How to plant peony flowers
Are you wondering about how to plant peony flowers and the cultivation techniques and management of green plants and flowers? Please feel free to correct me if there are any mistakes!
Peony is a perennial deciduous shrub of the Ranunculaceae family and Paeonia genus, also known as Moutan, Lüwei, Bairong, Mudanpi, Baiyu jin, Luoyang flower, and rich and noble flower. Peony flowers have bright and beautiful colors, with a fragrance that is magnificent and has been known as the "King of Flowers". Peony flowers are large and fragrant, hence they are also called "National Color and Fragrance". It is a famous flower in China, ranking second to plum blossoms among the top ten traditional famous flowers, with a history of artificial cultivation of over 1500 years. Peony flowers prefer warm and cool climates, can tolerate temperatures as low as -29.6 degrees Celsius, and are not resistant to humidity and heat. They like sunlight and are also shade-tolerant, fearing strong winds and excessive sunlight. They thrive in loose, fertile, deep soil layers with good breathability, and can grow well in slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil. Peony flowers have deep and fleshy roots and should not be cultivated in heavy, compact, and poorly ventilated soil, and they dislike waterlogging in the soil. The cultivation of peonies is widespread in the country, deeply loved by people, with ground planting in gardens and potted planting in homes. How to cultivate and manage potted peony flowers?
I. Peony propagation methods: There are several methods of peony propagation, including division, grafting, cutting, layering, sowing, and tissue culture. The most commonly used methods are division and grafting. Division is done in the fall, after the leaves have fallen and before frost, by digging out large clusters of peonies that have been growing for 4-5 years for division and cultivation.
II. Potting soil preparation: The potting soil should be loose, have good drainage and water retention, and be slightly acidic, neutral, or slightly alkaline. For potted peony flowers, the potting soil is made up of 40% compost, 35% garden soil, and 25% coarse sand.
III. Choose a ceramic pot, bucket, or earthenware pot of the appropriate size, and do not use a ceramic pot.
IV. Selection and treatment of cultivation varieties: Choose early and mid-flowering varieties that are adaptable, have good flower shapes, and are grafted onto peony rootstocks, such as Luoyang Red, Erjiao, Zhao Fen, etc. Before potting, dig up the移植 seedlings and expose the roots for 1-2 days, then cut off the withered branches and overly long injured roots, and disinfect them in a 1% copper sulfate solution for 5 minutes before potting.
V. Planting: It is usually done in the fall (September-October). Place broken tiles at the bottom of the pot, then fill with potting soil, place the peony plant in the center of the pot, and ensure the roots are spread out. Fill the soil to half the pot, gently lift and shake the plant, then press the potting soil down. Do not plant too deep; keep the rootstock level with the pot opening. Planting too shallowly affects survival, and too deep affects the growth of the peony after transplanting. Water thoroughly after planting. After planting, keep the plant in a shaded environment for a week, then move it to a sunny area once the roots have recovered.
VI. Water and fertilizer management: Peony flowers love fertilizer. Apply 1-2 liquid fertilizers after the leaves unfold in early spring, and 1-2 liquid fertilizers after flowering, and apply a compound fertilizer in the summer. Watering should keep the soil moist, with one watering in the evening during the summer, and no watering in winter unless dry.
VII. Pruning and shaping: Pruning and removing buds are important technical measures for peony cultivation. From the second year after planting, every year between the Spring Equinox and Qingming Festival, when many new buds sprout from the root neck and grow to 5-6 cm, select 3-5 strong and evenly distributed branches per plant, remove the rest by hand or with a knife, and remove all but the top bud from the remaining branches. If the top bud is underdeveloped, replace it with a plump side bud.
Pruning should pay attention to the height and posture of the plant, removing excessively long branches to match the height of other branches and using side branches to fill in gaps in the canopy. Also, remove weak flower buds and cut off the残花 after flowering. In the fall, remove any sprouts that were not removed in the spring to shape the plant, leaving 3-5 main branches per plant. Timely handle inward branches, intersecting parallel branches, dense thin branches, and diseased branches. During the flowering season, if exposed to intense sunlight, provide shading with a simple and sparse shade structure. In areas with severe winter cold, mulch or cover with soil to overwinter. The number of main branches should be determined by the size of the pot, usually not more than 4.
VIII. Preventing root rot and bud drop in potted peonies: The preventive measures are to ensure the potting soil is loose and breathable, water and fertilize in a timely and moderate manner, water only when dry, avoid waterlogging in the pot, apply enough base fertilizer, and apply topdressings thinly and in small amounts. Remove buds, sprouts, pinch the top, and thin out branches to ensure good ventilation and light. In areas with severe winter cold, move the plants indoors in time. Prevent late frost and spring cold damage in early spring.
The above information about how to plant peony flowers and the cultivation techniques and management of peonies is hoped to be of help to you!