Key Points of White Peony Cultivation Techniques, a Must-Know for Herb Growers
White peonyis a common bulk medicinal herb, mainly supplied through artificial cultivation, sold throughout the country and exported. The following explainswhite peony cultivationmain methods and management.
(1) Growth Habits of White Peony
Peony is a perennial herbaceous plant with fleshy roots, possessing light-loving, warmth-loving, fertilizer-loving and certain cold-tolerant characteristics, and suitable for a warm and humid climate. It is mostly propagated by buds, and its growth cycle is relatively long, generally 4-5 years. The soil should be loose and fertile, preferably sandy loam, sandy yellow loam, loam containing humus, or alluvial sandy loam; it should not be planted in saline-alkali land. It avoids continuous cropping, generally requiring an interval of 3 to 5 years, and can be rotated with other plants such as leguminous crops.
(2) Cultivation Methods of White Peony
Generally, bud propagation is used from August to October. With a row spacing of 50×30 cm, 4000-4500 plants are planted per mu. Plant in holes, placing 1-2 buds per hole, buried 3-6 cm underground, cover with soil and apply human manure, taking care to pile it into small mounds. Around early March of the following year, level the soil before the peony buds sprout.
When harvesting peony buds, cut the peony buds off from the roots, select high-quality bud discs that are thick and free of pests and diseases, cut them into several pieces according to size and number of buds, with 2-4 buds per piece, for use as seed. Generally, the peony buds collected from one mu of land can be used to plant three mu of land. It is best to plant the buds immediately after cutting. If they cannot be planted in time, store them indoors in a cool, dry place covered with moist fine sandy soil, or store them in a pit dug outdoors.
(3) Field Management of White Peony Cultivation
In early spring, loosen the soil to preserve moisture. After emergence, cultivate and weed five times each year, taking care that cultivation is shallow. From the second year onward, apply fertilizer three times each year: the first time in late March to early April, the second time in late April, and the third time between October and November. Take care to open holes on both sides of the plant when applying fertilizer. Peony likes drought and fears waterlogging, so irrigation is generally not needed; in case of severe drought, water in the evening. In times of flooding and heavy rain, take care to drain promptly. When buds appear each spring, remove the flower buds promptly to ensure nutrients go to the roots.
White peonyis mainly grown in Anhui, Zhejiang, Sichuan and other places. They are respectively called “Bo white peony”，“Hang white peony” or “Dong white peony”，“Chuan white peony” or “Jiangzhong white peony”. Among them, Bo white peony has the largest output; Hang white peony has the best quality. In addition, it is also cultivated in Yunnan, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Gansu, Shaanxi and other places.
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