In this article, we will look at how and what fertilizers to apply and folk remedies for feeding peonies.
Peony is rightly called the king of the garden. Its magnificent lush, fragrant buds attract attention, and the intoxicating, dizzying aroma easily envelops in a haze of magical fragrance. In this article we will talk about feeding peonies.
How to feed peonies after winter in early spring?
In order for peonies to please the eye and serve as a decoration for the front garden, today we will look at how, when to care for them, as well as how and how to properly feed them.
- The peony itself is quite unpretentious and resilient, unless, of course, all measures are taken. proper fit and well chosen place
- This culture is quite hardy and endures both persistent frosts and heat.
- On the roots of peonies there are many dormant buds that are constantly changing. Do not try to "transfer" the plant from one place to another. With a properly chosen place, a culture can stay and bloom in the allotted time for up to fifty years, and there are cases that even longer. For such favor, gardeners adore them and do not stop caring for them.
However, in order for these flowers to please your eye, it is not enough to plant them on the site, you must also create them favorable conditions, namely:
- Eradicate weeds to allow stalks to break through
- Water and loosen the soil
- Fertilize the crop with various top dressings and other necessary additives
- Prevent the occurrence of ailments
Caring for a crop in the spring is not difficult, but it has a number of its own characteristics and characteristics. It must be said right away that not only top dressing is important during this period, it is also very important to ensure proper care peonies and only after that proceed to their fertilizer.
- The ground part of the plant dies off before the onset of cold weather, and in the spring the shoots grow back
- Weeds must be eradicated immediately so that they do not affect the growth of new stems. The soil around the bushes must be loosened very carefully, at least 12 cm from the bush, otherwise you can harm the sprouts that are trying to break through.
- It is necessary to try to rake the ground to the plant, while protecting the root system with the necessary layer of soil within 5 cm. This arrangement of the rhizome must be constantly monitored so that it does not rise above the soil. If the root nevertheless rises above the surface, then the growing buds will suffer from cold or heat and, as a result, will die.
As soon as the snow melts, as a rule, in early spring, during the period of the appearance of small shoots that begin to appear from the ground, plant bushes must be fed with the following nutrients:
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- trace elements
- Potassium permanganate solution
- Ammonium nitrate
Indeed, with untimely and insufficient feeding of the bushes of the plant in early spring, it will not receive enough of the necessary nutrients and will lag behind in development, will be prone to disease.
How and what to use fertilizers and folk remedies for feeding peonies in early spring after winter: rules, recipes and technologies
Among other top dressings that are carried out during the entire growing season, special place allotted in the spring. After all, it has a huge impact on how quickly the bushes will wake up after hibernation and whether enough forces will be accumulated to form and bloom buds.
In this regard, gardeners who have been growing peonies for a long time spend in the spring whole line complex procedures and manipulations that are aimed at fertilizing the soil with all the necessary substances, microelements.
The first stage of spring feeding falls on the end of April, the beginning of May. It was at this time that the sprouts rise above the ground plane, and need organic fertilizers:
- Mullein
- Horse dung
- bird droppings
- Humus
- Compost
- Nitrophoska
The second stage of nutrition of crop plants occurs 14-20 days after the first. The goal, which is to provide the culture with all the nutrients during flowering:
- 35 g phosphorus
- 25 g potassium
- Bucket of infused mullein
The third stage of feeding comes about a month later, when the bushes have already finished blooming:
- Mullein infusion 1 bucket
- 35 g superphosphate
- 20 g potassium sulfate
As previously reported, spring feeding is very important. But also an important aspect is the selection of high-quality and effective fertilizer. The most common fertilizers include:
- Fertik, allowed for use as many as 3 times in one season. The method of its application is as follows: you need to put a handful of fertilizer in the recess made under the bush and sprinkle it with earth. At each stage of feeding, different types of fertilizers should be used: Kemira-Universal, also called Fertiku, is used in early spring before flowering, but Kemira-Combi is already used during the second feeding. This fertilizer dissolves quite easily, so you just need to pour it on the ground and pour water on the bush.
- Baikal EM-1 has gained immense popularity among organic substances. It nourishes the soil amazingly, but also improves the very structure of the soil. But before direct fertilization of pions in the spring with Baikal EM-1E, it must be mixed with compost. In addition, the layer of such fertilizer should be within 10 cm.
