Peonies planting and care in the open field

Planting seedlings in open ground

When it comes to peonies, the default is planting seedlings. It is this method that is most widely used, since it is simpler and more reliable. However, it is possible to plant peonies in the spring using seeds, which we will talk about a little later.

Before starting planting work, you need to prepare a place for the peonies. It is recommended to do the planting hole several weeks before the planned planting time. This is necessary so that the earth in the pit has time to settle.

The planting pit itself should be very large, even if you are planting a very tiny seedling: the depth and width are about 50-70 centimeters. The main point of creating such a large "basement" is to get a sufficiently large amount of loose earth under the bush. The fact is that peonies grow very poorly in dense virgin soil, their rhizomes always develop along the path of least resistance, and in unprepared soil, the root system spreads in the surface layer, and does not go deeper down. And since the surface layers contain little moisture, the plant becomes frail and painful.

So, more than half of the planting hole should be filled with a mixture of organic fertilizers, earth, bone meal and phosphates. The upper third of the pit is covered with ordinary soil removed from the pit earlier.

When planting peonies in lowland areas with groundwater close to the surface, it is recommended to make a raised flower bed. From the bulk bed, water will leave faster, which means that rotting of the roots of the peonies will not threaten.

Peony planting technology

Peonies are very popular among gardeners due to the variety of colors and delicate aroma of flowers. They are quite unpretentious; if desired, any grower can grow them on his site. The main thing is to prepare the ground and land in the right place, adhering to generally accepted technology.

Seat selection

A perennial peony can be grown for decades without replanting. But, if he does not like the landing site, he will have to wait for flowering for a very long time.

Peonies, the planting of which consists of several stages, do not tolerate tightness, it is not advisable to plant them near fences and walls of buildings. This culture prefers open, flat terrain, well lit by the sun. The more light falls on the bush, the better it will bloom. In shady areas, peonies stretch out, and flower stalks bend from heavy buds and break.

When choosing a place, consider at what depth the groundwater is located. If at a level of 1 m or more, this can cause root rot and the death of the bush.

Preparing a pit for planting peonies

Peonies thrive on fertile soils, but prefer light loam with good drainage. The landing sites are prepared in advance - 15-20 days in advance, so that the substrate dries up and becomes denser.

On heavy, clayey soils, the pit is prepared 60 cm deep, and on light and loose ones - 50 cm, with a diameter of 60 by 70 cm, this depth will allow the bushes to quickly form strong roots that go deep into the soil.

When digging up a soil layer of 20 cm is laid separately, it is used to fix the plant. The bottom of the pit is laid out with expanded clay for drainage of water (can be replaced with broken brick or gravel).

Next, you need to add complementary foods. For its preparation, 300 grams of ash, 100 grams of potassium sulfate, and 100 grams of double superphosphate are added to 5-6 kg of humus. Peonies require medium acidity, ph value 6.5. If it is necessary to deoxidize the soil, add a liter of lime mixture (a kilogram of lime per bucket of water).

Planting peonies in autumn

The optimal time for planting herbaceous peonies in open ground is late summer and early autumn (from August 15 to September 5). It is better not to postpone the dates, since the flower will not have time to take root before the onset of stable cold weather.

It is important to observe the depth when landing. It is recommended to place root tubers in the pit in this way: the upper bud of the rhizome growth should be 3-5 cm below the soil surface

To maintain the planting depth, you should use a special landing board. During the process, the board is installed over the pit and, adhering to the planned values, planting is carried out. If the flower is deepened more, it is fraught with the weakness of the plant, which will lead to poor flowering and frequent diseases.

The seedlings are placed in planting holes, the roots are spread. After that, it is covered with a mixture of soil and compost, mixed in equal parts. In this case, the plant is shaken a little in order to prevent the formation of voids between the layers of the soil mixture.

When the planting of peonies in summer is completed, the earth is compacted with hands around the stem. Watered, spending 5-6 liters of water for each bush.

For herbaceous varieties, the optimal distance between bushes is 0.8-1.2 meters.

