Many gardens are decorated with peonies. This causes envy and admiration among passers-by and neighbors. It is believed that growing peonies is not so difficult, but in fact, many beginners complain that flowering is weak. They do not know the answer to the question of when to prune peonies for the winter?
Gardeners' mistakes when pruning peonies
There are heated debates on this issue both in social networks and between neighbors. After all, if you look, many pruning almost immediately after flowering, while others are waiting for frost. So which one is right when to prune peonies for the winter? Many flowers in the summer are affected by various diseases, such as gray mold. Caring owners, seeing that the bush has faded, immediately cut out the entire above-ground part, naively believing that he no longer needs foliage. This is where the biggest mistake is made. After the flowering period, the laying of flower buds begins. And many gardeners, when they need to prune peonies in case of their illness, are too carried away and cut flowers too much. Experts recommend removing a maximum of a third of the stem, without affecting the lower leaves. This is due to the fact that renewal buds form at the base of a flowering plant. When they are affected, they become weak due to the lack of nutrition known to come from the leaves.
But what do experts recommend? When to prune peonies for the winter? During the preparation of the bush for the winter period, you should first feed the root system. For this, phosphate-potassium fertilizers are used.
Mature tree peony bushes should be covered for the winter so that the flower buds are not damaged by frost. You can use agrofibre or other fabric, spruce. But in any case, the root part must be sprinkled with earth and carefully spilled with water. Such protection will make the bush more spreading. Whatever variety of peonies is grown - tree-like or herbaceous - all foliage should be removed before wintering. Maybe it is this procedure that causes so much controversy among gardeners on the question of when to prune peonies. Only the leaves should be harvested, not the stems. In herbaceous peonies, everything is under the root, and in tree peonies, two-thirds from above. Peonies are flowers that are subjected only to decorative pruning of the stems. Such a need arises in the event of a breakdown or freezing.
Own “buts” in this process
True, there is one "but", and it concerns an adult tree peony bush. To enhance flowering next year, after the formation of seed boxes, each branch (except one) should be shortened by three buds from above. In this case, a strong flower bud is formed in the fourth. It is also recommended to prune everything in autumn or spring every four years.run to the ground. Thus, the bush is rejuvenated.
In the question of when to prune peonies for the winter, the local climate should also be taken into account. If the flowers are grown in harsh conditions, then pruning is done early. In temperate zones, work on preparing the flower garden for winter begins no earlier than the end of September. The best time for peony treatments is October or November.