- Chicken manure can be used as a resource of useful substances. To make a fertilizer based on it, you will need 1.5 liters of chicken manure and a full bucket of water. The solution settles for 2 weeks. Fertilizer is applied in this form 1:3 with water. For better effect, you can add a handful to it. wood ash.
There is also such a folk remedy for fertilizing these flowers:
- 120 g yeast
- glass of sugar
- Warm water to dissolve yeast
- A bucket of water
We dissolve granulated sugar in warm water and then put the yeast into the liquid. Leave the resulting mixture for 10-12 hours. After the time has passed, we filter the liquid, and then mix it with a bucket of water.
Experienced gardeners use such fertilizers to ensure lush flowering culture bushes. In addition, a yeast-based solution is ideal for bushes just starting to grow.
How to feed peonies in the spring during the budding period?
As you can see, these flowers constantly need regular feeding, and the bud formation period of the plant is no exception. It is very important to fertilize the bushes of these plants at this time, because after winter period peonies, like all plants, are very weak and need to be replenished. Consequently, in this case it is impossible to do without top dressing, therefore it is unacceptable to skip the application of fertilizers that improve the budding of the crop.
In order for peony bushes to please with lush and rich flowering for a long time, it is necessary to remove all buds for the first couple of years after they are planted in the ground. This technique will enable the plant to take root firmly and further develop in the best possible way.
So, during the active budding of flowers, it is worth giving preference to such substances:
- Initially, it is worth giving preference to top dressing, which contains nitrogen and potassium.
- Specifically, during the budding period, peonies must be fertilized with a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium without fail
- Already after flowering, the plant can be limited to the introduction of substances such as phosphorus and potassium
How and what to use fertilizers and folk remedies for feeding peonies during the budding period: rules, recipes and technologies
The magnificent flowering of this crop falls on the 3rd year after planting it in the soil. By this period, the main stems in the amount of 10 to 15 pieces are fully formed on the bushes. During the formation of buds, already formed bushes are also fed.
To fertilize the crop during the formation of buds, you can use such a liquid feed, which is prepared on the basis of the following components:
- 15 g nitrogen
- 25 g phosphorus
- 20 g potassium
- 12 liters of water
This amount of the mixture must be diluted in 12 liters of water. The resulting liquid solution is poured under one bush. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out such a manipulation for each existing peony bush in the garden.
Here is another recipe for good flower feeding for this period:
- 2.5 st. l. nitrophoska
- 1 l mullein
- 10-12 liters of water
We mix all the ingredients, let it brew a little and use it to feed peonies at the rate of 6.5 liters per bush.
- It will not be superfluous to spray the bushes with a solution of such a product as Bud. This tool helps to regulate plant growth. You need to mix the ingredients like this: for 1 liter of water you need to take 1 g of the substance
- Wood ash is also used, simply sprinkling it around the bushes. For 1 bush you need 1.5 cups of ash
How and what to use fertilizers and folk remedies for feeding peonies after flowering in July, August: rules, recipes and technologies
Young peony bushes begin to delight us with their lush flowering only in the 3rd year after planting. Consequently, during this period they need nutritious top dressing, which is carried out in spring and summer about 3 times.
The final stage of top dressing with mineral fertilizers (potassium-phosphorus top dressing) coincides with the first summer month. For the preparation of this type of fertilizer, the following ingredients are used:
- 10 to 15 g potassium
- 15 to 20 g phosphorus
- Microfertilizer tablet
We mix all the ingredients in a container and fertilize the bushes with the resulting mixture in a cool or evening time. It is important to know that peonies must be fertilized with this mixture very carefully, without falling on the stems, otherwise it can cause a burn.
You can also use a mixture of the following ingredients:
- 2 tsp superphosphate
- 10 water
- Microfertilizer for flowering plants
It will take about 5.5 liters per bush of flowers.
Autumn top dressing of peonies, for the winter - fertilizers, folk remedies: rules, recipes and technologies
In addition to top dressing, which is carried out during the most highly intensive stages of the formation of a plant, an important place is given to autumn. In the autumn season, somewhere in September, early October, the roots of plants still continue to grow, while accumulating nutrients in their individual seals, which are very important for overcoming the winter period and spring germination. For this reason, autumn feeding of the crop should not be skipped.
