The Latest White Peony (Baishao) Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial

White peony is the dried root of the peony plant (Paeonia lactiflora) of the family Paeoniaceae, also known as peony, and has the functions of nourishing the blood and soothing the liver, and relieving acute pain. It is mainly produced in Zhejiang and Anhui. Sichuan, Guizhou, Shandong and other provinces. Below, the editor of Qiannong Network will introduce the cultivation techniques of white peony to everyone!

Site Selection and Land Preparation

The land for planting peony must be plowed only after the white peony harvest 3—4 years later, therefore, the land preparation before planting must be done with intensive cultivation. After the previous crop is harvested, choose a sunny day when the soil does not stick to the feet, plow 30-40 cm deep, work the soil clods fine and level, and apply organic fertilizer and 40—60 kg of ternary compound fertilizer.

Cultivation Techniques

Before planting, the peony sprout roots must be divided into two categories by size and planted separately for easier management later. If the planting stock is large and well managed, the harvest can be lifted one year earlier. The planting time is generally around Cold Dew, and the earlier the better, at the latest no later than Frost Descent. If too late, on the one hand, because the stored peony sprouts have already developed new roots, they are easily broken during planting; on the other hand, after planting, the temperature gradually drops, rooting is poor, affecting sprouting and growth the following year. When planting, open holes with a row spacing of 40-45 cm, a plant spacing of about 30 cm, and a hole depth of 16-20 cm. About 3500-4000 plants can be planted per mu. After opening the holes, place 1-2 sprouts in each hole, keep 2-3 main roots, and the roots should be planted at a slant with branching, sprouts facing upward, cover with soil level with the bed, and it is best for the sprouts to be about 5 cm underground. The soil-covering operation should be meticulous, the soil must be fine and crumbly, and clods of soil must not be used for covering; sprout heads covered with soil clods cannot closely combine with the soil, ventilation is strong, and the sprout heads are prone to drought and freezing damage, which will delay sprouting or even prevent sprouting.

Field Management

1. Cultivation and weeding: Peony fears weed infestation the most, especially in the second year after planting, because the row and plant spacing is wide, each plant sends out few shoots, and weeds are likely to breed. If weeding is not done in time, it will hinder the growth of peony. Therefore, after planting, when the seedlings sprout and emerge from the soil, cultivation and weeding should be carried out, and thereafter about once every month, and the requirement of loose soil and no weeds must be achieved. Each cultivation can only shallowly loosen the surface soil 3-5 cm to avoid damaging the roots, and be careful not to break the sprouts; if broken, they will no longer sprout that year, affecting growth. If planting on a large scale, it is recommended to use herbicides.

2. Topdressing: After white peony is planted that year, there is no need to topdress. In the second and third years, topdress 4 times. The first time is after cultivation and weeding in March, the second and third times in May-July, and the fourth time in November-December. In the spring of the fourth year, according to the growth of the peony, 1-2 topdressings can be applied. Each topdressing should be applied in holes or shallow ring-shaped furrows opened beside the plants, and soil should be covered after application to prevent fertilizer loss. The recommended topdressing amount is 15—20 kg of ternary compound fertilizer plus bio-organic fertilizer.

3. Irrigation and drainage: Peony is relatively drought-tolerant, but if it is dry for a long time, it is unfavorable to growth, so irrigation is still necessary during drought. Peony also fears waterlogging, and diseases are often caused by waterlogging, so more attention should be paid to drainage.

4. Bud removal: When buds appear in mid-April, choose a sunny day to remove all the flower buds, so as to concentrate nutrients, promote root growth, and improve yield and quality. Bud removal should not be too late.

5. Intercropping: Within 1-2 years after planting, the plants grow slowly and the clumps are small. To make full use of the land, vegetables, beans, and sesame crops can be intercropped.

Disease Control

1. White peony rust

This is one of the more threatening diseases in white peony production. It occurs after flowering in early May, is severe in July-August, and continues until the aboveground part dies. It is prone to occur under conditions of intermittent sunshine and rain, warmth and humidity, or low-lying terrain that easily accumulates water.

[Control methods] When harvesting peony, collect and burn the residual branches and diseased leaves to reduce overwintering sources of inoculum. Choose high, dry terrain with good drainage for planting on raised beds. For chemical control, triadimefon, Nongkang 120, etc. can be used.

2. Gray mold

The pathogen mainly overwinters in the soil as sclerotia with fallen diseased leaves. It occurs after flowering in May, is more severe in June-July, and continues to harm until the aboveground part dies. It is prone to occur under conditions of continuous rain or heavy dew.

[Control methods] Crop rotation should be implemented in peony fields, disease-free sprouts should be selected for planting, drainage should be done in time after rain, and the ventilation and light transmittance of the field should be enhanced at ordinary times. For chemical control, polyoxin, iprodione, Sumilex, etc. can be used.

3. Root rot

It mainly harms the roots of peony, and the roots of affected plants often show half-side water-soaked rot.

[Control methods] Soak the seeds with carbendazim when planting. The main thing to note is to open ditches for drainage and reduce field humidity. For chemical control, hymexazol, thiram, etc. can be selected.

Pest Control

1. White grubs

Damage is severe from May to September. The larvae gnaw on the roots of white peony, causing many spotted holes on the root surface of the peony, affecting yield and quality.

[Control methods] Drench with phoxim or Lorsban.

2. Black cutworm: Damage is generally severe from April to May.

Harvesting and Processing

Peony is used medicinally as its root. When raised from seed, it is harvested in 4—5 years; when planted from peony heads, it is harvested in 3-4 years. It is dug in September, the rhizome and fibrous roots are removed, washed clean, the coarse bark scraped off, briefly boiled in boiling water to soften the peony roots, then taken out and sun-dried. The general yield is 250 kg of dried product per mu.