Peonies: planting and care in the open field

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

A growing bush of peonies, exuding an incredibly delicate aroma, will become a real decoration of any site. The advice of experienced specialists will help novice growers understand all the intricacies of planting and caring for a plant in the open field.

The best time to plant peonies

The question is relevant for people who do not have knowledge of planting this plant. According to flower growers, based on their own experience accumulated over the years, autumn is the most favorable time for planting peonies.

In the spring, the aerial part begins to develop actively, preventing the strengthening of the root system, which is subsequently fraught with a long survival rate of the plant. It weakens, which negatively affects flowering.

But with proper care, the cuttings planted in spring give a good result. The optimal time for work is late April – early May, after the roots have grown.

Having decided to start planting peonies in the fall, it is necessary to take into account that this must be done 4 weeks before the onset of frost, so that the plant takes root and gives roots. Otherwise, the flower will start to hurt, or even die altogether.

Landing times depend on the region:

1. In the suburbs - throughout September.
2. In Siberia, the Urals and the Leningrad Region - from the end of August to the middle of the first autumn month.
3. In the south, in the Krasnodar Territory (in the Kuban and the North Caucasus) - in late September - early October.

In other regions with a warm climate, peonies can be transplanted from late October to early November.

Reproduction of peonies

There are several ways:

• dividing the bush - refers to the most common options;
• pruning - often used among florists;
• root cuttings with growth buds - this method is most relevant if you need a lot of divisions;
• cuttings - used exclusively in case of early onset of heat.

Each of the methods is suitable for planting a peony in spring.

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Autumn planting of peonies

The flower feels most comfortable in open, well-lit areas, protected from gusts of wind, but with good circulation of air masses. The best option is a slightly shaded area at midday.

Peonies love moisture and grow well in loose, fertile soil. Loam and sandy loam are the most suitable environment. If the soil is too wet, you need to add some sand and clay - it helps to regulate the water balance.

The earth must settle. Accordingly, in advance, about 2-3 weeks before planting, you need to start preparing it:

1. Dig a hole with a size of 0.6x0.6 meters and a depth of 0.7-0.8 meters. The rather large size is due to the strong growth of the root system of the flower.
2. Between individual specimens there should be at least 1.5 m for tall varieties and 0.8–1 m for low-growing ones.
3. Put broken brick, stones or expanded clay (providing drainage) on the bottom, the layer should be about 15–20 cm.
4. Fill the space 2/3 with a soil mixture consisting of an equal amount of garden soil, peat or humus, coarse sand, as well as 250 g of superphosphate, 16 g of ferrous sulfate and 150 g of potassium sulfate.
5. Spill a hole filled with soil mixture with two buckets of water.
6. Large seedlings or separated mother bushes are best suited for planting. Regardless of the option chosen, they must be shortened to 10-15 cm.
7. In the second case, you need to dig in the bush around the perimeter. Carefully, using garden tools, remove from the ground.
8. To free from coarse lumps, lightly tap and leave in this form for 3 hours in the shade. Then the rhizomes will not be so affected by external factors.
9. Divide the bush into parts with a sharp knife so that each has healthy roots and at least 3-5 buds.
10. Place the planting material in the prepared solution of manganese and copper sulfate (4 g) for half an hour, thereby disinfecting it.
11. Transfer to rooting stimulant solution for 12 hours. For example, Heteroacusin is a highly physiologically active chemical.
12. To deepen the seedling into the prepared hole so that the growth buds are immersed in the ground by 3-5 cm. Excessive deepening is fraught with freezing, which will subsequently negatively affect the flowering of the plant.
13. Gently spread the roots along the bottom of the pit, holding them with your hand and not letting the roots bend towards the top. Thus, fill the entire hole with earth.
14. Sprinkle all existing voids with a substrate, compact the earth and lightly tamp it.
15. Sprinkle the plant abundantly with water, sprinkle it with earth, if necessary.
16. To protect and improve the properties of the soil, cover the surface with humus or peat.

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The planting of tree peonies is carried out in a similar way. The only difference is in deepening. The root collar should be slightly lower (8–10 cm from the soil level).

Such a procedure is extremely painful for the plant, accordingly, it must be performed only in extreme cases, for example, with a strong growth of the bush.

Planting and caring for peonies in the open field does not mean anything complicated. The main thing is to choose the right time for manipulations, observing all the rules of agricultural technology.

Spring planting of peonies

When asked when it is better to plant peonies in open ground, experienced flower growers answer: in the fall. But if for some reason this did not work out, then it is possible in the spring. Some difficulties may arise at this time of the year:

1. Long thawing of the ground after a harsh winter. Planting divisions in frozen soil is fraught with damage to the root system of the plant.
2. One careless movement can cause irreparable harm to the flower, up to its death.
3. There is a high probability of lagging roots in growth, which leads to depletion of the root system and the young plant as a whole.

All these difficulties can be avoided, but provided that the flowers are properly planted:

1. Planting of peonies in open ground is carried out in April, before the start of stable warming, which gives the plant the opportunity to take root and not grow ahead of time.
2. Before starting the procedure, the planting material is examined for rot. If there is one, you need to remove its traces and cut off problem areas.
3. Immerse the rhizomes of the plant for 20 minutes in a solution of potassium or a special preparation, for example, Maxim.
4. After that, process the sections with ash.
5. For a day, place the plant in a solution of Heteroauxin (an organic additive that helps to accelerate and improve the development of a powerful root system).

There are two ways in which you can plant peonies: in pots (if the weather has not yet warmed up to the desired values) or directly into the open ground. Regardless of the method, the care is the same.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Dig a hole, plant the plant in the thawed soil to a depth of 3-5 cm. Cover with soil, while the rest of the sprouts should remain on the surface. To protect immature sprouts from possible frost, build a mini-greenhouse.
2. During the day, open the shelter for 15 minutes, gradually increasing the time interval, thereby hardening the plant.
3. As soon as the weather is warm and there are definitely no minus values, the shelter must be removed.

Caring for peonies after planting

The first year is the most important. Within a month after planting peonies in open ground, they need to be watered every other day. Then look at the weather conditions, carefully making sure that the soil is not flooded or overdried.

Care is not limited to this. After watering is done, the next day you need to carefully loosen the soil and remove any existing weeds so that they do not interfere with good air circulation.

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In the period from May to June, top dressing. Sprinkle complex fertilizer with ammonium nitrate around the root. In October, spud the bush and cover with spruce branches.

If everything is done correctly, then in the spring, a year after planting, the strengthened bush will delight the grower with abundant flowering, filling the site with the fragrant aroma of incredibly beautiful peonies.

Summarizing

1. If you follow all the advice of experienced flower growers, peonies can be planted in open ground in spring and autumn. The second option is the most favorable for the plant.
2. Regardless of the time of year, it is necessary to carefully examine the planting material. It should be free of rot and mold odor.
3. Peony is a sun-loving plant, a place for its further growth should be chosen appropriately. Best of all, where there are no strong winds, and the best option is a slightly shaded area at midday.