The name of the flower comes from the name of Pean (Payon), a character in ancient Greek mythology, who was the physician of the Olympian gods. He healed Hades himself from the wounds inflicted on him by Hercules. This name was given to the family by Theophrastus, and the ancient Roman philosopher of the 1st century BC. NS. Pliny the Elder listed twenty diseases that can be cured with the rhizome of the medicinal peony (Paeonia officinalis).
The genus contains about 40 species in nature, common in the temperate zone of Eurasia. Several natural species and varietal peonies are grown in culture, the founder of which was the milk-flowered peony.
Natural species of peonies are divided into forest and plants of steppes and meadows. Forest species, these are peonies: evading peony or Maryin's root (Paeonia anomala), Wittmann's peony (Paeonia wittmanniana), felt peony (Paeonia tomentosa), Caucasian peony (Paeonia caucasica), large-leaved peony (Paeonia macrophylla) and obovata peony (Paeonia macrophylla) and obovata peony ... Forest peonies are, as a rule, tall (up to 80-100 cm) plants that form sprawling bushes with trifoliate leaves and large (up to 12 cm in diameter) simple flowers. Peonies of meadows and steppes are Crimean peony (Paeonia daurica), milk-flowered peony (Paeonia lactiflora) and fine-leaved peony (Paeonia tenuifolia).
In the gardens, a huge number of varieties and hybrids (Paeonia x hybrida), which differ in shape, doubleness and color of the flower, height and the structure of the bush, as well as the timing of flowering. The modern garden classification is based on the structure of the flower, according to which the groups are distinguished: non-double, Japanese, anemone, semi-double and double. Varieties with double flowers are subdivided into: pink, bomb, crown and spherical. Early varieties begin to bloom in last days May, late bloom in early July.
Classification
In floriculture, a classification is used that takes into account the life forms of peonies and the origin of cultivated hybrids.
Herbaceous
A) Species (or botanical) - these include all types and forms found in nature, as well as decorative forms of the medicinal peony. This is the smallest group, accounting for about 1% of all cultivars.
B) Milk-flowered peony varieties (earlier they were often called "Chinese", because the Chinese were engaged in their culture several centuries ago, and it was from China that the first varieties were brought to Europe). This includes intraspecific hybrids obtained from crosses between varieties of this species, as well as the natural form of this species and its varieties. This group accounts for more than two-thirds of all cultivars. All of its representatives are distinguished by high winter hardiness and pleasant aroma of flowers.
V) Hybrids - this includes varieties obtained from the crossing of the lacto-flowered peony with other species and varieties obtained from other species, as well as hybrids between other species. This is the youngest group, accounting for almost a third of the total number of varieties. Through participation different types representatives of this group have a more diverse range of colors than varieties of peony lacto-flowered - among them there are pure white, creamy yellow, lavender, pink, coral, fiery red and very dark, almost brown.
Large-leaved peony (Paeonia macrophylla)
A perennial herb up to 100 cm high. The leaves are large, dvadratichnye, with wide, entire lobes. The flowers are large, white with a yellowish tinge, the petals are large. Blooms in April-May.
Prefers a semi-shady location, deeply cultivated and well-drained loose garden soils.
Low-growing drought-resistant species (Crimean peony and fine-leaved peony) can be grown in rockeries.
Crimean peony (Paeonia daurica)
Perennial plant 40-60 cm high. The lower leaves are double-trifoliate, with wavy edges. Flowers from 8 to 9 cm in diameter. Petals are rounded, slightly elongated, red-pink. Blooms in May.
It needs loose garden soils rich in organic matter, can grow in the sun or in partial shade, and cannot stand stagnant moisture.
Thin-leaved, narrow-leaved peony (Paeonia tenuifolia)
A perennial plant that forms a compact hemispherical bush 30-45 cm high. The leaves are pinnately dissected, dark green. Single flower, surrounded by shortened apical leaves, up to 8 cm in diameter, with dark red petals. Blooms in mid-May.
Thin-leaved peony - very beautiful plant, not inferior in decorativeness to cultural varieties. Noteworthy is the contrast of graceful foliage with large satin flower petals. The combination of this species with the planting of garden peonies is effective.
Milk-flowered peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
The species combines cultivars of herbaceous peonies of complex hybrid origin. Perennial plants that form slowly growing dense bushes with a height of 25 to 150 cm. According to the shape and height of the bush, hybrid peonies are conventionally divided into 3 groups:
Park- undersized, with strong stems that look good in the foreground of groups and mixborders, in single planting, since they do not need a garter.
Cut-with high flowering stems and showy flowers. They are planted in the background of groups and mixborders in such a way that neighboring plants hide the supports installed around the bush. Without this measure, the stems of cut peonies lodge during the flowering period.
Universal- having relatively tall, but strong stems, in a place protected from the wind, they can grow without a garter.
Peonies need nutritious, balanced soil. Only well-rotted compost or manure is introduced for planting. With an excess of nitrogen, the bushes are affected by fungal infections and may die. It is also necessary to prevent the formation of a crust around the plant on the soil surface.
Herbaceous peonies differ in type of flower, height and shape of the bush, flowering time, presence or absence of aroma, color and shape of leaves, stability of peduncles.
The aroma of peonies is varied, in many varieties it resembles the smell of rose, lemon, lily of the valley, lilac, honey, jasmine or linden. A pleasant aroma is characteristic of the milk-flowered peony, from which many hybrids have inherited it. Some varieties of peonies have a pungent, unpleasant odor, this is especially characteristic of varieties with a coral color of the flower. Peony varieties are odorless.
When choosing varieties for planting in the garden, different characteristics matter. For example, the stability of the peduncles and the shape of the bush are important if peonies are planted in order to create a garden composition. Any artificial supports will irritate the eye, while for cut growing it does not really matter.
Flowering time
You can choose a collection of peonies in such a way that they will bloom for 6-7 weeks. It is impossible to specify the exact calendar dates, they fluctuate depending on the weather, and can move back and forth by a week or even more.
In the conditions of the Moscow region, the flowering sequence is approximately the following:
Mid-May - Mlokosevich's peony, evading peony (Maryin root);
End of May - large-leaved peony, p. Bicha, p. Medicinal, p. Foreign, p. Crimean, p. Caucasian, p. Thin-leaved male, p. Obovate, p. Lobata, hybrids of p. Vitman (Ballerina) and p. Mlokosevich (Athena, Clarion);
Early June - mountain peony, lacto-flowered peony, medicinal varieties - Lize van Veen, Rosea Plena, Rubra Plena, interspecific hybrids of fine-leaved (Early Scout, Little Red Gem, Smouthii), and Mlokosevich (Claire de Lune, Early Glow, Open Sesam);
Mid-June - early varieties of lactic-flowered peony (Gardenia, Krinkled White), interspecific hybrids of the lactic-flowered plant and hybrids of the medicinal plant (Carol, Dandy Dan, Red Charm, Cyteria, Pink Hawaiian Coral, Coral Charm, Scarlet O "Hara, Moonrise);
End of June - the bulk of peonies blooms - varieties of the lactic-flowered medium flowering period (Sarah Bernhard, Laura Dessert, Lady Alexandra Duff);
Early July - late varieties n. milk-flowering (Clemenceau, Marie Lemoine).
