Chinese Peony Seeds Latest Prices and Planting Methods
Chinese peony is also known as Lanwei Chun, Meigu Hua, Hei Qianyi, etc. It is a perennial herbaceous flower of the genus Paeonia in the family Paeoniaceae. It is praised by people as the “Fairy of Flowers” and the “Minister of Flowers”, and is listed as one of the “Top Ten Famous Flowers”. It is also called the “God of Flowers of May”. Because it has been regarded as the flower of love since ancient times, it is now honored as the representative flower of Qixi Festival. Now let us take a look at the prices and planting methods of Chinese peony seeds!
How much is a jin of Chinese peony seeds?
The price of Chinese peony seeds is about 30 to 40 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin and market conditions. The traditional propagation methods of Chinese peony are division, sowing, cuttings and layering, among which division is the easiest and most widely used. The sowing method is only used when breeding new varieties, producing rootstocks for grafting tree peonies, or producing medicinal materials, because the offspring produced by sowing horticultural varieties of Chinese peony will segregate in traits and cannot maintain the excellent traits of the original variety. Therefore, the sowing method cannot be used for propagating variety seedlings.
Sowing methods for Chinese peony
1. Seed harvesting: If Chinese peony seeds are harvested too early, the seeds will not mature. If harvested too late, the seed coat will turn black and hard, making it difficult for seedlings to emerge. After harvesting, never expose the seeds to the sun, as this will harden the seed coat and affect seedling emergence. If they cannot be sown in time, they can be stored in sand to retain moisture, but they must be sown before rooting.
2. Sowing time: Chinese peony must be sown promptly in the same year the seeds are collected. The germination rate will be greatly reduced the following spring, and even if seedlings emerge, the root system of the seedlings will be underdeveloped, making them vulnerable to death from spring drought.
3. Seed treatment: Although the seed coat of Chinese peony is relatively thin and absorbs water easily for sprouting, seed treatment before sowing makes germination more uniform and greatly increases the germination rate. The method is to soak the seeds in 50°C warm water for 24 hours, then remove them and sow immediately.
4. Land preparation and fertilization: The land used for raising Chinese peony seedlings by sowing should be given sufficient base fertilizer and deeply plowed and leveled. If the soil is relatively moist and suitable for sowing, beds can be made directly for sowing. If the soil moisture is poor, it should be fully irrigated, then beds should be made for sowing. The bed width is about 50 cm, and the distance between beds is 30 cm.
5. Sowing method: Chinese peony seeds can be sown by dibbling, broadcasting, drilling or hole sowing. After sowing, cover with moist soil to a thickness of about 2 cm. The seed rate per mu is about 50 kg for dibbling and about 100 kg for broadcasting. After sowing, cover with plastic film, and remove it after the seedlings emerge in the following spring.
Planting methods for Chinese peony
1. Soil selection: Chinese peony is suitable for loose, well-drained sandy loam soil. It grows poorly in clay and sandy soil. High soil moisture content and poor drainage can easily cause root rot. Neutral or slightly acidic soil is preferable, and saline-alkali land is not suitable for planting.
2. Cultivation and weeding: After Chinese peony seedlings emerge, cultivate and weed in time. Do not cultivate deeply, so as to avoid damaging young roots. In summer drought, cultivation should be done to preserve soil moisture. Cultivate and weed 3 to 4 times each year.
3. Watering management: Chinese peony prefers an open, relatively dry environment and does not need frequent irrigation. Because it has fleshy roots, it is especially intolerant of waterlogging. Water accumulation for 6 to 10 hours often causes root rot.
4. Light management: Chinese peony can grow luxuriantly and produce brightly colored flowers only with sufficient light during the growing period, but it can also grow normally under light shade. During the flowering period, temperature can be appropriately lowered and humidity increased to avoid scorching by strong sunlight, thereby extending the ornamental period.
5. Temperature management: Chinese peony is a typical temperate plant, liking warmth and tolerating cold. It can safely pass the summer even when the extreme maximum summer temperature reaches 42.1°C, and it can still grow and bloom normally under conditions where the extreme minimum winter temperature is -46.5°C.
6. Timely topdressing: In the first year, Chinese peony should be given little or no topdressing. From the second year on, apply fertilizer 3 times each year. In late March, apply 1000 kg of human and livestock manure water per mu. In mid-April, apply 1500 kg of human and livestock manure water and 15 kg of superphosphate per mu. In mid-October, apply 2500 kg of barnyard manure per mu.
7. Bud removal and pruning: Except when seeds are to be kept, Chinese peony flower buds are generally removed at the bud stage to promote the growth of the plant and roots. In order to make Chinese peony flowers large and beautiful, side buds should be removed in time after they appear, so that nutrients are concentrated in the main bud and the desired goal is achieved.
Pest and disease control for Chinese peony
1. Black spot
[Damage] The damage of black spot is very serious. First, small dark brown spots appear on the leaf surface, then expand into irregular concentric rings and connect with each other, causing green leaves to wither and die.
[Control] Bordeaux mixture, or 500 times zineb or maneb, can be sprayed. The affected parts should be cut off and burned. When Chinese peony is propagated by division three or four years after planting, it should not be continuously cropped.
2. Southern blight
[Damage] In severe cases of southern blight, the whole plant dies or all leaves wither and die. On the base of infected plants, dark brown wet lesions first appear, followed by white mycelium on the soil surface or at the base of the plant.
[Control] To prevent disease occurrence, soil can be disinfected or replaced with sterile soil at planting. Cut off or pull out diseased plants and burn them. Before disease onset, regularly spray 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution.
3. White grubs
[Damage] White grubs cause the most serious damage from April to September. They bite and feed on Chinese peony roots underground, and in severe cases can cause the aboveground branches and leaves to turn yellow and wither.
[Control] Deep plowing in winter can cause the overwintering generation of white grubs to die. During the damage period, 50% malathion emulsion can be sprayed.
4. Aphids
[Damage] Aphids pierce leaves with their mouthparts and suck sap, causing leaf edges to curl toward the underside and turn yellow. When seedlings grow larger, they often gather on tender shoots, flower stalks and the backs of leaves, causing the stems and leaves of seedlings to curl and shrink, and in severe cases the whole plant withers.
[Control] Eliminate overwintering weeds, spray 4% dimethoate or 2.5% derris extract, and protect natural enemies of aphids, such as seven-spotted ladybugs, hoverflies and green lacewings, using insects to control insects.
5. Scale insects
[Damage] There are several kinds of scale insects that harm Chinese peony, such as cottony cushion scale, Japanese wax scale, long white scale, mulberry white scale, Chinese peony round scale, arrowhead scale, etc. They suck the body fluids of Chinese peony, making the plant weak and causing branches and leaves to turn yellow.
[Control] When scale insect damage is found on individual branches, they can be brushed off with a soft brush or the infested branches can be cut off and burned. Spray during the peak hatching period of eggs. The best approach is to strengthen quarantine and strictly prevent the introduction of seedlings carrying insects.