Peonies are garden perennials that require special care throughout the entire growing season. Many beginners often make mistakes when they start cutting shrubs ahead of time, namely in the middle of autumn. Due to premature cutting of branches with leaves under the root, the plant does not work. the right amount nutrients, and therefore blooms poorly in spring.

When to prune peonies for the winter?

Professional gardeners strongly recommend pruning peonies as late as possible, up to the onset of frost - around November, by the way, later in the spring you can find out early, for this go to the appropriate article. To do everything right and get a lot lush buds on the next year, you must adhere to the basic rules for trimming a bush:

• You need to remove all ground stems along with leaves and all remnants of inflorescences.
• The cut should be made over the kidneys with a distance of 3 cm.
• The length of the entire hemp from the root to the top of the stems is 20-30 cm.
• The cut remains are completely removed from the flower bed so as not to cause fungus and other pests.

The late cut period is due to the fact that after flowering, the root system is strengthened and developed due to photosynthesis, as well as nutrients in the leaves and stems. The longer the recharge process, the stronger the roots will be in the new flowering season.

How to prune a tree peony in spring?

Every spring, before the start of the growing season, it is necessary to carry out the so-called anti-aging pruning procedure. This is necessary in order to increase the life span of the flower bush and give it correct form. To do this, shrunken shoots are removed altogether, and healthy ones are shortened by 10-15 cm. Weak shoots must be cut to the first healthy bud with a distance of 2-3 cm.

It is also necessary to remove some of the buds so as not to weaken the whole bush. It is known that tree-like peonies are resistant not only to frost, but also to sudden changes in temperature, therefore, if everything is done correctly, they will not be afraid even of 30-degree frosts.

Remember - the first year the peony should not be allowed to bloom, you need to allow it to gain nutrients and strengthen root system. Cut off all flowers immediately after withering.

Do peonies need to be trimmed after purchase?

Tree peonies can be planted in spring and autumn immediately after purchase. You don’t need to cut anything if you turned to an experienced seller who made sure that the rhizome was free of rot, and the stems were cut from the ears by 3 centimeters. In the cold season, you should know how to do it.

Tree peonies are old-timers who can live 20 years and then rejuvenate due to correct pruning all shoots right down to the base.

Tree peony is a semi-shrub plant belonging to the Peony family. Today in the world there are over 480 varieties and hybrids of this flower, whose homeland is China. Almost all varieties of tree peony were bred by Chinese breeders. Over time, Japanese flower growers began to grow this plant. At the end of the 18th century, this decorative shrub became popular in Europe, both in industrial cultivation, and in home floriculture.

Description of the tree peony

Shrub reaching a height of 1.5-2 m, with large bright green doubly pinnate leaves. One bush can have from 30 to 70 flowers. The diameter of each is from 20 to 25 cm. The color of the petals is white, pink, crimson, lilac with a dark crimson spot at the base.

Petals dense corrugated. Large numerous stamens with bright yellow anthers are clearly visible. There are forms with terry and semi double flowers. The flowering time of the bush is 12-14 days, and more in cool weather. The plant is decorative and after flowering due to unusual shape leaves and fruits.

Tree peony is a frost-resistant shrub. IN botanical garden Moscow State University, for example, he winters without shelter. If in the fall they close the shoots with spruce branches, then only from crows pecking out flower buds. To increase frost resistance in Siberia. At the beginning of October, the leaves are cut by 2/3. Peony is unpretentious, disease resistant. It can stay in one place without a transplant for more than 20 years.

Growing a tree peony

The tree-like peony does not like to change its place, it painfully endures a transplant, so before buying this “imperial flower”, think about where you will grow it. Its territory should be protected from drafts, there should be free space around the bush. Being in the shadow big trees or buildings, the shrub will die or will play the role of simple landscaping, not delighting the owners with rapid flowering.

How to choose a tree peony seedling for planting

It is worth paying attention to the fact that tree peonies are grafted and rooted. A self-rooted peony has many roots, they are all thin (pencil diameter), light. It is these peonies that are considered long-lived, but the first years grow slowly and bloom from the fourth to fifth year. The grafted tree peony has darker thick roots (about 4 - 5 cm in diameter) a bit like a carrot. The rootstock is a viable and fast-growing herbaceous peony, which can bloom as early as the year of planting.