Flower type
The following flower types are distinguished:
1) simple - there are 5 or 10 (that is, one or two rows) petals in a flower. In the center of the flower there are pistils and stamens, they can be full-fledged (in species peonies) or sterile (in hybrids). All species of peonies and many hybrids have this flower shape. As a rule, their flowers are lighter than most double ones, due to which the peduncles hold them without dropping under the weight. Therefore, the habit of the bush has the correct shape, the flowers are facing up and are clearly visible. Many flower growers and especially garden designers value varieties with a simple flower shape, more natural in garden compositions;
2) semi-double - there are many petals in the flower, they can be arranged randomly interspersed with stamens, or symmetrically, when the flower has several rows of petals instead of one (this is also called "flower in a flower"), and the rows of stamens evenly alternate with rows of petals. This type of flower is found in species peonies, in varieties of lacto-flowered peony and in hybrids, respectively, the reproductive organs can be full-fledged (fertile), or sterile;
3) Japanese form - in England this form is also called imperial. Flowers with this shape have 5 or 10 petals, and the anthers of the stamens are modified - they are greatly increased in size and do not have pollen, turning into petal-shaped formations. Filaments, as a rule, are also deformed, expanded, but there are exceptions when they retain their filamentary shape. Such modified stamens are called staminodes.
In shape, staminodes are narrow and even, wide, wavy, twisted, and may have carved edges. Their color also differs and usually changes as the flower blooms. In white and light pink varieties, staminodes are usually entirely yellow, in raspberry and red varieties, their bases can also be red, and the tips are yellow and even almost white;
Along with staminodes, normal or modified stamens with pollen may also be present in the flower. This flower shape was first obtained in Japan, it is characteristic of varieties of peony milk-flowering. The pistils of these varieties are normally developed, so they can be used in further hybridization.
4) double - the whole flower is more or less evenly filled with numerous petals. Pistils and stamens are either absent altogether, or they are not visible among the petals.
Five more subgroups are distinguished in this group:
A) pink - flower correct shape, evenly folded, all petals are almost the same size, there is practically no difference between the marginal and central petals. (Mrs Franklin D. Roosevelt, Suzy Q);
B) crown - the outer petals are large and wide, the inner ones are staminodes or petalodias, narrow and usually bent inward, forming a semblance of a crown. (Monsieur Jule Elie, White Sail);
C) bomb-shaped - the outer petals are large, like a crown flower, and the inner ones, numerous staminodes and petalodias, form a magnificent dome. These flowers are usually heavy, strong stalks are needed to support their weight. The name was given because of the similarity of these flowers with the dessert popular at the time in the United States - ice cream "bombe" (Raspberry Sandae);
D) spherical - the outer petals are wide, the inner ones are abundant and somewhat narrower, but in general the outline of the flower looks like a ball (Cornelia Shaylor);
E) anemone - this term is not generally accepted. In fact, the anemone form is an even more advanced Japanese form. The flowers have 5 or 10 petals, and the stamens are completely deformed and turned into petal-shaped formations - petalodia, devoid of pollen. They can be not only yellow, but the same color as the outer petals (pink, red). Normal stamens are absent. While such varieties are few in number, and they are sometimes referred to as Japanese or terry, depending on the degree of development of petalody. This form is found in varieties of lactobacillus peony. (Gay Paree, Primevere).
AgrotechnicsThe decorativeness, productivity and longevity of the culture depend on the correct agricultural technology, taking into account the biological characteristics of peonies.
First of all, you need to know that peonies are very light-requiring. They can tolerate light partial shade, especially at noon, but strong shading for 2-3 hours leads to the fact that the plants either do not bloom at all or the flowers are of poor quality. They should not be planted near buildings: they will suffer from overheating and dryness from the walls, as well as from drops from roofs and from snow obstructions. And planted near trees and shrubs - they will experience a lack of moisture and nutrition.
Peonies can grow in almost all garden soils. But the best for them are loamy, cultivated, well-drained and sufficiently water-absorbing soils.
Although peonies are very demanding on soil moisture during the entire growing season, at the same time, they absolutely do not tolerate damp, wetlands, where their roots rot. The reaction of the soil medium should be slightly acidic or neutral (pH 6-7). The roots of peonies penetrate to the depth to which the soil is cultivated.
With shallow cultivation, the roots, having reached solid ground, grow to the sides, located in the upper layer of the soil. In this case, the plants lack moisture and nutrition and grow poorly. Therefore, deep tillage is required.
Planting holes should have a depth and width of at least 50-60 cm. The bottom is loosened and the hole is filled 2/3 with a nutrient mixture. The mixture consists of 15-20 kg of organic fertilizers (rotted manure, compost, peat), where 400 g of granular superphosphate or 400 g of bone meal, 150-200 g of potassium sulfate and lime for acidic soils are added. It is important to know here that 300-350 g of lime per 1 m2 increase the pH per unit, i.e. significantly reduce the acidity of the soil.
On heavy clay soils, 1 bucket of sand is added to the mixture (preferably river), and on very light sandy soils - 1-1.5 buckets of crushed clay. Upper part pits (about 20 cm) are filled with fertile soil from the topsoil.
Drainage is necessary on waterlogged soils. To do this, gravel, pebbles are poured at the bottom of the planting pit, deepening it by 15-20 cm, broken brick.Herbaceous peony, preparation of planting material
Preparation of planting material. The main and most reliable way of breeding garden peonies is by dividing the bush. The best time for this operation is from mid-August to mid-September. This is the time when the renewal buds have already fully formed (from which shoots with leaves and flowers will form in spring), but the mass formation of suction roots has not yet begun.
After trimming the stems, the bush is carefully (so as not to damage the buds) dug out, washed from the ground with a stream of water and carefully divided into planting units - delenki, which should have 3-5 buds and the same number of roots shortened to 10 cm. Bushes divide more easily if the roots are slightly tucked up. Divide with a wooden wedge, which is driven into the center of the bush with a hammer. The roots are cut with a sharp knife sterilized over the fire, the cut tissue is sprinkled with crushed charcoal.
It should be borne in mind that if there are too many buds in the planting part, and there are few roots, then the developing shoots will lack nutrition and develop poorly. If there are few buds, but a lot of thick storage roots, then young plants do not form new roots in the first year, and the next year they will suffer from insufficient development of the root system. When dividing the bush into small parts - with 1-2 eyes and a piece of rhizome, the plants develop slowly (flowering occurs a year later), but these will be healthy plants with a well-developed root system. Such small parcels need to be grown for 1-2 years on special ridges.
Planting herbaceous peonies
Landing. When planting peonies in a permanent place, they are placed at a distance of 100-120 cm from each other. Plants are placed in the upper third of the pit in a fertile soil layer without fertilizers. Above the upper bud of the planted delenka, there should be a layer of soil 4-5 cm. If the buds are deeper, the plants, although they will grow well, will not bloom. With shallow planting, the bushes can be "squeezed" out of the ground. In the future, the buds can be damaged by late spring frosts, and the flowering will be weak. The roots should be free, they should not be bent or pressed.
After planting, the plants should be watered and then filled with soil so that the buds are not open. If there is no rain during the planting period, then watering should be repeated every 2-3 days for 2-3 weeks, then the hole should be mulched with peat.
Planted peonies in the first year are recommended to be covered with peat or leaves for the winter (but not a peony). In early spring, planting is freed from the shelter, raking it into the aisles. It is necessary to ensure that the kidneys are not above ground level and, if necessary, add earth.
Care of herbaceous peonies, timing and frequency of fertilization
Plant care. Annual care consists in the systematic removal of weeds, loosening, watering, fertilizing, and protective measures. Young plants should be fertilized from the first year of life. Fertilizers, especially in liquid form, and the mullein are best applied to the holes around the bush and, after watering, cover them with earth. This has a beneficial effect on the development of a young plant.Rates, timing and frequency of fertilization depend on soil fertility, age and phases of plant development. At the beginning of growth, the plant needs a large number of nitrogen, during budding and flowering - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, when laying buds - only phosphorus and potassium. In the first two dressings (in the spring in the snow and during the budding period), you can give 100 g / m2 nitrophosphate. The third feeding should be "carried out immediately after flowering: add granular superphosphate (25-30 g) and potassium sulfate (10-15 g) or potassium magnesium (15-20 g). The mixture is dissolved in 10 liters of water (dose per 1 m2).