Herbaceous peonies: planting in spring and care

They start landing in the 2nd decade of April, until the air warms up above plus 10 grams. Celsius. At elevated temperatures, the buds immediately begin to grow, which significantly reduces the survival rate.

Pits for peonies are dug and prepared in advance, as soon as the snow melts. The rest of the procedure is the same as for the autumn-summer planting.

After planting, it is necessary to observe the plant and its adaptation. The lower leaves may wilt and need to be pinched off before they are affected by disease.

Features of planting a tree peony

Peonies of the tree group are classified as tall shrubs growing in height from 1.5-2 meters with straight massive light brown shoots. It is characterized by openwork feathery leaves and large flowers up to 25 cm in diameter. It blooms 10-15 days earlier than the herbaceous species, and is distinguished by relative frost resistance. Subject to the rules of care, it can be grown without transplanting from 20 to 50 years.

A tree-like peony is planted using the same technology as a herbaceous one. Basically, they choose the period from September 1 to 15. The main difference between planting two types of plants is their size. For tree peonies, the distance between the bushes and to the nearest buildings or other plants should be 1.2-1.5 meters; a pit for them is prepared 10 cm larger in diameter and deeper.

How to transplant

In order for a new flower bed of irises to bloom with all colors and paints, you need to adhere to several conditions when transplanting.

Preparatory measures:

1. Initially, for irises, you should choose a place that will meet all its requirements:
   • The flower bed should be spacious.
   • It should be in a well-lit place.
   • The soil should not be too wet.
2. Soil preparation:
   • The land must be well fertilized.
   • Do not overmoisten the soil by limiting watering.
   • Planting trenches should be of medium depth so that the bush does not sink too deep into the ground, otherwise it will rot.

1. Preparing a plant for transplanting

1. Extracting a plant from the ground:
   • The bush is released from the soil gently without damage.
   • The root system is neatly divided into separate pieces of ten centimeters each.
   • The formed sections should contain about five healthy leaves.
   • The root system needs to be corrected.
2. Shrub preparation for planting:
   • Cleaning the roots from rotten and damaged areas.
   • Pruning the leaves of the plant so that the height does not exceed five to six centimeters.
   • Disinfection of the root system.

Planting iris in the soil:

1. The location of the sprouts in the trench:
   • Correct root placement in the trench relative to adjacent bushes.
   • Root laying.
2. Post-landing actions:
   • Abundant watering
   • Compaction of the soil.

2. Preparing the soil

Since irises love the sun, but do not tolerate excess moisture, it is worth taking care of the formation of a flower bed.

This can be done without special technologies or ideas - it is enough to properly organize the soil:

The earth under the garden bed is dug deep enough - the depth is on the bayonet of the shovel.
When the earth is dug up, all extraneous roots of pest plants must be removed from it.
The preparation of trenches is carried out long before the direct disembarkation, almost three months before the process.
First you need to set the level. It is desirable that the land in the flowerbed, where the iris will grow, should rise by ten centimeters

So that the shape of the flower bed does not collapse during watering and processing, the edges of the flower bed are strengthened.
Form a slight slope towards the south, as irises adore sunlight.
For planting irises, the soil is usually lightened by adding sand and peat to it, and then mixed with the main soil.
Since irises do not like excessive moisture, it is important to think over a drainage system so that the plant does not die in case of heavy rainfall.

Naturally, you cannot do without fertilizing and fertilizing the earth before planting irises.

Fertilization should be made using mineral and organic substances:

1. The land for planting under irises is not fertilized with manure, as it can harm the root of the plant, namely, burn it.
2. In the form of fertilizer, a mixture of soil and compost can enter.
3. When fertilizing, one should not overdo it with fertilizer - ten kilograms of fertilizer should fall on one plant bush.
4. In the process of growth, constant feeding of irises is necessary, otherwise the flowering will be very poor.

3. Divide the rhizomes

Transplanting and planting irises involves the preliminary preparation of the plant, namely the shrub. Of course, the overgrown bush must be pre-processed, namely divided.