Which seedling "in boxes" to choose? The best is the one with a shoot height of only about 20 - 25 cm. It is important that there are several living healthy (intact !!!) kidneys. Problems may arise if you purchase a tree peony, in which the lignified part of the shoot greatly exceeds the size of the root part (the one that is usually packed in peat or other substrate). There are difficulties with a peony that has already had leaves.

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Rules for planting a tree peony

The best time to plant a tree peony is the first half of autumn. Somewhere from August 15 until the end of September, seedlings are planted in a place prepared in advance.

The soil for tree peony is suitable loamy, enriched with humus and compost. Clay soil is best diluted with sand. The life expectancy of a shrub directly depends on the condition of the land. In one place, a peony is grown for a long time. Transplanted perennial is extremely rare.

Planting a tree peony is carried out in places with a low occurrence ground water. The root system does not tolerate stagnant moisture, so the planting pit is well drained with improvised material to a height of 30 cm. During planting, pay attention to the root neck of the plant, it should be level with the soil.

Tree-like peony is a sprawling plant, there is enough space between seedlings for development, but not less than 1.5 m.

Most often, perennials are planted by cuttings, since seed propagation is quite complicated. For the emergence of seedlings, the seeds are subjected to stratification, but this does not guarantee success. In addition, such a plant will bloom only after 6 years.

Preparing a landing pit for planting

For planting, pits are prepared with a depth of at least 60 cm, a diameter of 60-70 cm. This will enable the bushes to form a powerful root system that goes to a considerable depth. Already by the age of five to six, it goes to a depth of 50-60 cm and reaches 60-70 cm in diameter. In smaller planting pits, the growth of the root system is delayed, and, accordingly, both the development and flowering of the bushes are suspended. The distance between the bushes when laying a flower garden for a long period should be 70-100 cm. In the future, this will facilitate the processing of bushes, ensure sufficient air circulation between them, and largely prevent the spread of fungal diseases.

It is advisable to prepare landing pits in advance (in July), so that by the time of planting the earth in them properly settles. When digging holes, the upper cultural layer of soil is laid aside, the rest of the soil is removed. In the lower half of the pit, a mixture of organic fertilizers(preferably a mixture of rotted manure with compost and peat), 150-200 g of superphosphate or 300-400 g of bone meal and 150-200 g of potassium sulfate. On clay and loam acidic soils add 150-200 g of finely ground slaked lime. The soil from the top layer is added here (approximately to the middle of the pit), everything is thoroughly mixed and tamped. The resulting nutrient layer will serve as a supply of nutrients for the plant for the future.

Top dressing of a tree peony

Top dressing of a tree peony is carried out in several stages.

In early spring, during the budding period, it is better to feed peonies with a fertilizer containing a complex of trace elements and nitrogen. In practice, for a long time I have been using Kemira Combi for this purpose, in combination with it I use calcium nitrate and put the first portion of top dressing under the bush.

Immediately before the peonies bloom, the second top dressing takes place, it is similar to the first one with only one difference, I add potassium monophosphate instead of saltpeter to the Kemira Combi solution.

The third top dressing is needed in August, after the flowering of the plant. At this time, the tree peony bush needs additional resources, it needs strength to lay healthy recovery buds for the next bloom and prepare for winter.

Once a month it does not hurt to prevent fungal diseases by irrigating the plant with a solution blue vitriol(50 g per 10 l of water) or garlic water (10 g of crushed garlic per 1 l of water). You need to spray both the bush itself and the soil around it.

Pruning tree peony

Bushes are pruned every spring, because this procedure allows you to increase the life expectancy of plants. Dried shoots must be removed, the old ones shortened to about 10 cm. In China, tree-like peonies are successfully rejuvenated by cutting them almost to ground level, so the buds at the base awaken. If you want your bushes to bloom more abundantly next year, cut the shoots to the level of the uppermost axillary bud.