To stimulate the best development of the plants in the first and second years after planting, it is recommended to remove the flowers. In subsequent years, to obtain larger flowers, it is better to leave one flower on the stem, removing the rest of the buds in the size of a pea.
When cutting flowers at least half of the stems should be left on the bush (otherwise the plant will weaken). Have terry varieties the stems cannot always hold large, heavy flowers. Therefore, supports are installed in the bushes during the budding period. They can be made from thick (0.5 cm) wire in the form of rings with uprights, which are painted green.
In late autumn, with the onset of the first frosts, the entire aerial part of the peony plant is cut and burned. Early pruning may cause no flowering the next year.
N. Ya. Ippolitova, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences
Gray rot (botrytis) - fungal disease... The disease is recognized by a gray bloom on the affected parts of the plant. The first signs of damage are wilting of young shoots, brown spots appear at the base, covering the young shoot with a ring. With a strong defeat, the bushes fall apart, the stems fall and dry out. Later, unblown buds die off, the edges of the leaves turn brown. A gray bloom appears on the affected parts of the plant. The fungus causes root rot. Flooded plants are more often affected. spring waters, on clay soils and in the case of overfeeding with nitrogenous fertilizers.
Usually, two or three preventive treatment is carried out with an interval of 10-12 days: the first is watering the bushes with one of the fungicide solutions at the beginning of the growing season when buds appear above the ground (2-Zl solution per bush); the second and third - spraying plants with one of the fungicide solutions. In the future, when gray rot appears on the stems, they are immediately cut out to the rhizome and the affected area is poured with one of the fungicides (1 liter of solution per bush).
Least toxic fungicides:
copper sulfate (50-70 g per 10 liters of water);
copper oxychloride (60-70 g per 10 liters of water);
colloidal sulfur (60-100 g per 10 liters of water);
Bordeaux liquid (100 g of copper sulfate and 75 g of quicklime); the components are dissolved separately, then a solution of copper sulfate is poured into the lime solution and the mixture is added with water to 10 liters;
Burgundy liquid - prepared in the same way as Bordeaux, but instead of lime, take soda in the same amount;
potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) - 3 g per 10 liters of water;
lime-sulfuric broth (200 g of sulfur and 100 g of lime per 10 liters of water); quicklime is slaked in a little water and then sulfur powder is added. Add water to 10 liters and boil for 1 hour; the resulting solution is diluted before use in the ratio of 200 g of solution to 10 liters of water.
Good results in the prevention of combating gray rot are obtained by spraying the plantings of peonies in the fall with a solution of nitrafen at a concentration of 200 g per 10 liters of water after cutting and burning the aboveground part of the plants. Of the methods of plant protection that are harmless to humans and animals, more often than others, amateurs use the treatment with an infusion of garlic (3-5 g of minced garlic per 1 liter of water).
Rust- fungal disease. On both sides of the leaves, yellowish-brown spots appear, on the underside of which are yellow-orange spots of sporulation of the fungus. The mushroom reservoir is pine.Brown spot peony leaves - a fungal disease. Irregular brown or dark purple spots appear on affected leaves. At first they are small, and then they cover the entire leaf blade. In wet weather, a smoky bloom of sporulation appears on the underside of the leaf.
Powdery mildew- fungal disease. It mainly affects the leaves, forming a bloom on them.White spot- fungal disease. Light, angular or rounded spots with a dark rim appear on the leaves. The second type of spotting is phyllostictosis. It is characterized by brown spots on the leaves and numerous dots on these spots.
Of the bacterial diseases, bacterial cancer is more common. On the roots, at the root collar, white outgrowths with an uneven, lumpy surface are formed. Over time, the outgrowths turn yellow, then darken. By the end of the growing season, the outgrowths rot and collapse. Plants have a disturbed diet. Cancer is dangerous for young plants.
Ring spot- a viral disease. Light yellow narrow rings, lines and bizarre patterns are clearly visible on the leaves. Later, the rings and lines blur into yellow spots.
Pests
Of the pests, the most common green bronze- a beetle 15-20 mm long, which eats stamens, pistils and gnaws the petals of peony flowers. Simultaneously with the bronze, the Kuzka beetle attacks the peonies. Most often, these beetles are observed on the tree-like peony.
Root nematodes(eels) settle in the roots of peonies, causing knobby root swellings. After the decay of the roots, they move into new ones.
Caterpillars of the scoop butterfly gnaw buds from plants planted in the shade or partial shade. Such buds dry out without opening.
Despite the fact that the herbaceous peony blooms for no more than two weeks, it continues to be one of the most popular plants among amateur gardeners. Huge caps of peony flowers, according to the description, resemble giant double roses with a pleasant, rich aroma. Each grower has his own secrets of growing peonies, you can familiarize yourself with many of them on this page.
Description of perennial bulbous plant peony
Bulbous plant peony (lat. Paeónia) belongs to the Peony family. The generic scientific name is given by the name of the ancient Greek deity, the repeller of evil, Pean, who was the physician of the Olympian gods. With the help of a plant received from Apollo's mother, Lethe, he healed Hades himself from the wounds inflicted on him by Hercules. Pean coped with the duties of a doctor so well that he aroused the envy of his teacher, the god of healing Asclepius (Aesculapius). The latter decided to poison Pean, but Hades, in gratitude for his healing, turned him into a beautiful flower resembling a huge rose.
Found in the northern and northeastern regions of the European part of Russia, in the Urals, in the south Western Siberia... It grows in floodplain and sparse deciduous and mixed forests, along the edges, in taiga meadows, in the mountains.
This perennial and a representative of the peony family was domesticated by humans so long ago that it is now difficult to meet it in the wild. However, Southeast Asia is considered the natural habitat of the peony.
Herbaceous perennial plant peony up to 1–1.2 m high with a powerful shortened multi-headed rhizome and long fusiform roots. Numerous stems, usually single flowers. The leaves are petiolate, dark green with a double-triple-divided blade, up to 30 cm long and almost the same width. The lobes are lanceolate, of unequal width in different populations.
As you can see in the photo, the flowers of peonies are large (up to 10-12 cm in diameter), with numerous yellow stamens:
The fruits of the peony garden plant are leaflets filled with black large shiny seeds. Blooms in May - June. Seeds ripen in July - early August.
Peony is one of the most popular garden plants; and one glance at it is enough to understand why. It is difficult to find brighter, more showy and lush flowers. In addition, peonies have a bright juicy greens and a strong rich aroma. Blooms from May to mid-June.
The bouquets of this plant have always been and will be popular. Special attitude to a peony in China, where this flower is very loved. The interest in peonies has led Chinese breeders to spend many years developing unique varieties.
Below you can see photos, get acquainted with the names and descriptions of the species and varieties of peonies.
What are peony plants: photos, names and descriptions of types of flowers
Most of the currently known varieties came from the milk-flowered, or Chinese peony, and other Chinese species.
White-flowered peony (Paeonia albiflora Pall.), or peony milky (P. lactiflora Pall) Is a perennial herb that blooms with white flowers, fragrant like roses. Its flowers, as well as the flowers of the tree peony, were depicted ornamental as decorative motifs for expensive fabrics, were considered symbols of love, dignity and honor. When describing the peony plant, it should be noted that a decoction of the rhizomes of this species is used in folk and oriental medicine as a medicine.