This is done in order to update the root system. This must be done very carefully, since a divided plant may not take root during transplantation.

Consider these rules:

1. The division of the rhizome is carried out only after the period of flowering of the iris is over. Approximately this can be done after two weeks of the end of the flowering period.
2. For division, bushes no older than three years are used, which have a fan-shaped leaf structure and a well-developed root system.
3. Separation of shrubs can be done with hands or with a knife, but at the same time, before each division, the roots are disinfected by soaking them in a light solution of manganese for several hours.
4. After this exposure, the roots of the shrubs are dried for two weeks, and only after that they are planted in the soil.

4. Landing in the ground

When all the preliminary treatments of the iris bushes are completed, you can start planting.

But here, too, there are many tricks and tricks:

1. In the garden or flower bed, depressions are formed, in the center of which there remains a small hill on which the bush will be placed.
2. The depth of the recess is about three to four centimeters. The distance between the pits should be about sixty centimeters.
3. The roots are spread over the entire groove so that they do not overlap.
4. After distributing the root system and installing the shrub, you can fill the depression with earth. After that, the seedlings are tamped and watered, if necessary.

Reproduction of peonies

The culture is propagated by dividing the bush, both green and root cuttings, layering, and even seeds.

Seed propagation

This method is more often used by breeders, since the plants obtained from seeds do not have the varietal characteristics of the parents. Seed collection begins in August and ends in mid-September.

Reproduction peony - collecting seeds in August

They are immediately sown into the ground, deepening by 5 cm.Thus, the seeds go through 2 stages of stratification:

• warm - when the daytime temperature rises to 30 degrees Celsius, and at night drops to 15;
• cold - for 2 months the seeds are affected by a cold temperature of 5-10 degrees Celsius.

This technology guarantees a high probability of germination, but some seeds will germinate only for 2 years.

The acquired planting material has a dried up hard shell, which greatly complicates germination. Before sowing, it is necessary to soak the seeds in warm water for 2 days, then sow in September-August using the above technology.

Peonies - propagation by root cuttings with a bud

Harvesting of root cuttings begins at the end of flowering - at the end of June:

• choose a young shoot with adventitious roots and a replacement bud;
• the stalk is cut off with a sharp knife, and the top is shortened, leaving a few leaves;
• the root is placed in a growth stimulator for 12-14 hours;
• the cutting is planted in a shaded place, deepening by 10 cm.

Peonies propagated by root cuttings

By about September, it will take root, and before wintering it will need to be cut off, and the rhizome with a replacement bud will need to be covered for wintering. Reproduction of peonies by cuttings is a long process, the first flowering will occur only in the 5th year.

Propagation of peonies by stem cuttings

It is necessary to harvest a large number of cuttings, since not all will take root. Cutting is carried out a week before flowering:

• choose bushes 5-7 years old;
• the selected internal shoots (inside the bush) are cut at the root;
• then they are cut, cutting so that there are 2 internodes on each segment (one cut is made under the sheet itself, and the second - 2-3 cm above the top sheet);
• the cuttings are soaked in a root stimulant solution for 8 hours;
• planted in the shade of trees: the bed filled with compost is sprinkled with a layer of sand, the cuttings are deepened by 3 cm at an angle, at a distance of 0.15 m from each other;
• the landing is covered with a portable greenhouse;
• plants need high humidity, therefore, abundant spraying is carried out 2-3 times a day;
• after 3 weeks, they begin to ventilate the greenhouse, increasing the time every day;
• in late autumn, rooted cuttings are cut, and the rhizomes are covered for the winter.

Propagation of peonies by stem cuttings

Reproduction of peonies by vertical layers

In early April, the base of a 5 year old bush is dug out, exposing the vegetative buds. The bush is covered with a box of 0.5 by 0.5 m without a bottom, and covered with fertile soil 0.2-0.3 m in height. The soil in the box must always be moist. The buds developing on the shoots must be pinched, then the plant gives off strength to the development of the root system.

Peony propagation scheme with vertical layering

At the end of summer, shoots can be cut off, and the resulting roots with new vegetative buds can be separated and planted in a permanent place.