Tree peony transplant

A transplant for a tree peony is a lot of stress. The plant can be sick for several years and hard to recover, so when performing the procedure, be careful with the root system: you need to dig it out very carefully, along with a clod of soil. After that, gently rinse the roots, inspect and remove dry and diseased, and cut too long. Places of cuts should be treated with a weak solution of manganese and sprinkled with coal dust.

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Reproduction of a tree peony

This process is best done in July - mid-summer. A healthy and strong bush is selected, semi-lignified shoots are separated from it, with a bud (heel) and leaves. The leaves are cut in half, and the shoots themselves are placed in a sandy-peat substrate by about 2-3 cm (by the way, vermiculite can be used for these purposes). To make the process more productive, it is better to cover the cuttings with plastic transparent glasses or cut plastic bottles- to create a kind of "greenhouse". The stock of cuttings should be aired and watered frequently. After 2-3 months, the seedlings are planted in separate pots and "stored" in such greenhouse conditions until spring arrives. From the moment of active growth of the cutting, it can be transplanted to permanent place residence, on the site.

Tree peony propagation by layering

This method was briefly described a little higher: a shoot is selected, located at the bottom of the bush, cut, pressed to the ground (for example, with a wire pin), sprinkled with soil. It is better to do this procedure in May, and with the onset of autumn, this shoot is finally separated from the bush and planted separately. Sometimes you can find recommendations for wrapping the shoot with a film or sprinkling with moss instead of backfilling with earth. If this business goes well for you and you like the method itself, try it, look for a convenient option for yourself.

tree peony

In China, where the tree peony comes from, this plant is loved and revered. A special role in its distribution fell to the lot of Buddhist monks who traveled around the country and brought varieties from remote areas to their monasteries.

Growing tree peonies takes more time than the more familiar herbal peonies. But the cost of time and effort is worth it, because a properly planted bush can grow in one place for several tens or even hundreds of years.

Luxurious peony bushes form large fragrant flowers

When choosing a landing site, rely on the following criteria:

• No draft. A tree-like peony does not tolerate well when its leaves (and even more so, flowers) are ruffled by the wind.
• Moderate shade.
• No weeds.

Peony "Natalie" with double flowers

Advice! Choose a location away from buildings, trees, and other bushes. Tree peony requires a lot of space. In addition, keep in mind that a bush can live for about a hundred years, which means that the territory allotted for it will not be freed for a long time.

seedling requirements.

Tree peony seedlings should have 2-3 stiff shoots, 20-25 cm high. Pay attention to the root system: there should be no damage or thinning.
When buying a shoot, find out the variety. Check if it handles frost well. Take an interest in the color of the petals.

Landing

Some people buy a tree peony in the spring. However, planting is best done in the fall (late August - early September).

Advice! A seedling bought in the spring can be planted in a pot in order to transfer the plant together with an earthen clod into the ground in the fall.

First of all, you need to dig a large (70 × 70 cm) hole. The next course of action is:

• Cover the bottom of the pit with drainage (sand, gravel, crushed stone), since the peony does not tolerate stagnant water at the roots.
• Mix half of the dug soil with superphosphate, dolomite flour and potassium sulfate (one glass each) and fill the hole with this mixture to the middle. Tamp.
• Add 2 buckets of compost to the remaining soil. Pour into the hole so that there is room for the seedling.
• Install a branch. The root collar should be in line with the soil.
• Water the soil around the seedling, fill the hole completely.
• The landing site is covered with humus. Sawdust and needles are not applicable here, they can provoke diseases of the bush.

reproduction

Reproduction of a tree peony is carried out in several ways:

The division of the bush. This becomes possible when the plant is already 5-6 years old. The bush is dug up, the roots are washed and divided. Each part must have at least three shoots. Damaged roots are smeared with potassium permanganate and sprinkled with charcoal.

Layering. One of the lower shoots before flowering (in May) is cut, bowed and sprinkled with earth. In autumn, the rooted shoot is separated and planted.

Air outlet. The incised shoot is not sprinkled with earth, but wrapped with moss and film. This option is ineffective.

