Peonies, the cultivation of which brings only pleasure, are very fond of gardeners. They are popular plants all over the world. Their beauty, wonderful aroma and unpretentiousness attract almost everyone. An amazing fact, but peonies can grow in one place for a hundred years! The only drawback is that they fade quickly. I did not have time to stop admiring the beauty, and the petals fell off …
The genus of herbaceous perennial plants of the Ranunculaceae family is peonies. Their cultivation began a very long time ago. Most of the varieties (and there are about 45 thousand of them) come from a lactic-flowered peony called Chinese. All of them are divided into terry, semi-double and simple. Their flowers are large - up to 20 cm in diameter, regular, bisexual, have a pleasant delicate aroma. The leaves are alternate, large, double- or triple-triple.
Peonies are planted in early September (possibly at the end of August) so that they have time to take root by winter. Blooms in May-June. Grow well on loamy loose soils. It is desirable that the site be sunny and without groundwater (peonies die from them). The roots penetrate very deeply into the ground, so a deep pit is needed for planting - up to 70 cm. The distance between the bushes is one meter. The earth must be mixed with a bucket of humus, 100 grams of lime and 500 gramsash. The bottom of the pit is laid with manure of 10 cm, then it is covered with earth (a ball up to 20 cm) and compacted. Next, the prepared earth is poured into a mound and gently watered with plain water from a watering can. Thus, the earth is well compacted. A bush is placed in the middle of this mound so that the buds are right at the level of the top of the pit. Then the roots are covered with earth. Then the bush needs to be watered abundantly. It is very important that after planting the buds are no lower than the edges of the pit, because if planted too deep, they may not please with their flowers for a long time or not bloom at all.
For the winter it is necessary to cover the peonies. Growing and caring for them still require attention. Therefore, in the cold season, it is better to cover them with dry leaves or spruce branches (with a layer of up to 30 cm). In the spring, the cover is carefully removed, and when the first shoots appear, they are fed with a solution of bird droppings or mullein. The second dressing - during the formation of buds, the third - after flowering.
Watering is very important for peonies. Therefore, until late autumn, they must be abundantly supplied with water, after which they should be loosened a little (by 5-7 cm).
To propagate peonies, growing them in large quantities begins with dividing into parts. Do this every 5-8 years. In August, the bushes are dug deep no closer than 50 cm from the center, carefully lifted with a garden fork or shovel and taken out. Then the earth is washed off the roots with water, the patients are removed and the bush is divided. It is better to divide with a knife with a sharp end and a hard blade. On each of the parts, 4-5 stems with roots and buds are left. Cuts are a mustsprinkle with crushed charcoal. These new bushes are planted in pre-prepared holes.
Peonies, which are not so difficult to grow, are also propagated by seeds. They are sown in the garden after harvest, preferably immediately. Next year they will sprout, and bloom in the fourth or fifth year.
Growing tree peonies is popular. These are frost-resistant shrubs wintering without shelter. They are hardy and disease resistant. Decorative due to unusual shapes of flowers and leaves.