Mandatory transplantation and reproduction of peonies by dividing the bush

Reproduction by division is suitable for bushes that have reached 5-7 years of age. The procedure is carried out from August 15 to September 15. For this:

• the bushes are dug up, washed with water, and left in the shade for a while (dried roots become elastic and do not break);
• all shoots are cut 10-15 cm from the root;
• the rhizome is divided into parts so that each of them contains 3 or more renewal buds;
• the delenki are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for 2-3 hours;
• diseased and growing roots are removed, and the sections are treated with ointment from ash and clay;
• then the delenki are planted in new places, before frost they will have time to take root.

The transplant of peonies is combined with dividing the bush for rejuvenation and reproduction

It is necessary to divide and transplant peonies, growing and caring for which in the garden according to all the rules, every 5-7 years. This promotes plant rejuvenation.

Reproduction of peonies by dividing the bush

The root collar of adult bushes (over 10 years old) grows old and becomes hollow, ants, worms and slugs settle in it. And vegetative buds are laid deeper over time, which negatively affects flowering.

How to plant peonies in spring

Perennial peonies are very popular among flower lovers due to the large number of different varieties, colors and shapes. In addition, these bushes are able to grow and bloom in one place without transplanting for almost half a century; they are frost and drought resistant, and their full, bright blooms are pleasing to the eye for a month and a half every year.

It is during these periods that planting is carried out. In most cases, it is carried out in the fall, less often in the spring. Spring planting has some features that will be discussed below.

Required tools

Experienced gardeners are well aware that the root system of an adult bush can reach a depth of 90 cm. For this reason, it can be quite difficult to extract the root of this perennial from the soil. Therefore, you first need to dig in the bush at a distance of 15-20 cm from the rhizome using a conventional shovel, but to extract the root itself, you must use a pitchfork to prevent significant damage.

Figure 1. Correct planting of plants in the ground

Sometimes, when transplanting very branched old bushes, you have to use a crowbar to loosen the main stem of the bush along with the earthy clod (Figure 1). You should be aware that the choice of garden tools depends not only on the size and age of the plant, but also on the quality of the soil.

Advice

Planting of peonies in spring is carried out before the onset of stable warming, so that the planting material can take root before the shoots begin to grow. In addition to this condition, you should also use the following tips (Figure 2):

The area set aside for flowers should not be too wet, since stagnant water provokes root rot and plant death.
Flowers grow poorly and do not bloom at all in the shade. This factor should be taken into account when choosing a landing site.
Bushes prefer soils with neutral acidity and do not tolerate acidic soils at all. Therefore, it is undesirable to introduce peat into the planting pit, as well as its use as a mulching material. If the soil on the site has an increased level of acidity, you should resort to liming it.
The planting hole must be prepared 2-3 weeks before planting the bush.

Moreover, its depth and width should be at least 50-70 cm.
When selecting planting material, pay attention that the delenka carries at least 2-3 renewal buds and 2 adventitious roots more than 5 cm long and is not damaged.

Figure 2. Selecting a landing site

If you are interested in how to plant and care for crops, we recommend using the step-by-step instructions:

1. Pre-dig a planting hole, the depth and width of which is about 60 cm.
2. At the bottom of the pit, a layer of drainage material (expanded clay, river sand, broken brick) should be laid and covered with a layer of soil with the addition of 1-2 buckets of humus or compost, a glass of superphosphate and two glasses of ash.
3. Fertile soil is poured over the nutrient layer so that about 10 cm remains to the edges of the pit.
4. The planting pit prepared in this way is left for 2-3 weeks for a little rain.
5. When planting a cut, it is placed in the center of the pit, making sure that the roots are straightened. In this case, the planting material is buried in heavy soil by 5 cm, and in light soil - by 7 cm from the beginning of bud growth. Violation of this rule leads to the fact that excessive deepening prevents flowering, and too shallow location can lead to freezing of the roots in winter.
6. The planted rhizome is covered with earth with a light compaction with your hands and watered abundantly.

