How to propagate peonies? Detailed explanation of seed sowing and division methods
Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Ranunculaceae family, with large and beautiful flowers. Peonies are not only ornamental, but their roots also have medicinal value when used as medicine. For cultivated peonies, seed sowing and division can be used for propagation. Let me introduce these two propagation methods for peonies; flower lovers who are interested can learn about them together.
Peony
Peony propagation includes methods such as root division propagation and seed propagation, but root division propagation is mostly used in production. In autumn, when harvesting peonies, select peony plants with thick, long, uniform roots, robust terminal buds, and no pests or diseases. Cut off the large roots with a diameter of more than 0.5 cm for medicinal use, and keep the root clump with buds (also called peony heads) for planting. Divide the bud heads used for planting into blocks (also called peony buds) according to size and natural growth shape. Each block should preferably carry 2-3 robust buds and be about 2 cm thick. The peony buds from peony roots of one mu can be planted in 3-5 mu of field. Peony buds should be planted as soon as they are cut. If they cannot all be planted at once, the peony buds can be stored in a wet sand pit 20 cm deep.
Peonies are also propagated by division. As the saying goes, "Divide peonies at the Spring Equinox, and they will never bloom till old age." Therefore, peonies are usually divided in October after their aboveground parts wither, and spring is not suitable for transplanting. When dividing, dig out the root clump, cut it along the cracks in the roots with a sharp knife, so that each clump has 3 to 5 plump, full buds and the root mass below them. Never damage the bud eyes. Then plant in sandy soil that has been given base fertilizer, cover with 3 to 4 cm of soil, and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Generally, after division planting, they can bloom the following year.
Potted peonies can be repotted once every one or two years together with division. When repotting, retain more of the original soil. If the clump is not large, do not divide it.
Detailed introduction to the division propagation method and precautions for peonies
Peony is a common ornamental plant with extremely high ornamental value and a certain decorative effect. It is often used for decoration in gardens and courtyards. So, do you know what the propagation methods and precautions for peonies are? What are the steps for its division propagation? Today, I will introduce them to you in detail. Let's learn about them together.
Division is the most commonly used propagation method for peonies, and seedling production in peony-producing areas basically uses this method. It has three advantages: first, it blooms earlier than the sowing method; sown seedlings bloom in 4-5 years, while divided seedlings can bloom the next year; second, division is simple and easy to perform, saves labor in management, and is conducive to widespread application; third, it can maintain the excellent traits of the original variety. The disadvantage is that the propagation coefficient is low. A three-year-old mother plant can only be divided into 3-5 daughter plants, which makes it difficult to adapt to and meet the needs of modern large-scale production and the continuously rapidly growing domestic and international flower market. This has always been a major problem troubling peony seedling production.
1. Division time
Theoretically, peony division can be carried out from the time the overwintering buds are full until the land freezes. However, timely division and planting, while the ground temperature is still high, is beneficial to the healing of root wounds and can promote new root growth, enhance cold and drought resistance, and lay the foundation for sprouting and growth the following year. Do not divide too early, lest autumn growth occur and affect growth and development the next year; nor should division be too late, when the ground temperature can no longer meet the needs of peony root growth, resulting in poor growth of new plants the following year. If delayed until spring for division and planting, the buds sprout and emerge from the soil. Because spring temperatures gradually rise and air humidity is low, transpiration is high, and after division the root system is injured and cannot normally absorb water and nutrients, causing the divided plants to grow very weakly, or even die. Therefore, there is a Chinese agricultural proverb: "Divide peonies at the Spring Equinox, and they will never bloom till old age." The suitable period for peony division is generally earlier than that for tree peonies. The agricultural proverb of Heze, "Peonies in the seventh month, tree peonies in the eighth month (referring to lunar calendar months)," means that in Heze, peonies can be divided from the end of August until late September (End of Heat to Autumn Equinox). In Yangzhou, division is from late September to early November. Divided seedlings can be divided again after three or four years of growth. If not divided for many years, the root system becomes old and decayed, the plant grows weakly, and flowering is poor.
2. Division method
When dividing, carefully dig up the fleshy roots and minimize root damage. After digging up, remove the old soil, cut off old hard decayed parts, and split by hand or with a sharp knife along the natural gaps. Generally, each plant can be divided into 3-5 daughter plants, each with 3-5 or 2-3 buds; when there are few mother plants but a large planting task, each daughter plant can also carry 1-2 buds, but recovery growth will be slower. When dividing, thick roots should be retained. If the soil is moist, peony roots are brittle and break easily, so let them dry for one day before dividing. After division, dry them slightly in the shade, dip them in nutrient-containing mud, and then plant. In garden green spaces, peonies planted for many years gradually weaken and urgently need replanting by division, but the flowering period should not be affected for visitors' viewing. In-place division can be used: dig a deep hole beside the peony plant with a shovel to expose part of the peony roots, then use a sharp spade to cut and divide the peony plant, minimizing disturbance to the original plant, take out the cut part, and carry out division planting as above. Generally, it is advisable to cut off half of the original plant. The deep hole dug out can be filled with an appropriate amount of fertilizer mixed with soil and compacted. Row-by-row or plant-by-plant division planting can also be used. In this way, division and rejuvenation can be carried out without affecting the landscape, only requiring continuous division for 2-3 years. However, because peonies are not suitable for continuous cropping, the method of row-by-row or plant-by-plant division planting cannot be applied continuously, otherwise pests and diseases will occur seriously, growth will be poor, and even the mortality rate will greatly increase.
