Peony and Herbaceous Peony Planting Methods and Care Tips
Since ancient times, the peony has been called the flower of wealth and honor for its large blooms and vivid colors. Supported by green leaves, it appears even more elegant and noble, with a charming posture, and together with its striking fragrance, it has long enjoyed the reputation of "national beauty and heavenly fragrance" and is widely recognized as the king of flowers.
The peony is a deciduous shrub that likes sunlight, is cold-hardy, and dislikes high temperatures and muggy heat. It grows best in loose, fertile, neutral soil with good drainage. It has some drought tolerance but does not tolerate dampness, and it should not be planted in low-lying spots where water accumulates. If there is too much moisture in the soil, its fleshy roots rot easily. Because the peony has relatively long roots and a large plant, it is suitable for growing in the ground. If you want to grow it in a pot, choose a large clay pot with good drainage, preferably a clay crock 60-70 cm deep.
Peony varieties can be divided by flower color into nine major color series: white, yellow, pink, red, purple, green, black, blue, and variegated. Flower forms can be divided into single, double, rose, hydrangea, thousand-petal, and crown forms. The flowering period is divided into early, middle, and late.
Peonies can be propagated by sowing, division, or grafting. But sowing takes too long: from sowing, it takes 4-5 years before flowers can be seen; it also has to go through variation and stabilization before it can be widely planted. Grafting is fairly technical, so experienced flower growers mostly use it; if a beginner operates improperly, even a successfully grafted plant will be difficult to grow smoothly.
The best planting time is from the end of the seventh lunar month to mid-ninth lunar month, commonly known as (seventh month for peonies, eighth month for herbaceous peonies). The saying "seventh month for peonies, eighth month for herbaceous peonies" means that at the end of the seventh month you can begin grafting peonies, and at the beginning of the eighth month you can divide herbaceous peonies. So this is the best planting period for peonies and herbaceous peonies. First, choose a site with high terrain, loose and fertile soil, and good drainage. After choosing the site, apply pig manure, cow manure, bone meal, oil cake, plant ash fertilizer, etc. as base fertilizer. Turn the soil and rake it fine, then dig drainage ditches 30-40 cm deep around the plot. This makes it easy to drain water during heavy rain or torrential rain.
When planting peonies and herbaceous peonies, do not plant too deep; the depth must not exceed that of the original old roots. Planting too deep or too shallow will both lead to poor growth. When planting, make sure the roots spread out naturally and are distributed evenly in the hole. After planting, press down lightly so the roots and soil are firmly combined, then water thoroughly once. After that, do not water again for one month, and do not apply fertilizer. When the weather is cold, it is best to cover the area around the roots with a layer of straw or rotten leaves to protect them from the cold; if planting in the north, you should also hang some wind-blocking straw curtains on the north side of the planting bed to prevent frost damage. After 1-2 months, if the weather is dry with no rain, you may water moderately, but keep one principle in mind: peonies fear waterlogging; it is better to let them be dry than waterlogged. Being a little dry does no great harm, but excessive moisture will rot the roots and kill the plant. Usually, just keep the soil from becoming too dry. During continuous rainy weather, clear the drainage ditches promptly, and never let water accumulate around the roots.
After the weather warms in spring, weed and loosen the soil around the plants. A shallow hoeing is enough; do not hoe deep, to avoid damaging the flower roots. After that, each time it rains, once the weather clears you should loosen the soil again so that weeds do not grow near the roots.
Peonies do not tolerate high temperatures, so in hot summer weather, cooling measures should be taken promptly. It is best to set up a shade awning to provide shade. Cover it with straw curtains or reeds before noon and remove them in the evening. If this measure is done promptly, it can prevent leaf drop; if the plant is left to suffer heat and drop its leaves, it will seriously affect future flowering.
Starting from the second year after planting, every early spring in the second month, check the basal shoots near the soil at the base. Keep only 6-8 strong, evenly distributed ones and peel off the other excess basal shoots. This is called "setting the stems and removing the shoots," because keeping too many will affect the next year's flowering. Removing the excess weak shoots at this stage is the most critical part. Everyone remember this!