a couple of times a week with ash infusion. And in the middle of autumn, after the leaves have fallen off, peat should be mulched around the bush.

• In early spring, nitrophoska is well suited for feeding, 100 grams per bush, just when young shoots begin to grow.
• The same amount of nitrophoska will be used as fertilizer, but already when the buds begin to swell.
• After flowering, it is required to add superphosphate or wood ash, a glass to the bush.
• By seeds - this method of reproduction is considered the most difficult, since they have an underdeveloped embryo. And this is the reason for the poor germination of seeds, which, after collection, must be sown in open ground. Sometimes they only emerge in the third or even fifth year. This method is used by breeders.
• Charcoal.
• In a solution of a clay chatterbox.
• Peony Souvenir de Maxime Cornu (Paeonia x lemoinei Souvenir de Maxime Cornu)
• Peony Yellow Crown (Paeonia Yellow Crown) - a hybrid of a tree and herbaceous peony
• Japanese - with light airy flowers having double or non-double forms.
• Sino-European - have terry heavy flowers.
• Semi-shrub peony - is a hybrid of Dela-vey peony and yellow peony. Poorly adapted to the Russian climate.

The peculiarity of all tree-like peonies is that they grow very slowly, and a lush flowering can be expected up to 10. But if you graft a stalk of a tree-like peony on the root of a herbaceous peony, then the process can be accelerated.

Planting and transplanting a tree peony

To the tree peony planting site it is necessary to approach with all responsibility so as not to disturb him anymore, then the plant will systematically develop and grow for decades.

This peony is planted on well-drained, alkaline and fertile soils, damp areas are not suitable.

Boarding time early spring and autumn. Complex mineral fertilizer and compost are added to the planting pit 40x40x40 in size. Heavy clay soils are diluted with small amounts of gravel and sand. All components are thoroughly mixed with the soil removed from the planting pit, and the plant is planted in it.

Planting depth determined in such a way that the vaccination site is 10-15 cm below ground level. You can plant the planted peony a little higher and sprinkle the trunk high with earth so that new roots form on the underground part of the scion, then you get a rooted plant, from which you can eventually separate the layers.

Tree peony care

In dry times, peonies are watered abundantly and often. In the spring and early summer, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers is carried out. At the end of summer, feeding is stopped so that the shoots have time to prepare for winter.

In the first year, peonies look weak and do not bloom - this is normal. If buds have formed on young peonies - do not regret - remove them to give the bush to gain strength for lush flowering in the following years.

Pruning a tree peony carried out in early April, removing dried, broken and old branches. The buds frozen over the winter wake up late, so the second pruning is carried out when all the buds are completely open.

If necessary, peony bushes are tied to supports so that the branches do not break under the weight of large and heavy flowers.

From gray rot, sometimes affecting the bushes, they are treated with copper-containing preparations.

As a rule, the plant is not propagated by seeds. Firstly, they germinate for 2-3 years, not everyone has so much patience. Secondly, the flowering of peonies will come only after 7-10 years.

Cutting tree peonies also does not work.

Therefore, grafting or layering and dividing the bush remains reliable breeding methods.

Grafting tree peonies is a difficult matter and only professionals can do it. Grafting is carried out on the roots of herbaceous peonies. This technology is well developed in China, so the planting material of tree peonies, as a rule, comes to us from there.

If the tree-like peony is own-rooted, then it can be propagated by dividing the bush and layering. These are the most affordable breeding methods.

In the first three to four years, purchased peonies need to be sheltered for the winter, they are not used to our frosts and can completely freeze out to the level of inoculation. Cover with several layers of spatbond, natural burlap or cardboard. Top covered with snow. The bushes are tied with twine to the shelter so that fragile wood does not break.

Tulip tree cultivation features

Litchi from the bone

Features of caring for peonies in Siberia

Maryin root Siberia and the Far East are home to many species. The most valuable of them are Maryin root, steppe peony and Far Eastern white-flowered (milky-flowered), they have non-double, but bright numerous flowers that appear against the background of beautiful foliage, different in different species. They bloom earlier than garden varieties, which is important in the design in the early period, in addition, it is a good material for breeding work.

Garden forms and varieties of peony for the most part represent a herbaceous perennial rhizome plant with a height of 60 to 100 cm. The bush is large, multi-stemmed, with beautiful greenery, which has a decorative appearance until mid-September. The flowers are large, showy, can be double, semi-double and simple, with different terms and duration of flowering.

On older bushes, damage from a nematode (eel) is possible, which causes nodular swelling of the roots. Such plants should be dug up and burned, and the soil should be disinfected. Peony flowers can be damaged by bronze. This golden-green beetle eats away at the core of the flowers. Beetles should be collected in the morning and burned.

Peonies reproduce by dividing the bush, renewal buds, stem and root cuttings, seeds.

The division of the bush is carried out in the first half of August before the beginning of the secondary growth of roots or in early spring, as soon as the soil thaws. This is the most common breeding method for peonies. Most gardeners use it when transplanting plants to a new place. Many people believe that when transplanting, peonies do not bloom for three to four years. Meanwhile, if this operation is carried out on time and carefully (damage the roots as little as possible), the peonies will bloom the next year.

Carefully digging in the bush with a shovel, they lift it with a garden pitchfork, trying to damage the roots as little as possible. They are washed from the ground with water from a hose and division is carried out, while you need to use a knife as little as possible, separating them in places where bridges are formed in order to inflict less wounds.

The cut part is sprinkled with crushed coal, the hole is covered with soil, watered with water - and the bush continues to bloom and develop. When transplanting old bushes to a new place, rejuvenating pruning is carried out, fleshy rhizomes are shortened, leaving roots 8-10 cm long near the buds of renewal.