You can use the following fertilizers. To prepare phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, you need to prepare:
- 17 g phosphorus
- 17 g potassium
- A bucket of water
Pour liquid into the container and add our fertilizers to it. With the resulting mixture, carefully water each bush, without falling on the stems and leaves of the flower, in order to avoid dangerous burns that weaken the general condition of the plant.
The final feeding of peonies is carried out using a mixture of such means:
- 100 g bone meal
- 1 cup wood ash
The resulting mixture must be spread evenly around each bush of the plant and loosen the soil, so that the resulting fertilizer will penetrate into the right place. Here's another one useful tool. This nutrient fertilizer for peonies can be prepared in a fairly affordable and simple way:
- In the prepared barrel, you need to dilute a bucket of mullein with 5 buckets of water
- Next, put the resulting mixture in sunlight and let it brew for 2 weeks.
At this time, you need to do the following manipulations with fertilizer:
- wait for active fermentation
- add 50 g of wood ash to the barrel
- 200 g superphosphate
- to stir thoroughly
- before watering, dilute the resulting mixture with ordinary water
In addition to feeding flowers in autumn period it is equally important to create good conditions for wintering:
- When the outdoor air temperature drops rapidly, the crop is exposed to adverse weather conditions, therefore, it is important to create the most comfortable conditions in which the plant will stay until spring. The most important conditions for a good descent of the peony into sleep are cutting the bush and creating a shelter for the peony.
- This procedure should be carried out in the last month of autumn, with the first frosts. Pruning bushes, this is the almost complete removal of the stems. Only small shoots above the buds are left above the ground. As a shelter, you can use fallen leaves, humus, or peat. In addition, such a layer should reach from 10 to 20 centimeters, depending on how cold the winters are.
- Thanks to this manipulation, the plants will be protected from frost and provided with the necessary elements for hibernation. For powdering bushes, preference should not be given to straw and wood shavings. Indeed, under such a thickness, the formation of fungi and bacteria is possible. Throughout the winter, watch the peony bushes, it happens that the buds are exposed. If this happens, cover the shoots immediately. And when spring comes, the seedlings will need to be freed from the impromptu "veil".
In order for peonies to be healthy and delight your eyes with their lush, luxurious flowering, it is vital to take care of them on time, efficiently, and following all the instructions and recommendations.
Video: Care for peonies in autumn and spring
Without enough nutrition, peonies, like all other plants, will quickly lose their decorative qualities, and their flowering will stop after a few years. After all, the content of nutrients in the soil is limited, over time the earth is depleted, and the flowers begin to lack the necessary trace elements. Feeding peonies in spring and summer is not just necessary - the application of fertilizers and stimulants is the key to the long-term beauty of your bushes.
Of course, the most important thing for a peony is water. It dissolves nutrients in the soil surrounding the crop and delivers them through the suction roots to all parts of the plant. When growing 3-year-old peonies in 6-liter pots on one warm day (air temperature - 25 ° C) in sunny weather the soil in them dries up, and daily watering is required. And the second observation: under the peonies in the garden, the soil is always dry, except for the rainy period. If we assume that an adult peony consumes only 1 liter per day, then its need to replenish moisture in the soil in 2 weeks is 14 liters. So, peonies most of all and always need water, and with dry soil, watering is a must! And this is more important than any fertilizer, but you should not ignore top dressing when caring for peonies.
How to feed peonies in early spring for lush flowering?