Known to many garden peony- a very beautiful large fragrant flower. Its color is from white, pink to dark crimson, there are yellow, cream, chestnut, opal peonies, which are similar in color and with ivory, and with mother-of-pearl.
Some varieties not only look, but also smell like roses; the smell of others is similar to the smell of violets, lilies of the valley and even balsamic poplar. Basically, peonies are densely double flowers with petals of different shapes and sizes, located in different variations. This type of peony plant blooms for 10-15 days, but the bush remains decorative, since the plant has beautiful carved leaves. By the beauty of the forms and color of flowers, aroma and elegant greenery, peonies rightfully belong to one of the first places among the best garden perennials. These flowers can live for tens of years without transplanting. There are known cases of peonies staying in one place for even more than a hundred years.
Peony marin root(Paeonia anomala L.) - decorative and medicinal plant... Perennial with a thick tuberous root, up to 60-100 cm tall, with almost thrice pinnately dissected leaves. The flowers of this species of peonies are single, large, purple-pink, up to 15 cm in diameter. Basically, it is a Siberian species, also entering the north of the European part of Russia to the southeast of the Kola Peninsula. The range also includes areas of Mongolia and North China
Blooming peonies can also decorate a room, but this can be done not earlier than April.
Blooms earlier than others peony thin-leaved (P.tenuifolia), not high, but completely adorable plant with maroon flowers and dark green leaves, finely split like fluffy twigs of dill. This type of peony flowers is only 40 cm tall, but it has an exceptionally graceful appearance, very suitable for rocky slides. An interesting thin-leaved peony, in addition to its appearance, is that it does not like good nutrition, does not require watering and does not even tolerate excessive moisture, but what he loves strongly is the sun. This peony has a drawback - early (in August) withering foliage, so it must be planted under the cover of plants that retain their greenery for a long time (for example, meadow geranium).
It is possible to "persuade" peonies to bloom earlier than it happens in the open field with the help of forcing. The most suitable for forcing are the following types of peonies: white-flowered, medicinal, thin-leaved. Planted in large pots since autumn, peonies are placed in a cool room (5–7 ° C, that is, best in the refrigerator) after freezing, usually at the end of December. The thin-leaved peony does not need big pot... In February, peonies are brought into warm rooms. Faded plants are planted in the ground in spring.
Not only does it have a luxurious flowering and wondrous aroma during flowering, but the bush itself retains its decorative effect all summer, and therefore it decorates your garden all season. Therefore, peonies are often used in rabatkas and mixborders, which are placed along paths or along the walls of buildings.
If the peonies are arranged individually or in a group of two or three bushes of different flowering periods, this is also very beautiful.
Many people refuse these luxurious plants because their branches droop low under the weight of the flowers. But who is stopping you from placing supports under them? It's that simple!
Peony flowers: varieties and hybrids
Peonies are classified according to their flowering dates. There are very early peonies, usually they are on a low stem and they have a double, very large, spherical flower, but odorless. They are easily distinguished from others by their light green stems (while later varieties have red and even dark red stems).
The most successful of these is the captivity group:
Alba captivity with white flowers
Rosea captivity with pink
and the most common of this group Rubra captivity variety with dark red-crimson flowers.
They are very reliable peonies, there are no problems with them, as they are well adapted to our northwestern climate.
The next group is early peonies. Here is very big choice and pink and white and lilac and red. Among them there are also very resistant varieties.
Early varieties of peony flowers bloom a week later than very early ones. Later, a well-known early variety, resistant to fusarium, and therefore popular among gardeners, blooms pink Sarah Bernhardt variety.
Then the mid-early bloom blooms, and among them is a wonderful white peony, also very famous, Festima Maxima but with a mediocre smell.
There are inhabitants of dry forests, suitable:
Crimean peonies,
Caucasian,
Moldavian(other name - foreign), able to exist without irrigation.
The most drought-resistant is the thin-leaved peony.
If you're lucky and you find pink herbaceous peony variety Yunost, you will get great pleasure from its luxurious, huge, very dense flowers and delicate aroma.
If you are offered a lilac peony, then do not flatter yourself, peony flowers do not have such a color, but there are pink ones with a lilac tint.
There is a very beautiful mid-late peony with large bright crimson flowers Arkady Gaidar.
Usually to get more large flowers, it is recommended to pluck out two buds growing from the axils of lateral leaves near the main bud as early as possible. But with Arkady Gaidar, this is not necessary, since both lateral flowers are not inferior in size to the main one, and it is not just big, it is huge. When you cut a three-flowered inflorescence like this, you get a large bouquet on one stem.
There is a group of very late, extremely rare and expensive peonies. Of this group, the most common white peony Ann Cousins(in some catalogs it is called Ann Cousins).
Of the pinks, the latest
this is Virginia Lee,
and there is still President Wilson.
And from black and red it is interesting late variety Lucky Star,
which blooms at the end of July as well Uncle Tom.
Knowing what types of peonies are, you can plant plants from different groups side by side - this will help to have flowering crops from the end of May to the end of July.
Red flowers. Non-double or simple form:
Torch,
Messesoit.
Semi-double form:
Karina,
Nadia.
Terry form:
Carol,
Helen Cowley,
Henry Boxtos,
Diana Pax,
Black Monarch.
Color of flowers white. Terry.
Simple form: Sinet.
Semi-double form:
Ballerina,
Claire de Lune,
Minnie Shaylor.
Terry form:
White sail,
Polar Star.
Pink. Semi-double form:
Louis,
Ray Bowl,
Claudia.
Terry form:
Frostad Rose,
Angelo Cobb.
Red. Spherical shape:
Cruiser Aurora,
Alice,
Edwin Bills.
Pink shape:
Mary Brand,
Karl Rosenfeld,
Felix Kruss,
Felix Superior.
Pink. Spherical shape:
Festival Maxim,
Gardenia,
Casablanca,
In memory of Gagarin,
Anshantres,
A.E. Kundert.
Crown form:
Miss America,
Mercedes,
La Bayadere.
In shape, peonies are spherical, hemispherical, double, semi-double, non-double. So the choice is great.
Among the peonies, the most expensive and most interesting of them is the tree peony, which sheds its leaves in the fall, but its stem becomes lignified, and does not disappear, like herbaceous peonies. In winter, there is a gnarled, unsightly tree. Usually, these peonies are not double, but huge flowers, 15–20 cm in diameter. But, unfortunately, they can freeze out in our North-West, and therefore, as a rule, require shelter for the winter. In addition, they are stolen, since they are very expensive.
The most reliable and picky ones are the species peonies that grow in natural conditions and at one time served as the source material for the creation of cultivated varieties. They bloom, as a rule, earlier than cultivated peonies, in the North-West already in mid-May. They, like all natural children of nature, are unusually durable (several decades in one place without a transplant).
The ability of peonies to survive in bouquets and vases is fickle - some last ten days, while others fall off on the second day. Of course, the advertised water additives can be used. But if you follow the rules exactly, that is, cut flowers early in the morning in dry weather with a stem of at least 30–35 cm, and when placing flowers in a vase, cut them in water so that air does not get into the stems, then such a bouquet will last for five to six days ... The water must be changed daily, and in the heat - and twice a day, updating the cut of the stem. Peony growing on clay soil or loam, will stand in a vase for two to three days longer.
It must be remembered that peonies do not like acidic soil, which often causes reddening of the leaves and provokes fusarium disease.
Species peonies, when grown and nurtured in open ground, are the most unpretentious and resistant to fusarium, which is a scourge for their cultural relatives, but they also do not like acidic soil, but prefer to grow on fertile land, in places illuminated by the eastern sun (with the exception of thin-leaved ones) , love feeding with ash. The optimal time for planting peony flowers is August (in the North-West).
