Peonies are beautiful perennial flowers that are very popular among gardeners and landscape designers. Perennial decorative culture is good for decorating a flower garden. Beautiful flowers captivate with their unique aroma and beauty. In our article we want to talk about what peonies are and how to breed them, because there are many admirers of a beautiful culture among readers.
Beautiful flower
Peonies occupy one of the leading places among decorative perennial cultures. Probably, it would not be an exaggeration to say that such flowers are found in almost every household plot. They are very popular among experienced and novice gardeners. Beautiful flowers are not only an adornment of any personal plot, but are also used for cutting. Fragrant bouquets look great in vases.
What are peonies? The culture refers to herbaceous perennials and deciduous shrubs (if we are talking about tree-shaped peonies). Plants belong to the only genus of the peony family. The culture got its Latin name in honor of the legendary doctor Peanu, who healed people and gods from wounds received in battles.
The birthplace of culture is China. Varietal plants first came to Europe in the seventeenth century. Subsequently, they began to be called Chinese. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, garden peonies were brought from China to Japan, where new varieties with a Chinese type of flower were bred. In France, in the nineteenth century, the efforts of breeders were obtained new varieties of culture, which to this day remain true masterpieces of world selection.
According to the International Register, more than 4,664 herbaceous varieties and more than 500 tree species have now been registered.
Grade Classification
Not everyone knows about the diversity of culture. Even experienced flower growers are not always familiar with how many species of peonies exist. The names of varieties and photos of flowers presented in our article will help to navigate the issue. It is worth noting that according to the structure of the flower, varieties are divided into:
- Non-double. Such plants have only one row of wide petals ("Golden Glove", "Nadia").
- Half-terry (for example, "hankor legion").
- Anemone (Longfellow variety).
- Japanese ("moon of nippon").
- Pink ("Robert Outen").
- Hemispherical terry ("pearl scattering").
- Crowned (Kansas).
Botanical Description
What are peonies? It is a perennial shrub. A shrub or herbaceous plant that has several stems, the height of which reaches a meter. The culture has a powerful large rhizome of a cone-shaped shape.
On the stems of the culture are a few buds, the leaves are arranged alternately. Usually the foliage is painted dark green with brown, dark purple or blue stripes.
Peony flowers (photo and description are given in the article) reach 15-25 centimeters in diameter. Single inflorescences have a nimbus and a cup. Typically, flowers have five dark green sepals and five petals.
After flowering, a fruit is formed on the plant, which is a complex star-shaped multi-leaf, each of which opens at the seam and gives several large seeds (seeds can have an oval or round shape).
Plant history
What are peonies? These are the oldest plants. Even the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians laid beautiful gardens in which they tried to grow the most outlandish cultures brought from other countries. Greeks and Persians set up gardens for educational purposes. The first mention of peonies dates back to those times.
Peony is a beautiful flower. Since ancient times, he adorned the paintings of artists and palace halls. No wonder he was considered the king of all colors. In splendor and beauty, peonies even competed with roses. Culture was revered and loved not only in China, but also in Europe. Legends were even composed of beautiful flowers, attributing wonderful properties to them. In Greece, for example, a description of beads made from pieces of peony has been preserved. This jewelry was worn from infancy. It was believed that beads scare away evil spirits and heal from ailments.
As early as 1,500 years ago, beautiful imperial gardens adorned flowers in China. Already in those days, skilled court gardeners bred new varieties of peonies. An interesting fact is that ordinary people were strictly forbidden to grow such a culture. It was believed that the flower is very expensive and symbolizes wealth and nobility. Therefore, ordinary people were not supposed to have it in the garden.
It is worth noting that to this day the meaning of the flower has not changed. Peony is still a symbol of nobility and wealth. To give a flower means to wish a person well-being and good.
Japanese gardeners managed to produce a large number of tree varieties. Then the shape of the flower, which is now called Japanese, was obtained.
Until now, many peoples attach great importance to the flowers of the peony. For example, in the East it is believed that they stir up passion. Young girls need to keep flowers in the bedroom to attract love. In ancient Rome, culture was considered a medicine. Therefore, treatises described ailments in which peony can be used as a therapeutic agent. Almost all the famous healers of the ancient world used the plant for the preparation of medicinal potions. And in our time in pharmacies you can buy a tincture of peony roots, which has a sedative effect. It is successfully used for sleep disorders.
The ancient Greeks considered the flower a symbol of longevity. In the ancient annals of the sixteenth century there are references to the fact that peonies grew in the gardens of palaces and in monasteries. It is believed that Peter the Great brought culture to Russia. But in Siberia and the Far East, peonies came from Japan.
In Europe, culture is most loved in France. Well-known gardeners of that time actively worked on the creation of new varieties that are still popular today.
At the end of the nineteenth century, American and English breeders also began to work on breeding new species. Thanks to their efforts, new colors of flowers appeared in the world, the decorativeness of plants was increased.