Cuttings. Carried out in mid-July. Choose a half-stiffened shoot with buds. The stalk of a tree-like peony is cut obliquely under the kidney, treated with a growth agent. Planted cuttings in a mixture of peat and river sand at an angle so that the kidney is completely immersed in the ground. Boxes are wrapped or covered glass by constantly maintaining soil moisture.

Graft. Produced in mid-August. A root (10-15 cm) is taken, a wedge-shaped cut is made on its lower part, into which a scion is inserted. The joint is wrapped with tape and watered garden pitch. Before planting in the ground, they are placed in a greenhouse for three weeks. For lateral grafting, the stock and scion are cut diagonally, combined, wrapped and also smeared with pitch.

Seeds. Tree peony is bred from seeds only by breeders.

Care

Caring for a tree peony is simple, especially if the place for the bush has been chosen correctly (moderate light, no draft, alkaline, loose soil without stagnant water). It includes a number of aspects:

• Water the peony rarely. 1-2 times 6-7 liters in June and July. In August, watering is not done.
• In the spring, you need to remove the mulch, loosen the earth, remove weeds. Mineral fertilizers should be applied as soon as the snow melts (Kemira will do). Before budding and after flowering, it is useful to feed the peony with phosphate and potash fertilizers. It is best to apply these solutions during watering. Ash has a good effect on the plant.

Terry peony "Smile"

• Pruning is carried out in the spring. Healthy branches are cut to the first living bud, weakened - by about 15 cm.
• After flowering, not only cut the bud, but also shorten the branch by 2 buds.
• For the winter, the branches of the peony are tied up, the roots are covered with spruce branches, and the bush itself is covered with a bag.
• With strong humidity and shading, the peony may undergo gray rot. To avoid this, follow the landing rules. If the disease still struck the plant, it is recommended to spray the bush with a solution of potassium permanganate. To prepare it, you need 3 g per 10 liters of water. You can also use a 0-6% solution of copper sulfate.

• Fungal diseases are rare and easily disappear when sprayed with fungicides. Damaged branches, of course, are cut off.
• Mice are the main enemy of the tree bush.

Advice! If there are rodents in the area, enclose the planting hole with a net to protect the roots of the plant.

This plant can transform your household plot, giving him the atmosphere of refined, mysterious and magical China.

Tree peony - video

Foreword

The tree-like peony is described in detail in the Eastern Feng Shui treatises. The Chinese call it "giving prosperity" and strongly recommend hanging pictures with peonies in the bedrooms - so that the family multiplies and flourishes. Long time flowers were the property of emperors, but today they can be found in all regions of the country.

Tree peony - shrub features

The tree peony is small shrub, which loses foliage with the onset of cold weather. In the autumn-winter period, the plant is not of great decorative value, however, gardeners agree to tolerate this drawback, because when the peony blooms buds, no one can pass by such a spectacle. For its special beauty, many owners of summer cottages fell in love with it.

Many of us have come across a close relative of the tree plant, the herbaceous peony, which is also perennial plant. However, herbaceous varieties are far from the huge inflorescences of tree-like peonies. Some specimens can reach up to 30 centimeters in diameter! And the height of the bushes grow up to two and a half meters. Such a beautiful and lush bouquet during flowering is hard to miss.

Varieties of tree peony can be divided into two large groups. The first group - Japanese, is distinguished by light colors, which are both terry and non-terry. The second group - Chinese-European - they have heavy double flowers. Faced with a rather rare semi-shrub species, please note that the plant is very difficult to adapt to Russian climatic conditions. And one more nuance - the peculiarity of these flowers is that they grow very slowly. That is why a tree-like peony is often grafted with a cutting on a root from a grassy variety. In this case, the process of bud ripening and flowering is greatly accelerated.

How to cover tree peonies for the winter?

There are several important points, the growth and development of your plant will depend on their observance. So, in hot weather, peonies need to be provided with a sufficient amount of moisture, and fed in the spring. Such top dressing is important for bushes throughout summer period. And only in August, feeding can be stopped. Further, the plants are gradually prepared for winter. By the way, on initial stage in the first year of life, it is better to immediately remove the buds so that the tree-like peony can give all its strength to the development of shoots and the root system and please with especially lush flowering next season.