In early spring, when the ground is cold and the ground part is undeveloped, the plant develops at the expense of the nutrient reserves in the roots. After the leaves unfold, there is also a downward flow (of sugars) from the leaves to the storage roots. This period of the presence of two flows of the same intensity during the growth process is very short: from mid-May to early June (2-3 weeks), full growth shoot and start flowering for lactiflora. Later, in summer and early autumn, the downward flow of sugars formed during photosynthesis predominates. How to fertilize peonies and when is it necessary to fertilize? It is considered necessary to carry out these activities throughout the growing season. But especially important spring top dressing pions during active plant growth. The main nutrients required for peony growth are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. They are required in significant quantities. Full development is impossible without magnesium, sulfur, boron, iron, copper, zinc, which are needed in smaller doses. They are commonly referred to as micronutrients. What happens to peonies with a lack of fertilizer? With a lack of nitrogen, the leaves, starting from the tips, become light green, and then yellow. Perhaps too much watering and / or rain washed the nitrogen out of the soil. With insufficient feeding of pions in spring and summer with phosphorus, the leaves first become dark green, then purple or purple-violet. Darkening begins with the veins, and then spreads to the entire leaf plate. A brown color appears along the edges of the leaves. Darkened leaves fall off. One of the reasons for this may be the poor availability of phosphorus at acidic (pH<5,5) или, наоборот, щелочных почвах (pH >7). With a shortage of fertilizers for peonies containing potassium in spring and summer, the resistance to drought decreases in plants, they fade faster. The edges and tips of the leaves turn yellow-brown and curl. Buds and / or flowers are lagging behind in development, do not reach normal size. This can often be observed with too active plant growth.With a lack of magnesium, the areas of the leaves between the veins become yellow or orange. The color change starts at the edges, then spreads to the center of the sheet. Magnesium is often deficient if the soil in the garden is light and acidic.With insufficient feeding of peonies in spring and summer with fertilizers with sulfur, the leaves become whitish, yellow or yellowish-brown. The color change starts from the base of the leaves, then spreads to the top. Symptoms first appear on young leaves. This is observed if the soil is poor in organic matter. If you do not apply top dressing with boron in spring and summer, the leaves on the tops of the shoots turn yellow. On the leaves appear light light or dark spots, resembling splashes. Flowering weakens or stops. Lots of empty flowers. With a lack of iron, the leaves become whitish or yellow. Veins remain green. The absorption of iron is inhibited in alkaline or neutral soil, and also if lime has recently been added to the soil.
With a lack of top dressing of peonies in spring and summer with fertilizers with copper, the leaves of the plants turn pale, twisted or twisted. The reason may be an excess of potassium permanganate, which disrupts the flow of copper into the plant.With a lack of zinc on the leaves appear yellow spots. The veins first remain green, then also turn yellow. Plants are stunted. The following describes how to feed peonies in the spring for lush flowering bushes.
Spring and summer top dressing of peonies with fertilizers for flowering
The growth and development of peonies, like other plants, is controlled by special compounds - plant hormones. Auxins stimulate cell growth, and gibberellins determine plant height. They are growth promoters. But there are other hormones that inhibit the growth and development of the plant. They are called growth inhibitors. With a lack of own plant hormones, a violation of growth and development is possible, in this case it is advisable to use artificially synthesized analogues of these substances. How to feed peonies in spring and summer so that they bloom actively?
Knowing how to feed peonies in early spring and summer, you will provide the bushes on the site with a long life and active flowering. Next, you will learn why not, and what to do in this case.
Reasons why peonies do not bloom, and what to do in this case
Peonies planted last year or the year before do not bloom. This is fine. Most varieties and hybrids begin to bloom in the third year after planting. Some peonies do not bloom in the third year. According to some observations, hybrids are ahead of the development of the lactic-flowered peony variety, and in the third year, as a rule, they bloom fully, although not abundantly. But some varieties, most often red ones and some of the late-flowering ones, may begin to bloom only in the fourth year. The peonies are 4 years old or more and still not blooming. If they appearance normal, there may be several reasons. The following describes why peonies do not bloom, and what to do in this case.- Maybe, planting material was of poor quality or the division was non-standard, too small. In this case, it remains only to wait.
- Deep landing. The rhizome of the peony should be located no more than 5-6 cm below the soil level, otherwise they will not bloom. This is especially true for varieties of lactiflora peony. To check, carefully remove the soil above the center or with a wooden probe, determine the depth of the rhizome. If the rhizome is deeply buried, the plant should be dug up at the end of August, divided into standard divisions and planted according to the rules.
- The plant was planted close to trees, shrubs, large herbaceous perennials with a large root system penetrating into the zone. Needs to be relocated to a more suitable location.
- Too large a division was planted or transplanted mature plant. In this case, the new root system, which ensures the full development of the peony. Then, in the second half of August, the peony should be dug up and, following all the rules, divided and planted in a new place.
It is possible that the deterioration or cessation of flowering is also possible if the peonies were accidentally covered with earth or, conversely, the rhizome was exposed. Check the planting depth and restore the normal level of immersion - 3-5 cm.Peonies 8-10 years old. Some of them continue to bloom well, and the hybrids began to get sick and bloom worse. Varieties of peony lactiflora with good care can grow in one place and bloom normally for 30-50 or more years. The life span of hybrid peonies is limited and after 8-10 years they are severely affected by gray mold and should be divided and planted again. To combat gray rot, the main disease of peonies, in the spring, during the period of active plant growth, 2-3 sprays with a solution of copper-containing preparations should be carried out: Bordeaux mixture, blue vitriol, copper chlorine oxide. Concentration - 0.5%. Before you feed peonies and treat them for diseases, use the information on recommended preparations and their concentrations for treating peonies in the spring, and at a later date - from the end of spring when watering and spraying. The reasons why peonies do not bloom may be different. Below are some of them.
