How to Grow Peonies? Practical Growing Tips to Help You Grow Peonies Well
Peony, also known as the "flower of parting," is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Paeoniaceae. Peonies are distributed throughout China and are a very beautiful ornamental plant, ranking among China's top ten famous flowers. Peonies can also be made into foods such as porridge, cakes and tea, and they have medicinal effects including pain relief, promoting menstruation, diuresis and preventing dizziness. Peonies are grown on a certain area in China, so today I've brought you peony growing tips. Let's take a look below!
1. Soil Selection
Every crop has different soil requirements. Peonies have strong growth ability and do not demand much from the soil. However, if you want peonies to grow robustly and look good, then before planting we should still choose soil that is fertile, loose and well-draining. This kind of soil is beneficial for nutrient absorption and respiration by the peony roots and can promote peony growth. We should also pay attention to the size of the planting hole; too small is not conducive to the growth of the peony plant, while too large wastes too much labor. Generally, the diameter is around 28-30 cm.
2. Controlling Light
Light is the key to ensuring robust peony growth, and peonies have a relatively high demand for light. If there is insufficient light during the growth process, peony growth will be hindered, and the branches, leaves and flowers will become weak and wilted, dull and lusterless. Therefore, when growing peonies we must ensure there is sufficient light. However, the light should not be too strong either, and prolonged direct sunlight should be prevented. During the flowering period, the temperature can be appropriately lowered and humidity increased to prevent sunlight from scorching peony leaves, which would reduce their ornamental value as a commodity and affect growing returns.
3. Water Management
After peonies emerge or are successfully established, water management should be done well, with regular watering. The water at this stage is meant to ensure the growth of the seedlings and improve the survival rate. If there is insufficient water, the peony roots will lack water, and rooting and sprouting will be hindered. After they have survived, the watering frequency can be appropriately reduced, and watering about once every 2-3 days is sufficient. Absolutely do not overwater; after survival, too much water will instead affect peony growth, reduce the peony flowering rate, shorten the flowering period, lower the ornamental value, and growing returns will decline as a result.
4. Pest and Disease Control
Peonies have relatively strong disease resistance, so the incidence of disease is low, but the threat from insect pests is relatively great. Pests will gnaw on peony flowers and also suck nutrients from peony roots and stems, causing the plants to become thin and shriveled and suffer from malnutrition. Therefore, we must do a good job of pest and disease control. Insecticides can be used appropriately; there are many different insecticides on the market. When choosing an insecticide, we must ensure it can effectively kill insects without affecting peony growth or reducing the peony flowering rate. After spraying insecticide, do not water, to prevent water from washing off the solution and reducing its efficacy, which would make it unable to effectively kill insects. Try to water only after the pests have died.
Common peony pests include scarab beetles and scale insects, and although the disease incidence rate of peonies is relatively low, some diseases can still appear if management is poor. For example, gray mold and brown spot, among others; these diseases will seriously hinder peony growth and reduce ornamental value. Therefore, we must do a good job of pest and disease control, check exactly what pest or disease it is, and then use the corresponding pesticide for treatment. Do not use pesticides blindly, otherwise it may also cause pesticide damage.