Agrotechnology for growing herbaceous peonies: planting and caring for flowers in the open field
Care when growing peonies is not difficult, only good planting material and correct fit. Peonies are planted for 30 years, moreover, they do not like transplants, so before buying them, you first need to take care of a good place for plants.
Growing peonies in the open field should not be done near walls and near big trees... The distance from a wall or large trees should be at least two meters. The planting hole should be well prepared in advance. It should be 50 × 50 × 50 cm, at least, or even better, 80 × 80 × 80 cm. If you have near groundwater (50-60 cm), then it will be difficult to dig a hole 80 centimeters deep, it will be filled with water. Then the roots of the peony will fall into the water and rot. In this case, you need to fill a flat hill with a height of about 40 cm for a single planting or a ridge with a height of about 40 cm for planting several peonies in a row.
Bushes can be planted 80 centimeters apart. It is very unprofitable to plant one peony, too much work for the sake of one plant, but nevertheless it looks great in single plantings in different parts garden.
Observing the correct cultivation technique in the open field, the night before planting, you should once again water the soil in the planting pit or on the ridge with water. In the center of the pit (or in the depression of a ridge or hill), you make a small mound. On this mound, you will lay out the delenka. It must be placed obliquely, at an angle of 45 degrees, with the growth bud up (it is located at the very base of the future stem), with the rest of the cut down. Then you start to gradually fill the rest of the hole with soil (or put a mound on top). Then you dig your index finger into the soil near the top of the delenka, when the finger rests on it, then the two phalanges of the finger should be in the soil. That is, the bud should be buried 4–5 cm in the ground. If your growth bud is higher, it will freeze, and if it is deeper, it will definitely rot.
Caring for peonies in the garden in spring and summer after planting (with video)
One of the features of growing peonies is regular watering. Make sure that the growth bud is not exposed, if this happens, then you need to add soil. At the end of September - beginning of October, and in warm autumn it is possible at the end of October, you have to tame the peony for the winter, otherwise it may freeze out, since it is still poorly rooted. To do this, pour a bucket of rotted compost or peat directly on top of this planting, and that's enough. Just in case, who is really afraid of losing a peony, you can put a little spruce branches on top. But in spring, spruce branches need to be removed very early, at the very beginning of April, otherwise the peony under such a warm blanket will wake up too early and grow prematurely.
After planting, when caring for peonies in spring, at the beginning of May, as soon as pink sprouts appear, you should immediately apply a protective spraying on them against Fusarium-rot of rhizomes. Either use Fitosporin, or use a solution of any drug containing copper, including a solution of Bordeaux liquid.
Easiest in cold water and metal dishes (right in the watering can) are diluted with copper chloride oxide (HOM).
When caring for peonies in the spring, do not rush to undo the plants, you can easily break off very fragile sprouts.
Sprinkle two cups of ash or one cup of dolomite directly over the damp soil around each peony and cover slightly. Ash is a good deoxidizer, moreover, it is completely free.
Remember that an important condition for growing peonies is correct soil- these plants do not like acidic soil, it contributes to fusarium disease.
After May 10, in the North-West, there are almost always quite strong (up to minus 6 degrees) night frosts. You should always have at hand the material at hand to cover the plantings, if you are not the happy owner of Ekoberin, with whom you can spray the plants in the evening on the eve of the announced freeze and again the next morning.
Please note that the pink sprouts of peonies are not afraid of frost and never freeze, because anthocyanin stains them pink, which enhances the frost resistance of plants. But young, freshly set buds of peonies are afraid of frost, so constantly use Ekoberin or cover the plantings with lutrasil at night. By the way, lutrasil can not be removed until the end of the frost, if you rarely visit the site. But in this case, it is better to pull it on arcs, since the tender young ends of the peony stems under it sag and become curved.
When growing and caring for peonies in the garden, never feed them, like all other plants, with nitrogen, while there is a threat of frost, since nitrogen significantly reduces the frost resistance of plants.
At the beginning of June, when the peonies already have leaves and there is no risk of breaking off fragile sprouts, they must be bored by checking the correct depth of the rhizome. The center of tillering should be deepened by 2 phalanges of the toe, that is, by 4–5 cm.
Watch the video "Growing and caring for peonies", which shows all the main agricultural practices:
Top dressing when caring for peonies
After planting, when caring for peonies in the open field, proper feeding is important. After the end of the frost, you can give nitrogen fertilization, which should always be given at the same time as potassium. In addition, phosphorus is also needed, which promotes flowering of plants. Therefore, the most suitable spring fertilizer is azofoska (or any complex mineral fertilizer, for example, Kemira). It is necessary to stir 2-3 tablespoons of fertilizer in 10 liters of water and use two liters under the plant. Do not pour the solution directly into the center of the tillering of the bush.
In addition, feeding peonies when caring for plants is important at the time of opening the buds. If the soil has become scarce (and light foliage serves as an indicator of this), then it is necessary to water the peony with a solution of any organic fertilizer, in particular, an infusion of weeds diluted with water 1: 5. It is categorically impossible to feed with fresh manure or bird droppings (this can provoke rhizome rot). The best thing is to fill the soil under the peonies with freshly cut grass or weeded out green weeds all summer long, interlayering this mulch with Radiance (to speed up the mulch maturation). Or just water the soil under the peonies (and in general under any plantings) with Fitosporin solution together with Gumi.
When caring for peonies during flowering, plants should be fed with potassium and phosphorus (one tablespoon per 10 liters of water), since flowering greatly depletes the rhizome. Potassium chloride should not be used - peonies do not like chlorine.
And it is better to use sulphate or carbonate potassium, or potassium magnesium and double granular superphosphate.
Leaves are needed to restore a rhizome depleted by flowering. Therefore, do not cut more than a third of the flowers and buds as this will cut a lot of leaves.
It is recommended when planting a peony, and then every three years in the future, along the perimeter of the crown of the bush in a groove 3-4 centimeters deep, a tablespoon of granular AVA fertilizer and no more mineral fertilizers, which, of course, greatly simplifies the feeding of any plants. The peony is very responsive to this fertilization. The number of flowers sharply increases, the intensity of their color and smell increase.
After planting, when caring for herbaceous peonies with the beginning of flowering, supports should be placed under them. Their heavy flowers, especially after rain, tend to the ground, and the bush loses its decorative effect. You can make the supports yourself, but special supports are also available for sale.
If you want very large flowers, remove the axillary buds right away. However, modern varieties on lateral stepchildren near the main flower give almost the same large flowers as at the top of the shoot. So, by cutting off one stem, you immediately get a bouquet of flowers.
When the peony blooms for the first time, it is better to pluck the first bud as early as possible so as not to weaken the tuber that you have planted. During flowering, the tuber is greatly depleted and it is not known whether it will be able to recover after the first flowering before the end of summer.
Even a powerful bush begins to wither, bloom poorly due to the fact that its tubers are not restored. If 2-3 buds appear during the first flowering, then you can leave one bud. In the future, you should normalize the number of flowers depending on the state of the bush.
How many buds can you allow on one bush? If the bush is young and strong, then about 10-12 flowers. If the bush is very strong, it is 6-8 years old, then 20 flowers and 25 can be allowed, it all depends on how it feels with you. The foliage shows the state of the peony immediately. If it has wonderful glossy, bright green leaves, then the bush is healthy, starting to fade - this is the first sign that the peony is beginning to weaken. Then you need to sharply limit the number of flowers, leave 5-6 pieces, and you will have to cut flowers with a very short stem so as not to touch the leaves.
