Care for peonies in the spring should be more thorough than throughout the rest of the season, since the flowering of the plant depends on this.
Material Content:
All about peony care in spring
The first thing a flower grower needs to do after winter is to take cover from the bushes. As soon as the snow melts and the positive temperature begins to set, they begin to gradually open the plants, accustoming them to the still cool air.
You can’t do this abruptly, since peonies are very young, their reddish sprouts are not accustomed to the sun's rays. They begin to take cover in cloudy weather so that the plants have time to adapt a little to new conditions. In the first few days, flowers should be shaded from the spring sun so that burns do not appear on the sprouts.
Young plants that can be seen are extremely vulnerable. After winter, last year's shoots also remain on the bushes, which must be carefully removed. All dry stems, if they were not cut in the fall, are carefully separated by secateurs. The flower is freed from weeds, then gently loosen the soil around the bush.
Watering plants begin when warm days are established. For the first time, you should irrigate the bushes with a weak solution of manganese, for which 5 g of crystals are diluted in 10 liters of water. A bucket of the mixture is usually enough to moisten 3 bushes. Potassium permanganate is an excellent prophylactic against the appearance of gray rot. Subsequently, ordinary water is used.
You can not miss the first watering in the hope that the land after winter is already quite humid. It is in the early spring that flower buds are laid, so it is important that there is no moisture deficit.
The tree-like peony hibernates without pruning, so in the spring you need to inspect the plant and remove the frozen shoots to healthy tissue, and also all the branches broken by the wind.
Planting and replanting flowers
Planting and replanting peonies is best in spring. This procedure can be left for April, and in the northern regions and for May.
Planting peonies in spring step by step:
- The bush is carefully dug up and removed from the pit.
- If the plant is already several years old, then it can be divided into divisions to rejuvenate and get new planting material.
- New holes are dug in the size of each cut rod.
- Rotted manure or ripened compost is poured at their bottom, then a plant is planted.
- Then they sprinkle the bushes, tamp the ground, and then spill plentifully.
In the southern regions, it is imperative to mulch the planted plants so that moisture from the soil does not evaporate so quickly. A similar technique also prevents weed grass from germinating, which greatly facilitates the work of the grower.
All varieties of garden peonies can be transplanted and propagated in a similar way.
Top dressing after winter
After the winter, peonies should be well fertilized so that their flowering is plentiful and long.
Young bushes up to two years old do not need to be fed.
The first events are carried out using a liquid composition, pouring it under the root. Fertilize all spring every two weeks. In early spring, peonies are fed with urea, preparing a mixture of 40 g of the drug, dissolved in 10 l of water. There are enough buckets of fertilizer to fertilize three bushes.
The second time, peonies are fed with complex compounds for flowering crops. A third portion is added at the time of budding.
It is necessary to prepare a composition of the following components:
- 10 g of superphosphate;
- 7 g of saltpeter;
- 5 g of potassium.
Substances are dissolved in a bucket of water, the resulting composition is poured under the root of the bush in such a way that fertilizers in no way fall on the foliage. The following top dressing is carried out already in the summer and in the fall.
The treatment of peonies in the spring of disease
As a prophylaxis of fungi, peonies are sprayed with a solution of 1% Bordeaux fluid in spring. The same drug helps prevent the development of gray rot and the appearance of pests such as ants that parasitize buds.
To prevent powdery mildew on the plants - another scourge of peonies - they should be sprayed after treatment with a fungicide after 2 weeks using a solution of 0.5% calcium salt. And also an effective remedy against the defeat of powdery mildew is the treatment with the drug "Figon".
The nuances of caring for flowers, depending on the variety
The main difference in the care of peonies is their proper fit. If all varieties of grassy flowers are placed in the hole strictly vertically, then the tree-like peony must be slightly tilted, placing it at an angle in the pit.
In this case, the root neck of the seedling should be covered with soil about 15 cm: only in this way will the plant be able to form a strong root system very soon. Such a technique allows the peony to quickly form a strong crown. Bushes eventually grow thick and strong.
Differences in peony care in the open field depend on the flowering time. There are varieties in which the buds open only in the middle-end of June, so the schedule of fertilizing necessary during budding should be adjusted.
Powerful and weighty stems of tall species need a mandatory garter, otherwise the flowers will fall to the ground under their weight, the plant will lose its elegant and decorative look.
Tips of experienced gardeners
Feeding peonies, we must try not to overdo it with the introduction of mineral compounds. Nitrogen can be especially harmful, which causes the bushes to quickly build up green mass to the detriment of flowering. If this substance is abused, the plant will begin to “fatten” - the leaves will turn out to be large, but that luxurious flowering, which is expected, will not be.In addition, overfed culture is very vulnerable to fungal diseases.
It is always a pity to remove the side buds on the stems of the bush, but this should be done without fail. If you cut off these parts of the peony, the central ones will become especially large and lush. In addition, after such pruning, the plant will delight longer with its luxurious flowering.
Many lovers make mistakes when choosing a place for planting bushes. These plants really do not like areas near large trees or in partial shade. And also do not plant bushes in lowlands with a close occurrence of groundwater or with stagnation of meltwater in the spring.
Peonies are real favorites of the spring garden, and having learned how to properly care for them at the very beginning of the season, you can get deliciously beautiful flowers
