Landing
Peonies differ among themselves in height, shape of flowers, stems, greenery, resistance to diseases.
Flowering plants are divided into:
- herbaceous - they form shoots every year, withstand low winter temperatures;
- tree-like - shrub stems coarse, do not die off in winter, frost-resistant;
- ITO hybrids - bred during the selection of the strongest species of peonies.
A favorable time for planting peonies is August or early September, when the earth is warmed up, and the weather is no longer too hot. A peony bush has been growing in one place for more than ten years, so the process must be taken responsibly.
The best conditions for flowering and growth would be:
- sunny open place;
- an area protected from wind and draft;
- plots of land not flooded by groundwater;
- fertile soil.
A peony pit is dug 80x80x80 cm in size with a distance between plants of at least 100 cm.Deep the bottom is loosened by 20-30 cm, then covered with soil consisting in equal proportions of compost, peat, ash, dug earth. Filling the pit with soil, it is constantly spilled with water until it settles, after which it is allowed to settle for about a month.
The process of digging up a peony is a very important point. This must be done carefully, since its tubers are fragile, go deep into the ground (up to 1 meter). It is most convenient to get the rhizomes out of the ground with a pitchfork, digging in the bush wide enough. Having pulled out the roots, they need to be washed with water and allowed to lie in the shade for several hours. After that, they will become more flexible, they will not break off like that.
Before planting the tubers, it is important to hold them in a manganese solution (or any disinfecting solution) to get rid of rot and plaque
Planting a peony in spring is also permissible. This is best done after warming up the soil (in April or May). Until then, we keep the planting roots in a cold place: cellar, refrigerator. At the end of the season, in the fall, the mature plant is transferred to a prepared place without disturbing the earthen lump.
Peony is absolutely unpretentious in growing
It is only important to take into account a few recommendations when planting, and he will thank you with amazing beauty and enchanting aroma.
Peony varieties
The most popular varieties of peonies for growing:
- Peony Adolphe Russo. A large variety with a compact bush, the branches of which stretch up to 100 cm in height. The leaves are trifoliate, large, painted in a dark green tone with a red tint. The flowers are large, the petals are dark red and alternate with yellow stamens. The buds open in early summer.
- Peony Alexander Fleming. A large shrub with strong stems that branch slightly. The flower is full, large, 12 cm in diameter, the petals are pink. They have a delicate aroma. The flowering period begins in late spring or early summer, depending on the weather.
- Peony Alice Harding. The bush is undersized, the height of the stems reaches only 50 cm. The branches are spreading. The flowers are large, full, the petals are white with pink edges. The flowering period begins in early summer and lasts 2 weeks.
- Peony Barzella. The bush is medium in size, its height reaches 70-80 cm. It has large flowers with a diameter of up to 25 cm. The petals are painted in a pale yellow color, with full blooming of the bud, pink blotches are visible in the center. The flower in the middle is empty and has a pleasant lemon scent. Stems are thick, erect, strong. The variety is distinguished by abundant flowering; one bush can have up to 50 buds.
Medium varieties
The flowering of these beauties begins approximately in the last decade of June, approximately after the 25th, you can expect a wonderful opening of the buds. Perennial roots can be expensive to buy, so an alternative can be considered.Nursery "Agrofirma Poisk" offers seedlings of Dutch peonies. Its cost is much lower, although you will have to wait a long time for the plants to become luxurious bushes.
Edens Perfume will be an excellent choice. Herbaceous perennial with powerful root tubers. The flowers are large, single, pale pink, double and very fragrant. Luxurious option for bouquets.
Peony Laura dessert (Laura dessert)
Varietal peonies are no less popular with modern florists than roses.
This is explained by the fact that they often have a luxurious appearance, resistance to a number of adverse external conditions, and also durability.
For example, the Laura dessert variety, with proper care, can grow in one place for several decades. Rest assured, this variety will become one of the brightest diamonds in your garden.
Creation history and description
This variety has been tested by time, since it became known to the world at the beginning of the last century. The variety was bred in France in 1913 by the Dessert company.
The plant is famous for its magnificent crown double flowers, which are large in size (up to 16-20 cm in diameter) and a double shade pleasant to the eye. The outer, rounded and wide petals are white with a slightly noticeable pinkish tint.
The core of the bud is formed by narrower, shorter petals, aged in light yellow or cream tones, as well as canary yellow staminodes. Due to the splendor of the buds, the peony was given another name - Bomb Peony. The inflorescences of Laura dessert are very fragrant, which is an indisputable advantage of the variety.
This milky-flowered peony is a vigorous, powerful perennial with strong shoots and fleshy root tubers. The shrub grows quite strongly over time and becomes sprawling. The height of the culture varies from 80 cm to 1 meter. Leaves on strong stems are dark green, large, dissected. The plant is very winter-hardy: it is not afraid of frosts from -34 to -40 ° C.
