How to Grow Tree Peony Bark? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods

Tree peony bark, also known as dan pi, is a medicinal material used to clear heat and cool the blood, invigorate the blood and resolve stasis, and reduce deficiency heat. It is mainly obtained from the dried root bark of the tree peony, a plant in the Ranunculaceae family. At present, tree peony bark is cultivated in Anhui, Sichuan, Henan and Shandong in China, among other places. It has a certain therapeutic effect on symptoms such as warm toxin macules, hematemesis, night fever subsiding by morning, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea. So how do you grow tree peony bark? Let's learn about it together today.

1. Field Selection and Preparation

Tree peony bark prefers warmth and moisture, tolerates drought, is relatively cold-tolerant, does not tolerate waterlogging, fears standing water, dreads high temperatures and avoids strong light. The planting site is generally chosen as sandy loam that is dry, easy to drain, easy to irrigate, with deep soil and a loose, fertile texture. The planting site is best with a certain slope and a low groundwater table; note that it must not be planted in saline-alkali land or heavy clay. Before planting, plow the soil deeply and apply sufficient base fertilizer, mainly barnyard manure and cake fertilizer. Level and refine the soil, then open furrows and make beds; the bed width is about 40 to 50 cm, and the furrow depth is about 30 cm.

2. Propagation Methods

There are four propagation methods for tree peony bark: seed propagation, division propagation, grafting propagation and cutting propagation. Seed propagation is mainly used in Fengdan, Anhui, and requires raising seedlings first and then transplanting; the sowing time is from late July to early October. At the same time, before sowing, the seeds should be soaked in warm water, and finally sown in drills. Heze, Shandong, mainly uses division and grafting propagation; division is generally carried out after the Autumn Equinox, digging up healthy, pest-free plants, pruning them and then planting them, with row and plant spacing of 35 cm and 25 cm. Grafting can be done between White Dew and the Autumn Equinox, at plant and row spacing of 15 cm and 50 cm. Finally, the cutting method is used most in Hunan and Hubei; the planting time is the same as that for grafting propagation, with plant and row spacing of 20 cm and 50 cm.

3. Field Management

After planting, no management is needed for the entire winter. Wait until the Awakening of Insects in the second year for the first weeding and loosening of the soil, carrying out shallow plowing. After the Spring Equinox, earth up the soil to protect the growth of the seedlings, and the second weeding and loosening of the soil is around Qingming Festival, carrying out shallow plowing between the rows. In one year, nine or ten weedings and loosenings of the soil are needed; after rainfall or watering, the soil should also be loosened to prevent it from caking. After planting, topdressing is only needed in the second year, and then twice a year is enough, divided into spring fertilizer and autumn fertilizer. Spring fertilizer is mainly farmyard manure or night soil, applied together with cake fertilizer; autumn fertilizer is the same as spring fertilizer, but the amount used is twice that of spring fertilizer. Generally, watering is not needed, but if the weather is relatively dry, a moderate amount of watering is still needed; however, be sure to remember to drain promptly.

4. Pruning and Flower Removal

In the second year after planting, we should tidy and prune some unevenly growing branches, and then, according to the plant's growth, reasonably remove newly sprouted tender buds and ensure that the branches are even. Also note that in order to increase the yield of tree peony bark, apart from plants kept for seed or for ornamental purposes, all the rest need their flower buds removed so that nutrients are concentrated in the roots and root growth is promoted.

5. Disease and Pest Prevention

The main diseases and pests of tree peony bark are damping-off disease, leaf spot disease, root rot, tree peony rust and stem borers. We can use carbendazim, Bordeaux mixture, chlorothalonil, ferrous dimethyldithiocarbamate and trichlorfon respectively for control. Of course, the effect of preventing diseases can also be achieved by strengthening field management.

The above is what I want to tell you today about the cultivation techniques for tree peony bark. If you encounter other problems during the planting process, you can also leave a message for me for consultation and discussion.