White Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) Cultivation Techniques: Combining Ornamental and Medicinal Value
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Choose well-drained loam or sandy loam with deep, fertile soil. Previous crops such as corn, wheat, legumes, and sweet potato are preferable. Before planting, fine cultivation is required, with a plowing depth of 25—30 cm, plowing and turning 1—2 times. During plowing, apply 2500—4000 kg of barnyard manure or compost per mu as base fertilizer, then rake level and form raised beds 1.3 m wide. If the plot has excessive rain and poor drainage, the bed width can be about 1 m, with trenches between beds 40 cm wide and more than 20 cm deep. Existing young forests, orchards, barren hills, sloping land, field edges, and roadsides can all be used for cultivation. This is especially true for vacant land on both sides of roads and at tourist attractions, mountain villas, and farmsteads. After planting white peony, the flowers bloom in a riot of colors with fragrance filling the air, most enchanting. It not only plays a good role in beautifying the environment but also yields considerable economic benefits, truly achieving two goals at once.
2. Variety Selection
2.1 Variety Screening: In recent years, medicinal growers in the main production area of Heze, Shandong, based on the growth characteristics and usage needs of white peony, have screened peony into two major series of strains. (1) Medicinal varieties, which have high yield and good quality; the main varieties include “Guoqi Wushuang”, “Hua Wuchong”, “Xiangyang Hong”, etc.; (2) Ornamental varieties, with large flowers, a full range of colors, and a long flowering period; the main varieties include “Da Fugui”, “Hongyan Zhengguang”, “Qianceng Shao”, etc.
2.2 Seedling Cultivation: In the field where white peony grows, select three-year-old single plants that are robust, non-degenerated, pure in variety, and disease-free for seed production. After the seeds mature in autumn, dry them in the shade and sow for seedling cultivation. After 1—2 years of cultivation and growth, white peony seedlings with a ground diameter of 0.8 cm or more are ready for planting.
2.3 Bud Cultivation: After harvesting white peony, cut off the medicinal rhizome and select disease-free, plump buds as propagation material. Cut the peony buds along their natural growth shape into several pieces, each with 2-3 buds and a bud flesh thickness of 2 cm or more. It is best to plant the buds immediately after cutting. If they cannot be planted in time, they should be stored temporarily: choose a cool, high, dry, and ventilated place, spread moist fine sandy soil on the ground, place the buds upward in a pile, and cover with moist sandy soil for storage. Alternatively, store in a dug pit, taking care to drain water during rain to prevent mildew and rot.
3. Planting Time
The most suitable planting time in North China is September—November. In the south and warmer regions, planting can be done before the ground freezes. If planted too late, the peony buds have already developed new roots, which are easily broken during planting, affecting growth the following year.
4. Planting Methods
4.1 Seedling Cultivation: On the prepared bed surface, with a row spacing of 50 cm and a plant spacing of 35 cm, plant one white peony seedling per hole. The planting depth is such that the lower roots of the seedling spread out and the upper buds are level with the ground. Firm the soil, then mound soil 10 cm high at the center of the seedling and pat it firm with the hand. Plant 4000 white peony seedlings per mu.
4.2 Bud Cultivation: Separate the cut white peony buds by size and plant them separately, which allows for uniform emergence and easier management. On the prepared land, with a row spacing of 50×30 cm, plant in holes, placing 1—2 buds per hole at a depth of 4—5 cm. Plant 4000—4500 plants per mu. Cover with mature soil and apply human manure fertilizer, then mound the soil into a steamed bun shape to facilitate overwintering.
5. Field Management
5.1 Removing Mounds to Release Seedlings: In March after the Spring Festival, after the soil thaws and before the peony buds sprout, open the steamed bun-shaped soil mounds, slightly exposing the buds or leaving 1 cm of soil above the buds. When removing soil to release seedlings, be careful not to touch the buds.
5.2 Cultivation and Loosening Soil: After emergence, cultivate and weed 2—3 times per year. Cultivation should be shallow to avoid damaging roots and killing seedlings. In late October, before the ground freezes, cut off branches and leaves 7—10 cm above the ground and mound soil around the root zone to facilitate overwintering. In Heze, the “splitting ridges to expose roots” method is commonly used for white peony cultivation. That is, in early May of the second year after planting, gently push aside the soil around the peony plant to slightly expose the roots, air them for 5—7 days, then mound soil around the roots again. This can raise soil temperature and kill insects and sterilize, achieving increased yield, but the airing time should not be too long.
5.3 Topdressing and Irrigation/Drainage: From the second year onward, topdress three times per year. The first time is in March—early April, applying relatively dilute human urine and manure. The second time is in late May, applying 500 kg of human urine and manure per mu. The third time is in October—November, mainly with pen manure, 1500—200 kg per mu. In the third year, in late March, apply 750 kg of human urine and manure, 50 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer, and 25 kg of superphosphate per mu; in late April, apply 1000 kg of human urine and manure per mu; in November, apply 1500—2000 kg of barnyard manure. In the fourth year, topdress twice before harvest: in late March, apply 1000 kg of human urine and manure per mu plus 10 kg of ammonium sulfate and 25 kg of superphosphate; in late April, apply the same amount again. Each fertilization should be applied in holes opened on both sides of the plant. Peony prefers dry conditions and fears waterlogging, so irrigation is generally not needed. In severe drought, irrigate thoroughly in the evening. In rainy seasons, clear trenches and drain promptly to reduce root diseases.
6. Harvesting and Processing
6.1 Harvest Time: White peony is harvested 3—4 years after planting. The harvest season is June—early July in Zhejiang; August in Anhui, Sichuan, and other places; and September—October in Shandong. If harvested too late, the starch in the roots is consumed and transformed, and after drying the roots are not firm and are light in texture. Choose a sunny day, cut off the stems and leaves, and dig out the entire root. Aside from keeping the buds for propagation, cut off the peony roots for medicinal processing.
6.2 Processing Method: Separate the peony roots by size, blanch them in boiling water for 5—15 minutes, stirring frequently. When the root epidermis turns white, with no raw core and a fragrant aroma, quickly remove and soak in cold water, then take out and scrape off the outer skin, trim both ends evenly, and dry separately according to thickness. Alternatively, scrape off the outer skin first, then boil and dry in the sun. Sun-drying peony is an important step in processing. If dried too aggressively, the outside will be dry while the inside remains moist, and the surface will crack, making it prone to mildew and deterioration. Generally, put them out to dry in the morning, shade-dry for 3 hours at noon, put them out again after 3 PM, and in the evening collect and pile them up, covering with burlap sacks or straw mats to let internal moisture seep out, then put them out to dry again the next day. Repeat this process until thoroughly dry inside and out, and they are ready for sale as commercial goods.
Li Hongjun, Heze Run Kang Chinese Medicinal Materials Research Institute, Shandong
Tel: 0530-3978801 15152487919 (Jiangsu base)
Statement: If this article is reproduced, the above institution, author, and website must be credited. Otherwise, liability for infringement shall be borne.