When peonies are cultivated for medicinal use, peony-producing areas mostly use peony heads for division propagation. In autumn, dig out the mother plant, cut off all thick roots for medicinal use, and use the bud-bearing peony heads as propagation material. First remove peony heads without buds and with diseased bases, cut the peony heads into blocks, each with 2-3 robust buds and a thickness of 2 cm. If too thick, the main root will not be strong and will branch too much; if too thin, nutrients will be insufficient. It is best to cut and plant immediately. If they cannot be planted in time, do not cut them; the peony heads can be stored in sand for later use. Planting is suitable from early August to late September.
3. Management after division
The planting depth should preferably be such that the buds enter the soil about 2 cm. Too deep is not conducive to sprouting and easily causes root rot, yellow leaves, and poor growth; too shallow is not conducive to flowering and is prone to frost damage, and even the root crown may be exposed above the ground, causing death from exposure to the scorching sun in summer. If the divided root clump is relatively large (with 3-5 buds), it may bloom the next year, but the flowers will be small, so it is better to remove them to allow the plant to grow well. If the root clump is small (2-3 buds), it will grow poorly or not bloom the next year, and generally needs to be cultivated for 2-5 years.
The above is all the content I have learned about peonies today. I hope flower lovers will find it helpful after reading this article. If you want to learn more about peonies, please continue to follow Duorou Huapu, and we will provide you with more related knowledge!
10 flower and plant species suitable for division propagation. What is division propagation?
Introduction from Flower and Bonsai Network. Today I will share with you an article about 10 flower and plant species suitable for division propagation. What is division propagation? Let's take a look.
What is division propagation? Which flowers and trees can be propagated by division?
Propagation by dividing a plant from the mother plant's root area into two or more plants is called division propagation. This propagation method is mostly used for herbaceous flowers with strong suckering ability and clump-forming flowering shrubs.
Whether separating the suckers at the root zone of the mother plant (such as tree peony, wintersweet, etc.) or splitting a clump of flowers into several clumps (such as orchid, hosta, peony, Indocalamus leaves, broadleaf lady palm, etc.), the separated plants must have roots, stems, leaves, and other organs and become complete individual plants before it can be called division propagation.
Tree peony
Division propagation of tree peonies was already widely used in the Ming Dynasty. The specific method is: dig up a large, lushly growing tree peony as a whole, and separate it from the junctions of the root texture. The number of daughter plants per plant depends on the size of the original plant; larger ones are divided into more, smaller ones into fewer. Generally, every 3-4 branches form one daughter plant, and it should have a relatively complete root system. Then mix a little sulfur powder with mud. Apply and rub it evenly on the wounds on the roots, and it can be planted elsewhere. The time for division propagation is from the Autumn Equinox to Frost's Descent each year, and it is best to do it at the right time. At this time, air and ground temperatures are relatively high, and the tree peony is in a semi-dormant state, but there is still a fairly long period of vegetative growth. Division planting has no serious effect on root growth, and after division planting some new roots and a small number of plant buds can still grow. If division planting is too late, root growth that year will be very weak, or no new roots will form; the following spring the plant will develop even more weakly, and weak roots are not drought-tolerant and easily die. If division is too early, air and ground temperatures are relatively high, and it can still grow rapidly, easily causing autumn growth.
The mother plant for tree peony division is generally a robust clump. The mother plant used for division propagation should retain root suckers as much as possible, and all roots on the new seedlings should be retained so that after 5 years of growth they can produce more new seedlings. Such seedlings are easy to survive after planting and grow relatively vigorously. The more roots retained, the more vigorous the growth.
Division propagation of wintersweet
Carry it out when the leaf buds are just beginning to swell. First, at the end of the previous year, cut back all wintersweet branches prepared for division at 20-30 cm above the ground. When dividing, dig out the soil around the mother plant, split it with a knife according to 2-3 stems per clump, remove and plant separately, and leave 2-3 thick, strong stems undisturbed in the original place. The divided wintersweet seedlings are planted with a spacing of 60 cm x 50 cm. After 2-3 years of cultivation, they can leave the nursery or be divided again for propagation.
