How to Plant Peony Seeds? A Detailed Guide to the Planting Method

When it comes to sowing plant seeds, different plants require different methods. The seeds of grasses such as rice and wheat need to be soaked and sprouted before sowing, while some other plants, such as the tea plant, have their seeds buried directly in the soil, and there are also spore-producing plants whose seeds simply fall to the ground and grow into new plants on their own.

How to Plant Peony Seeds

1. Peony seeds begin to mature in August. At this time they should be harvested immediately and stored in sand to prevent them from drying out and shrinking, and then kept in a low-temperature place for storage. The seeds can be treated with 1% gibberellin for 48 hours, or exposed to a low temperature of about 5 degrees C to break the hypocotyl dormancy; after sowing, the seedlings can germinate in the spring of the following year.

2. Peonies like a warm and cool, dry environment with plenty of sunlight. They enjoy light but also tolerate partial shade, cold and mild alkalinity. However, they cannot tolerate waterlogging and fear high temperatures, so direct exposure to the scorching sun must be avoided, especially in summer. The most suitable growing temperature for peonies is 17-20 degrees C; once the temperature exceeds 25 degrees C, they enter a dormant state.

3. Peonies are best grown in loose, fertile, sunny, dry, well-drained neutral sandy loam, and are generally planted from late September to early October. For peonies, a sowing depth of 3-4 cm is ideal. After sowing, cover the seeds with soil level with the ground, then gently smooth and firm the soil and water thoroughly in one go. In winter, pay attention to keeping them warm and preserving soil moisture. Cover them with straw, leaves, horse manure or similar materials, or cover them well with plastic film.

4. When growing in pots, first spread a 3-5 cm thick layer of coarse sand or small stones on the bottom of the pot, which will help with drainage. For the potting soil, use a mixture of yellow sandy soil and cake fertilizer, or a culture soil made by mixing decomposed barnyard manure, garden soil and coarse sand in a 1:1:1 ratio. After filling in the soil, press it down firmly with your hands.

5. Peonies must not be allowed to sit in standing water, and should not be planted in low-lying, waterlogged spots. After rain, drain any accumulated water from the pot promptly. Although peonies are drought-tolerant, the soil should still be kept moist; watering should be done according to the season.

6. After planting, peonies begin to sprout in the spring of the following year. After the seedlings emerge above the soil surface, they produce small leaves; some may produce only one, while others may produce 2-3 leaves. When peonies enter the growing period, pay attention to removing weeds and watch for pests and diseases. However, when grown from seed, they usually take 5-6 years to flower.

Division Propagation of Peony Seedlings

1. Dig up an entire large, vigorously growing peony plant, and separate it at the points where the root veins meet. The number of divisions per plant depends on the size of the original plant: larger plants can be divided into more, smaller ones into fewer.

2. Generally, every 3-4 shoots make one division, and each should have a relatively complete root system. Then mix a little sulfur powder with mud and apply it evenly to the wounds on the roots, after which they can be planted separately.

3. Division propagation should be done during the period from the Autumn Equinox to Frost's Descent each year, and it is best to do it at the right time. At this time, the air and soil temperatures are relatively high, and the peony is in a semi-dormant state, but there is still a fairly long period of vegetative growth. Dividing and planting at this time has a relatively mild effect on root growth, and after division and planting, some new roots and a small number of shoot buds can still form.

4. If division and planting are done too late, root growth will be very weak that year, or no new roots will form; the following spring the plant will develop even more weakly, and weak roots mean poor drought tolerance and a tendency to die. If division is done too early, when the air and soil temperatures are still high, the plant may grow rapidly and easily produce autumn growth.

The Cultivation History of Peonies

Since ancient times, the peony has been called the king of flowers, known as “national beauty and heavenly fragrance”, and has the title of “flower of wealth and honor”. The peony has a long history of cultivation in China, spanning more than 1,500 years. By the Tang Dynasty it was already a precious flower in the imperial palace, and a special peony garden was established at Lishan. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the peonies of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the peonies of Bozhou, the peonies of Caozhou, the peonies of Jiangnan and the peonies of Lanzhou all shone brightly, truly elevating the peony to the status of “king of flowers”. Today, countries such as China, the United States, Japan and the Netherlands have bred new commercial potted peony varieties through crossbreeding.

Points to Note When Planting Peonies

1. The peony is a plant that greatly enjoys a warm, dry environment with fairly abundant sunlight. However, as a national flower, the peony is also very strong in cold and drought tolerance; even so, strong direct sunlight is very bad for peonies.

2. During the growth of the peony, the soil must not hold too much standing water. For it, a loose, deep and fertile soil is the best environment for growth.

There are many ways to plant peonies: they can be transplanted, divided, grafted or sown directly. The follow-up care work for each propagation and planting method differs, so planting peonies requires plenty of patience and a sense of responsibility; only in this way can you grow a more perfect peony plant.