How to plant and care for peony flowers
This article introduces knowledge about how to plant and care for peony flowers, as well as peony cultivation methods and techniques, which will definitely help you. Let's learn about it together!
Peony flowers are graceful and elegant, with beautiful leaves and are known as the "king of flowers" with the reputation of "national color and fragrance," ranking second among China's top ten famous flowers. Peony flowers are large and fragrant, and when planted in courtyards or on balconies, they are particularly striking and attractive; when potted in living rooms or studies, they are dignified and elegant, adding a touch of brilliance to the room, showcasing the owner's wealth and grandeur.
However, many families do not know how to care for their peony flowers properly. Below, I share with flower enthusiasts the methods and requirements for growing peony flowers in pots at home.
1. Temperature and lighting should be suitable. Peony flowers prefer a warm, slightly dry, and sunny growing environment and do not tolerate high temperatures and humidity. The optimal growth temperature is around 15-25 degrees Celsius. Especially in the summer, it is important to avoid direct sunlight and especially to avoid sunburn, so proper shading and sun protection should be done to prevent damage from the hot sun.
2. Soil selection requires careful consideration. Different plants have different soil requirements, especially in terms of breathability and fertility. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the selection of soil for peony cultivation. The soil for planting peonies should be fertile, breathable, and well-draining neutral sandy loam, avoiding alkaline, acidic, and heavy clayey soils. For home potted peonies, a mixture of fertile humus soil, garden soil, and coarse river sand can be used. Flower pots can be 15-20 centimeters in diameter, while multi-year large plants require pots 40-50 centimeters in diameter, and the depth of the pot should also reach about 50 centimeters to allow the peony roots to grow strong and healthy.
3. Watering and fertilizing should be done properly. Everyone knows that watering is a key factor in growing flowers well, and excessive watering is often the primary cause of failure in flower cultivation. When watering peony flowers, the principle is to water only when the soil is dry, and it should be adjusted according to the season and weather changes. More watering is needed during the dry spring and autumn seasons, but avoid waterlogging in the pot. In the hot and humid summer, watering should be done in the morning and evening; during the plum rain season, less watering is needed. Peonies should be fertilized at least three times a year, with an additional application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer before flowering and a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer after flowering.
4. Pruning after flowering should be timely. During the peony's deciduous period, cut off the thick branches above the flower buds. To cultivate large flowers, remove the wilted flowers, and appropriately remove flower buds to limit the number of flowers. In autumn and winter, cut off the withered flowers, dry flower stems, and weak branches and leaves to accumulate energy for the next year's bloom.
5. Disease and pest control need to be kept up. Peony flowers are prone to red spot disease, brown spot disease, and gray mold disease. In spring and summer, a mixture of insecticide and fungicide should be sprayed on peonies during watering. If the disease and pest situation is severe, a mixed spray of fungicide and insecticide should be applied every half month to prevent the spread of pathogens and infection of the entire plant.
Peony propagation methods: One is division propagation. Every autumn, select 4-5-year-old large clusters of plants, remove the attached soil from the roots, place them in a loud place to air-dry for 2-3 days, cut the connecting parts of the roots with a knife, plant the roots upright without distortion, layer the soil, and water thoroughly once. The second is seeding. Sow the seeds immediately after harvesting in autumn. The planting depth is about 2-5 centimeters, cover with soil, and after one month, the radicle can grow, but no sprout will emerge from the soil. By the next year, in February or March, the sprouts will emerge from the soil, and it will take 3-5 years to bloom.
The comprehensive knowledge explanation of how to plant and care for peony flowers and peony cultivation methods and techniques shared above is hoped to help you.