Tree peonies

In China, tree peonies are considered the embodiment of beauty, and they are also called imperial flowers. The Japanese call it the flower of well-being and prosperity. There is not a single country where there is no interest in these wonderful flowers.

The tree peony is a shrub reaching a height of 1.5-2 m, with large bright green double-feathery leaves. One bush can have from 30 to 70 flowers. The diameter of each is from 20 to 25 cm, but the peony grows very slowly, and you can get the maximum number of flowers from it only after ten years. The color of the petals is white, pink, crimson, lilac with a dark crimson spot at the base. The petals are dense, corrugated. Large numerous stamens with bright yellow anthers are clearly visible. There are forms with double and semi-double flowers. Duration of flowering of the bush is 12-14 days, and more in cool weather. The plant is decorative and after flowering due to the unusual shape of the leaves and fruits.

Tree peonies are divided into several groups: the Sino-European group - heavy and double flowers, the Japanese group - non-double and semi-double flowers, hybrids of yellow peony and Delaway peony. The varieties that are brought from China and Poland do not adapt well to the Russian climate and practically do not take root. But domestic gardeners are constantly working on breeding varieties of tree peonies. And today you can use varieties such as Moscow University, Stefan, Tatiana, etc.

Tree peony is a frost-resistant shrub in Siberia. However, with a caring shelter made in time since autumn, and the presence of a snow cover, its culture in the Altai Territory is possible. In critical winters without snow, the shelter must be strengthened with the addition of straw manure.

Location: Choosing the right location for the peonies is important. It should be located far from large trees, not be blown by the winds, provide shelter from direct sunlight (partial shade is considered ideal in this case). With this arrangement, the flowers last longer and do not fade. It is no coincidence that in Japan and China, peony bushes are often covered from the sun, wind and rain with a canopy.

Soil: must be permeable, fertile (rotted manure, compost, earth), with the addition of bone meal and superphosphate. Peonies prefer alkaline soils. Treelike peonies grow mostly in deciduous forests and shrubs on mountain slopes, usually on calcareous soils. Therefore, they should not be planted in clayey wetlands with a high level of groundwater. Peonies also do not tolerate excess water during floods, so plants need good drainage from sand and gravel. In China, tree peonies are often placed on raised terraces.

Planting: The best time to plant a tree peony is from mid-August to late September. For this culture, correct planting is very important, since not only the decorativeness of the bush, but also the duration of its life depends on it, because the tree peony can grow in one place for up to 100 years.

If the groundwater is below 2 m, the planting pit is prepared in the form of a cone with a depth and diameter of about 70 cm. Gravel, broken brick or sand is poured onto its bottom with a layer of 20-30 cm, 200-300 g of lime or bone meal are added on acidic soils.

Sand is added to clay soils, and clay is added to sandy soils. Soil is poured into the hole with a cone, a plant is placed on it and immediately poured with plenty of water so that all the roots are straightened out. Then, when the water is absorbed, the hole is covered with earth, while the root neck of the peony should be at the level of the soil. The grafted plants are planted so that the grafting site is 10-15 cm below the soil surface. After two or three years, the scion forms its own roots.

If the groundwater passes close, the plant is planted on a loose mound. A distance of at least 1.5 m is left between two specimens. The earth around the bush is not trampled.

Leaving: in the spring, before the beginning of the growing season, it is necessary to prune the bushes. Every spring, it is necessary to cut out dried shoots, and shorten the old ones to a height of 10 m. Every 20 years in China, the bush is pruned almost to the level of the soil. It is believed that this not only does not harm the plant, but, on the contrary, contributes to its rejuvenation. Renewal occurs due to adventitious buds located at the base of the shoots.

If seeds are not needed, it is recommended that after flowering, cut off the faded shoots to the upper axillary bud. After such an operation, the plant will bloom more abundantly the next year. The life span of a plant depends on whether the bush is properly formed. In China, there are 500-year-old specimens, they are carefully protected, but on average, a plant usually lives for 100 years or more.

It is advisable to regularly loosen the soil around the bush, and before flowering, apply a full set of fertilizers (potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus). In order not to burn the roots, the plant must first be watered. Do not get carried away with fertilizers, which contain a large percentage of nitrogen, as peonies become susceptible to gray rot. At the slightest sign of wilting of the stems, it is necessary to cut off and burn the damaged parts.

The tree peony is painful to transplant. Often lush and strong specimens wither after it and cannot recover for several years. When transplanting, the bush must be dug out together with a lump of earth.

The second option: the earth is washed away with a stream of water; diseased roots are cut out, and long ones are shortened; the sections are treated with a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with a mixture of crushed coal and colloidal sulfur. The bush is transplanted in its entirety or cut into two or three divisions, removing dry and damaged shoots until a living bud of renewal. In the second option, before planting in a new place, the plant is immersed with roots in a clay mash for 20-30 minutes.

Reproduction: dividing the bush, cuttings, layering and grafting.

Dividing a bush is the easiest way to reproduce. Plants aged five to six years are carefully dug up in August, freed from the ground and divided by stretching parts of the bush to the sides at the root collar. The delenka must necessarily have three to five replacement buds and roots. The wounds are treated with potassium permanganate and sprinkled with charcoal powder.

Semi-lignified cuttings are cut in the second half of June. Cuttings are cut like budding roses, that is, they take a bud with a leaf and a small piece of shoot wood. The leaf blade is halved to reduce evaporation. Cuttings are planted in boxes with a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1) to a depth of 1.5 cm. The boxes are covered with foil and constantly sprayed and watered. Rooted cuttings are transplanted into pots at the end of September and kept in a greenhouse until spring.In the spring, plants start to grow, they can be planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction by layering is carried out for two years. In the spring, well-developed shoots are chosen, carefully bend them to the ground. An incision is made from the bottom side facing the soil, a small spacer is inserted into it and sprinkled with earth with a layer of 8-10 cm.