Any plant spends all its energy on flowering and seed formation, therefore, seed pods should not be allowed to form, and as soon as the flower withers, loses its decorative effect, you must immediately break it off.
After flowering, the plant should be watered from a watering can with preparations containing copper (or Fitosporin solution) directly over the foliage. After preparing the solution, first test it on one stem to make sure that the solution of this strength does not cause a burn, and only then water the entire bush. When watering with Fitosporin, do not exceed the concentration of 2-3 tablespoons of the solution per 10 liters of water, then you will not need to make a sample.
If you water peonies annually in spring and autumn (as well as autumn asters, bearded irises, phlox and roses) Fitosporin, especially when paired with Gumi or HOM solution, then these plants will not hurt you.
In late autumn, when the foliage has already withered, rotted compost or manure should be applied along the perimeter of the plant's crown, and even fresh compost can be used, but only horse manure. This will be enough for beautiful flowering next year.
In the fall, foliage may not be cut if it is healthy. Frosts will crush the stems, they will droop and cover the rhizome themselves for the winter. You just pour a bucket of peat or soil on top of the center of the bush at the end of autumn - and that's it. But if there are problems with the foliage, then it needs to be treated in the summer, and removed in the fall, and at the same time it can be put in compost. After cutting such leaves, water the bush with a preparation containing copper and tame the peony for the winter.
The peony has a malicious pest - it's an ant. He loves to settle under the peony tubers. Gnawing part of the tuber, make a nest in the hole. Formic acid is very harmful to the peony, and it begins to die.
Please note that often in the spring there are a lot of ants on the peony that gnaw the opening bud, this is also very bad. Ants damage the edge petals; after opening, such flowers have a gnawed appearance. Ants need to be destroyed, for example with the Anteater. Dissolve the ampoule in 10 liters of water and pour under the peony. But you can do it differently. If you remove a 2 cm layer of soil under the peony, where the ants are scurrying, you will see the egg-laying. Simply sprinkle ant eggs and ant clusters with Phenaxin or Ant. In addition, to protect the buds of a peony from eating ants, you apply one drop to each stem, closer to the soil, on the stem of any anti-ant gel (for example, the Absolute or the Great Warrior).
And the peony also suffers from a formidable disease called fusarium rhizomes (decay), which externally manifests itself in the reddening of the leaves, the appearance on them brown spots... As soon as these signs appeared on at least one leaf, immediately pour the empty directly over the "head" with a solution of a copper preparation, pouring 1-2 watering cans of solution onto each plant.
Peonies age by 20-25 years. Such an old bush is no longer so dense, the number of flowers begins to decrease. The bush needs to be rejuvenated, and this can be done only in August. You need to dig a peony on one side, lift it with a pitchfork and put it on its side, chop off about half.
Use one part for reproduction, dividing separate divisions. The rest of the bush must be lowered into the hole again and covered with fresh fertile soil. Or you can cut an un-dug bush in half with one strong blow of an ax. Dig up one part, plant it or divide it into divisions, donate or sell. It is good to sprinkle all the cuts of the remaining peony and the cut with ashes. Add fresh soil to the hole. And that's it! Such rejuvenation gives a very good young growth, and the peony will still live and bloom well for 10-15 years.
So, in early spring when pink sprouts appear, pour them with a solution of copper sulfate (or HOMO), sprinkle the soil around the peony with ash. At the moment the buds appear, water the peony and the soil with a solution of Fitosporin plus Gumi.
In the fall, after cutting off the aboveground part (or right along it), before hilling, pour the peony with a solution of any preparation containing copper, sprinkle ash around the bush (at least a glass). A healthy flowering bush is guaranteed for you.
In addition to the main purpose of this delightful flower - decorating the garden, the peony is also suitable for other purposes, for example, medical.
Use for medicinal purposes: only the evading peony possesses useful properties, which can be distinguished from the rest primarily by its small non-double flowers. Its infusion has a calming effect and is widely used in folk medicine, especially in unconventional treatments practiced in Tibet. There they are treated for serious nervous diseases, such as epilepsy.
Some of the miraculous properties of the peony have already been confirmed after serious scientific experiments carried out by representatives of official medicine.
It has been proven that peony juice contains disinfecting, analgesic and sedative substances. According to folk medicine, peony copes well with diseases of the liver and kidneys, and also serves as an excellent remedy for the prevention of cancer.
Herbaceous peonies belong to perennials. They do not require special care, and can grow in one place without aging, from 8 to 12 years. But you will have to wait for flowering, peonies bloom only in the fifth year of their growth.
For planting peonies you need to choose an open sunny area. Pits up to 50 cm wide and deep are prepared in advance. The ground, the top layer, which you pull out of the pit, must be mixed with fertilizers: 100 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium chloride and 100 g of ammonium nitrate. Mix everything thoroughly and put separately. The bottom layer of earth is removed from the pit completely - use it for other purposes.
Be sure to add a bucket of humus to the bottom of the pit. The bush that you are going to transplant should be very carefully dug with a shovel, trying not to touch the root collar. Then gently lift the whole plant with a pitchfork.
If the bush is already overgrown enough, you need it split into several parts... To do this, the rhizome is cut with a knife, making sure that 3-5 buds remain in each part. If you come across rotten roots, remove them.
Disinfect the rhizome in a solution of copper sulfate. The solution is prepared at the rate of 10 g per 1 liter of water.
Having made a depression in the prepared hole with a mound in the middle, carefully place the rhizome of the peony being transplanted in it. Try to cover the buds with earth only 1-3 cm. If you put them deeper, the peony will not bloom. After dusting the plant with earth, pour water over it.
There is another way to propagate peonies. it green cuttings... For this, a plant is chosen at the age of 5-7 years. Inspect and carefully, but quickly pluck ripe shoots, always with an underground part. At the base of the shoot, there should already be formed buds, ranging in size from 0.2 to 0.5 cm. If there are no buds, the shoot is not suitable for reproduction.
Before planting the shoots in the ground, the stem of the cutting is shortened by 1/3 or 1/2 part. Do so that 2-3 leaves remain.
With the onset of autumn, the cuttings gain strength, take root, the buds noticeably increase in size, reaching 1-2 cm.
With the onset of frost, peony bushes are sprinkled with earth, in a layer up to 10 cm.
In the spring, cuttings rooted in the fall germinate and shoots appear with leaves on each stem. With this method of propagation, in a strong mother plant, 15-20% of the stems can be used.
If during the transplant you have fragments of fleshy roots- do not rush to throw them away. At good care planted in the nutrient soil, they develop stems in 1-2 years, and in a couple of years they will delight you with their flowering.
Another possible breeding method - seed... But reviews about this method say that it is of little use. After all, the flowers of a peony appear only after 5-6 years and then not of the best quality.
Peony care consists in abundant watering, obligatory plant feeding, careful weeding.
One of the most important conditions is winter time indispensable surface hilling with humus.
Compliance with these simple rules for caring for herbaceous peonies contributes to the long, abundant flowering of the peony for many years.
article authorship confirmed on GOOGLEThe Chinese are sure that the gods themselves patronize the cultivation of these flowers. Peonies: planting and care in the open field - how to do it right.
Description: varieties and varieties of peony
Luxurious peonies familiar to everyone with a magnificent aroma bloom in spring. Blossoming usually coincides with high school prom. The last hours of school are saturated with sadness and the piercing, intoxicating scent of these beautiful plants.
Maryin root
The known flowers belong to herbaceous varieties, which are subdivided in turn:
- Dodging peonies - this group includes Maryin root.
- Medicinal peonies. Varieties of this group of species are subshrub plants and Lemoine peonies, which belong to tree peonies.
- White-flowered (double and non-double forms, Japanese, anemone).
