Description
The Japanese peony belongs to the peony family and comes from the genus of perennials. Representatives of this species can be both shrub plantings and herbaceous ones. Let's list the features of the Japanese peony.
- Large root system.
- Shrub plantations can boast of their size. The height of the peony bush reaches 100 centimeters.
- Peony leaves are considered decorative, they are painted green, in some cases they can be purple. During the growing season, peonies often change the color scheme of the leaves.
- The flowers of the plant have a variety of shapes, it all depends on the variety of peonies. They are usually spherical, pink and terry in shape. The bud diameter reaches a maximum of 25 centimeters.
- The fruits of the plant consist of many leaflets, each of which contains a small amount of seeds. The seeds are round in shape, colored black.
- Drought tolerant.
- Possesses a high level of frost resistance.
- Loves well-lit places.
- For a long time, a peony can grow in one place (up to 15 years).
- Peony flowering depends on which variety the plant belongs to. Most of it falls at the beginning of the summer season. There are also varieties that bloom in mid-summer. Duration of flowering is from 1 to 3 weeks.
- You can propagate peonies using seeds, layers or cuttings. And also a popular way is the division of the bush.
Japanese peonies are famous for their strength, which helps the bushes not to break their structure even in the worst weather.
Florists give their preference to this type, because their buds are able to open quite easily and quickly, and also beautiful compositions can be created from them. Another advantage of the "Japanese" is the ability to intensive and rapid growth.
Description
Herbaceous perennial Armani from the class of milk-flowered peonies is a rather tall plant (90-100 cm). Its stems can be erect or slightly branched. They are quite strong, elastic, thanks to which the bush keeps its shape well. The foliage of the culture is outwardly very decorative: openwork, fluffed, dark green in color, with a glossy sheen. It is noteworthy that both leaves and shoots are most attractive in the autumn, when they acquire a rich burgundy-red hue.
Large, double flowers of a proud handsome man look downright luxurious. The diameter of the bud in the phase of complete dissolution is from 16 to 20 cm. As it opens, the flower turns from ruby to garnet-red. Every day, the shade of the inflorescences becomes deeper and darker. The size of the satin petals in different parts of it is not the same: at the base they are larger, closer to the center they become smaller. The inflorescence looks like a tousled, lush ball. The bush blooms profusely and for a long time, in the midst of summer.
Armani has high frost resistance. Its shoots do not freeze when the temperature drops to -40 ° C. Peony flowers tolerate the summer heat well, without fading or baking in the sun. Short-term rains for them also do not pose any danger.
How to plant?
A fundamental requirement when planting a thin-leaved peony is sufficient space. Otherwise, when the plant grows, it will either face problems itself, or cause harm to other crops. When choosing a site, you must immediately abandon all places where the soil is saturated with water or where groundwater is high. Open ground of high acidity is also unacceptable. Since in some cases it is impossible to find an alternative place, it will be necessary to ennoble the land.
For this, alkali is used. Ideal options:
- lime;
- wood ash;
- mineral mixtures.
A drainage layer of 0.1-0.15 m is placed in the holes of the planting pits.For its formation, gravel, crushed stone or brick fragments are used. For seedlings to feel good, they should be planted in a well-lit area. Yes, a peony can feel relatively well in the shade. However, most of the day should be spent in the sun.
Drafts are categorically unacceptable, of course, and just strong winds. Based on these considerations, it is recommended to choose corner parts of the garden. Since in the middle of summer the pleasant appearance of the foliage will be lost, it is advisable to put a thin-leaved peony in flower beds behind lush flowering plants.
Sowing peony seeds can also be done in winter. To do this, take flat containers of large width. Prepared river sand must be poured there. Loose material is moistened. After filling and immersing the seeds, the container is heated using a heating pad with a regulator.
During the daytime, the temperature should be 30 degrees. With the onset of darkness, it drops to 15 degrees. It is possible to maintain a stable moisture content of the sand by spraying from a spray bottle. The heating pad is often replaced with a home battery.
As soon as the roots come out, a transplant into fertile soil is needed, instead of it, peat tablets are sometimes used. Seedlings that appear in the boxes must be immediately transferred to the warmth. The pick takes place when 2 or 3 leaves come out. Transplanting peony seedlings into street soil is carried out in late August and early September - autumn will be spent on root development.
Growing and care
In order for the culture to develop normally and bloom magnificently, the right place should be chosen for it on the site. Our hero needs a lot of sunlight and open space - taking these requirements into account, place the flower. A light partial shade is also acceptable, and in the period from noon to 15:00 it is even necessary for a noble plant. It is not recommended to grow a perennial in the shade, because in this case you will not get flowers from it.
The plant has a negative attitude to the stagnation of moisture in the soil, therefore, monitor the level of occurrence of groundwater at the planting site of the peony: the lower it is, the better. The soil for the ornamental bush is selected loose, nutritious, slightly acidic. If there is an opportunity to plant a plant in loamy soil, you don't need to wish for more. However, the Armani variety is also suitable for ordinary garden soil, to which it is necessary to add peat, sand and humus in equal parts. To reduce the acidity of the soil, lime is added to the substrate. Soil enrichment can be done by using ferrous sulfate and bone meal.
When planting, it is important not to deepen the root collar too much. High waist is also contraindicated for Armani
Both options prevent the plant from flowering in the future. It is necessary to leave a distance of at least 100 cm between the bushes. An elegant perennial should be watered 1-2 times a week and fed three times per season. Water to moisten the soil under the peony is used soft, slightly warm. In this case, the flow rate of liquid per bush should be equal to several buckets. Since spring, nitrogen fertilizer is applied to the soil, in the phase of the appearance of buds and during flowering - a mineral concentrate.
Preparing a plant for winter consists in pruning shoots at ground level and mulching the "hemp" formed as a result of this event with peat. The recommended size of the mulch layer is 5 cm. It is not worth covering the plant during the frost period. During the growing season, it is necessary to spray the shrub with a solution of a fungicide and an insecticide several times. This measure will help to avoid the appearance of diseases and insect pests on perennials.
How to care?
Usually in the autumn season, when the first frosts come, the stems of the peonies are cut off, while small stumps of only a few centimeters should be left above the buds. Despite the fact that peonies overwinter well, it is best to cover them to insure the plants. This is done using a good peat layer or compost. This applies to young plants.Adult plants do not need to be covered.
Watering peonies should always be moderate, regardless of whether they are gaining buds or are already blooming
It is very important to control the soil so that it does not dry out, but it is strictly forbidden to overflow it. Despite the fact that peonies are considered very water-loving plants, they simply cannot tolerate stagnant water at the roots.
The roots of the plant can begin to rot, moreover, peonies can start to get sick with a fungal infection.
For high-quality growth of peonies, the soil around the plants can be mulched. Mulch can be used ready-made, it is sold in all gardening stores, or you can use what may be at hand. Sawdust, gravel, hay, sand are good for mulch. In spring, plants are best fertilized with complex mineral fertilizers. So the flowering will be better, and the peonies themselves will look healthy, because after winter they are sorely lacking.
Depending on the growing conditions, peonies bloom from one week to two. It is recommended to cut them with a clean and treated with an antiseptic pruner.