For this reason, the culture does not need shelter. The decorative flowering perennial has medium resistance to diseases and pests. The French pearl also has one not very pleasant feature: its gorgeous flowers fade in the sun, turning from pale yellow to snow-white.
However, someone likes the final color of the inflorescences even more than the original one.
Growing and care
For planting a shrub, you should choose a moderately sunny place, where in the midday hours of summer days the plant will be in openwork partial shade.
Cold drafts are contraindicated for culture, as Laura dessert is a thermophilic perennial. In addition, it does not tolerate the close occurrence of groundwater to the soil surface: in such a situation, the roots of French women begin to rot.
Dessert Laura prefers fertile, loamy soils with a slightly acidic reaction of the environment.
Then ash and superphosphate are added to the hole, everything is sprinkled with soil. Only after that do they begin to plant the culture directly. Be sure to make sure that the buds are 5 cm below the soil level.
At the end of this procedure, the seedling is well watered.
You need to take care of a flower, like any other cultivated garden plant: watering in a timely manner, do not forget about fertilizing, periodically loosen the soil under a perennial, only do it in relation to moist soil.
It is recommended to feed Laura dessert with a nitrogen complex in the spring - in order for her to grow and develop better, acquire green mass; in the budding phase, during flowering and after flowering - with mineral fertilizers, best of all those that contain phosphorus and potassium.
After the first autumn frosts, the perennials begin to prepare for winter. Its shoots are cut short at soil level and covered with dry earth.
It is advisable to specially cover only young peonies with insulation, and even then only when cultivating them in a region with a harsh climate and little snow.
To protect against pests and diseases, it is important to spray the flower 2-3 times during the spring-summer season with solutions of an insecticide and fungicide
Use cases
Laura dessert variety looks good on a green lawn in splendid isolation and in the company of others like them. Landscape designers also grow it in beddings, mixborders, on round classic and tiered flower beds, in borders on both sides of garden paths. The plant is suitable for decorating a low hedge, pionaria.
Small size allows you to plant crops in containers and flowerpots. The French variety is ideal for mixed plantings. Laura dessert goes well with daylilies, honeysuckle, irises, cloves, heuchera, petunias, astilbe, pelargonium, hellebore, sage.
A good option is to place a cream flower next to coniferous and evergreen crops: thujas, dwarf pines, junipers, box trees. If you want to add vertical lines to the flower garden, plant a delphinium or foxglove next to the peonies of the described variety.
How to plant peonies Ito hybrids in spring and autumn
The accumulated experience in caring for Ito-peonies allows us to assert that our growers can successfully grow Ito-hybrids. However, Ito are complex hybrids obtained from species peonies from different climatic zones: from the steppes of our Transbaikalia to the high-mountain meadows of Tibet, so some of the varieties may require an individual approach. The varieties described above are quite resistant to the cold weather of the Moscow region. They endured many winters with frosts, including the abnormal winter of 2002-2003, heat and drought of 2010-2011. no loss. Shelter for the winter is not necessary, although sometimes you can cover (with a layer of oak leaves or spruce branches) some new cuttings, especially with late planting.
Before planting Ito-peonies, you need to choose the right site. Planting site requirements are the same as for herbaceous peonies. But when determining the size of the pit, it should be borne in mind that many Ito varieties develop their underground part more to the sides than in depth. For example, the size of a pit for long-term cultivation should be 100X100X60 cm, and when kept in a collection - 75X75X45 cm. From my experience I will add that Ito respond well to shading at noon.
Ito hybrids are best planted where garden crops used to grow or where there was virgin land. Avoid former planting sites of peonies or large trees and shrubs. The groundwater level must be at least 100 cm below the surface.
In order to plant Itopions in spring or autumn, as required by correct agricultural technology, the soil must be neutral or slightly alkaline in terms of acidity. In central Russia, it is necessary to maintain the acidity level pH = 6.5-7.5 by periodically adding deoxidizing additives to the soil around the plantings (bone meal, dolomite meal or limestone meal).
Planting dates are the same as for other peonies: preferable in autumn, from late August to early October (in the middle lane). When planting peonies of Ito hybrids in the spring, strive to do this as early as possible, before mid-May. It is recommended to place the cut at an angle to the surface so that all renewal buds on it are at a depth of 3-5 cm.
In general, caring for Ito hybrids after planting is similar to caring for herbaceous peonies. Most of Ito's shrubs do not need support (holds flowers). Pruning the stems when caring for Ito-peonies after planting is not done. The branches should be completely cut off after severe frosts, much later than for herbaceous peonies: in the Moscow region in mid-November.
