Peonies "Mr. Ed": description of the variety, planting and care features

Landing features

Cherry plum is a resistant plant. It is undemanding to the soil, takes root well and develops even in cold climates.

Sapling selection

When choosing a seedling, you need to carefully examine all its parts:

• the bark should be free of wrinkles and damage;
• the crown should not have dried branches;
• the root system of the seedling is strong, developed, at least 10 cm long, without dry roots.

Choosing a landing site

When choosing a place for planting cherry plums, you should give preference to that part of the site where there is the most light, there are no drafts. The south or southwest side will give the plant warm sun rays, which will contribute to a bountiful and tasty harvest.

The quality of the soil for cherry plum is not very important, but the plant grows and develops better on loamy soil with a neutral reaction. Groundwater should approach the surface of the earth at least 80 cm.

Site preparation

The introduction of the necessary fertilizers into the soil must be taken care of in advance.

In order for the cherry plum to bring a rich harvest, it is necessary to properly prepare the land for planting.

Holes are prepared in autumn or spring. In the fall, holes are dug before the onset of cold weather, and in the spring - 15 days before planting. Dig a depression 70x70 cm, then mix the following fertilizers with a fertile layer of earth:

• superphosphate - 300 g;
• potassium sulphide - 40 g;
• compost - 10 kg (fresh in autumn, rotted in spring).

The resulting mixture is spread on the bottom of each well.

As a result of all actions, fertile soil is obtained, which is capable of passing moisture and air. Thanks to this, the cherry plum seedling will take root better in a new place.

Step by step process

Cherry plum seedlings are not buried when planting, the root collar should be 5 cm above the soil level

1. A peg is driven into the center of a previously prepared hole.
2. They rake a hill of earth to it from the bottom of the hole.
3. A seedling is placed on the hill, the roots are carefully straightened.
4. The root collar should be 5–7 cm above the soil level.
5. The pit is covered with earth, tamped.
6. A young tree is tied to a peg.
7. An earthen roller is poured around the tree, forming a small hole.
8. Water the seedling with 3-4 buckets of water. Watering is necessary in any case, even if the ground is wet.
9. As soon as the plant absorbs water, the hole is mulched with straw, sawdust or peat.

A distance of at least 2.5 m is observed between trees, and 3 m between rows.

Description of the variety

A gift to St. Petersburg - a hybrid variety of cherry plum. To create it, breeders crossed the Pionerka cherry plum variety and the Skoroplodnaya Chinese plum variety. In 1999, the Gift to St. Petersburg was zoned for the North-West region of Russia.

The tree is medium-sized, grows up to 3 meters high. The crown is bowl-shaped, spreading. The stem is short. The top of the tree is dense. Leaves are light green, oval, elongated, curved in the shape of a boat, pointed at the end. The edge of the leaf is wavy.

For its early and abundant flowering, cherry plum is valued as an ornamental plant.

Cherry plum fruits are oval, ovoid, the apex is slightly pointed, the abdominal suture is almost invisible. Average weight of ripe fruit is 12 g. Dessert taste, sweet and sour. When ripe, a delicate aroma is felt. Cherry plum color is bright yellow with an orange tint. The skin is thin, with a slight waxy coating. The pulp is juicy, with fine fibers, yellow in color. The stone is poorly separated from the fibrous pulp.

Fruits are high in nutrients

Chemical composition of fruits - table

Landing

Mostly peonies of the "Peter Brand" variety prefer partial shade and sunny areas, but not under the direct rays of the scorching sun.

The soil for peonies should be chosen with great care. Moderately dry soil is preferred. It must be fresh and with all the nutrients and minerals it needs.

That is why, when planting in the ground, it is very important to properly prepare the soil 7-10 days in advance, including fertilizing it. However, if the soil is good, then in the first year and in the next few years, it may not be fertilized.

The planting itself is carried out in the spring season or in the fall. It is recommended to prepare the soil for 10-20 days, namely: holes for planting. The planting scheme is usually 50 by 50 or 60 by 60 cm. Planting should be medium, not low and not too high, otherwise, instead of flowering, peonies will begin to grow abundantly greenery, that is, leaves.

One very important point should be noted that concerns varietal peonies. Sometimes, after planting in the first year, they may not bloom. This is normal for plants as it is a kind of adaptation period for them. As a rule, with proper and high-quality care, all subsequent years the plant will delight with its abundant flowering.

Propagate "Peter brand" by dividing the bush. To do this, you need to dig up an adult shrub and cut off the stems from it, that is, divide it into parts. On each part, the bulb of the mother plant and part of the root system should remain. Then young seedlings are planted. They are buried according to the scheme given above, and they are watered abundantly. Young tubers should be buried no more than 5 cm below the ground.

Protection against diseases and pests

Peonies are not immune to various diseases and pests. As a preventive measure, you can use herbal infusions and wood ash.

It is important to understand that frequent watering and feeding can lead to disease. Peonies are susceptible to a number of diseases:

Peonies are susceptible to a number of diseases:

• powdery mildew;
• rust;
• gray rot;

If spots appear on the leaves, treatment should be started immediately. First of all, this is the control of watering and change of dressings. Then you need to pick up a special tool. For fungal diseases, fungicidal preparations are used.

