How to care for new peonies in winter to ensure they survive the cold season
Introduction: Tips on how to care for new peonies in winter to ensure they survive, including insights on caring for new peonies and how to care for them during the winter. Corrections are welcome if there are any mistakes!
1. Do not repot with bare roots when the temperature is below 10°C. Generally, when purchasing flowering plants, some may come in propagation trays, which are not very attractive, and you might want to repot them into a nicer pot. However, some may have already been repotted and are growing in a more attractive pot. If in a propagation tray, and the plant is a young seedling, be careful not to repot with bare roots in winter when the temperature is below 10°C. Instead, repot with the original soil intact. Do not remove the original soil and wash before repotting, as young seedlings usually don't require this. Just repot with the soil intact, especially in winter when the temperature is low, and the peony will enter dormancy, which may cause the plant to wither.
2. Place the plant in a sunny location for care. Since it's a newly purchased peony plant that has been bought for half a month and is in winter, if it has been repotted before or growing in the original soil, it should have adapted to the pot by now. Therefore, it needs to be placed in a sunny location for care. Insufficient sunlight in winter can affect the health of the peony, weaken its cold resistance, and may even cause etiolation or withering of the plant.
Care suggestion: In winter, whether it's a young or mature seedling, if growing normally, it should be placed in a sunny location. It can be placed on a windowsill or a spot where direct sunlight is available and not exposed to cold winds. Allowing the plant to bask in the sun will help it better survive the winter. However, it's important to note that the care environment should maintain a temperature above 10°C for the peony to grow normally. If the temperature drops below 10°C, the plant will enter dormancy, and below 0°C, measures to warm the plant should be taken to prevent frostbite.
3. Water appropriately to prevent frostbite or root rot. In winter, the weather is quite cold, and the water temperature is also low, so watering needs to be done carefully, considering the temperature of the care environment, the moisture of the soil, and the water temperature. Controlling the amount of water is essential for the peony to survive the winter. Improper watering in winter can easily cause the roots to freeze or lead to root rot.
Care suggestion: When watering peonies in winter, especially for newly purchased ones, it's important to control the amount of water to prevent etiolation and root rot. Generally, when the temperature in the care environment is below 10°C, the soil should be slightly dry before watering thoroughly. The water temperature should be close to the indoor temperature to prevent frostbite. If the temperature drops below 0°C, it's necessary to wrap the pot and the base of the plant with cotton clothing to warm them and stop watering until the temperature rises.
4. Stop fertilizing when peonies enter dormancy in winter. In winter, peonies will enter dormancy due to low temperatures, usually below 10°C, and may start to grow slowly or not at all, entering a dormant state. It's necessary to stop fertilizing at this time. Continuing to fertilize will break the dormancy and may affect the health of the plant or cause fertilizer damage, leading to withering.
Care suggestion: For newly purchased peony potted plants in winter, fertilizing should be stopped. There's no need to worry about insufficient nutrients for the peony, as during the winter dormancy period, the demand for nutrients is not high, and not fertilizing will not affect the plant. However, fertilizing during the peony's dormant period in winter can easily cause fertilizer damage since the plant cannot absorb nutrients from the soil. Only when the temperature rises in spring can nutrients be补充ed through fertilizing.
The above introduces the complete content on how to care for new peonies in winter to ensure they survive, which netizens may refer to for guidance.