Tree peonies are also propagated by air layers before the flowers bloom. On the shoot, cuts are made and wrapped in moss, then with foil and bandaged. Roots are formed at the end of August. However, this method is not very effective.

When peonies are propagated by grafting, the roots of a herbaceous peony are used as a stock. In early August, cuttings with two buds are cut from a tree-like peony. The lower part of the cutting is cut from both sides in the form of a wedge. At the root of the stock, a cutout is made of the same shape, the scion stalk is tightly inserted into it and tied with plastic wrap. Then the resulting plants are laid horizontally in a layer of moistened sawdust and placed in a shaded place.

After a month, the rooted plants are planted in a greenhouse to such a depth that the lower peephole is 5-7 cm below the soil level. Landings on top are mulched with sawdust to prevent drying out. Plants are planted in a permanent place after two years.

Seed propagation is difficult. They have an underdeveloped embryo and need stratification.

Usage: outstanding beauty shrub, recommended for amateur gardens, group and single plantings on lawns, forest edges with well-drained, nutritious soil.

Partners: especially good in combination with plantings of lilac or horse chestnut, against a dark background of conifers and deciduous trees.

E. N. Vanyushina... Candidate of Sciences in Biology, Researcher at the Center for Ornamental Horticulture, N.I. M. A. Lisavenko

(Luck, September 2014)

Siberian gardens

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Peony tree planting and care

Home »Peonies» Tree peony planting and care

Tree peonies: maintenance and care

One of the most important conditions for success in growing tree peonies is proper planting. Not only the decorativeness of the plant depends on it, but also the duration of its life, and tree peonies can be called long-livers.

The best time to plant these plants is mid-August to late September. Peonies are planted at a distance of 1.5-2 m and immediately to a permanent place (after transplantation they get sick). The place is chosen far from large trees, protected from the wind and well-drained. Any garden soil is suitable, but alkaline is preferred over acidic (pH 6-7). The planting hole (in the form of a cone with a depth and diameter of about 70 cm) is prepared in 2-4 weeks. Gravel, broken brick, sand with a layer of 15-20 cm are poured onto the bottom, then rotted manure. The land mixture is prepared from humus, peat, the top layer of the earth with the addition of 300-400 g of bone meal. It is advisable to add granular fertilizer "Kemira-universal". Sand is added to clay soils, and clay is added to sandy soils. Having made a mound at the bottom of the pit, the roots are spread on it and immediately flooded with a large amount of water. When it is absorbed, they cover it with earth. In this case, the root collar should be located at the level of the soil. They do not trample the ground.

Watering, fertilizing, pruning

The best fertilizers for peonies are bone meal, wood ash and mineral fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium and a small amount of nitrogen (its excess reduces the resistance of peonies to diseases). Fertilizers are applied two weeks before flowering and two weeks after the end. Peonies need abundant watering in the spring if there is a lack of moisture in the soil, as well as before flowering.

For the correct formation of the bush and the extension of its life, every year in the spring, when the buds begin to awaken, you need to do anti-aging pruning, shortening the shoots to the first living bud. Weak shoots are cut at a height of 10-15 cm. In young bushes, some of the buds are removed, and dried carpels are also cut off.

Preparing for winter

Treelike peonies are sheltered for the winter. In early October, the shoots are tied (you cannot bend them to the ground - they are fragile!), The trunk circle is mulched with peat (straw, foliage, manure are undesirable, they contribute to the development of gray rot). After the onset of stable frosts, the plants are covered by constructing a "hut" from spruce branches, you can use burlap or non-woven material. In the spring, as soon as the buds appear, the shelter is removed: plants adapted to our conditions are not afraid of recurrent frosts.

Reproduction

Tree peonies are usually propagated by seeds and cuttings by breeders, these methods are rather complicated and ineffective. It is easiest for amateurs to use the division of the bush: 5-6-year-old plants are dug up, the earth is washed off from the roots, the rhizome is cut into pieces so that each of them has 2-3 shoots. Places of cuts are treated with potassium permanganate and sprinkled with crushed charcoal.

Diseases and pests

Tree peonies are relatively resistant to diseases and pests, as a rule, only weakened bushes suffer. The most dangerous is gray rot. Plants are sprayed with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per 10 l of water) or copper sulfate (0.6-0.7% solution), the affected stems are burned. Old bushes often suffer from root decay, and the disease spreads when they divide. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the affected areas, cover the cut sites with crushed charcoal and treat with 1% copper sulfate. To combat brown spot, diseased leaves are collected and destroyed, the plants are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Tree peony | Favorite flowers

The times when peonies were an inaccessible rarity are long gone.

Now anyone who wishes in almost any large garden center can buy a box with a beautiful picture and, for a thousand of their hard-earned rubles, try to find out what it is. tree peony .

In this article, we will tell you what needs to be done so that someday it will grow out of what a stunning photo on the package promises.

Tree peonies have become darlings of landscape fashion for a reason and deservedly so. These are the true aristocrats of the garden, combining the virtues of a flower and a shrub.

The tree-like peony surprisingly combines the pampered luxury of flowering with real power. It is, if you will, a "masculine" plant, very strong and reliable, which is probably why it often attracts the attention of men.

The appearance of a tree peony

Unlike herbaceous peony, the aerial part of which dies off annually, tree peony is a shrub... Its annual growth stiffens and hibernates, as it happens, for example, with a rose.

Treelike peony bushes can reach a height of 1.5-2 meters, however, this will take at least twenty years.

The foliage of the tree peony is also very decorative. and is quite different from one cultivar to another. So in plants with dark-colored flowers, the leaves usually have a pronounced dark purple hue.

