What are the tips and precautions for growing peonies?

The peony is a prized ornamental and medicinal plant that requires fairly strict cultivation techniques. Whether the technical measures from seedling raising to planting management are scientific and appropriate will directly affect the normal growth and development of the plant and the length of its lifespan. For this reason, careful and scientific management must be carried out according to the growth and development characteristics of the peony and its different cultivation purposes. The following focuses on field cultivation and briefly describes the various management measures.

Methods/Steps

Site selection and fertilization.

Because the peony prefers cool conditions and fears heat, likes high and dry sites and dislikes low and damp ones, and dreads fierce winds and scorching sun, the land for planting peonies should be chosen with loose soil, deep sandy loam, high and sunny, and well drained. It is best to have irrigation available, and do not plant on the same land repeatedly. For large-scale peony planting, 1-2 months before planting, the land should be fertilized and deeply plowed to a depth of 0.5-0.8 m, so as to achieve deep roots and luxuriant leaves. Before plowing, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied, preferably fermented and decomposed human and livestock manure or cake fertilizer. Per mu, 2500-3000 kg of human and livestock manure or 250 kg of cake fertilizer is suitable; farmyard manure may be applied in larger amounts, generally 3000-4000 kg per mu. Before planting, the deeply plowed land should be leveled. The general requirements are: single-slope beds, slightly raised in the middle, with ridges on all sides to prevent soil and water loss, and a flat bed bottom. The bed width is 2-3 m, and the bed length can reach 10 m. Open a water ditch along the upper and lower sides of the bed ridge so that water can flow through one side and seep in from all sides.

Sowing and seedling raising.

Soak the seeds in water for 1-2 hours, take out the plump seeds that sink in the water, discard the shriveled ones that float. Relatively plump, fully developed seeds number 2600-3000 per kg; 1 kg of dry seeds soaked for 24 hours can absorb 1.2 kg of water. Before sowing, the seeds must be treated, that is, soaked in warm water at 50°C for 24-30 hours, so that the seed coat dehiscences and absorbs water, swells, and germinates. The soaked seeds can be mixed with an appropriate amount of plant ash for sowing. If it rains or if sowing cannot be done in time, the soaked seeds can be covered with a wet cloth and kept indoors, then sown after the weather clears. The sowing time should be after "End of Heat" and before "White Dew" (the end of the 7th lunar month). If too late, the emergence rate is low, fewer roots form before the year ends, and the seedlings are not vigorous the following year. To break the epicotyl dormancy trait, before sowing the seeds can be soaked in 500×10-6-1000×10-6 gibberellin for 24 hours; after one week the dormancy period is broken, and buds and roots grow out at the same time. For seedling raising, low beds are preferable. Generally, first scrape off the dry surface soil, then make small raised beds with moist soil. The bed height is 10-15 cm and the bed width is 35-50 cm. Sow 2-3 rows per bed, with row and plant spacing of 6-9 cm × 3-4 cm, cover with 3-5 cm of soil, and immediately cover with plastic film, then add 6-8 cm of soil on top of the film to keep warm through the winter. For sowing in rows, use 25-35 kg of seed per mu; for broadcast sowing, use 50 kg. If the soil moisture is insufficient at sowing, water should be released into the bed for "sneak irrigation" to ensure the water needed for seed germination. Great attention must also be paid to management after emergence. After sowing, if humidity and temperature are suitable, within 30 days young roots 0.5-0.8 cm long can sprout. Around "Winter Solstice", "sneak irrigate" once with "wintering water" in the ditch to make use of root growth. After "Rain Water" the following year, the film and covering soil should be removed in time, and the surface soil lightly loosened to promote seedling growth. Around "Awakening of Insects", the seedlings have basically all emerged. If there is little snow in winter and it is dry, "sneak irrigation" with "sprouting water" may be done. In spring, seedbed management should be strengthened, mainly timely topdressing and watering. If there is continuous drought before the wheat harvest, "sneak irrigate" once every 7-10 days, and loosen the soil in time to preserve moisture. Combine watering with fertilization, mainly with quick-acting fertilizers, and apply more decomposed dried human manure, sesame cake, rapeseed cake, etc., preferably 3 times. Also pay attention to removing weeds and controlling pests to ensure strong seedlings. When one-year-old seedlings grow to 0.3-0.4 m tall, they can be transplanted that same year; weak seedlings raised may be transplanted after 2-3 years.

Planting.

