What Fertilizer Is Best for Peonies? Master the Correct Fertilizing Method
Peonies use different fertilizers at different stages: apply a pre-bloom fertilizer before flowering, apply a solid fermented organic fertilizer once after flowering, and apply a winter fertilizer in late autumn and early winter. In addition, before and after the peony blooms, foliar feeding can also be done appropriately, mainly with a three-element compound fertilizer. Another point to note is that when fertilizing peonies, avoid applying concentrated fertilizer, and the amount applied should be appropriate so as to avoid fertilizer damage.
Peony Grafting Methods:
The commonly used peony grafting methods mainly include three types: the inlay grafting method, the side grafting method, and the bud grafting method.
1. The inlay grafting method uses herbaceous peony roots as the rootstock, and the best grafting time is generally from late September to early October each year. The rootstock used is a thick, pest- and disease-free herbaceous peony root with a diameter of 2-3 cm and a length of 10-15 cm.
2. The side grafting method is a method of top grafting to change the head and improve the variety. It uses the many branches on inferior peony varieties or 8-10-year-old medicinal peony plants to graft excellent varieties of different colors. The grafting time is from early July to mid-August. First select a peony plant with excellent variety, robust growth, and no pests or diseases, and cut a soil sprout branch growing out from the ground, or a short branch of the current year 5-7 cm long, preferably a short branch with 2-3 strong buds, as the scion. Leave one leaf stalk on the scion. After selecting the scion, make a slanted cut on the back side of the lower bud of the scion to form a horse-ear shape, then make another slanted cut on the other side of the horse-ear shape into a wedge shape, so that after grafting both sides can contact the cambium tissue between the xylem and phloem, making survival easier. Before and after side grafting of peonies, except during the rainy season when irrigation is not added, the suitable humidity for normal plant growth should be maintained.
3. The bud grafting method is carried out from May to July. Sunny days are best for grafting. Its methods include two types: the bark patch method and the bud replacement method. The bark patch method involves cutting out a rectangular or shield-shaped incision together with the xylem on the current-year branch of the rootstock, then cutting off the axillary bud of the scion together with the xylem into a bud piece of the same size and shape as that on the rootstock. Then quickly press the bud piece onto the incision on the rootstock and tie it tightly with plastic string. The bud replacement method involves removing the axillary bud together with the cambium at the grafting site on the rootstock, keeping the intact bud embryo on the xylem, then peeling off the axillary bud of the scion in the same way, quickly fitting it onto the bud embryo of the rootstock, taking care that the two match, and finally tying it tightly with plastic string. After grafting, the plant should be watered, loosened in the soil, and fertilized in a timely manner to promote healing.
In addition, peonies can also be propagated through division, cuttings, and sowing.