But, of course, the most amazing thing about this plant is its incomparable luxury of flowers... In modern varieties of tree peony, flowers reach a diameter of 25-30 cm, unlike herbaceous peony, they come in all shades of yellow, bloom somewhat earlier than early flowering varieties of herbaceous peony.

Terry varieties with an open, "golden mean", consisting of numerous stamens, pubescent with abundant pollen, are especially effective. There are forms with double and semi-double flowers, the color varies from greenish-white to purple-black, including all shades of pink, lilac, red, yellow and even blue.

Flowering lasts two to three weeks depending on the weather and usually occurs in the Moscow region for the first half of June... that is, for a while, traditionally "poor" in flowers, when the bulbous are already fading, and annuals and most perennials are only gathering strength.

Longevity and wintering of the tree peony

There is one more feature of tree peonies - their ability to longevity... In one place without a transplant, a tree peony can live for tens of years.

In Moscow, for example, behind the Sklifosovsky Institute there is a small Botanical Garden, created in the times of Peter the Great as a pharmaceutical garden. This is a place with an interesting history. One of its pages - tree-like peonies one and a half meters in height, planted in the 19th century. Not every tree can boast of such a lifespan.

But, as they say, our shortcomings are a continuation of our merits.

Tree peonies are unpretentious, disease-resistant, winter-hardy, have a large margin of vitality.

However, it should be borne in mind that they grow rather slowly and perceive transplants very painfully... These features must be taken into account both when choosing a place for them in the garden, it is desirable to determine it once and for all, and when preparing a planting pit.

It is important to make your choice in relation to winter shelter... In the wild, tree peonies grow in China, in areas with cold snowy winters and dry hot summers, so our winter does not scare them too much.

In spring, tree-like shoots that have wintered without shelter may look completely lifeless, do not rush to conclusions, wait for the onset of steady heat. A plant that was in a normal state in the fall, you will not lose practically under any winter conditions. Even if all perennial stiff shoots freeze, with the onset of stable heat new buds on the root collar will awaken and new growth will peep out of the ground.

You have not lost the peony, but there will be no flowering, and it will not be for two years. The shoots must grow, grow stiff, lay flower buds, all this takes time. The peony has a lot of it, it lives for a hundred years.

So decide for yourself what your peony should do: bloom calmly, overwintering, wrapped in spruce branches under the reliable cover of an inverted bucket or box or grow heroically, if suddenly the next winter freezes him all that has grown in five years.

Unfortunately, it is the most spectacular modern hybrid varieties that are most vulnerable. Since the farther the path is from the wild-growing ancestors, the more beautiful the flower, but the less resistance to unfavorable factors inherent in wild species.

Let's mention our own experience. In one of the rather cold winters with early frosts, not a single peony froze in our garden, and almost all of them bloomed. When the frost hit -25 ° С, we covered them with cardboard boxes, this was enough for them, the roses froze in the same conditions.

So, you have decided to plant a tree peony in your garden.

Buying a tree peony

The ideal landing unit is dormant plant with two or three stiff shoots no more than 25 cm in height... that is, with unblown buds.

The buds should be large enough, most often they are dark red, glossy.You should treat them very carefully, because if they break off or do not open, your peony may bloom a couple of years later.

If you buy a peony with an open root system, be sure to ask the seller for permission to inspect the roots of the seedling. The tree peony not only grows slowly, it also dies for a long time and a hopeless seedling with a damaged, rotted or too small root system can have a completely prosperous appearance for a long time.

If the plant you have chosen has well-developed roots, they should be approximately equal in length to the crown. Do not try to buy large bushes or bushes with long shoots (we are talking about an open root system), all tree peonies painfully take root in a new place, and the larger the transplanted plant, the longer it will take to adapt.

Usually a normally developed seedling 25-30 cm high blooms in the second or third year after planting... in the first year, he often looks somewhat depressed, do not be upset, this is quite natural.

The leaves can be medium-sized and even somewhat dry, it is important that the buds in the axils and especially the upper buds of the shoots are kept alive. The next year, your pet will settle down in a new place and quickly make up for lost time.

There is one more detail that would be good to find out when buying a tree peony - is it rooted or grafted onto the roots of a herbaceous peony .

Own-rooted plants are more resistant to adverse environmental conditions and more durable.

Planting a tree peony

For planting preferably sunny, sheltered from the wind... The latter circumstance is important, since by the beginning of June the plant already has a large leaf mass, and if the wind constantly flutters it, this can adversely affect the growth and laying of flower buds, not to mention the flowering time, when the bush is covered with huge heavy caps of flowers.

Tree peonies prefer permeable loam... but they grow on almost any soil, especially since it is imperative to prepare a planting pit for them, providing the plant with everything it needs for several decades to come.

It is best to prepare the pit in advance, no less than 2-3 weeks before planting. The pit should be 60-70 cm deep, 80 × 80 cm in area... a layer of drainage sand is poured onto the bottom), with a layer of 15-20 cm, then a layer of old weathered manure.

The plant is planted in a soil mixture of the following composition: humus, peat, top layer of earth in equal parts with the addition of ash, bone meal and superphosphate 100-200 g.

After thorough mixing, you pour a part of the mixture into the pit and plant a peony on the cone obtained in the pit, carefully spreading the roots along the surface of the cone. Then pour the remaining potting mix on top. As a result, the root collar should be almost flush with the edges of the pit.

After watering and subsidence of the earth, it is possible to spud the root collar low by 3-4 cm, avoiding its contact with manure or humus.

The best time to plant tree peonies is from mid-August to mid-September... but they are usually sold in the spring.

If you bought your peony in the spring... it is best to plant it in a large pot with nutritious garden soil and put it in the garden with the onset of stable heat, when you prepare the planting hole, you can lower the pot with the peony directly into it, and in the fall, with the onset of the dormant period of the plant, gently pass it over with a lump into the prepared pit, while maintaining its orientation to the cardinal points.