Division propagation of orchids
It can be done in spring and autumn, generally once every three years. Any plant that grows robustly and has dense pseudobulbs can be divided. After division, each clump must retain at least 5 connected pseudobulbs. Before division, reduce watering to make the potting soil relatively dry. When potting after division, first cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot with broken tile pieces, then spread coarse stones to occupy 1/5-1/4 of the pot depth, then add coarse-grained soil and a small amount of fine soil, and then plant with sandy loam rich in humus. The planting depth should be such that the pseudobulbs are just buried in the soil, leave a 2 cm rim at the edge of the pot, spread Selaginella uncinata or fine stones on top, and finally water thoroughly, place in a shady place for 10-15 days, keep the soil moist, gradually reduce watering, and carry out normal maintenance.
Division propagation of hosta
Before sprouting in spring or after the leaves turn yellow and wither in autumn, dig it out, remove the soil at the root zone, cut the underground stem with a knife as required, and preferably each clump has 2-3 pieces of underground stem and retains as many roots as possible, then plant in a pot. This helps survival and does not affect flowering the following year.
Division propagation method for peonies
Division is the most commonly used propagation method for peonies, and seedling production in peony-producing areas basically uses this method. It has three advantages: first, it blooms earlier than the sowing method; sown seedlings bloom in 4-5 years, while divided seedlings can bloom the next year; second, division is simple and easy to perform, saves labor in management, and is conducive to widespread application; third, it can maintain the excellent traits of the original variety. The disadvantage is that the propagation coefficient is low. A three-year-old mother plant can only be divided into 3-5 daughter plants, which makes it difficult to adapt to and meet the needs of modern large-scale production and the continuously rapidly growing domestic and international flower market.
The suitable period for peony division is generally earlier than that for tree peonies. The agricultural proverb of Heze, "Peonies in the seventh month, tree peonies in the eighth month (referring to lunar calendar months)," means that in Heze, peonies can be divided from the end of August until late September (End of Heat to Autumn Equinox). In Yangzhou, division is from late September to early November. Divided seedlings can be divided again after three or four years of growth.
Dig a deep hole beside the peony plant with a shovel to expose part of the peony roots, then use a sharp spade to cut and divide the peony plant, minimizing disturbance to the original plant, take out the cut part, and carry out division planting as above. Generally, it is advisable to cut off half of the original plant.
Division propagation method for Indocalamus leaves
Aspidistra is mainly propagated by division. It can be divided in spring when the temperature rises and before new buds have sprouted, together with repotting. Cut the underground rhizome together with the leaves into several clumps, so that each clump has 3-5 leaves, then pot and plant them separately, and maintain them in a semi-shady environment.
Division propagation method for broadleaf lady palm
Division propagation can be carried out together with repotting and soil changing in spring. Early spring from March to April is the time for repotting and soil changing. Generally, small plants are repotted and soil-changed once a year, and large plants once every 2-3 years. The commonly used potting soil is 2 parts garden soil, 1 part barnyard manure soil, and 0.5 part each of leaf mold and rice husk ash mixed together.
Pour the original clump out of the old pot, remove the old mud, but appropriately keep some old mud clumps on the old roots, cut apart the root clumps of the broadleaf lady palm with mulberry shears, and at the same time cut off poorly growing blackened and rotten roots. The cuts should be flat. Each clump should have at least 5-6 stems, and at most 10-20 stems (depending on the size of the pot and the number of clumps). Then plant them into prepared pots. Pad the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot with broken pot pieces to facilitate drainage. Put in the culture soil, coarse first then fine, until eight-tenths full. While adding the culture soil, use small bamboo pieces to poke the soil tightly around the roots. Do not plant too deep; keep the original root neck level with the culture soil. After watering thoroughly, place the potted plant in semi-shade for about half a month, and it will become established.
Division propagation is mostly carried out in early spring or autumn. For example, orchids, dahlias, canna lilies, irises, etc. are all divided in spring. Woody flowers such as wintersweet, tree peony, and winter jasmine can be divided in either spring or autumn. As for spider plants, saxifrage, etc. in greenhouses, which produce small plantlets from runners, they can be separated and planted at any time.
The division method is relatively simple. For clump-forming flowers and trees such as wintersweet and tree peony, after digging up the plant, divide it into clumps as appropriate according to the size of the plant and the number of suckers; for roses, Lingyun, honeysuckle, etc., just separate root-bearing branches from beside the mother plant; for dahlias, canna lilies, etc., separate the tuberous roots with buds* or use a knife to divide the rhizome and buds or the rhizome together with the aboveground parts and then plant; for orchids, clivia, bamboo, broadleaf lady palm, Indocalamus leaves, Reineckea carnea, etc., simply divide into 2-3 clumps when repotting and plant them separately.
When propagating by division, note that too many should not be separated from the mother plant at one time; generally 2-3 plants. The amount of roots on each plant should be appropriate. If there are too many roots, it will affect the growth of the mother plant; if there are too few roots, it will affect the survival of the new plant. For some precious varieties, consider using sulfur powder or other agents to disinfect the cut surfaces.
The division method produces mature plants quickly, and most can bloom in the same year. However, the number propagated is the smallest.