How much do peony seeds cost? Detailed guide to planting methods
Peony, also known as Lannweichun, Meiguhua, Heiqianyi, etc., is a perennial herbaceous flower of the genus Paeonia in the family Paeoniaceae. It is praised by people as the "Flower Fairy" and "Flower Minister", and is listed as one of the "Top Ten Famous Flowers". It is also called the "May Flower Goddess". Because it has been regarded as the flower of love since ancient times, it has now been honored as the representative flower of Qixi Festival. Let's take a look at peony seed prices and planting methods below!
How much does a jin of peony seeds cost?
The price of peony seeds is about 30-40 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin and market. The traditional propagation methods of peony are division, sowing, cuttings and layering, among which division is the easiest and most widely used. The sowing method is only used for breeding new varieties, producing rootstock for grafting tree peonies, or medicinal material production, because the offspring produced by sowing horticultural peony varieties will undergo trait segregation and cannot maintain the fine traits of the original variety. Therefore, the sowing method cannot be used for propagating variety seedlings.
Sowing methods for peony
1. Seed harvesting: If peony seeds are harvested too early, the seeds will not mature; if too late, the seed coat becomes black and hard, making it difficult for seedlings to emerge. After harvesting, never expose the seeds to the sun, as this will harden the seed coat and affect seedling 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 must be sown promptly in the same year the seeds are collected. The germination rate will be greatly reduced the following spring, and even if seedlings emerge, they are prone to death because the seedling root system is underdeveloped and difficult to resist spring drought.
3. Seed treatment: Although the seed coat of peony is relatively thin and it absorbs water and sprouts easily, seed treatment before sowing makes germination more uniform and greatly improves 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: For peony seedling land, apply sufficient base fertilizer, then plow deeply and level the soil. 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 for sowing. 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 to a thickness of about 2 cm. The seeding rate per mu is about 50 kg for dibbling and about 100 kg for broadcasting. After sowing, cover with plastic film and remove it after the seedlings sprout and emerge in the following spring.
Peony planting methods
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 deeply, so as not to damage the young roots. In summer drought, cultivate to preserve soil moisture. Cultivate and weed 3-4 times each year.
3. Watering management: Peony prefers high, open and relatively dry environments and does not need frequent irrigation. Because it has fleshy roots, it is especially intolerant of waterlogging. Water accumulation for 6-10 hours often causes root rot.
4. Light management: Peony can grow luxuriantly and produce bright flower colors only with sufficient light during the growing period, but it can also grow normally under light shade. During the flowering period, temperature can be appropriately lowered and humidity increased to avoid burns from strong sunlight, thereby extending the ornamental period.
5. Temperature management: Peony is a typical temperate plant. It likes warmth and tolerates 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 receive little or no topdressing. From the second year onward, apply fertilizer 3 times each year. In late March, apply 1000 kg of human and livestock manure water per mu; in mid-April, apply 1500 kg of human and livestock manure water and 15 kg of superphosphate per mu; in mid-October, apply 2500 kg of barnyard manure per mu.
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 in time after they appear so that nutrients are concentrated in the main bud and the desired goal is achieved.
Peony pest and disease control
1. Black spot disease
[Harm] Black spot disease is very serious. Small dark brown spots first appear on the leaf surface, then expand into irregular concentric rings that connect with each other, causing green leaves to die.
[Control] Spray Bordeaux mixture, or 500 times zineb or maneb. Cut off and burn the affected parts. When peony is divided for propagation three or four years after planting, do not continue cropping.
2. Southern blight
[Harm] In severe cases of southern blight, the whole plant dies or all leaves wither and die. On the base of infected plants, dark brown wet lesions first appear, followed by white mycelium on the soil surface or at the plant base.
[Control] To prevent disease occurrence, disinfect the soil or replace it with sterile soil when planting. Cut off or pull out diseased plants and burn them. Before disease onset, regularly spray 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution.
3. White grubs
[Harm] White grubs cause the most serious damage from April to September, biting and feeding on peony roots underground. In severe cases, they can cause the aboveground branches and leaves to turn yellow and wither.
[Control] Deep winter plowing can cause the overwintering generation of white grubs to die. During the damage period, spray 50% malathion emulsion.
4. Aphids
[Harm] Aphids pierce leaves with their mouthparts and suck sap, causing leaf edges to curl downward and turn yellow. When seedlings grow larger, they often gather on tender shoots, flower stalks and the undersides of leaves, causing seedling stems and leaves to curl and shrink, and in severe cases the whole plant withers.
[Control] Eliminate overwintering weeds, spray 4% dimethoate or 2.5% derris extract, and protect natural enemies of aphids, such as seven-spotted ladybugs, hoverflies and green lacewings, using insects to control insects.
5. Scale insects
[Harm] Several kinds of scale insects damage peony, such as cottony cushion scale, Japanese wax scale, Lopholeucaspis japonica, white peach scale, peony round scale and arrowhead scale. They suck the body fluids of peony, weakening plant growth and turning branches and leaves yellow.
[Control] When individual branches are found to be damaged by scale insects, they can be brushed off with a soft brush or the infested branches can be cut off and burned. Spray during the peak hatching period of the eggs. It is best to strengthen quarantine and strictly prevent the introduction of seedlings carrying insects.