With the first frosts, you should cover well the near-trunk circle of peonies with a layer of peat. Manure, shavings and straw are best avoided.

Tree peony care

Peonies do not require any special worries.

The best fertilizers for them it is ash and bone meal, manure is undesirable. It can be spread around the bushes when the snow melts.

On the snow, you can also apply mineral fertilizers - nitrogen potash and phosphorus 1: 1: 2.The second top dressing can be given after flowering, preferably phosphorus-potassium fertilizers or Chlorine-free fertilizer "Kemira".

During the summer watered abundant 2-3 times, it can be combined with fertilizer, with the beginning of August watering undesirable.

After flowering you must not only remove deflorate bud, but also cut off at 2 buds below it promotes proper growth and flowering.

In our conditions, the tree peony bush it's best to maintain formative pruning at a height of 70-80 This allows us to achieve an abundant flowering (from 30 to 50 colors) and to close the plant in very severe winters.

In China they are called emperors colors and is considered the epitome of beauty. In Japan, this plant is considered a flower of well-being and prosperity, it is impossible to argue with this. In all countries, these hardy wonderful flowers are of great interest.

Outline peony differs from herbaceous that is a shrub. With the onset of frost it drops leaves and stems remain to winter on the ground. In height, tree-like peonies usually reach 1-1.5 m, and in the southern regions - up to 2.5 m and even higher. The flowers of these peonies are very large - up to 25-30 cm in diameter.

Simple, semi-double and double flowers are huge turn bush in extraordinary luxury bouquet! The color of flowers - very different. Along with white, pink and red are often found varieties with yellow and purple color, as well as two- and three-color.

Outline peony wonderfully combines cosseted luxury of flowering and strong growth.

Several dozens of huge, extraordinary beauty of flowers can be counted on one bush. Sorry, but the period is not long lush fragrance of flowers peony. However, this show is worth it to look at it!

After flowering shrub tree peony is a decorative leaf fall until the end, thanks to the openwork carved foliage with a slight bluish tinge because of the waxy coating.

Tree peony varieties

Varieties of tree peonies are divided into several groups:

Sino-European - with heavy double flowers; Japanese - with nemahrovymi or semi-double flowers, light and airy; hybrids yellow peony and peony-Cases Blowing suffrutescent with peony.

Varieties of foreign origin imported from China and Poland, are not well suited for the Russian climate and rarely anyone survive.

But it is not all that bad! In the botanical garden of the Moscow State University for 30 years is being breeding work with tree peonies, the result of which domestic steel grades. Marianne Sergeevnoj Assumption obtained 17 hybrids of tree peonies, which are listed in the catalog of varieties admitted to using in production in the Russian Federation. Among the most ornamental varieties widely known Vorobyevsky, Moscow University, Hofman, Stephen, Peter the Great, Vladimir Tikhomirov, Tatiana, Muse and others.

These hardy varieties of tree peony Russian thrive not only in the European part of the country, but also in the Urals, and even in Siberia.

by the way... Tree peonies have a peculiarity: they grow very slowly. And wait for lush flowering accounted for nearly 10 years. Can accelerate the development, instilling cuttings tree peony roots of herbaceous peony on.

Planting and transplanting shrubs

And here you purchased the vegetable miracle - tree peonies. Culture of tree peony is quite simple. It is quite hardy. Frosting shoots varying degrees happens often, but nevertheless shrub 1 m recovers quickly and blooms well. The most important thing - just the right place to find it, so as not to touch for many years. In good conditions, the bushes can grow in one place for decades. It is not suitable raw areas. It is believed that tree peony undemanding to soil, but loose, fertile, well drained and alkaline more preferred.

The best timing for planting a tree peony is early spring and autumn.The size of the planting pit is 40 x 40 x 40 cm. In addition to the garden soil, compost and complex mineral fertilizers are added. If the soil on the site is heavy, clayey, then sand and gravel are added to it. All the prepared ingredients are mixed well with the top layer of soil removed during the digging of the hole, and the plant is planted. The planting depth should be such that the grafting site is 10-15 cm below the soil surface. You can huddle the planted peony higher by pouring a small mound of light, breathable earthen mixture. Over time, new roots will develop on this underground part of the scion and you will get a rooted plant. If desired, you can separate some shoots from it - layering.

All care comes down to the usual weeding, top dressing, watering in dry times. In the first year, plants generally do not bloom and look weak. If the buds are still formed, then they must be removed before blooming, so as not to weaken the plants.

These peonies need good watering. As for top dressing, in spring and early summer they are very important for the normal growth of young shoots, usually ending in flower buds. At the end of summer, it is better not to fertilize, especially with nitrogen fertilizers, because this leads to a decrease in winter hardiness.

Bush pruning is carried out in early April. In fact, the tree peony does not like pruning. Only broken and old dried branches are cut out. The second time you need to prune the frozen tops of the shoots, when the buds are completely open. Just take your time, the upper, slightly frozen buds wake up late.

If you do not plan to receive seeds, then regularly remove wilted flowers so as not to deplete the plant.

If necessary, so that they do not break under the weight of large flowers, the bushes are tied to supports.

In very rainy weather, it is better to treat the plant with copper-containing preparations against gray rot that affects flowers and buds.

Reproduction

Seeds varietal tree peonies form poorly, and terry, as a rule, do not produce them at all. Therefore, seed reproduction of these peonies is difficult. If the seeds are set, then interesting seedlings that differ from each other can grow from them. Freshly harvested seeds germinate for 2-3 years, and seedlings will bloom only for 5-7 years.

Cuttings tree peonies practically does not give positive results.

Graft on tree seedlings or on the roots of herbaceous peonies is the most common method of propagation of varietal forms. This is not a simple matter, only specialists can do it. In China, this breeding method is well developed, and in our garden centers and shops, tree-like peony seedlings are often found in China.