- Unsuitable place - too shaded, too dry or waterlogged, near large trees, shrubs or perennials. The plant needs to be repotted.
- Kidney damage from late spring frosts. Be patient, peonies should bloom next year if the rhizome itself has not been damaged.
- Dry season, lack of moisture during bud formation in the previous year, lack of nutrition.
- Too much rapid flowering bush last year, excess buds were not removed. They should be removed before flowering next year.
Peonies are fed both in autumn and in spring periods. In the fall, they need to be fed to prepare for wintering, and in the spring to enhance growth, successful budding and flowering. How to feed peonies - important and very actual topic for lovers of these beautiful flowers.
What fertilizer do peonies like?
Peony fertilizer is a kind of "yummy" that these beautiful flowers require. Moreover, the plant needs both organic and inorganic fertilizers. For this, peat, compost, manure is useful. Also, before the start of the peony season, it does not hurt to replenish superphosphate supplies.
If we talk about specific brands, then in great demand used by flower growers. Thanks to him, the flowers receive enhanced nutrition, the soil structure becomes better. In the autumn, they can feed peonies at the same time as compost, and the soil around the bushes. Fertilizers may not be applied, but for real flowering in full force, you do not need to spare labor and time. So, how to feed peonies?
How to feed peonies - folk remedies
Flower growers with experience have long preferred to fertilize peonies folk way. They are very popular:
- yeast supplements;
- feeding with bread;
- top dressing with the addition of ash;
- adding chicken manure.
All these fertilizers are used by gardeners in order to get lush, abundant flowering bushes and strong plants with good immunity as a result. If you feed the peonies in insufficient volume, there are high risks that the plants will get sick, wither, and their flowering is unlikely to please the owner.
How to feed peonies with ashes?
Ash as a fertilizer for peonies is applied immediately, as soon as the remnants of the snow cover have disappeared. At this time, the sprouts do not yet appear from the soil, but it is already possible to scatter. This will make the plants stronger and the colors richer. From wood ash, you can make an infusion in the following proportion: take 1 liter of ash, dilute in 10 liters of water, leave for a week and pour the solution over the peony bushes.
Is it possible to feed peonies with urea?
For peonies - an excellent fertilizer. This top dressing is done when the snow has not yet completely melted. It is permissible to simply scatter the granules where the peony bushes are planted. Urea saturates the flowers with nitrogen and as soon as the snow begins to melt, nutrients will begin to flow to the roots of the plant.
In spring, peonies can also be fed with urea by spraying: for this, 5 g of urea is added to 1 liter of water. Spraying can be repeated after 30 days, if necessary. It is not necessary to combine top dressing with ash and urea with each other. Peony shoots will appear too early and frost can damage them.
Is it possible to feed peonies with manure?
Manure as a fertilizer for peonies is an organic top dressing. To make it, you can take bird droppings or mullein. In the case of mullein, 1 bucket of mullein (and fresh) is taken per barrel of water. This volume is diluted into 5 buckets of water. Chicken manure is bred in 25 buckets of water. All this is left in the sun and allowed to wander for about 10 days.
When the fermentation process is completed, 200 - 300 g of superphosphate, 500 g of wood ash are added to the composition. Before feeding, the composition of mullein is diluted into 2 parts of water, bird droppings into 3 parts. The preparation of such a fertilizer does not take much effort, and the effect of it is truly amazing.
Is it possible to feed peonies with yeast?
What else to feed peonies? A good option- fertilizer peonies. Yeast infusion is a kind of analogue mineral fertilizers. They have a lot of nutrients, and it is better to carry out such top dressing as soon as the first shoots appear. It takes an average of 2 hours to prepare top dressing, the recipe is as follows:
- To fertilize 1 peony bush, you will need 100 g of dry yeast and 10 liters of plain water.
- Dissolve yeast in warm water.
- You can add 0.5 cups of wood ash.
