How to Plant Peony Seeds? Detailed Guide to Sowing Methods and Steps

The fruit of the peony is a follicle, and each follicle contains 1 to 7 seeds. When the seeds mature, the follicle splits open and the seeds scatter out. The fruit ripening period varies from place to place; for example, in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang it is in early September, in Heze, Shandong it is in late August, in Luoyang, Henan it is in early to mid-August, and in Yangzhou, Jiangsu it is around late August. Seeds should preferably be sown immediately after collection; as the sowing time is delayed, the seed moisture content decreases and the germination rate drops. The seeds have a dual dormancy characteristic involving both the epicotyl and hypocotyl; after sowing, the autumn soil temperature causes the hypocotyl of the seed to break dormancy, and the radicle develops and roots form. The better the rooting in that year, the more vigorous the growth in the following year; if sowing is too late, the soil temperature cannot break the hypocotyl dormancy, rooting cannot occur, and the germination rate the following spring is greatly reduced. After rooting from autumn sowing, the seed undergoes a long period of low temperature through winter, which can break the epicotyl dormancy. The following spring, when the temperature rises and the humidity is suitable, the plumule emerges from the soil.

Harvesting methods for peony seeds

The seeds can be harvested when the follicle turns yellow; if harvested too early the seeds are not ripe, and if too late the seed coat turns black and hard, making emergence difficult. The fruits mature at different times, so they should be harvested in batches; when the fruit skin splits open and the seeds scatter out, they can be sown immediately. Never expose the seeds to the sun, as this hardens the seed coat and affects emergence. If they cannot be sown in time, they can be stored in sand to retain moisture, but they must be taken out and sown before the seeds begin to root.

Sowing time for peony seeds

Peony seeds must be collected and sown promptly in the same year; for example, in the Heze area sowing is done from late August to late September. If later than late September, rooting cannot occur that year, and the germination rate the following spring will be greatly reduced; moreover, even if seedlings emerge, because the seedling root system is not well developed, they find it hard to resist spring drought and are prone to dying. Therefore, several spring sowing trials conducted in Heze all ended in failure.

Sowing methods for peony seeds

1. Seed treatment: Before sowing, remove shriveled seeds and impurities from the seeds to be sown, then use water selection to remove unfilled seeds. Although the seed coat of peony seeds is thinner than that of tree peony and absorbs water and sprouts relatively easily, if seed treatment is carried out before sowing, germination will be more uniform and the germination rate will be greatly increased, often reaching more than 80%. The method is to soak the seeds in 50°C warm water for 24 hours, then take them out and sow immediately.

2. Preparing beds and sowing: The land used for sowing and raising seedlings should be given sufficient base fertilizer and deeply plowed and leveled. If the soil is relatively moist and suitable for sowing, beds can be made directly for sowing; if the soil moisture is poor, irrigate thoroughly first, then make beds and sow. The bed width is about 50 cm, the distance between beds is 30 cm, and seeds are sown in holes at a row spacing of 6 cm and a seed spacing of 3 cm; if seeds are plentiful, broadcasting can be used, with a seed spacing of no less than 3 cm; after sowing, cover with moist soil to a thickness of about 2 cm. About 50 kg of seed is used per 666.7 sq m, or about 100 kg for broadcasting. After sowing, cover with plastic film, and remove it after the sprouts emerge in the following spring. Drilling can also be used, with a row spacing of 40 cm and a seed spacing of 3 cm, covering with 5 to 6 cm of soil; or hole sowing can be used, with a hole spacing of 20 to 30 cm, placing 4 to 5 seeds per hole, and after sowing mound soil 10 to 20 cm high to help prevent cold and preserve soil moisture. Rake level before sprouting the following spring.

Note: Because the offspring produced by sowing horticultural varieties of peony will show trait segregation and cannot maintain the excellent traits of the original variety, the sowing method cannot be used for propagating variety seedlings.