Layering and dividing the bush you can propagate a tree peony if it is own-rooted. These methods of breeding tree peonies should be considered the simplest and most affordable.

Shelter of peonies

Purchased grafted plants in the first two to three years must be covered. Unaccustomed to our frosts, they can freeze up to the level of inoculation. You can cover the bushes with spunbond in several layers, natural burlap, cardboard, and cover it with snow on top. Before sheltering, peony branches must be tied with twine. This will protect them from breaking off with snow, since the wood of the peony is fragile and fragile.

Landscaping tips

Tree peonies, which are distinguished by their large bush size, are best planted one at a time or in small groups. It is good to place such a bush near a bench for rest in order to admire not only flowers, but also the beauty of cut and wonderfully colored leaves.

A beautifully formed bush can emphasize the turn of a path or path. Peony bushes planted in a row will help diversify the monotonous greenery of the ephedra used for the hedge.

Actually, the flowers of the tree peony themselves - large, double or simple, but the size of a saucer, of a wide variety of colors and shades, with and without aroma, will always surprise and delight both the owners and their guests.

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Tree peony

Description ^

The tree peony is a real giant compared to the herbaceous relative. Its branches are lignified, grow both in width and in height up to 2 m.

The trunks of the deciduous shrub are covered with light brown tender wood. Leaves are attached to them with the help of long stalks. Each leaf consists of several lobes, shaped like a flame of fire with three tongues.

Flowering begins in mid-May and lasts only 2 weeks. But what a bloom! The number of blooming flowers is amazing - sometimes a whole hundred inflorescences 20-25 cm in size open on such a shrub!

Terry and semi-double bowls of petals show off a variety of shades. There are white, pink, burgundy, lilac, red, even yellow colors.

Happy news! The tree-like relative of the peony has taken root well in Russia. But in regions with particularly cold and snowy winters, shelter will be required. To do this, tie the shoots together, wrap them or cover them with spruce branches in the form of a hut.

The know-it-alls of flower business, breeders, have bred more than 500 varieties of lushflowers. Here are the varieties that are especially loved by true connoisseurs of peonies:

"Sisters Kiao" with flowers that look like roses, they seem to be lined into 2 halves - pink and burgundy. Lemon-yellow "Hai-Nun" is like a scoop of ice cream, and you just want to eat it! The flower head of the "Celestial Gold" variety resembles a bowl of sparkling champagne! The Jade Princess is like a terry cloud framed by a chain of cream petals. The variety "Green beans" is just something extraordinary! The white fringe of the petals is remembered for green stains. The burgundy luxury of the Emperor's Treasures is like a natural kiss from the past of kings. The densely doubled variety “Golden Petals” is the sweetest for bees with its fluffy yellow skirt and bright orange piping.

Perhaps the photos of the tree peony varieties that we have selected will help you make your choice. Which color do you like best?

There are several peculiarities in planting a tree peony.

It will be extremely difficult to grow it from seeds. Sometimes you have to wait for seedlings for a couple of years. It is best to purchase sprouts from gardening professionals.

It can be planted from mid-August to late September or in spring, as soon as the snow melts, because its roots develop well in the cold.

Prepare a deep hole with a layer of drainage. Pour a mound of fertile soil at the bottom. Place the seedling on top and spread the roots into a mound. Carefully fill the hole with water and fill it up. You cannot trample the soil around the plant, you can damage the fragile roots!

Another little trick!

Often purchased seedlings are obtained by grafting a tree peony onto a herbaceous root. Then, when planting such plants, the connection point must necessarily go 10-15 cm underground. This will make it possible for the scion to develop its own root system.

The tree peony will bloom gorgeous in fertile soils.

This species is very fond of mineral fertilizers, which can be used, for example, wood ash. Complex fertilizer is also suitable! But in order not to burn the delicate roots of the plant with it, first thoroughly water the ground at the base and only then add the nutrient composition.

Anti-aging pruning is required in April. Start by taking a close look at the branches. Find the top glossy buds and cut off the ends 1-2 cm above this point.

It happens that in the spring only dry, lifeless branches remain in place of the bush. Don't rush to dig them up! As soon as the sun warms the soil, new shoots will appear in the place of last year's bush!

There is one more cool feature! Sometimes a new plant doesn't want to grow in any way. I beg you, give him time to get used to it! Do not transplant it or diligently fill it with fertilizers. Usually, the next spring, a lush green bush grows out of such a taciturn!

Finally, we note that the tree peony loves partial shade. This does not mean that it will not grow well in the sun. It's just that varieties with purple, burgundy and red flowers can fade and lose their attractiveness. Try to grow a tree-like miracle on your site, because it is impossible to assess its beauty from photographs.

Read also:

Peonies planting and care

Peony planting in spring

Knowledge about planting and caring for peonies will be needed by every gardener who decides to decorate his plot with these beautiful flowers. An unpretentious perennial plant does not require a lot of effort and time. But to get large flowers with rich colors, you will need to follow a number of rules for planting and caring for peonies in the open field, which can be found in this article.

Description and photo

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Successfully in Russia grown 2 types peonies:

1. tree-like;
2. grassy.

Bushes peonies during flowering, they are covered with bright flowers with a rich color.

Depending on the variety, they can have several shades:

• bright red;
• snowy white;
• pink;
• burgundy;
• you can even find yellow peonies.

By the shape of flowers, varietal plants can be:

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• lush, literally filled with bright, large petals;
• with a terry surface of the petals;
• there are varieties with small flowers in the form of rosettes, with a beautiful core.

Depending on the regionpion, tree-like or herbaceous, blooms in mid-May or June. Perennial bushes with a massive and branched root system grow up to 0.8 m in height.