To enhance the effect, you can water the peony bushes with the prepared composition from a watering can. Water first plain water, then top dressing, then again with a bucket clean water. In this case, the fertilizer will reach the roots as quickly as possible, which lie deep and the nutrients will immediately begin their work.
How to feed peonies with bread?
Fertilizing peonies with bread is carried out according to a simple recipe:
- You need to take 500 g of dried black bread.
- The pieces are soaked in a bucket of warm water.
- Add 1/4 cup sugar.
- All insist in a warm place for 12 hours.
- The bread is squeezed, the solution is filtered. The resulting amount is enough to feed 1 bush.
Mineral fertilizers for peonies
Top dressing of peonies includes various compositions, which can be purchased at any garden center. The most famous representative is Kemira, which is used 3 times this season. Before flowering begins, flower growers use Kemira wagon, after 5 days they bring it in.
To make 2 top dressing, Kemira Combi is suitable, you don’t even need to add this fertilizer. The contents of the package are poured under the peony bushes and watered from above. The composition will dissolve quickly, the root system will receive it at an accelerated pace. In general, it is easy to feed peonies with this drug, special knowledge is not needed.
Many gardeners recommend the Silyplant fertilizer, which increases the immunity of the plant. The effect of the drug is similar to the effect of growth stimulants, but fertilizer has nothing to do with them. For 1 liter of water, only 3 ml of the drug is enough to fully feed the flower bushes. In general, this drug stimulates the protective forces of flowers.
Potash fertilizers for peonies
Potassium for peonies comes from the following fertilizers:
- potassium humate;
- potassium magnesia;
- potassium chloride;
- potassium sulfate.
Potassium fertilizers improve metabolism in peony cells, normalize fluid balance, and accelerate the process of growing green mass. In order for the bushes to develop well, they carry out spring nitrogen-potassium top dressing: for 10 g of nitrogen they take 20 g of potassium and sprinkle snow under the bushes. The snow will begin to melt, the nutrients will go to the roots. The second time, potassium is applied during the budding period (15 g per 1 bush), the third time 2 weeks after the bushes have faded. It is better to combine top dressing with watering.
Is it possible to feed a peony with azophos?
Azofoska is one of the drugs that are harmless to humans and animals. But this does not mean that it can be thoughtlessly used in any quantities. Azofoska for peonies may well replace Kemira Kombi if it is difficult to get it. Top dressing with this fertilizer is carried out in August, strictly observing the dosage.
After the emergence of peonies in the spring, 30 g of azofoska are added to 10 liters of water, during budding, 50 g of fertilizer is already added to 10 liters of water, during flowering, fertilizer is applied to last time. When using azophoska, an increase in the number of buds by 35-70% was noted, in comparison with flowering without the use of fertilizer.
Complex fertilizers for peonies
Experts recommend complex top dressing during the formation of buds. This will allow the gardener to enjoy beautiful abundant flowering. Ready-made fertilizers for peonies should be a real nutritious cocktail and include in their composition:
- Nitrogen together with compounds - up to 25%.
- For lush flowering - potassium (26%).
- For good budding - phosphorus (12%).
In addition, it is great if the composition contains: iron, manganese, sulfur. Such an elixir will not only saturate the peonies with nutrients, but also prolong their flowering, and give the foliage a spectacular bright green tint. Fertilization can lay fertile ground for flowering in the coming years.
How to feed peonies - an exciting question great amount flower growers. According to the reviews of professionals, it becomes clear that you don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on fertilizer, you can perfectly use folk recipes and cook your own food. If there is no great confidence in folk remedies, in garden stores huge selection complex fertilizers.
For a long time I dreamed of breeding peonies, and then a neighbor shared bushes and also promised to give one variety in September. Tell me, is it necessary to apply fertilizer for peonies when planting in spring or autumn? What drugs are best to use?
They belong to plants that do not tolerate transplants, they are able to live in one place up to 50 years. Therefore, it is extremely important, even before planting, to determine the location of the bush and create the necessary supply of nutrients for peonies for further development.
Flowering shrubs are not very demanding on the composition of the soil, but grow best on loam with neutral acidity. Poor soil is recommended to be enriched by introducing organic and mineral substances even at the planting stage.
You can plant plants both in early spring (before the seedlings begin to develop buds) and in early autumn, but most growers practice August planting.
Spring planting of peonies can be carried out no earlier than the air temperature reaches 10 degrees Celsius.