After planting, for at least the first 3 years for the winter, you need to shelter peonies, which our article and photo will help you with. Shelter for the winter can not be done if the tree-like peony has reached the age of four - such bushes endure frosts more steadfastly. In order for young bushes to winter normally, they need to be covered with several layers of agrofiber. If you do not intend to spend money on purchasing special material, use improvised means, such as cardboard or old burlap.

After the above actions, the bushes need to be covered with snow. Just keep in mind that the branches must be carefully tied with twine before you cover them with snow or cardboard. So the branches of your plant will not break during the winter. And then be sure that from the end of spring your peonies will be covered with double flowers - from white and pink to yellow, blue and purple. By the way, it is no coincidence that a tree-like peony is called a real long-liver, because with proper care it can live for about a hundred years!

Tree peony is very fond of drained, fertile and alkaline soils. If the ground is very damp, the plant may even die. When it is important to add either compost or a special complex mineral fertilizer for the roots. On the clay soils it is recommended to add gravel mixed with sand to the landing pit.

Advice - when planting, the trunk of the future bush must be highly soiled, then new roots will begin to form on the underground part of the scion and after some time it will be possible to get layering.

And one more thing - tree-like peonies need to be planted so that the grafting site is about 15 centimeters below the ground level, as in the photo. It is best to plant this beautiful shrub already at the beginning of September. It is important to do this at this time so that it has time to take root and take root in the ground even before the onset of cold weather. The roots should also be insulated - peat has proven itself quite well for these purposes, which cover the soil before the onset of winter.

It is best to grow the imperial flower in an unshaded place. It is desirable that the plant be protected from the north wind and unnecessary drafts. When planting, do not forget about drainage, and in early spring - about mineral fertilizers and watering. By the way, the tree peony is very often propagated by grafting. If you decide to propagate it by dividing the bush, then this can be done only after the plant reaches 5 years of age.

Maria, Anastasia Sosnovets, Stefan, Peter the Great, who feel great in the conditions temperate climate. They are resistant to both cold and thaw. But even these varieties need care and warming for the winter.

The subtleties of growing tree peonies

• Grafted tree-like peonies are planted immediately in a permanent place; these plants do not tolerate transplantation well.
• A place for planting is chosen away from trees and shrubs.
• And also closed from drafts.
• Peony loves the morning and evening sun, shading is desirable at noon. In bright sun, the flowers fade and fade faster.
• Damp and flooded areas in spring are not suitable for growing tree-like peonies;
• Soil with an alkaline reaction (7.5-8 pH) for tree peonies is preferable than acidic.
• If the roots of the seedling are very dry, they should be soaked in water for half an hour.

Own-rooted and grafted tree peonies

Tree peonies are rooted and grafted. Both of them have their own advantages and features that must be taken into account when growing. In some matters, the requirements for care also differ.

Own-rooted tree peonies in suitable conditions they will live for a very long time, more than 20 years (theoretically up to 200 years). They are very viable, winter well, resistant to diseases. Own-rooted peonies are easy to propagate by dividing the bush. The disadvantages include the fact that such peonies bloom only 4-5 years after planting and grow slowly during the first five years. By this age they reach a height of 60-70 cm. Dignity grafted tree peonies, for which they are bred - rapid growth and flowering. flowering plants can be obtained even in the year of planting, and certainly - the next year. The rootstock for grafted tree peonies is the most hardy and resistant varieties herbaceous peony P. lactiflora. Such plants show rapid growth, up to 50 cm per year. Grafted peonies may not be as durable as the roots herbaceous peony, on which they are grafted, grow strongly over time, become hollow inside and rot. Another drawback is that they do not reproduce by dividing the bush. Also, unlike own-rooted ones, they do not tolerate transplanting well, so they need to be planted immediately in a permanent place.

When buying, own-rooted and grafted peonies are easy to distinguish by their roots. In their own roots, they are numerous, long and relatively thin (about 5 - 8 mm in diameter), have a light brown color. Grafted peonies have thick roots 4-5 cm in diameter (these are the roots of the rootstock - a grassy peony).