There is a relatively large difference in planting time and methods for peonies between the north and the south. In the north, they are mostly planted around "Autumn Equinox", and the planting method is vertical planting. In the south, they are mostly planted from "End of Heat" to "White Dew", and the planting method is slant planting (the plant forms an angle of 25°-35° with the ground). For medicinal peonies, 1500-2000 plants are planted per mu; for ornamental ones, about 1800 plants per mu. In the Central Plains region of China, Luoyang and Heze are representative of peony planting methods. In both places, planting is mostly done around "Autumn Equinox". At this time there is still some time before the ground freezes, and the underground roots can grow for a period, which is very beneficial for ensuring survival and growth the following year. Generally, new roots can reach 12-15 cm in length. The specific planting method is: on the prepared land, first dig holes according to the predetermined row and plant spacing. The size of the holes should be 30-50 cm square, with a depth of 40-50 cm. When digging the holes, keep topsoil and subsoil separate. Next, place the peony seedling in the hole so that the root system is evenly distributed and spread out, hanging down on all sides, then fill in topsoil, followed by subsoil. When the hole is half filled, gently lift the seedling with the hand and move it left and right, so that the root crown ("five-flower head") is level with the ground. After the hole is filled, gently tamp it with a wooden stick and immediately water once to settle the roots. When the soil begins to look dry, loosen the soil to preserve moisture. The best planting depth for peonies is with the wound level with the soil surface; if too deep, roots do not develop and flowers are not abundant.

Watering.

Practical experience has shown that peonies need sufficient water in spring when they sprout and leaf out, before flowering, and after flowering. If rain is not timely at these times, watering is needed to ensure the water required for growth and development. In the "Eight Chapters on Peonies" it says: "Water thoroughly at first planting, then water once every half month, and in drought once every ten days. Water should not be too much, nor too little; too much rots the roots, too little dries them out." From this it can be seen that the key to watering peonies lies in whether the timing, frequency, and amount of watering are scientific. The basis for watering is determined by their characteristic of liking dryness and disliking dampness. For peony watering, in the north where the soil is dry, water more often; in the south where the land is damp, do not water much. Watering should be regular. Avoid watering in the heat of summer; in summer, watering should be done in the early morning or when cool. In winter and spring, water on warm days. Rainwater stored for a long time or pond water is best, as the water is warm and contains nutrients; other water is inferior. In winter, water with fertilizer water; before flowering, water with fertilizer water; after the flowers fade, lightly apply fertilizer water. In areas in the south where there is long-term rain or standing water during the severe summer heat, management of peonies should adopt shading, rain protection, flood prevention, and ground mulching to lower the temperature and reduce evaporation and oxygen deficiency from standing water.

1. 5

Fertilization.

To ensure good development of peonies, great attention must be paid to fertilization. From the second year after planting, fertilize at least 3 times each year. The first time is from "Spring Equinox" to "Pure Brightness", that is, 15-25 days before flowering. This supplements the deficiency of nutrients originally stored in the roots or branches themselves and helps flowering that year. The second time can be within half a month after flowering. This meets the needs of vigorous branch growth and the beginning of flower bud differentiation, and lays a material foundation for flowering the following year. The third fertilization should be carried out in autumn and winter, which can both store nutrients and help protect the peony through the winter.

Loosening the soil and weeding.

Because peonies like loose soil and warm ground, regular hoeing to eliminate weeds is very important. Before flowering, carry out 2-3 times; after flowering until autumn, 1-2 times per month. After rain or watering, hoe and loosen the soil once the soil is slightly dry. The hoeing depth is 5-10 cm. The first hoeing should be shallow, the second hoeing deeper (10 cm) and fine, leaving no uncultivated soil. After the flowers fade, to reduce water evaporation and maintain vigorous growth, for two-, three-, and four-year-old peonies a shallow digging may be done to a depth of 15 cm to enhance drought resistance. In summer, when temperatures are high and there is much rain, soil moisture is high and the surface easily becomes compacted. Weeds also tend to grow in clusters, making hoeing to eliminate weeds even more important. The period from "Beginning of Autumn" to "End of Heat" is the key time for hoeing to eliminate weeds. Shallow and careful hoeing should be done to eliminate weeds before they set seed, which can reduce weed damage the following year.

Pruning and bud removal.

This is an important technical measure in peony management. It is the same as pruning and training in horticulture, so it is also called fixing the branches and removing the buds. Its purpose is to maintain plant shape, concentrate nutrients, and promote abundant flowering and root growth. As flower growers say, "When energy gathers, the flowers are luxuriant, and when they bloom they are sure to be magnificent."