Applying fertilizer to the planting hole
It is better to prepare a place for planting flowers in advance, at least 2 weeks before planting (in this case, the earth will have time to settle). To do this, dig a fairly large recess, at least 50 cm in diameter. This will allow a powerful root system to develop freely and make it possible to apply the necessary fertilizers.
Pour into each hole:
When growing peonies on soils with high acidity, it is also necessary to add lime (up to 200 g).
Feeding peonies after disembarkation
Young bushes, planted in the soil with the introduction of nutrients, are provided with all the necessary microelements for development for the whole season. Further top dressing should be done starting from the second year of planting peonies.
In total, peonies for the entire growing season will need 4 top dressings:
- After the appearance of young shoots and they reach 10 cm in height. In early May, spray the shoots with a solution of urea.
- Before starting budding. Water the plants with a solution of mineral components: add 2 tsp to a bucket of water. carbamide and 4 tsp. drug "Ideal". Watering consumption - at least 6 liters under a bush. In a week to spend root dressing sodium humate.
- During the budding period. Pour the bushes with a solution consisting of nitrophoska and Agricola for flowering plants (4 tsp each in a bucket of water). After a 5 day break, spray the peonies on the leaf with "Bud" (10 g for the same amount of water).
- After completion of flowering. Carry out root dressing with complex fertilizers, for example, "Kemira-autumn".
Timely application of fertilizers when growing peonies is the key to lush flowering, so do not neglect it.
Many gardeners make a fatal mistake by caring for a peony only in the spring. Wait abundant flowering in this case, it is not worth it, since the budding takes place as early as July - August.
It should be noted that the degree of budding of a peony depends on its age. Young bushes bloom poorly. In the first years of development, flowers can be small size, and in some cases do not even match the declared color. For a peony, this is the norm. Be patient: its properties are fully revealed only in the fifth year of development.
Peony is photophilous, it endures penumbra, but with strong shading it will never bloom magnificently.
How to water peonies for abundant blooms
Not all gardeners are in a hurry to water peonies, believing that their powerful root system is capable of extracting life-giving moisture from the soil itself. This is yet another misconception. Peonies require watering - rare, but quite abundant. In a warm and rainy summer, they can not be irrigated. But in the heat, be sure to water once a week. Pour at least 3-4 buckets under an adult bush.
Especially peonies require watering from the end of May to the beginning of July. At this time, they quickly increase the green mass and form flowers. The stage of laying the kidneys of renewal, which falls on August, is also important. At this time, also water the peonies, despite the fact that they have long faded. Then next year they will delight you with flowering even more.
The method of watering is also important. Many people irrigate directly under the bush, believing that it is there that the peony roots are located. In fact, there are practically none. What many consider to be roots are thickened rhizomes. Their function is to store nutrients. They cannot absorb moisture from the soil.
Water along the periphery of the bush, 20-25 cm from the center. It is there that the young roots are located, which supply the peony with moisture. The older the bush, the longer they are located from its center. To prevent water from spreading, make small indentations around the perimeter, where you water.
How to feed peonies for lush flowering
The abundance of flowering of this perennial largely depends on top dressing. Peonies require regular fertilization. From the third year of development, they should be fertilized at least four times per season.
The first top dressing of the season is carried out on melted snow or immediately after its disappearance. Perfect fit ammonium nitrate. Dissolve 1 tbsp. l. fertilizer in a bucket of water and pour liberally over the bush. If you missed the moment of snow melting, carry out top dressing at the stage of appearance of red sprouts.
Fertilize a second time during bud formation. mix by 1/2 st. l. superphosphate and ammonium nitrate, 1/3 tbsp. l. potassium salt and close the resulting composition in the soil under the bush. AT next time feed peonies with a similar mixture, but already during the flowering period.
Spend the last dressing of the season after the peonies have completely faded. Wait two weeks and apply a mixture of 1/3 st. l. potassium salt and 1/2 tbsp. l. superphosphate.
Peonies respond well to feeding solution of bird droppings or mullein.
Do not forget that it is necessary to apply any fertilizer only after preliminary heavy watering or rain. Otherwise, you risk burning the young peony roots, which are responsible for absorbing water.
Peony rejuvenation
This perennial can "happily" grow without a transplant for as long as you like. But the older the bush, the poorer it blooms. The way out is simple - spend a rejuvenating division on a peony every 8-10 years. To do this, in August, dig a bush and divide it into parts so that each has at least 3-4 buds.