Before planting, the grower must choose the right place for the plant. Peonies, planting and care which are carried out taking into account the requirements of agricultural technology, will bloom for at least 10 years.

In the wild, flowers grow in subtropical environments. Most of domestic florists grow herbaceous species of peonies. Let's take a closer look at the process of performing agrotechnical measures for growing of this particular type of flowers.

Planting peonies

A place

When choosing a place for a planting hole for a plant, several main points should be taken into account:

• best priming - light, with a neutral or low acidity level. When planting in sandy soil, you will need to add humus, compost and sod soil to the hole. Loam or clay soil must be "refined" with river sand with the addition of peat as mulch. Sifted river sand is also introduced into the chernozem;
• peonies lag behind in development with an unscheduled transfer of a plant to another place, therefore landing must be carried out for a long period of time;
• bushes can be planted in partial shade, but for normal development, the plant needs to be provided with sunlight for at least 3 hours a day;
• flowers love a warm place, without drafts and constantly blowing winds;
• for seedlings, a place with a normal moisture level is selected. In wetlands, additional soil drainage will be required at the planting sites;
• the depth of root germination is 0.7-0.8 m, so the planting holes should be dug out taking into account the drainage layer.

Important! To ensure normal conditions for the growth and development of flowers, it is required to select a site taking into account all the requirements of the list. Another rule is that each plant should have space for ventilation and penetration of sunlight to the roots.Only such work will prevent the occurrence of diseases and allow the peony to bloom in large and beautiful flowers.

Rules

1. Seedling holes are located at a distance of at least 1.5 m from tall plants on the site;
2. From garden trees, holes are dug at a distance of 2 m. It is not recommended to plant shrubs near a fence or walls;
3. The minimum distance between bushes between plants should be 0.7-1.8 m (depending on the variety peonies);
4. For herbaceous varieties peony, the depth of the hole should be at least 0.6-0.7 m, and for tree species - from 0.8 m. The dimensions of the landing pit are 0.6 by 0.6 m;
5. A drainage layer 0.1 m deep from expanded clay or broken brick is poured onto the bottom - it will not allow moisture to collect at the root system of the shrub;
6. When planting, fertilizer is required. For this, 100-150 g of superphosphate is added to the soil, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ferrous sulfate and a liter can of sifted wood ash. Nutritious priming it is poured into the lower part of the hole, and sod land is poured on top;
7. The roots of the seedling are neatly straightened along the entire length, the bush is set on a poured nutritious priming... In order not to damage the delicate root system of a loose seedling priming spills out in small portions.

Reference! When planting peonies, you will need to deepen the "growth point". The depth of burial of the bud from which the stem of the bush sprouts is 3-5 cm.

Non-buried buds are above the soil level and are exposed to the sun, moisture, frost and other harmful factors. Such a seedling dries up and dies. Greater planting depth causes a slowdown in the development of the bush and weak flowering.

Timing

The dates can be significantly shifted:

• in different regions of Siberia peonies begin to be planted from the beginning of August;
• in the Urals, flower growers begin autumn planting in August - early September;
• western and central regions of the country - the optimal time is in September;
• on South landing starts in early October.

Planting in autumn

Autumn is the most optimal period for planting seedlings in the open priming... Work begins a month before the onset of frost. Saplings tolerate winter well. After passing through natural stratification, the bushes develop well when the warm period begins. The start time of work is determined depending on the climatic characteristics of the region.

The beginning of autumn is the time for planting shrubs. The mother bush gains strength after flowering, the root system grows. The planting material turns out to be strong and takes root well and is prepared for winter.

Planting in spring

Spring planting peony possible with late purchase of planting material in the nursery or due to the sudden arrival of a cold front in the fall. Saplings with an open root system are more difficult to tolerate such conditions. Plants are weakened after winter, so they take root for a long time and get sick for a long time. Saplings are lagging behind in development, they may not take root, especially in hot weather.

Important! In order to avoid the consequences of spring planting, work must begin immediately after the first thaws. The soil is saturated with moisture and before the arrival of the summer heat, the seedlings will be able to acclimatize and take root in a new place. But if the seedlings are sold with a closed root system in separate containers, work can be carried out even in the summer.

Care

Care per peonies does not require a lot of effort and time.

Required:

• water the plants, the watering rate for 1 bush is up to 10 liters of water;
• timely add nutrients;
• periodically loosen the soil under the bushes.
• the ground under the bushes is mulched with peat, old sawdust or sunflower husks, it is especially important to carry out this operation in the autumn, after planting the bushes.

in the fall

If you plan to transplant seedlings and reproduction of bushes, the best period comes at this time. But planting shrubs around the site is not required so often, so caring for peony includes the removal and pruning of old stems and foliage from the site and their mandatory burning. Such an operation will eliminate diseases and pests that hibernate in the fallen foliage. The cut stems are covered with wood ash. This is a list of major fall jobs.

in the spring

Spring is the time for top dressing and the beginning of the main work on growing beautiful flowers with bright colors. You should not water the bushes often, it is better to do this less often, but increase the watering rate. It is 20-30 liters per plant. Such work provides nourishment to the developing bushes during the budding period. After each watering, a layer of mulch is necessarily poured, and the soil in the aisle is loosened.

When watering, especially on a sunny day, it is important that moisture does not get on the foliage and flowers. Water should flow directly under the bush, otherwise there is a high risk of sunburn of the foliage.

Top dressing

Foliar dressing

To carry out foliar feeding, you will need to dilute the nutrient in water and spray the shrubs with a spray bottle. The best time is early morning or cloudy weather. Do not allow direct sunlight to fall on wet leaves.

In summer, 3 different foliar feeding of shrubs are carried out:

• 1 - top dressing. Shrubs spraying with urea diluted in water (for 10 liters of water - 2 tablespoons of urea).
• 2 - top dressing. With the use of urea and mineral fertilizers (for 10 liters of water 40 g of nitroammofoska).
• 3 - top dressing (for 10 liters of water 40 g of nitrophosphate).