Plant both own-rooted and grafted peonies on the site. While some develop and reach flowering age, the latter will actively bloom.

Landing dates

The planting time of a tree peony depends on the type of seedling acquired: with an open root system (OCS) - sold both with bare roots and in the substrate, or with a closed root system (ZKS) - sold in containers.

seedlings with ZKS can be planted at almost any time. If you plant a grafted peony with ZKS in the spring, you can get the first flowering in the same season.

seedlings with OKS is preferably planted in August - September. At spring planting such seedlings with the onset of heat, the development of green mass ahead of the development of roots. This is because on the bare root system there are practically no suction small roots necessary for the plant, they are formed when the roots are in the soil at low positive temperatures. The plant takes root with difficulty, develops poorly and looks oppressed. And the flowering of such a peony comes later.

How to store a seedling before planting

If a seedling with ACS was bought in winter or spring, they practice “intermediate” planting in a container until autumn. The container is needed with a volume of about 5 liters, with holes for water drainage. It is advisable to take a non-acidic soil, put drainage on the bottom of the tank.

Until spring, the peony is stored in a room where a positive, but close to zero temperature is constantly maintained, for example, in a cellar or on a loggia, and if conditions and weather permit, dig into the snow. Water rarely and little by little, only so that the soil does not dry out. The purpose of such a planting is to prevent the plant from growing for as long as possible and to give the opportunity to build up suction roots.

If the shoots nevertheless began to grow, when the seedling reaches a size of 15-20 cm, it should be placed in a bright, but still cool room, while maintaining minimal watering. If leaves appear on the peony, it is useful to spray with Ferovit.

With the onset of the summer season, a container with a seedling is taken out into the garden, and there they also find for it the coolest, but not windy corner in the openwork shade of trees. And in August-September, a strengthened seedling is moved to a permanent place of residence.

Landing technology

The soil must settle before planting peonies, so the pits are prepared in advance, at least 2 weeks before planting.

The size of the landing pits is large: at least 40 cm in diameter and 50 cm deep. Drainage is laid at the bottom with a thickness of at least 10 cm, preferably 20-30 cm. The distance between the pits is 1 - 1.5 m.

Cooking fertile soil with the content of peat or compost, humus, sand in equal proportions, add bone meal (200-400 g).

If buds have already formed on the seedling, they must be cut before planting.

Part of the prepared soil is poured into the planting pit. A seedling from the ZKS is simply rolled over with a clod of earth. The remaining soil is poured on top until the pit is filled.

To plant a seedling with ACS, a bucket of soil mixture is poured into the pit, a seedling is placed on the formed tubercle, gently spreading the roots over the surface of the tubercle.

Plentifully watered with water (4-5 liters per bush), after soaking, the roots are covered with the remaining earth. The seedling is placed in such a way that root neck was at ground level. The soil is compacted gently, but not too tightly. From above, they mulch with humus or peat, deepening the neck by 3-4 cm.

When planting, mineral fertilizer is also added: either to the soil mixture (superphosphate) or liquid (simultaneously with irrigation).

Tree peony care

Watering

Peonies need abundant watering in the spring, if the soil contains little moisture, and in the period before flowering. Further watering is carried out moderately, as needed.

Do not water plants cold water from a water supply system or a well, water for irrigation must be stored in barrels in advance for its preheating. Watering, especially after a long break, is carried out gradually, in portions, so that water in sufficient quantities reaches the roots, and does not spread over the ground.

After flowering, watering is reduced and stopped altogether by August, so that the wood has time to mature before winter.

top dressing

For good flowering, fertilizer must be applied every 12 days. Feeding begins in April, and the last time they are applied 12-14 days after the end of flowering. Good as a fertilizer wood ash and bone meal, as well as mineral fertilizers. In used mineral fertilizers phosphorus and potassium components should prevail.

An excess of nitrogen fertilizers reduces the resistance of peonies to diseases.

What else is needed for a good growth of peonies

The soil around the peonies is mulched annually with a thick layer of compost or humus, and a bucket of mulch is poured under each bush.

