Climbing Peony cultivation method
Answering netizens' questions about the content of the climbing peony, a type of herbaceous flower, this article will share detailed information on the cultivation method of climbing peony.
Climbing peony is a藤科 (vine) herbaceous plant, belonging to the Convolvulus genus, which is a perennial, cold-tolerant plant. Wild resources are distributed in cold regions such as Russia and Mongolia, with most being single-flowered varieties. Through selection and cultivation by Russian experts, a variety with profuse double petals has been developed. The Beijing Botanical Garden introduced it from Mongolia, and the cities of Heihe in the border area and Boli County in Heilongjiang Province introduced it from Russia. Investigations show that climbing peony grows well in various climates and soil conditions in the three northeastern provinces, the northwest, the central plains, the Yangtze and Huai rivers, the coast, and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, where wild Convolvulus plants thrive. It has a strong vitality, better adaptability, resistance to adversity, and reproductive ability than any other vine plant.
Climbing peony is relatively rare in China. In Russia, it is widely used in parks, streets, and roadsides, and is visible everywhere. It is commonly used in green columns, flower corridors, green doors and pavilions, pergolas, fence绿化 (greening), wall绿化 (greening), balcony railings, mountains, slopes, retaining walls, flower beds, lawns, and green spaces for立体 modeling as well as in potted hanging plants.
Climbing peony has a left-handed twining stem and requires support structures such as ropes, wires, or bamboo poles for climbing, or it can wrap around fence-like supports. The internodes are 2-3 centimeters long, with single leaves alternating, petioles 2-3 centimeters long, leaves 6-8 centimeters long and 1.5 centimeters wide, with entire margins. The base of the leaf produces 1.5-2 centimeters long connected leaves on both sides, and the base of the small leaf is slightly lobed, which is botanically called a戟形 leaf. The flower stem is 5-8 centimeters long, with a lotus-shaped flower base, pink flowers, double petals without exposing the flower core, flower stems 4-6 centimeters long, without distinction between male and female flowers, no pollen or ovules, and does not produce seeds. The flowers are bright and beautiful, the leaves are attractive, and it has a high ornamental value.
Climbing peony can survive the winter without protection in areas as cold as -45°C without frost damage and will sprout and grow normally in early spring. In the hot and dry central plains at 38°C, it does not affect growth and flowering.
In spring, when the frozen soil thaws to a depth of more than 10 centimeters, the basal buds break through the soil and sprout, with flower buds appearing at the 5-6th internode, and there are flower buds at each internode as the temperature rises. Each flower has over 50 petals, 3 centimeters long and 1.5 centimeters wide, with deep pink stripes embedded in the pink petals, slightly wrinkled at the tip, curling outward, layer upon layer like a mini peony, hence the name—climbing peony. The flowering period lasts from the first flower to frost, about 7 months, with a continuous profusion of flowers on the vines. Even when the vines freeze, there are still flower buds.
In fertile soil with good water and fertilizer conditions, a single basal bud can grow into a plant with a藤蔓 (vine) canopy over a meter wide, with nearly a hundred flowers in full bloom during the peak flowering period, resembling a colorful tapestry, magnificent and beautiful. When a gentle breeze blows, it looks like butterflies fluttering, enchanting and captivating.
The propagation of climbing peony mainly relies on basal buds and root segments, which are white, fleshy, underground stems. The root stems extend and grow in the soil at a depth of 30 centimeters, and the old rootstocks can spread 5-6 meters in two to three years. In spring or autumn, the rootstocks are dug up, and in spring, they can be cut into 6-10 centimeter long segments as planting seeds. Rootstocks dug up in autumn do not need to be pruned and can be stored in sand, with the storage temperature not exceeding 0°C.
Before planting, apply decomposed farm manure as a base fertilizer at a rate of over 25 kilograms per square meter, deeply turn the soil 50-60 centimeters, mix the fertilizer and soil evenly, flatten the soil clumps, water the flat ridges, and after the water has fully渗透 (penetrated), place the root segments horizontally with a spacing of 40-60 centimeters, then cover with 2 centimeters of loose, breathable humus soil. Under suitable ground temperature conditions, the roots can sprout in more than 10 days. Every two to three years, 50-100 meters of root segments can be taken from each plant without affecting the seedling rate and flowering of the original old plant.
In warm weather, strong new shoots can grow 5-10 centimeters per day, with the plant reaching a height of 4-5 meters in the same year. Side branches continuously sprout, and these side branches can produce 2nd, 3rd, and 4th secondary branches, gradually expanding the width of the plant canopy.
Note: The root system of climbing peony is too developed and perennial, with some invasiveness, so it is recommended to plant it in a pot to avoid excessive spreading in the garden, which could make future cleaning difficult.
Pest control mainly targets aphids, and frequent checks and early eradication can achieve twice the result with half the effort.
This article shares all the content about the cultivation method of climbing peony, which green plant enthusiasts can refer to.