How to grow potted tree peonies? Do these few things well and you can have national beauty and heavenly fragrance on your balcony too

Tree peony: it is a plant of the Paeoniaceae family and Paeonia genus, a perennial deciduous shrub. Its flowers are brilliant in color, jade-like in beauty and pearl-like in fragrance, elegant and unrestrained, magnificent and splendid, and it has long enjoyed the reputation of "king of flowers." Most tree peonies grown on balconies are grown poorly, because tree peonies love sunlight, and most balconies at home cannot meet the conditions, and the ventilation conditions are also much worse than outdoors, so most tree peonies on balconies are grown poorly, and even if they bloom, they do not bloom well. But if you do the following few things well, perhaps they will still give you a surprise.

1. Choice of pot and soil

The pot for growing tree peonies should be large, at least 40CM in diameter and more than 30CM deep, and it can be adjusted according to the size of the plant. Tree peonies like to grow in loose, deep, fertile, well-drained neutral sandy loam. They grow poorly in acidic or heavy clay soil. You can use "leaf mold plus garden soil plus fine river sand (ratio 2:2:1)" and then after spraying with chemicals (carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, mancozeb, etc. are all fine) to disinfect, mix it into the growing soil.

Tree peony

2. Light

It likes a warm, cool, dry, sunny environment. It likes sunlight, also tolerates partial shade, tolerates cold, tolerates drought, tolerates mild alkalinity, dislikes waterlogging, fears heat, and fears direct blazing sun. Tree peonies like sunlight but fear harsh exposure, so at noon in summer they should be properly shaded. Tree peonies like warmth and cannot tolerate severe cold or high temperatures. After the end of October, place the tree peony outdoors in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot, so the buds can go through low temperatures to break dormancy, which helps the tree peony bloom. If it has just been repotted and the roots were injured, it should first be kept in partial shade for care; after half a month, depending on the situation, move it to a place with somewhat stronger light; after it has fully recovered, it can be in direct sun, but at noon in midsummer do not expose it to harsh sun, especially when the soil is dry. On the balcony, try as much as possible to let sunlight reach the tree peony.

Tree peony

3. Watering

Tree peonies like dryness and do not like wetness, so the watering principle is "do not water if not dry; when watering, water thoroughly." When the top about 3CM of the potting soil shows no moisture, water it, and watering until water flows out from the bottom of the pot is enough. In summer, water once every 3 days; in winter, perhaps once a week. This depends on the potting soil conditions at home. In autumn, watering should be reduced, otherwise the tree peony leaves will turn yellow, affecting blooming. After entering dormancy in winter, if the potting soil is not dry, do not water.

Tree peony

4. Fertilizing

Tree peonies like fertilizer, so they should be fertilized at least three times each year: the first time in early March; the second time half a month after the flowers bloom; the third time before winter begins. Use fully decomposed cake fertilizer, open a trench around the plant in the surface layer of the potting soil and bury a ring of fertilizer, so the fertilizer slowly seeps into the potting soil. Newly potted tree peonies cannot be fertilized, and especially avoid applying concentrated fertilizer, otherwise their roots will mold and die. Only after half a year can some light fertilizer gradually be applied. If there is no cake fertilizer, you can also buy specialized fertilizer, and fertilize according to the principle of applying more during the growing period, less during the flowering period, and none during the dormant period.

5. Planting time and pruning

The planting time for tree peonies should be from late September to early October, that is, around the Autumn Equinox, which is best. It must not be too early or too late.

When pruning, follow the principle of "for every one chi grown, cut eight cun," and leave enough flower buds for the tree peony. Keep plump flower buds and remove excess weak buds.

Tree peony

6. Pest and disease control

Symptoms of brown spot disease: brown or black spots appear on the leaf surface. To treat this disease, Bordeaux mixture can be sprayed once to twice a month; if the condition is severe, spray 3 times. For leaves that are more severely infected, cut them off and burn them to prevent the disease from spreading.

Symptoms of root rot: the root system rots. The diseased roots can be cut off, and some sulfur powder can be scattered in the planting hole before replanting.

Scale insects are a kind of small white insect that lives by sucking plant sap. If this pest is attached to the underside of the tree peony leaves and the stems, spray with 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate plus a 1500-fold aqueous solution.

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