For adult bushes, during the period of bud formation, organic fertilizers can be applied. To do this, bird droppings are mixed with water, in a ratio of 1:25, or mullein, in a ratio of 1:10, the solution is filtered and sprayed over the buds peonies.

Root feeding of peonies

During the vegetative period of the development of the bush, it will be necessary to carry out 3 root dressings:

• 1- feeding. In early spring, immediately after the onset of warmth, it is necessary to feed the weakened overwintered plants. For this, any nitrogen fertilizer is used (nitroammofoska 40 g for each bush). It is evenly scattered under the bushes. The melt water dissolves the granules and it slowly penetrates to the roots.
• 2- feeding. Dry fertilizer (40 g of ammofoska) is also scattered under the bush and watered abundantly
• 3- feeding. It is carried out similarly to the previous feeding.

Pruning

Peony care in the open field requires several pruning of stems and damaged buds. In autumn, all stems are pruned at a distance of 10-15 cm from ground level.

Advice! If it is necessary to prune the stem at a different time, pruning is done so that at least 3-4 leaf plates remain, in these places replacement buds will be laid for the growth of new stems next year.

Cut stems, foliage and flowers are taken outside the site and burned in a special barrel.

Transfer

The bushes after transplantation take root within 2-3 years, so such an operation is performed in case of emergency. But old bushes develop poorly, flowers become small. Once every 10 years, the bush is planted by dividing the roots. After that, you will need to plant young bushes.

The process begins in August or September. The bush is carefully dug out together with an earthen lump. The soil is washed off with water from a watering can or a hose. The cleaned plants are examined, removing diseased plants and shortening long roots. Places of cuts are treated with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with crushed coal.

Watch the video! Peonies for beginners

Breeding methods for peonies

Reproduction peonies carried out in 2 main ways:

• by germinating root cuttings;
• dividing the mother bush.

Root cuttings

This technique is used when growing rare varieties, when there is not enough planting material and there is no way to divide the bush peony... The work is carried out in several stages:

• it is better to start work at the end of May. From adult 4-year-old bushes peony when pruning the stems, cuttings are harvested. From 1 bush, you can get up to 15-30 blanks;
• cuttings are placed in a special solution for 7-8 hours. Use "Kornevin" or "Heteroauxin" (100 ml per 10 liters of water);
• rows of cuttings are planted on a separate bed with prepared soil. 2 buds are left above the ground.

By dividing the bush

Work begins at the end of summer:

• a strong plant with beautiful flowers is selected;
• in the fall, it is carefully dug out of the ground;
• stems are shortened to 150 mm;
• carefully cleaned from the ground and washed with warm water;
• for 3-4 hours the rhizome is left to dry, so it will be easier to separate the roots;
• with a sharp knife or pruning shears, the bush is divided so that at the root of the seedling there are at least 3-4 strong buds, while trying to save as many young roots that have grown from the rhizome;
• seedlings are placed in a growth activator for 8 hours;
• places of cuts are treated with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or dipped in wood ash.

The seedling is ready. It can be planted in a prepared planting pit. In this way, any variety can be propagated. peony.

Peonies after flowering

In different regions, flowering ends from May to June. During this period, it is important to remove damaged stems and wilted flowers from the bushes. 2 weeks after the end of flowering, to support the plant, you will need to fertilize the flowers with a solution of mineral potassium-phosphorus fertilizers (40 g of ammophoska for each bush).

In August, flowers will need to increase the watering rate - during this period, flowers begin to lay replacement buds.

Preparing for winter

In autumn, when shoots and foliage turn yellow, watering is reduced and during autumn precipitation is reduced to a minimum. The first frosts begin on the soil - it's time for the autumn pruning of the bushes. The stems are cut flush with the soil and covered with a layer of peat or sawdust, up to 70 mm thick.

Important! Such treatment is mandatory for young bushes, old plants can easily tolerate severe frosts.

In the spring, at the first thaws, an extra layer of mulch is scattered along the aisle, the sprouts are freed from mulch.

Diseases and pests

Pion - this plant is not susceptible to many diseases under normal leaving... However, bushes can be affected by:

1. Gray rot. Appears when irrigation rules are not followed and an increased rate of water volume or thickened planting of bushes, on stems and foliage. Affected bushes without assistance become moldy, buds and foliage turn black. The affected stems, or maybe all the greens, are cut and burned. Affected bushes and healthy ones are treated with a solution of copper sulfate or infusion of garlic. To prepare a solution of copper sulfate:

• 1 tbsp copper sulfate;
• 10 l. water.

Infusion of garlic:

• Chop 5-6 cloves of garlic;
• 1/2 glass of water
• insist for 24 hours.

Dilute the resulting mass with water in a three-liter jar.

Spray peonies.

2. Septoria. On the peony brown spots appear. Control measures are similar to those for gray rot.
3. Powdery mildew. A white, mealy bloom appears on the foliage. It is easy to get rid of the disease by treating the leaves with a solution:

• 200 grams of soap;
• 20 grams of vitriol;
• 10 liters of water.

4. The plant, especially a young one, begins to dry out and turn yellow - perhaps the tender stems have been gnawed by rodents or a bear. If there are root lesions, then the plant needs to be transplanted.
5. If there are no buds on the bushes, it is possible that a deep landing or excess fertilizer. It is required to stop feeding and release the root collar.

Pion Is an unpretentious plant that, with minimal experience and time, will delight gardeners with the beauty of large, beautiful flowers and a unique aroma. The main thing is to responsibly follow all the recommendations outlined in the article and enjoy pink, white, purple colors in your garden.

Watch the video! Planting a peony