The most honorable place both in the garden and in the country, always occupied and will continue to occupy flowers. And one of the most beloved gardeners of plants is rightfully a peony. Usually it blooms profusely and luxuriantly at the very end of spring. That is why it has become a traditional gift for school teachers on their last call. However, to obtain such flowers, a necessary condition is the planting of peonies in the fall, which requires special attention and careful care, because these delicate plants will have to survive the cold winter.
Despite the fact that this flower is quite simple to grow, caring for it has always raised many questions from inexperienced gardeners. Most often they ask: what is the timing of planting peonies, when to prune them, and when to transplant, what to do with plants after flowering.
Peonies are perennials that spend the whole winter in the soil. Since they are perennial, it requires special preparation of the place for their landing and careful selection of the site. Most favorable for their growth are sunny places. It should be remembered that even slight shading can completely eliminate any possibility of their flowering. Planting peonies in autumn requires well-drained loams as soil. In the case when groundwater is located very close to the surface of the earth, peonies are usually planted on small ridges.
A distinctive feature of peonies is their exceptional frost resistance. They easily withstand cold up to -40 and spring temperature drops up to -8 degrees. If the gardener correctly refills the planting pit of the plant and annually makes the necessary fertilizers, then peonies can grow in one place for up to ten years, without requiring a transplant.
Planting peonies in the fall requires special preparation. To begin with, a pit of certain sizes is dug: 60x60x60. It is best prepared from mid-summer. It is filled with a certain soil mixture, consisting of a kilogram of mineral fertilizers, 2 parts of the earth, one part of sand and 2 parts of humus.
Flowers are propagated throughout the first half of autumn by dividing the bush and transplanting the seedling to a new permanent place. To do this, the old bush is abundantly watered, after which the gardener carefully digs it out, rinses all the earth from the rhizome and cuts it with a very sharp knife so that at least 3-4 buds remain on each individual seedling.
Planting peonies in the fall requires leaving growth buds at ground level. From above, it will be necessary to cover them with a thin layer of fertile soil and mulch, and then water it abundantly. Mulch will provide the necessary drainage and give the plant a constant influx of essential nutrients and heat.
Another interesting feature of this plant is its excellent resistance to diseases and pests. Peony flowers, the planting and care of which are quite simple, rarely get sick, but for prevention they need to be periodically sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux fluid and other drugs.
Today, peonies take pride of place among other flowers both in the garden and in the country. They are ideal for creating flower beds and beautiful alpine slides in the form of a group or single landing.