To prevent drying out, as well as for speedy rooting, you can mulch the planting hole with humus.

How to feed peonies in August

Feeding peonies in the summer is important for the formation of flower buds for the next year. Young and old bushes in early August are fed with mullein infusion diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.How else to feed peonies? Necessarily phosphorus and potash fertilizers. For example, after watering, add under each bush 20-30 g of superphosphate and 10-15 potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water. It is worth adding 1 tablet of micronutrient to the solution. Top dressing can also be applied dry by pouring it into the grooves around the perimeter of the bush.

Peonies after transplanting do not need fertilization, because you have already brought everything you need into the landing pit. From the second year on, you can gradually start feeding the plants.

Peony care in August also includes other works:

• water the plants so that they bloom well next year (6-7 liters of water for each bush), gradually reduce watering by the end of the month;
• loosen the soil after watering and rains;
• weed weeds;
• mulch the soil with humus or peat;
• for the prevention of diseases and the appearance of pests, spray peonies with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid or copper chloride (40 g per 10 l of water).

In August, you can collect peony seeds and plant them in a prepared area. Plants will sprout in 1.5 years, and bloom only after 6 years. The resulting specimens will not retain the varietal characteristics of the mother bush, but interesting plants with unusual color and shape of flowers can be obtained from them.

Now you know how to plant and care for peonies in August. It is quite troublesome, but the time and effort spent will pay off with a beautiful and lush bloom!

Everything you need to know about peonies in one article
We have collected all the most useful tips for planting, growing and breeding peonies. Enjoy reading!

Reproduction of a tree peony by vegetative methods

4 ways of vegetative use are used breeding tree peony.

By dividing the bush, it is applicable for plants aged 5-6 years

Reproduction of a tree peony by dividing a bush photo

The optimal time for the procedure is late summer and early autumn. Dig up and carefully divide the bush, be sure to treat the cuts with a fungicide. Each section should contain 2-3 growth buds and roots 10-20 cm long.

Reproduction by layering

Reproduction of tree peonies by layering photo

Do this before flowering (in May). Bend the developed shoot in the ground, make a shallow longitudinal incision about 10 cm long on the bark, treat it with a growth stimulator. Pin to the ground with a staple, sprinkle with a layer of soil 8-10 cm thick, leaving the top on the surface. Maintain soil moisture, roots will appear by the end of the warm season, but the sprout should be separated from the mother plant at the end of the next summer.

Grafting on the root of a herbaceous peony

Scion cuttings of a tree peony photo

In the middle lane, this is done in August.

The stock is a part of the root of a herbaceous plant 10-15 cm long. Graft is cuttings cut into semi-lignified shoots of the current year. It is good if the thickness of the rootstock and the scion are the same. The grafting is done with a scion or whipping (with a significantly greater thickness of the scion, only this method is used).

Roots for the rootstock should be dug out 2-3 weeks in advance and stored in a cool place.

Each stalk should have 1-2 buds (cut 2-3 cm above the top, 3-4 cm below the bottom, remove the leaves). Use isopropyl alcohol to sterilize the instrument. You will need a very sharp knife and sharp garden shears.

Grafting

Grafting a tree peony on a herbaceous root how to make

Make a cross-section at the root, and if the diameter of the root is larger than the cutting, you will need a wedge-shaped cut. Cut the stalk on both sides with a wedge (it is advisable to do this under water - this will not clog the porous fabric). Then insert into the incision.

Inoculation of a tree peony on the root of a herbaceous photo

Wrap the top with a special tape for grafting (when using ordinary electrical tape, turn the adhesive side out), you need to grab a cross section of the root.Top should be coated with garden varnish.

Vaccination in the butt

How to plant a tree peony on the root of a herbaceous peony

On the root and cutting, make cuts (they should be smooth) at a slight angle, align and fasten in the same way.

Inoculation of a tree peony in the application photo

What to do with grafted seedlings

What to do with grafted tree peony seedlings photo

You can plant grafted plants in a greenhouse for 3-4 weeks; when planting, the scion should be above the soil level. Water regularly.