The soil around the bushes within a radius of 50 cm must be weeded from weeds and periodically loosened to a depth of 3-5 cm.

First bloom

Often the first flowers of a tree peony do not reflect all the beauty of their variety, they have more simple form. This is especially evident in terry varieties and varieties with "fantasy" petals. They fully correspond to the characteristics of their variety by 2-3 years of flowering.

The first blooming flower must be carefully removed as soon as it opens, so that the plant accumulates strength for the formation of new flowers. Sometimes a peony in the first flowering gives two buds at once. In this case, you need to remove the top bud before it opens, but only after it picks up color. If removed earlier, there is a risk of damaging the growth point of the shoot. Remove the second flower when it opens.

pruning

Tree peonies tolerate pruning well and quickly grow new shoots.

In early spring, rejuvenating pruning is carried out on tree-like peonies, shortening the shoots to a growth bud. Weak shoots are pruned, leaving 10-20 cm from the ground.

In late spring, if necessary, pruning of shoots frozen in winter is carried out.

When pruning, it must be borne in mind that the flowering of these peonies occurs on the shoots of last year.

Old (more than 10 years old) specimens can be cut off “on a stump” for the purpose of rejuvenation.

In grafted specimens, over time, basal shoots from the stock may form. Such growth must be cut off so that it does not interfere with the development of a tree-like peony.

Transfer

Transplantation of self-rooted peonies is carried out in autumn or winter (in this case, in the fall you need to prepare landing pits). Adult well-grown peonies, so that they take root in a new place, are strongly cut off, most of the old shoots are removed.

Preparing for winter

The tree-like peony is a rather frost-resistant plant, even significant frosts are not terrible for it, but damp warm autumn is unfavorable for it. Under such conditions, the peony continues to grow, does not have time to "fall asleep" before the onset of cold weather. Therefore, most often when grown in middle lane and northwestern regions, the plant needs special preparation for winter. For this you need:

• As mentioned above, in advance, starting in August, stop watering.
• If the end of summer and autumn turned out to be rainy, it would not be superfluous to organize canopies that protect the bushes from excess moisture during this period.
• Deeply loosen and mulch the tree trunks with peat or humus (1 bucket of mulch for each bush).
• Pruning: in early October, the leaves of the peony are cut to 2/3 of the length, this contributes to a better maturation of the shoots of the current year and increases the frost resistance of the plant.
• Cover the plants with any covering material folded in several layers. From below, at the root, do not tie the covering material - leave the possibility of air access.

peonies in spring

If, after wintering, frozen buds were noticed on the bushes, there is no need to rush to prune. It is better to wait until the end of May and, if the plant has not recovered, cut off the frozen shoots to the first living bud. Soon such an escape will start to grow.

Reproduction of a tree peony

1. Reproduction by dividing the bush

Own-rooted tree-like peonies aged 5-6 years can be propagated by dividing the bush. Optimal time for this procedure - mid-August-September.

On a delenka suitable for planting, there should be young roots about 10-20 cm long and 2-3 renewal buds, in a healthy planting material these buds are large, bright and shiny.

Places of cuts must be treated with a fungicide and powdered with charcoal powder.

2. Reproduction by layering

Another easy way reproduction - layering. A suitable time for this is May, before flowering begins.

• They take a developed shoot, make a longitudinal incision 10 cm long on the bark, not too deep so as not to touch the cambium (a layer of young growing cells).
• The incision site is treated with a root.
• They are pinned to the ground with a special bracket or improvised material.
• Sprinkle on top with a layer of soil 8-10 cm thick.
• The rooted place is kept moist.

In the incision zone, by the end of August - the beginning of September, roots should form. It is possible to separate the young plant from the mother plant in a year in August-September, when it takes root well.

As a result, a rooted tree-like peony is obtained, which will develop for a long time before flowering, up to 7 years.

3. Reproduction by grafting on the root of a grassy peony

In the middle lane, vaccination is done in August.

