How to Grow Peonies? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods
Peony, also known as bie li cao (herb of parting) and the "prime minister among flowers," is one of the six famous flowers of our country. Its blooms are gorgeous and deeply loved by people, with extremely high ornamental value. At the same time, it is also a traditional Chinese medicine, with effects such as nourishing blood and astringing yin, relieving pain and reducing fever, and it also has beauty and skincare benefits, able to moisturize the skin. Many people like to use it to make infused water. So how should it be grown? Let's take a look.
1. Planting Preparation
Peony is a plant with fleshy roots that likes an acidic environment and fears waterlogging, so when planting, you must choose loose, well-draining, slightly acidic soil. Never use alkaline soil for planting, as it can easily cause the leaves to wither and the plant to die. In addition, peony likes light and can only grow luxuriantly in an environment with sufficient light, with more brilliantly colored flowers. It can also tolerate shade and fears strong light exposure, so shade-providing facilities should be prepared. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause scorching and lead to an extended flowering period.
2. Propagation Methods
There are many propagation methods for peony. When growing it as a medicinal herb, division and sowing are generally the two propagation methods used, but sowing takes too long. Generally, it takes 4-5 years from sowing to flowering, so division propagation is mostly chosen. Division propagation is carried out in August-September. A 3-year-old plant is selected as the mother plant, and its fleshy roots are carefully dug out. Generally, each mother plant can be divided into 3-5 daughter plants, and each daughter plant should have 2-3 buds. When dividing, place the roots in a cool place to air-dry for one day; at this time the peony roots are easily broken. After division, the roots can be dipped in mud slurry before planting. If not planting immediately, do not cut and divide them; they can be stored in sand for later use.
3. Planting
When planting, do not bury too deep. It is best to have the buds buried 2 cm into the soil. Too deep is unfavorable for bud growth and can cause root rot, while too shallow is unfavorable for flowering and makes the plant prone to frost damage or death from sun exposure. After planting, management should be strengthened. Generally, if the divided roots are relatively large, the plant may bloom the next year, but with fewer flowers, so it is recommended to remove them to avoid nutrient consumption and allow the plant to grow robustly. If the roots are small, the plant generally grows poorly and will not bloom the next year; it must be cultivated for 2-5 years to flower normally.
4. Field Management
After planting, once the seedlings emerge, they must be watered regularly and at set times so they have enough water for growth and development. Maintenance work must be done well, as the seedlings are extremely fragile at this time and highly susceptible to external influences that can cause death. For example, invasion by pests and diseases. The main peony diseases include gray mold, brown spot disease, red spot disease, and rust disease, while pests include scarab beetles, aphids, and scale insects. Pest and disease control must be done well. Peony can tolerate high and low temperatures, but these extreme temperatures affect its growth. In high temperatures, provide shade; in low temperatures, prevent frost damage. Peony has a low fertilizer requirement. One week to two weeks after the flowering period, apply phosphorus fertilizer once; at ordinary times, watering with diluted fertilizer solution is sufficient.
The above is all the content on how to grow peonies. We hope it helps you. To learn more about growing knowledge, please stay tuned to us.