Another (more preferable) method: the grafted material is placed in boxes, shifted with moss or sawdust, covered with plastic bags and kept in the basement for the same time.

A grafted tree peony ready for planting in a permanent place photo

Successfully grafted plants are transplanted into open ground, placing them at an angle. For the winter, cover with a layer of straw, which must be removed in the spring. Cuttings are grown until autumn, in autumn they are transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

A grafted tree peony seedling in the second year of life photo

Propagation by green cuttings

Quite an effective way (about 60-70% rooted). A significant amount of planting material can be obtained at the same time. Cuttings should be prepared before the lignification process begins (throughout June), it is better to cut them in the morning. Leave 2 buds of growth, make an oblique cut under the bottom (at a distance of 1.5-2.5 cm), above the top - even (distance 2.5-3 cm). Shorten the leaves by 1/2 or 1/3. Treat with growth stimulant.

Plant in a sandy-peat mixture at an angle, deepening by 4-5 cm, cover on top with a jar or a cut plastic bottle. Maintain soil moisture, spray the leaves. The first roots will appear in 1.5-2 months. Remove the shelter gradually. For the winter, dig the cuttings in the hole and cover. In the spring, transplant to a test bed for growing - by the fall, an shoot should develop from the lower bud. Then you can transplant to a permanent place of growth, if you wish, postpone the procedure until next season.

Peony transplant

When to transplant peonies

Wild peonies grow in one place for up to fifty years or more. Hybrid varieties that originated from the medicinal peony can grow without transplanting in the same area for no more than ten years, after this period, the bush must be divided and transplanted to another place. In addition, dividing and planting a bush is the easiest and most reliable way to reproduce peonies. But for this purpose, 4-5-year-old bushes are used, which have already fully bloomed once or twice. The fact is that the root system of peonies grows strongly over the years, so it is easier to cope with a younger rhizome than with an old one, so in order for the quality of the flowering of your peonies not to decrease, it will be better to divide and plant the bushes every three to four years ... Peonies are transplanted in September.

In the photo: White peony flower

Transplanting peonies in autumn

How to transplant peonies? In autumn, the bush is dug in at a distance of 25 cm from the rhizome, then carefully loosened with a pitchfork and removed from the ground. The rhizome is cleaned from the soil with a peg, then washed with a not very strong jet of water, so as not to damage the fragile buds-eyes of the peonies. The ground part is cut almost to the root

The washed rhizome is left in the open air so that the water is glass, and the roots are slightly wilted and become more elastic. Then the old thick roots are pruned to a length of 10-15 cm at an angle of 45 °

The ground part is cut almost to the root. The washed rhizome is left in the open air so that the water is glass, and the roots are slightly wilted and become more elastic. Then the old thick roots are pruned to a length of 10-15 cm at an angle of 45 °.

Examine the root carefully and only then proceed to division.

If the bush is old, then it is most convenient to drive a wedge into its middle with a hammer, which will split the rhizome into several parts.Often in the middle of old rhizomes there are voids and rotten areas that need to be cleaned out, disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, and then powdered with fungicide. Delenki should consist of a part of the root collar with well-developed 3-4 eyes and several roots. It is necessary to try to divide the rhizome into approximately equal parts, so that there are neither too large divisions that will hurt for a long time after transplantation, nor too small ones that may die.

In the photo: Growing peonies in the garden

How to transplant peonies

It is necessary to plant the cuttings in the ground in the way that has already been described. The area with transplanted plants for the winter must be mulched with a seven-centimeter layer of peat, you can remove the mulch when in the spring reddish peony sprouts break through it. In the first two years after transplanting, peonies should build up a root system, so be patient and do not let young plants bloom. In the first year, pinch off all the buds that appear, the next - leave only one bud on the bush and, when it bursts, cut it as short as possible and consider how the flower matches its variety. If the match is incomplete, then you will have to pinch off the buds for another year, leaving only one until the flower fully matches its variety. This can happen in the third year, and maybe in the fifth.