Detailed tutorial on the latest planting techniques for oilseed peony
Oilseed peony is a shrub plant, mainly distributed in the wild in Heze, Shandong Province, Luoyang, Henan Province, Bozhou, Anhui Province, Fenghuang Mountain in Tongling, Gansu Province, Shaanxi Province, etc. Currently, only two varieties of oilseed peony are used in production: Fengdan and Ziban. Among them, Ziban is further divided into grafted and seedling varieties. Let us take a look at oilseed peony planting techniques together!
Site selection and land preparation
For oilseed peony seedlings, choose well-drained, sunny sandy soil. For larger seedlings, depending on the situation, choose orchard land or forest land with dappled shade and shade coverage below 50%. The suitable soil pH is 6.5 to 7.5. Taking flat land as an example for land preparation, deep plow 30 to 40 cm, apply 1000 kg of farmyard manure per mu, plus 50 kg of compound fertilizer plus 10 to 15 kg of sulfur-phosphorus granules, then plow twice more and set aside for use.
Variety selection
From the Yellow River basin southward, including the Yangtze River basin, at altitudes below 2000 m, Danfeng is dominant. With its strong growth vigor, wide adaptability, high seed yield, and high oil extraction rate, it leads the market. With development, ornamental-oil dual-purpose varieties and other colored oilseed peonies will be introduced to the market one after another.
Planting time
In the Central Plains region, it is suitable from early September to mid-October. If later, plastic film covering is needed; if earlier, it tends to sprout in autumn, and the seedlings will be weak the next year. In the Yangtze River basin, it is suitable from the end of September to the end of November. In the northwest and northeast, it is suitable from the end of August to the end of September. Generally, choose 2- to 3-year-old Danfeng seedlings. One-year-old seedlings are too small, have poor adaptability, and waste land. Four- to five-year-old seedlings are too large, cost more, and need one year to recover. Two- to three-year-old seedlings are the most economical. Soak the selected seedlings in 1000 times thiram plus 1000 times carbendazim for 30 minutes, then air-dry the seedlings and set aside for use.
Planting techniques
Make rows in the prepared land, with a row spacing of 60 to 70 cm and a plant spacing of 30 to 35 cm. Each mu requires 3000 to 3700 seedlings. The ends of the seedlings can be removed to make planting easier. Use a shovel to dig holes 25 to 30 cm deep and 10 to 15 cm wide, or insert the shovel into the prepared soil to a depth of one shovel head, push the shovel back and forth to make the hole 10 to 15 cm wide, take out the shovel, place the treated seedlings separately into the holes, keeping the roots 2 to 3 cm below the ground, then cover with soil and tread firm, and mound soil into ridges 15 to 20 cm high to help preserve warmth and ensure overwintering.
Field management
1. Before oilseed peony blooms and sets seed, field weeding is the main daily task. Weed in time. After planting, generally no additional fertilization is needed in the first year. Peony pests and diseases are few, and generally there will not be major damage. After planting, there are relatively few new roots in the first year, so in excessively dry years, water once as appropriate. After autumn and before winter, remove fallen leaves and mound soil at the base for overwintering.
2. For 2- to 3-year-old oilseed peonies, thinning should be done in the fourth or fifth year after planting, that is, keep the row spacing unchanged and remove every other plant in the plant spacing, while combining this with fertilization. The larger seedlings removed can be replanted in new land, with a row spacing of 70 cm and a plant spacing of 70 cm, at 1300 to 1500 seedlings per mu. Before flowering, apply 100 kg of nitrogen fertilizer.