Varieties of peonies with photos and names
Currently, gardeners have a large selection of varieties of culture. The best varieties of peonies include the following:
- Vitamana is a plant with yellow-golden petals.
- Peter Brand - peonies with snow-white flowers and an open core with numerous yellow stamens.
- "Red Pearl" is a grassy culture with bright red flowers.
- "A flock of butterflies" - a variety with pale pink petals and bright yellow stamens.
- The "black pirate" has a very dark burgundy terry buds.
- Peony leafy. Photos and descriptions of this variety make it possible to appreciate its beauty. This is one of the most popular species found in our gardens.
- "Pink jade." The name itself suggests that the plant has pink flowers.
- Peonies "marin root" refer to evasive species. Flowers of this variety are painted in dark purple.
- "Sarah Bernhardt" is a herbaceous plant with dark pink buds.
Leaf peonies
Every experienced gardener has heard of thin-leaved peonies. Description and photos of this unusual plant allow you to appreciate all its beauty. Very often, this species is called narrow-leaved or Voronets. A perennial herb differs from other varieties in decorative leaves and bright red flowers. This type of peonies is considered very rare and is listed in the Red Book. Unfortunately, in the wild, culture is incredibly rare. But as a garden plant, the narrow-leaved form is becoming more and more popular.
In the 70-80s, this species was very popular. But then he was replaced by new varieties. For a long time, thin-leaved peonies (the description is given in the article) grew on the sites of true connoisseurs. Adult plants of this species reach a height of 40-60 cm. Numerous flowers are formed on the bushes, which in diameter reach 8-10 centimeters. The plant is very bright and beautiful. Flowering of all buds begins at the same time, so the bushes resemble huge bouquets. Great culture pleases the owners for 7-10 days. But even after the flowers wither, the bushes continue to be decorative.
True connoisseurs believe that this is one of the best varieties of peonies. The culture prefers sunny areas, but can grow in places with slight shading.
Ito peonies
A new generation of culture is Ito-peonies. Varieties of hybrids appeared as a result of the irrepressible desire of breeders to get grassy forms with beautiful yellow flowers. In the process of breeding Ito-hybrids, tree-like and milk-flowered species were used. Japanese Toichi Ito became a pioneer in the development of new forms. In honor of him, a new hybrid was named. The breeder began the painstaking work to create a new plant back in 1948. Many years have passed since then, but his students continue his work, creating more and more new and perfect species.
As a result of the most difficult work, a separate branch of culture was created, which is significantly different from the rest of the family.
Ito-hybrids are perennial plants with dying ground shoots. Bushes reach a height of 50-90 centimeters. The leaves of the culture resemble the stems of tree peonies.
Lemon Dream, White Emperor, Barcela, Border Charm, Viking Full Moon are the most famous Ito hybrids. Varieties of peonies differ in color and size of buds.
Tree peonies
Treelike peonies are very popular. Their main difference from other varieties is that their shoots do not die off. For this reason, plants must be preserved in the winter. Bushes of tree-shaped peonies reach a height of 1.5-2 meters.
This type of culture can conditionally be divided into three groups:
- Peonies with double flowers. Such plants can have a variety of bud colors. During flowering, the bushes become very heavy, so they need support.
- Hybrid yellow peonies - this variety is very popular in landscape design, because it has an unusual color. The saturated shade of flowers with patterned leaves is unusually beautiful.
- Japanese varietal plants can have semi-double and double flowers of different shades.
Of the tree forms, the following varieties of peonies are most popular (description is given below):
- "White Crystal". Flowers fully justify their name, as they shine with crystal whiteness in the sun.
- "White jade" is an old variety with white multi-leaf buds.
- The White Phoenix. Buds of this species when blooming are painted pink, but subsequently whiten.
- “White Wanderer” is a special super-wide variety that does not have a core. White flowers of peonies are very large.
- "Red Giant" is a beautiful plant with giant red-pink buds.
- "The red lotus." This cultivar has bright red flowers resembling a lotus shape.
Peony propagation
Peonies propagate by delenki. But you need to purchase them in proven places. In the markets you will not find good delenki. If you want to buy high-quality culture, then it is worth visiting specialized stores. How to choose a good root? It is necessary to opt for dividends having from three to five eyes. The length of the roots should be 10-15 cm.
Some varieties of American hybrids and medicinal peonies breed in pieces of root. Experts note that from non-standard delenki you can often get very good bushes. But planting too developed rhizomes in the ground is not recommended.
The eyes of high-quality delineations should be shiny and bright. There should be no signs of rot or sunburn on the roots. All rotted areas on the deletions are removed, leaving only healthy tissue.
In the process of cleaning the roots of dirt and rot, they must be soaked for a day in a humate solution. After delenki, it is necessary to disinfect in a suspension of foundationazole for thirty minutes.
To prevent the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms from the soil into the roots, experts recommend using a clay mash with the addition of copper sulfate and wood ash. The mass is thoroughly mixed and dipped into it every dividend.