- Terry (crown, pink, spherical, hemispherical, etc.).
Herbaceous peonies
Peonies of unusual cream color
Growing herbaceous peonies is not difficult: perennial plants can do without transplanting for over 20 years.
Important! A correctly chosen place for planting peonies is a guarantee of exuberant flowering of perennial bushes.
Modern herbaceous peonies are bred by breeders in a wide variety of shapes and colors. There are over 5,000 varieties of this crop. Usually the plant height is from 0.3 to 1.5 m. The diameter of the flower is slightly different in different honeycomb species. The color of the petals of herbaceous peonies is of all shades of pink, white, burgundy-red.
The appearance of the bush, even without flowers, already serves as a decoration for the site. The leaves of peonies are juicy green on long petioles, form lush spreading bushes that look great both in individual plantings and when decorating compositions in landscape design.
Peonies of the following types are successfully used for outdoor gardening:
- Vitmana - the petals are yellowish;
- Milk-flowered peony - white petals; the middle part of the flower is open; stamens are yellow;
Milk-flowered peony
- Medicinal peony - ruby red petals;
- Thin-leaved peony - dark red petals with shades;
- Maryin root is a flower with dark purple petals.
There is a classification of herbaceous peonies by the height of the bush, which includes 4 groups: low (height up to 60 cm); medium (up to 80 cm); tall (up to 1 m); giants (up to 1.5 m).
In addition, herbaceous peonies differ in the duration and timing of flowering: early; medium, medium late; late varieties. Planting peonies of different flowering periods on the site will allow you to have plants flowering for 2 months.
Peony flowers differ not only in the shape, shade of the petals, the timing of flowering, but even in the shape of the stamens.
Tree peonies
Treelike peonies form a special group of plants. These plants are widespread in eastern countries - in China and Japan. In recent years, this species has been cultivated in our country when grown in the open field.
Tree peony
Unlike herbaceous peonies, tree varieties do not have dying shoots. The height of the tree peony bush can reach 2 m.
Decorative tree peonies are divided into 3 groups:
- Plants with double flowers (Sino-European varieties). These peonies have a wide range of petal colors. Terry buds, flowers are heavy. With the abundant flowering of peonies of this group, the plant droops under the weight of the buds, therefore, the installation of supporting supports is often required: this somewhat reduces the decorative effect of the bush.
Terry peony
- Yellow and Delaway hybrid peonies. Peonies belonging to this group are widely used in landscape design. This is due to the fact that the flowers are yellow, which is rare for peonies. Bright flowers in combination with openwork foliage serve as a decoration for garden areas.
Hybrid yellow peony
- Japanese varietal peonies (with double and semi-double flowers). These plants with light colors of different shades are gaining more and more popularity in the arrangement of flower beds.
Japanese terry peonies
Tree peonies grow more slowly than herbaceous ones, so the price of planting material is somewhat more expensive.
Currently, breeders have bred a large number of varietal tree-like peonies that can not only bloom beautifully, but also withstand the harsh Russian winters.
Planting a plant
Planting peonies outdoors is most favorable in early autumn. During the growing season, the peonies have grown stronger, the plant has formed many new roots, which increases the chances of survival of the bushes.
Transplanting peonies in the fall. An open, sunny place is suitable for peonies. Given that the plant has been developing in one place for many years, a sufficient distance between the bushes should be provided. Wetlands or areas with high levels are not suitable for planting crops groundwater.
Planting a peony bush in a permanent place
The plant is planted in a pre-prepared hole. For this, the garden soil must be selected to a depth of 1-2 shovel bayonets. The pit needs to be filled with a fertile soil mixture: peat, humus, turf soil and sand are mixed in equal parts. Add 1 glass of double superphosphate, 0.5 liters of ash to the mixture for planting peonies and inkstone(1 tbsp.spoon).
For better survival of peony bushes, it is required to treat the plant roots with a special clay talker, which consists of natural clay, 2 tablets of heteroauxin and copper sulfate. A liquid clay dough is kneaded, into which the root system of a peony cut is dipped when planting in the open field. This operation increases the survival rate of young peony plants in a new place.
Important! Peony roots are very fragile. Transplanting plants with a high degree of care is required.
Young plants do not deepen - the upper buds are covered with soil only 3-5 cm. The first watering of the planted divisions should be abundant. The top of the planting pit is mulched with peat crumbs or garden soil - it is important to maintain soil moisture for better root survival.
Planting peonies in spring- will not cause problems if the rules are followed.
There is an opinion that planting peonies in the open field in spring is fraught with great difficulties and setbacks. Plants that have started to grow get sick longer, often the death of the transplanted plants occurs.
Important! A spring crop transplant should be planned as early as possible. Transplanting peonies in the spring should be carried out in early April, immediately after the snow melts.
Before planting, holes are dug, the depth of which is at least 70 cm, and the diameter is over 0.5 m. Drainage from fine gravel and coarse sand is laid at the bottom of the hole. The pit is filled with a fertile nutrient mixture with the addition of fertilizers. The plant is dug up with a clod of earth, located in the hole strictly vertically. It is not allowed to cover the upper buds with soil at a distance of more than 10 cm.
Peony bush before transplanting
Subject to the rules of spring transplantation, the plants start growing together, grow well in summer and begin to bloom the next year.
Plant care
Caring for peonies is reduced to regular watering, loosening the soil under the bushes and timely feeding.
Peonies require at least 5 hours of sunlight a day. When shaded, they bloom poorly, stagnate and get sick, so you need to monitor the growth of nearby plants, the shadow of which can interfere with the growing season of peony bushes.
Inspect peony bushes regularly for disease
You cannot grow a crop in one place for over 10 years. Peonies become smaller, flowering decreases and the development of diseases is observed.
To preserve the decorative effect of the peony bush, it is required to periodically remove faded flower stalks and damaged leaves.
To increase the size of the flower, it is useful to leave one central bud on the peduncle, plucking out the rest.
Reproduction of a peony
Reproduction of peony bushes is allowed to be done vegetatively (by dividing the bush, cuttings, layering, grafting) and by seeds.
Each method has its positive and negative sides. So, reproduction by vaccination is justified on rare, expensive varieties tree peonies.
Split peony bushes
The easiest way to get new plants is to divide the peony bushes. It should be remembered that good planting material is obtained by dividing healthy, mature bushes older than 5 years.
Reproduction of a tree peony by layering allows you to quickly get young plants that correspond to the variety. A mature and strong shoot with several buds is selected for layering. Rooting is carried out in wet moss, sand or soil, sometimes it is useful to use a greenhouse.
Seed propagation is most common in breeding work and breeding new varieties.
Fertilizing and feeding peony
The cultivation of lush peony bushes, pleasing to the eye with annual exuberant flowering, directly depends on what kind of care the plant is provided with. One of the necessary measures to maintain the health and full flowering of the plant is the introduction of dressings, which are divided into two types: foliar and root.
Foliar feeding of peonies
Fertilization of crops with foliar feeding is carried out by spraying the nutrient solution over the green mass of the plant. The greatest effect of this procedure is observed when spraying plants in the early morning hours or in cloudy weather.
Foliar dressing is spraying the ground part of the plant with nutrients from a spray bottle
Per summer period spend three foliar feeding peonies with various fertilizers:
- 1st feeding is carried out by spraying the plants with a urea solution;
- 2nd feeding is carried out using urea mixed with mineral fertilizers;
- The 3rd feeding of peonies is carried out with a solution of mineral fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers: mullein (1:10 dilution) or bird death (1:25 dilution), are used for adult plants during the budding period.
