How much does a peony seedling cost? Detailed planting methods
Peony is also known as Jiangli, Licao, Yurong and so on. It is a perennial herbaceous flower of the genus Paeonia in the family Paeoniaceae, and is praised by people as the “fairy of flowers” and the “minister of flowers”. Its flowers are large and brightly colored with excellent ornamental value, and it can be used for specialty gardens, cut flowers, flower beds and so on. Its roots contain paeoniflorin and benzoic acid and can be used medicinally, having the effects of antispasmodic, analgesic and emmenagogue. Now let us take a look at peony seedling prices and planting methods!
How much does a peony seedling cost per plant?
The price of peony seedlings is about 0.1 to 0.3 yuan per plant, but prices vary greatly depending on plant specifications, varieties, place of origin and market. Peony likes light and is drought-tolerant, with rich flower colors including white, pink, red, purple, yellow, green, black and bicolor. Its traditional propagation methods are division, sowing, cuttings and layering, among which division is the easiest and most widely used, while sowing is only used when breeding new varieties, producing rootstocks for grafting tree peonies and producing medicinal materials.
Peony division method
1. Division time: Peony division is generally carried out from the end of August to late September. At this time, division and planting help the root wounds heal and can sprout new roots, enhance cold and drought resistance, and lay the foundation for sprouting and growth the following year.
2. Division method: When dividing peonies, carefully dig up the fleshy roots and minimize root damage. After digging up, remove the old soil, cut off old hard and decayed parts, and split along natural gaps by hand or with a sharp knife, generally dividing each plant into 3 to 5 daughter plants.
3. Planting management: After division, the planting depth for peonies should be about 2 cm with the buds entering the soil. Too deep is not conducive to sprouting and easily causes root rot, while too shallow is not conducive to flowering and is prone to cold damage, or even death from exposure to the scorching summer sun.
Peony cutting method
1. Cutting substrate: When taking peony cuttings, choose a nursery site with higher terrain and good drainage as the cutting bed. After loosening the bed soil, spread a 15 cm thick layer of disinfected river sand; vermiculite or perlite can also be used. Build a 1.5 m high shade frame over the bed.
2. Cutting treatment: For peonies, cuttings taken in mid-July give the best results. The cuttings are 10 to 15 cm long with two nodes, and after quickly dipping in a suitable concentration of naphthalene acetic acid or indole acetic acid solution, they are inserted.
3. Cutting method: Peony cuttings are inserted about 5 cm deep, with spacing based on leaves not overlapping each other. After inserting, water thoroughly, then cover with a plastic frame. Rooting is best when the substrate temperature is 28 to 30°C and humidity is 50%.
4. Post-cutting management: Peony cuttings can root and form dormant buds 20 to 30 days after insertion. After rooting, reduce the amount of misting and watering, and gradually remove the plastic frame and shade frame. However, cutting seedlings grow slowly and need to be covered with soil in the bed to overwinter, then moved to open-field planting the following spring.
Peony sowing method
1. Seed collection: If peony seeds are collected too early, they are not ripe; if too late, the seed coat turns black and hard, making emergence difficult. After collection, never dry the seeds in the sun, as this hardens the seed coat and affects emergence. If they cannot be sown in time, they can be stored in sand with moisture retention, but they must be sown before rooting.
2. Sowing time: Peony seeds must be sown promptly in the same year they are collected. The germination rate will be greatly reduced the following spring, and even if seedlings emerge, they are prone to death because the young root system is underdeveloped and cannot resist spring drought.
3. Seed treatment: Although the seed coat of peony seeds is relatively thin and absorbs water and sprouts easily, seed treatment before sowing makes germination more uniform and greatly increases the germination rate. The method is to soak the seeds in 50°C warm water for 24 hours, then take them out and sow immediately.
4. Land preparation and fertilization: The land used for raising peony seedlings by sowing should be given sufficient base fertilizer. Deeply plow and level it. If the soil is relatively moist and suitable for sowing, beds can be made directly for sowing. If the soil moisture is poor, irrigate fully first, then make beds and sow. The bed width is about 50 cm, and the distance between beds is 30 cm.
5. Sowing method: Peony seeds can be sown by dibbling, broadcasting, drilling or hole sowing. After sowing, cover with moist soil about 2 cm thick. Per mu, about 50 kg of seed is used for dibbling and about 100 kg for broadcasting. After sowing, cover with plastic film and remove it after sprouts emerge in the following spring.
Peony planting method
1. Soil selection: Peony is suitable for loose, well-drained sandy loam, and grows poorly in clay and sandy soil. High soil water content and poor drainage easily cause root rot. Neutral or slightly acidic soil is preferable, and saline-alkali land is not suitable for planting.
2. Cultivation and weeding: After peony seedlings emerge, cultivate and weed in time, but not too deep, so as to avoid damaging the young roots. In summer drought, cultivate to preserve soil moisture. Cultivate and weed 3 to 4 times each year.
3. Watering management: Peony prefers an environment with high, open terrain and relatively dry conditions, and does not need frequent irrigation. Because it has fleshy roots, it is especially intolerant of waterlogging; standing water for 6 to 10 hours often leads to root rot.
4. Light management: During the growing period, peony can grow luxuriantly and produce brightly colored flowers only with sufficient light, but it can also grow normally under light shade. During the flowering period, temperature can be appropriately lowered and humidity increased to avoid scorching by strong sunlight, thereby extending the ornamental period.
5. Temperature management: Peony is a typical temperate plant, liking warmth and tolerating cold. It can safely pass the summer even when the extreme maximum summer temperature reaches 42.1°C, and can still grow and bloom normally under conditions where the extreme minimum winter temperature is -46.5°C.
6. Timely topdressing: In the first year, peony should be given little or no topdressing. From the second year on, apply fertilizer 3 times each year. In late March, apply 1000 kg per mu of human and livestock manure water; in mid-April, apply 1500 kg per mu of human and livestock manure water and 15 kg of superphosphate; in mid-October, apply 2500 kg per mu of barnyard manure.
7. Bud removal and pruning: Except when seeds are to be kept, peony flower buds are generally removed at the bud stage to promote plant and root growth. To make peony flowers large and beautiful, side buds should be removed promptly after they appear, so that nutrients are concentrated in the main bud and the desired goal is achieved.