How to grow potted peonies? This successful experience is worth learning from

Successful Experience with Potted Peonies

I love peony flowers, because they symbolize good fortune and abundance, with large, vivid and beautiful blooms, and they are not afraid of freezing. Kept outdoors in winter, they can tolerate minus 15°C. I have studied potted peonies for more than ten years, with both failures and successes, and now I summarize them for friends to refer to.

1. Choose the right planting time

The best time to plant peonies is around the Autumn Equinox, that is, around September 20 on the Gregorian calendar. Too early and they easily sprout in autumn, affecting the next year's blooming; too late and they do not easily take root and die. I planted on September 18, and the survival rate was 100 percent. Peonies planted in pots on October 20 had a 50 percent survival rate, and the surviving peonies did not bloom the next year. Many years of practice have proven this point.

2. Choose good potting soil

Peonies like neutral loess soil and do not like acidic humus soil. The hilly loess of Weihai is suitable for growing peonies. In the first few years I used the clivia soil sold in flower shops, and they either died or did not bloom; after one year basically all of them died. When I used loess from the fields for potted peonies, the survival rate was 100 percent.

3. Water scientifically

Peonies are afraid of waterlogging. Improper watering causes root rot and death. After potting peonies, water them thoroughly, then wait until November 20 to early December to apply fertilizer once, and water once depending on the weather; after that no more watering is needed until after the Rain Water solar term the next year, when they are watered once again. After Qingming, when peonies show buds, water once a week; water once before flowering; do not water during the flowering period. I bought peonies six years ago and could not keep them alive year after year, mainly because of improper watering, root rot and death, that is, death from waterlogging. Comrade Wang Xiaowen, a good friend from Heze, gave me all famous and superior varieties; after they died I felt very pained, and I resolved to work out the secret of keeping them alive. Through repeated experiments and comparisons, scientific watering is the key.

4. Fertilize scientifically

Practice has proven that peonies are afraid of three kinds of fertilizer: first, chemical fertilizer; second, nutrient solution; third, excessive fertilizer. A few years ago, in order to make the peonies grow well, I applied chemical fertilizer and nutrient solution and the flowers all burned to death, possibly caused by excessive fertilization. From then on I no longer applied chemical fertilizer or nutrient solution. I chose boiled soybeans and peanuts, decomposed dog manure, and so on. As for the timing of fertilization, I grasp the opportunity: first, apply once before the Great Snow solar term; second, apply once before the Awakening of Insects solar term; third, apply once after May 20. At ordinary times, fish heads, fish scraps and sea cucumber water are buried in the pots. The peonies grow well, with many and large flowers. This year some of my potted peonies had 7 to 9 blooms in one pot, and the flower diameter could all reach more than 15 cm.