Root feeding of peonies
Root feeding of peony bushes
Introduction nutrients under peony bushes during the growing season is done 3 times:
- During March-April, fertilization of plantings of peonies is carried out by the introduction of mineral fertilizers (scattered over the top layer of the soil). Melt snow water gradually dissolves the fertilizer granules, which slowly penetrate through the soil to the roots.
- Summer dressing of bushes is carried out 2 times per season, while dry fertilizer is scattered under the bushes on the ground and watered abundantly.
Diseases and pests
The decorative qualities of peonies suffer greatly from diseases and pests that affect plants, especially if the agricultural technology of growing crops is not followed.
Among diseases of peonies fungal and viral diseases are leading: rust, gray rot, leaf spot, circular leaf mosaic.
Peony spotting
Diseases can be prevented by providing careful planting care: timely watering and periodic loosening of the soil, the introduction of the necessary fertilizers, the timely removal of dead plant parts. With a high level of groundwater, reliable drainage should be provided, which will save the long roots of peonies from getting wet.
Fungicide treatment will help prevent the development of fungal diseases. Excellent results observed with early spraying of plants with Bordeaux liquid or systemic fungicides. For the prevention of leaf mosaic, peony bushes should be treated with Alirin.
Preparation of a composition for combating diseases of peonies
Peonies get damaged plant pests: aphids, bronzes, beetles, root nematodes and caterpillars. For pest control, iron and copper sulfate, green soap, karbofos, fufanon, actellik and other preparations are used.
Destruction of beetles and caterpillars is most reliable to carry out manually, carefully examining each bush of peonies.
Timely care of the plant will ensure its long life and lush flowering.
Peonies: combination with other plants
Whereas the peony is a perennial plant, root system which is quite gentle, should be provided for when planting in open ground, the neighborhood with suitable perennials... Companion flowers should be in harmony with peonies in color. So, lilac veronica, oak sage, catnip, popovnik or cuff are suitable for white or pale pink peonies. A perfect combination is achieved by planting peonies next to miniature conifers. Growing perennial plants next to peony bushes should not oppress the bushes and interfere with the formation of the root system.
Peonies in the flowerbed
A great combination is achieved by planting peonies next to hosts, but remember that the hosta cannot tolerate long-term exposure to sunlight. Such a neighborhood is possible with light shading, on the eastern side of the site.
Peonies in landscape design
Peonies are so decorative that single plantings of plants are pleasing to the eye on their own. In landscape design, planting peony bushes on an emerald lawn is appropriate. Peonies look great next to perennial shrubs.
Peonies in landscape design
The herbaceous peony belongs to plants that delight with their flowering in the first half of summer. Once the ground is on personal plot it warms up a little, on its surface, after a short period of time, reddish thickened sprouts can be observed.
Initially, they do not differ in large size, but very soon they turn into tall and strong stems, on which buds are formed.
There are also such peonies, whose inflorescences can reach up to 20 cm in diameter.
Those who adore them for their abundant flowering and lush bush, strive to extend the time of enjoying their view and plant varieties of different flowering periods.
Herbaceous peonies most often come in the following colors:
- white;
- red;
- yellow;
- pink.
Peony care
Gardeners love peonies because they are perennial plants that do not require special maintenance conditions. In order to enjoy its lush bushes for a long time, the flower must be watered abundantly (after all, the tuberous roots are at a depth) and the peri-stem space must be loosened.
In early spring, when the vegetative period of peonies is just beginning, it is recommended to feed the plants with a nitrogen-containing complex. Secondary feeding will be appropriate during the period of bud formation, only this time it will be necessary to choose a phosphorus fertilizer.
In order for the bushes to bloom longer, you need to get rid of the fading shoots with a knife.
The third time to fertilize the peony bushes is necessary after flowering, when the plant will need potassium and phosphorus.
All types of herbaceous peonies can suffer from diseases, among which gray rot is common. Moreover, any part of the plant is affected by the fungus:
- trunk;
- foliage;
- inflorescence;
- roots.
In the event that this disease was found on the bush, it is necessary to remove all damaged areas sharp knife and disinfect the plant with a preparation containing copper.
In the autumn, the ground part of the peonies must be cut. Peonies do not need shelter for the winter, as they steadfastly survive the cold. Only in their first wintering, young plants are recommended to be insulated with a covering material.
Reproduction of peonies
Those who have conceived to propagate this flower with the help of seeds that ripen in capsules in the place of the former bud are advised to abandon it. Varietal features At the same time, the peony is most often not preserved, and it will take at least five years to wait for flowering.
The best way to breed peonies is by root division. Do it better in autumn or at the end of August.
The roots are dug out when the bushes are subject to renewal. The need for this arises when peonies grow in one place for a very long time and flowering becomes scarce.
The tree peony is both a shrub and a flower at the same time.
One has only to plant on this plant, and you can get lushly growing inflorescences ornamental shrub... In height tree peony can grow up to 2 meters.
It all depends on the fertility of the soil, the year of life and care.
These flowering plants are long-lived.
These shrubs can grow in one place for 90-150 years. The most ancient long-liver is the tree-like peony, which is 300 years old.
The peony grows slowly and as it grows, every year it gives 10-70 inflorescences, and sometimes hundreds. The flowers are most often in the form of a ball or bowl. They decorate the bush for about two weeks.
Among those who care for the tree peony, the most common are hybrid varieties. They have long feathery leaves and flowers up to 25 cm in diameter. Dwarf tree peonies are also in demand.
Tree peonies requirements
For the normal maintenance of tree peonies, it is desirable to provide them with a place with sufficient light and protected from drafts. 
If a peony bush is located under the shade of a small tree, it receives scattered sun exposure and blooms longer. But in the open air, the bushes bloom more abundantly.
The soil under the peonies should be fertilized, drained and alkaline.
If there is a need to transplant a plant or plant a new one on your own, then the most favorable time for this is the period from late August to mid-September. Also, a tree peony can be planted in early spring, but it must be borne in mind that in this case it will be most vulnerable to frost.
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A planting hole for a flower is prepared in advance. She is given the shape of a cone. The base should be twice the diameter at the surface.
Landing principle
First, a thick drainage layer (broken brick, gravel and sand) must be poured onto the bottom. Then all this should be filled with humus. At the end, place the root of the bush there and sprinkle with the top fertile layer of soil.
If severe winters are raging in the region, then flower growers recommend performing a protective dry shelter. This is especially needed for young plants or recently planted shrubs. The following can be used as a covering material:
- spruce branches;
- reed;
- dry needles.
After wintering, in April, the plant is examined and all dry branches are removed.
There is a place for these beautiful plants in any garden. They look gorgeous against the backdrop of lawns, even at the moment when the flowering has passed. Landscape designers note the demand for this shrub, meet their customers halfway and use the tree peony in both single and group plantings.
Why peonies don't bloom
During flowering, the peony bush is very lush green and lush, bright inflorescences with a heady aroma. But it also happens that some owners do not bloom peonies.
The first reason for the lack of flowering may be the wrong planting site. A place that is too shady, with stagnant moisture, is not suitable for a peony. Also, this plant will not bloom luxuriantly near tall trees and shrubs.
The acidity of the soil should not be higher than 6.5.
The planting depth of the peony bush is of great importance. If the plant is planted too shallow, its buds will not be protected by soil and may suffer from frost in winter. Conversely, planting too deep prevents flowering. The best option is the deepening of the peony buds, which are located at the base of its stems five cm into the ground.
Also, the reason for the lack of flowering of peonies can be errors in feeding. If the soil is poor in trace elements, the bushes of this plant will bloom, but sparsely and in small inflorescences. And with an overabundance of fertilizers, they will acquire a too violent green mass, but flowering may not come at all.