Insecticide is an excellent ant control agent

Ants love to live on peonies.

It is important to take immediate action to eliminate them. Failure to comply may lead to the death of "Peter Brand"

An insecticide will help in the fight.

Advice! You need to spray the product from a special bottle. The presence of a protective mask and gloves is a prerequisite.

When fighting powdery mildew, use "Fitosporin". The drug completely removes the fungus and its spores.

If you follow all the rules of care, then the Peter Brand peony will surely grow into a lush bush with many beautiful flowers that will delight you not only with their beauty, but also with an amazing aroma.

Planting and transplanting

In order for Lollipop peonies to grow healthy and bloom as they should, for a start it is very important to choose the right place for planting them. Of course, greenhouse conditions are always welcome.

However, if there is a desire to plant plants in a flower bed or in ordinary soil in the garden, then it is best to give preference to a penumbra area where there is no scorching sun. Although the plant itself is light-loving, it is not worth planting it completely in the shade.

If there is a feeling that the soil is not like that, then peat, humus, sand and wood ash can be added to it. So it will become optimal for growing varietal peonies.

Peonies should be transplanted at the end of the summer season or in the fall. It is undesirable to replant plants in the spring. This period is considered unfavorable. The depth of the holes for planting or transplanting plants should be about 60-70 cm.The distance between future bushes should be about 1.5 m.

It is advisable to put some sand, gravel or crushed stone at the bottom of the plant holes. Thus, you can thoroughly prepare the soil, saturating it with everything necessary for the further growth of plants. Typically, such a layer of "filter" is laid out 15 cm. And organic fertilizers are usually placed in the hole, it is best to use special store options. Or you can combine compost and humus in equal proportions. Then the ground should be left for several days, ideally for 7-10, and only then start planting peonies.

Peonies grow best only in prepared soil. However, it is worth noting that they should not be planted very deeply, they may disappear, or the plant will produce abundant greenery, while not blooming at all. The peony root should be very carefully placed in the soil and also carefully sprinkled and tamped.

Preparation

The purchased tubers are not ready for planting. Before immersing them in the ground, preparatory work will be required.

• First of all, it is worthwhile to study the roots in more detail. If there are fibrous, damaged ones, then remove them. A sharp clerical knife can be used as a tool, but before that it must be disinfected.
• It is desirable to treat the sections with a solution of one activated carbon tablet. Excess lateral roots will develop and expand laterally, eventually consuming too many nutrients. The star-shaped root pattern for the peony is ideal. The cut is made at an angle of 45 degrees, which prevents the formation of new shoots.
• After pruning and shaping, the tubers are soaked in water for several hours before planting. Can be immersed in water overnight, they will still only absorb the required amount of water. At this stage, prophylactic treatment against fungal infections can be carried out; for this, the tubers are soaked in fungicide for 15 minutes. In addition to the therapeutic effect, the solution gives more strength for new growth.

It is worth planting a peony in early September, in which case the best results can be achieved. During the autumn and winter, the plant will have enough time to develop root crops.

Peonies prefer well-drained soil that is not overly rich in nutrients. Clay soil works well because it gives the roots a firm footing. Loose sandy soil of these plants is not at all to their liking.

You can add a little sand to the ground if it is too dense and the water stagnates for a long time. In this case, a small amount of drainage layer will help get rid of the problem and keep the root system from rotting.

It is important for young plants that the soil is moist, especially in hot and dry weather, but watering should be done at intervals. Fertilizers are not applied under peonies, since they do not require additional feeding for five years after planting.

After this time interval, a handful of bone meal in the spring and the same amount of wood ash in the fall is sufficient.

If compost is available, it is the ideal solution. Be sure to add a little agricultural limestone to its composition. This combination is the optimal "diet" for a peony. Better little feeding than too much, as peonies are too susceptible to mineral poisoning.

A little loosening of the soil around will be beneficial, you can lay a small layer of mulch that isolates the soil surface, keeping roots and moisture.

Experienced growers are divided on whether to transplant a plant. Some argue that she helps the peony, others say that the flower only suffers from this. Each beginner should act at his own peril and risk, but it is better if the place for the flower is immediately chosen ideally.

Moving is stress, after it it is difficult for the peony to recover, the flowering is sluggish, the foliage is dull and lifeless.

Even if a transplant is necessary, it is worth digging up the peony so as to pick up the entire root system along with the soil. Thus, fewer shoots are injured. The time for transplanting is the beginning of autumn, when the flowering period is already over, or from October to March.

The ideal place is partial shade, a few meters from shrubs and trees, where the peony can grow and develop normally. If several plants are transplanted at once, then they should stand at a distance of a meter from each other.

With an insufficient amount of free space, the peony becomes unattractive, its branches stretch too much, since there is not enough sunlight.

There are no special requirements for planting and growing peonies, they are unpretentious, but, like any plant, they require attention, timely watering, and proper selection of a place. If at the first stage everything is done correctly, then there will be no hassle, especially since peonies are resistant to diseases and pests.

See the video below about the peculiarities of growing peonies "Command Performance".