As a rootstock, the lateral part of the root of a grassy peony, left over from division or specially dug out, is taken. Its length is 10-15 cm, the thickness is not less than the thickness of the scion, it is better if the thicknesses are the same. In this case, the vaccination can be done in a rotation and in the butt. If the thickness of the scion is significantly greater - only rotate.

The roots for the stock are dug out 2-3 weeks before vaccination and stored in a cool place.

Cuttings are cut from semi-lignified shoots of the current year. 1-2 buds are left on each cutting. A cut under the lower kidney is made at a distance of 3-4 cm, above the upper one - 2-3 cm. The leaves are removed.

For grafting a spin on the root, first a transverse cut is made, and then a wedge-shaped cut from the middle or on one side, if the root diameter is larger than the cutting.

The stalk is cut into a wedge on both sides, it is advisable to do this under water so that the air does not clog the porous pion tissue. Then it is inserted into the incision, the cambial layers of the cutting and rootstock are combined. From above they are wrapped with a special tape for grafting or electrical tape with the sticky side outward, capturing the transverse section of the root. Additionally, you can coat the graft with garden pitch.

For butt grafting on the handle and bark, a cut is made at a slight angle, the cuts are combined and fastened in the same way.

The cuts on the scion and rootstock are made with a sharp knife so that they are smooth, the layers of the cambium must match when combined.

Grafted plants can be planted in a greenhouse for 3-4 weeks, shaded if necessary. When planting, the graft is left above the soil level. Moisten the soil regularly.

Another way (preferable if possible) is to keep the grafted material for 3-4 weeks in the basement in boxes, lined with sawdust or moss.
After this period, successfully grafted plants can be planted in the ground, placing them in the ground at an angle.

In the southern regions, vaccination can also be done in June. The grafting technology is the same, only most often the stalk is taken with one kidney and the leaf on the stalk is not removed, but cut in half.

The grafted peonies are then planted at an angle in the sand in a shaded greenhouse. Water regularly. Deepen the plant to the kidney. In successful vaccinations, by the fall, the kidney increases in size.

Plants can be left in the greenhouse until spring, or they can be planted in open ground in October, deepening the bud by 2-3 cm. In both cases, it is necessary to cover the plants for the winter with foliage or spruce branches.

4. Reproduction by green cuttings

Reproduction method green cuttings time-consuming, but under all conditions it is quite effective, 60-70% of cuttings take root.

The advantage of this method is a large number of planting material, the ability to do this work every year using existing plants. The disadvantage is laboriousness and a long wait for flowering.

Cuttings are harvested from June to July, when the process of lignification begins. Cutting is done early in the morning.

Two buds are left on each handle, an oblique cut is made under the lower bud at a distance of 1.5-2.5 cm, above the top one - at a distance of 2.5-3 cm. The bottom sheet is removed, but the petiole is left. The top sheet is cut to a third or half.

The cuttings are lowered with their lower ends by 3-5 cm into a solution of heteroauxin or root root, kept from several hours to a day.

They are planted in the shade in a mini-greenhouse in a mixture of peat and sand at an angle to a depth of 4-5 cm, deepening the lower bud. The soil is moistened in a timely manner, the cuttings are sprayed, the leaves are kept constantly wet.

After 1.5 - 2 months, the first roots are formed. After that, the mini-greenhouse is gradually removed, first for a while, accustoming the plants to fresh air, then completely.

For the winter, plantings are covered with tree foliage or spruce branches.

The following spring, rooted cuttings are planted in a school. By autumn, a shoot develops from the lower bud, and a shoot from the upper bud may also appear. The plant can be transplanted to a permanent place in the fall or spring of the following year.

It is possible to root cuttings with one kidney in this way, but such cuttings form too weak roots by autumn and in open field freeze, so they should winter in a cold greenhouse.

5. Propagation by seeds

Reproduction of a tree peony by seeds is possible, but due to the special laboriousness, certain requirements for seeds, low efficiency (seedling yield is only 10%) and a long waiting time for the result, it is hardly suitable for an amateur grower.

Authors of the photo: Yuyu, koryaga113, ngarankina, stelmachuk.arina, RVL, jena2004, ecaterinasnitco (Ekaterina Snytko)