Preparing the landing site
It is very important to choose the right place for planting peonies. The site should be well lit and at the same time it should be well protected from drafts and winds. When choosing a place to plant it is worth remembering that peonies are large flowers that grow in one place for many years. To plant one bush, it is necessary to put a plot measuring 80 by 80 centimeters.
If the soil is acidic in the garden, lime and clay must be added to it. For further normal growth of the culture, regular application of wood ash will be required. Phosphogypsum must be added to the salt marsh soil.
Landing Delenok
For successful cultivation of peonies, it is necessary to perform the correct landing. Each dividend is planted in a separate hole. At the same time, her eyes should be at a depth of no more than 3-5 centimeters. If we are talking about hybrid forms, then they are planted to a depth of 10-12 centimeters.
Delenki fall asleep on ¾. From above, the soil is compacted with hands so that there are no air voids. The surface is mulched with a mixture of sand and ash mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. Delenki well watered after planting will be needed (about one bucket of water). If autumn turned out to be dry, then before the cold weather it is possible to carry out 2-3 irrigation. The number of irrigations depends on the state of the soil.
Winter preparations
Depending on which peony flowers you choose for planting, you will need to prepare the bushes for winter. It is preferable to shelter some varieties before the onset of cold weather. Shelter must be done on dry soil. As a material, you can use spruce branches. If snow has laid on the ground, then cover the planting is not worth it. Peony roots do not tolerate high humidity, so in the autumn it is necessary to mulch the soil. Such a simple way will protect in the spring from planting choking. After all, loosening the soil before the appearance of the first shoots is not recommended, since they can be damaged.
Feeding
To obtain abundant and long flowering, bushes must be regularly fed. Plants that are more than two years old can be fertilized with ammonium nitrate. To do this, the granules are scattered on melt snow. To speed up the melting process, you can sprinkle ash.
Delenki planted in the fall can be fed after 10-15 days with a weak solution of ammonium nitrate. For this, granules (5-10 grams) are dissolved in a bucket of water (10 l).
Experienced gardeners believe that overfeeding peonies is very dangerous, as this can lead to poor flowering. A large number of fertilizers makes the plant defenseless against infections.
In the process of peony care, it is necessary to alternate foliar and root dressings. For this, it is necessary to use humate, foundationazole and preparations with a high content of trace elements.
In addition, plants can be fed with mullein. Cow dung is poured with water and insisted for several days. After the settled solution, the plants are watered. During the formation of buds, superphosphate is recommended to be added to the mullein.
At the end of the flowering period, you can add a solution of wood ash, which is insisted for four days (300 g of ash are taken per 10 liters of water).
Features argotekhniki
Peony care has its own characteristics. Every year, the root neck of the plant grows five to six mm up. Therefore, it is strongly exposed in the process of weed removal. You can deal with the problem by mulching.
In addition, plants need regular watering, loosening the soil and removing weeds. It is especially important to ensure watering after flowering, since it is during this period that buds are laid for the next year. In August, the root system intensifies and the eyes develop. The leaves of the plant are removed in preparation for winter not earlier than October.
Cut flowers
Florists grow peonies for the sake of beautiful flowers, which are used to create beautiful bouquets. However, the wrong cut can harm the bushes. Before flowering begins, it is necessary to form a plant. After the buds have reached the size of a pea, they must be thinned out.
Only the strongest ovaries are left, and the rest are removed. .
After growing peonies in one place for ten years, their flowering noticeably worsens. Therefore, it is necessary to rejuvenate the bushes. For this, the plants are dug up by making a hole around it. It is worth noting that it is not so simple to extract adult plants from the earth. Their root system is very powerful. Further, the bush is divided into separate delenki, each of which should have 3-5 eyes and the same roots.
Before dividing, dug plants must be dried for several hours to avoid further brittle roots. Separate tubers carefully. After all, the quality of planting material depends on this. After the division of the rhizomes, a lot of fragments and stems with kidneys remain. They should not be thrown away, it is better to plant roots in a separate area. In a couple of years, they can make good plants. For the winter, plantings must be covered with a layer of peat.
Valuable delenki to accelerate the process of germination must be placed in a bag with wet sawdust or moss. Then they are kept in the incubator for a month. Periodically, the package must be untied and aired. Subsequently, the blanks are stored in the cellar. As soon as weather conditions permit, delenki planted in open ground.
Prevention of ailments
Proper care is the key to plant health. With proper agricultural technology, peonies practically do not get sick. It is very important not to overfeed the bushes with nitrogen fertilizers. Young plants are recommended to be treated with fungicides with trace elements.
Annually, a mixture of wood ash and sand should be added to the root neck. In early spring, seedlings need to be pollinated with wood ash. The most detrimental ailment for peonies is gray rot. At an early stage, it causes the stems to wither, and at a later time it contributes to the death of the buds. If you notice the appearance of gray rot on the bushes, it is necessary to cut the affected shoots under the root. The places of cuts are treated with ash, and bushes are abundantly watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. Remote plant parts and flowers need to be burned to destroy gray rot.