How to Plant Peony Seedlings: A Step-by-Step Illustration
Do you know about this? Here are some small experiences on the green plant maintenance of how to plant peony seedlings with illustrations and key points of peony cultivation management techniques. Let's learn about it together.
Autumn is almost over, and the time to plant peonies in 2020 is coming to an end. I recently planted a peony and would like to share the details of the planting process. Peonies are valuable because, on one hand, their flowers are indeed stunning, and they are not called the "King of Flowers" for no reason. On the other hand, compared to ordinary plants, peonies are more challenging to propagate and maintain. Planting peonies is the second step to growing them well (the first step is buying the seedlings), and six details are very important; otherwise, even the best seedlings may not grow well.
Handling Bare-Root Seedlings
The bare-root peony seedlings we purchase may have root damage during the digging and transportation process. When you receive such seedlings, you should first handle the roots before planting them, not planting them directly. Root handling is divided into three steps:
The first step is to wash the peony roots, removing the attached soil to make it easier to observe the condition of the roots. If your peony roots are very clean, you can skip this step.
The second step is to trim the roots, cutting off the broken, bad, and dried-up roots to ensure that only good roots remain. Some people say that when the peony roots are too long and dense, you can trim some of the healthy roots. I think this should be treated differently; for potted plants, you can trim the roots if they are too large, but for ground planting, as long as they are healthy, it's best to keep them all.
The third step is to soak the peony roots in a solution of 1000 times the concentration of mycostatin and root growth powder for about 30 minutes to aid in survival. When soaking, make sure the entire root is submerged to prevent any dead corners where bacteria can hide.
Choosing a Good Planting Site
For potted peonies, it's fine to use a suitable pot, but for ground planting, you need to choose a good planting site. When planting peonies, the site selection should consider two points:
1. The site should not easily accumulate water.
2. The site should not be exposed to direct sunlight in the summer.
Peonies have fleshy roots that are drought-resistant but not flood-resistant. If planted in a place where water accumulates, the roots will rot and the entire plant will die. Therefore, the planting site must be elevated, easy to drain after rain, and dry quickly. If the selected site for planting peonies is low-lying, you should elevate it before planting.
How to Plant Peony Seedlings: A Step-by-Step Illustration
Peonies are not tolerant of strong sunlight. When the temperature is high and the sunlight is strong in the summer, the leaves can completely dry out, and even the entire plant may die. The temperature in my area is not very high in the summer, and it often rains, so I'm not worried about the peonies dying from sunburn. If you live in an area where it is hot in the summer, you must consider sun protection when planting peonies. However, except for the summer, peonies should have ample sunlight in other seasons, or it will affect their growth and flowering. Therefore, choosing a good location for peonies is very important. Personally, I think planting near a west wall is better, as it gets sunlight in the morning and the wall shades the intense afternoon sunlight.
Pay Attention to Soil Improvement
When planting peonies in the ground, it's important to pay attention to soil improvement, or even if they survive, their later growth may not be very good. Peonies prefer neutral or slightly alkaline sandy soil, which is why the north is more suitable for planting peonies than the south. The soil in my yard is very poor, being heavy clay. When planting, I dug a large hole and improved the soil, using humus soil and river sand in a ratio of about 5:1. The humus soil was bought from the flower market, and the river sand was bought from someone who was renovating in the neighborhood. I also added some well-rotted sheep manure to the bottom of the hole, but since it was a new planting, I didn't dare to add too much. I'll add more fertilizer after they are established.
Ensure the Soil and Roots Fit Together Tightly
When planting peonies, add a little soil and pack it firmly to ensure the soil and roots fit together tightly. Don't plant them like other plants, which can survive with casual planting. If the soil and peony roots do not fit tightly, the roots will be in a suspended state and gradually dry out, affecting subsequent growth. Some peonies die because the soil was not packed firmly when planted. With my peonies, I packed the soil every 5 centimeters or so, and then covered it with soil again, which should be fine.