Why Can't Peonies Be Planted at Home? An Analysis of the Reasons
Peony is one of China's “top ten famous flowers,” also known as Jiangli, Licao, Yurong, etc. It is a perennial herbaceous flower of the Paeoniaceae family, genus Paeonia. It is praised by people as the “Flower Fairy” and “Flower Minister,” and is also called the “May Flower God.” Since ancient times it has been regarded as the flower of love, and is widely cultivated throughout our country. Let's take a look below at why peonies cannot be planted at home!
Why can't peonies be planted at home?
Not being able to plant peonies at home is a superstitious saying. Legend has it that peonies absorb yin energy, and people fear that a yang dwelling cannot suppress it, bringing misfortune. The elderly generally say that only temples keep peonies, but in reality it doesn't matter. Households that plant peonies are not necessarily unlucky, and households that don't plant them are not necessarily fortunate. Peonies can not only be planted at home, but also have large flowers and vibrant colors with excellent ornamental value, making them very suitable for cultivation in specialized gardens, as cut flowers, and for flower beds.
When is the blooming period of peonies?
The original species of peony has white flowers, while horticultural varieties have rich colors including white, pink, red, purple, yellow, green, black, and bicolor. The blooming period is usually from May to June, generally lasting 8 to 10 days. In cool weather or when placed in shade, it can last half a month. The fruiting period is August. Its flower language is reluctant farewell, hard to part, and unchanging sincerity. In ancient times, men and women often gave peonies to each other when courting, to express a vow of love or feelings of farewell. Therefore, peony is also called “Jiangli Grass,” harboring shyness, implying longing, and symbolizing wealth and beauty.
How to grow peonies so they thrive?
1. Soil: Peony has fleshy roots. When planting, choose loose, fertile, slightly acidic sandy soil. It should not be grown in alkaline soil. If the soil is too alkaline, it will cause leaf yellowing and even withering and death.
2. Watering: Apart from natural rainfall, peonies generally do not need frequent watering. Usually, water appropriately only a few times before and after flowering when water demand is highest and during spring drought, to supplement the lack of soil moisture. Do not water too much each time.
3. Light: Peonies can only grow luxuriantly with sufficient light during the growing period, with vibrant flower colors. However, they can also grow normally in light shade. During the blooming period, temperature can be appropriately lowered and humidity increased to avoid burning from strong sunlight, thereby extending the ornamental period.
4. Temperature: Peony is a typical temperate plant, liking warmth and tolerating cold. It can safely pass summer even when the extreme maximum summer temperature reaches 42.1°C, and can still grow and bloom normally under conditions where the extreme minimum winter temperature is -46.5°C.
5. Fertilizing: Peony fertilizing should be controlled. Fertilize three times a year. The first time is when new shoots rapidly emerge and leaves and flower buds are extending, mainly applying quick-acting fertilizer, called flower-promoting fertilizer.
6. Shaping: Peony shaping includes trunk setting, pruning, bud removal, bud thinning, and removing spent flowers. Trunk setting can be done 2 to 3 years after planting. Those with particularly strong growth can be pruned into a single trunk, while weak-growing ones generally have thin weak branches removed and strong branches retained.
7. Pests and diseases: Peony pest and disease control should focus on early prevention. Once pests or diseases occur, according to the degree of occurrence and the above dosage, appropriately shorten the spraying interval and increase the number of applications.
8. Blooming period: Before peonies bloom, once side buds appear, promptly remove excess buds. This concentrates nutrients and promotes larger and more beautiful terminal buds. After the flowers fade, if you do not plan to collect seeds, simply cut off the flower stalks to avoid nutrient consumption from seed production.