Peonies – Planting, Care & Pruning

With the peonies (peonies) and their magnificent, beautiful white to pink colored flowers, early summer is announced everywhere. The most common species in our region is the common peony. It is also known as the farmer’s peony. However, the Chinese peony has recently become more and more common. A peony can occur both as a tree, i.e. as a shrub, and in the form of a perennial. The perennial peonies should be pruned in autumn, while the bushes whose shoots have become woody do not require pruning. In addition, peonies are extremely hardy plants that can live for a long period of time. In order to ensure this, however, a few points must be observed.

General information on planting peonies

The peony can be planted in two forms. On the one hand there is the possibility of sowing the seed of the plant, on the other hand you can plant the finished peony or plant it again by division. The peonies need a location that they should have for a long time. This allows the plant to develop optimally. This should be slightly sheltered from the wind and let the sunlight through in a filtered form, i.e. near a tree whose foliage is not too strong and dense.

sowing

The seed of this plant can dry out very quickly. Therefore, you should obtain the seeds in autumn and bring them into the ground immediately. A frosty period is required for the peony to germinate. One winter is often not sufficient for this. Grow the seeds in deep seed trays with a sandy loam soil or in cactus soil. Then leave them in partial shade and always keep them slightly moist. If kept too moist there is a risk of rot. When the seedlings appear in the spring, prick them out immediately. However, the cotyledons remain underground to protect the fresh shoot. Only the leaves can be seen above ground. The peonies develop a lush root system in a very short time, so it is advisable to leave the plants enough space.

perennial peonies

With the perennial peony, a planting area of ​​approx. 80 x 80 cm to approx. 100 x 100 cm should be considered for tall varieties. For the other varieties, an area of ​​around 60 x 60 cm to 80 x 80 cm is perfectly sufficient. The peony can only grow undisturbed if these minimum dimensions are observed. However, the soil must be loosened up very well for planting and the entire planting pit must be dug out sufficiently large. Two groundbreakings are usually the measure for this. When the perennial peony is planted, the buds should be about three inches covered with soil. If there is more than three centimeters of soil on the buds, there is a risk that the plant will not flower. Now it is time to water the plant well. Please make sure that the soil is permeable. Should this not be the case,

Planting the perennial peony briefly summarized

  • Keep the planting area sufficiently large
  • Dig the planting pit deep enough
  • Loosen the soil very well in this area
  • Cover buds 3 cm with soil
  • more than 3 cm and plant may not flower
  • water well
  • Pay attention to the soil, possibly create drainage or enrich the soil

Plant shrub peonies

  • Planting area from 120 x 120 cm to 150 x 150 cm
  • for very young plants or grafting 80 x 80 cm to about 100 x 100 cm, diameter 60 cm
  • Loosen the soil in the planting area very well
  • Deep about two sods
  • for larger shrubs: Plant pit a third more root plate in diameter
  • when grafting Grafting point must be about 5 to 10 cm below ground
  • Plant can die if minimum depth is not maintained
  • Plant the roots about 5 to 10 cm deeper than the roots of the perennial peony
  • water well
  • Pay attention to the soil, possibly create drainage or enrich the soil

Types of tree peony

The tree peony is divided into three types. These are the wild species, noble peonies and hybrid peonies. With noble peonies, depending on the species, there is a possibility that the stamens will turn into petals. Thus, a bloom within a bloom can certainly result. The hybrid peony is a cross between different wild species or a cross between wild species and the Chinese peony. The hybrid peonies have a reputation for being extremely stable and hardy.

Refinement of the shrub peony

The refinement of the peonies can be carried out in a total of five different ways. These are nurse finishing, diagonal cutting finishing, oculation, chip finishing and the traditional wedge method.

Ammen-Veredlung

There is usually only little propagation material, the so-called scions. In addition to the possibility of using appropriate seedlings, you can also use the roots of the garden peony. After growing together, these roots feed the scions until the rice has formed its own roots. The best time for this grafting method is late summer, between August and September. When the rice has formed its own roots, the nurse roots are shed.

  • Nurse grafting: grafting on perennial plant roots
  • Nurses are rejected after their own root formation
  • best time August/September

bevel cut finishing

The bevel cut refinement is also called copulation. You put a rice with about 3 – 5 eyes on a base consisting of the bush. The optimal time for this is also around August/September, when the plants form new roots. Both the rice and the base are cut at an angle and pressed together using an elastic finishing band. It is pressed together in such a way that the two parts can grow together. With this species you can transfer different flower shapes and colors to the tree peony.

  • Press the rice with 3 – 5 eyes onto the bush so that they can grow together
  • Cut both parts at an angle
  • Period August / September
  • different colors and flower shapes as possible

oculation

For this, the base for the rice must be full of juice. That means the refinement has to take place earlier. The time around July and August is suitable for this. The exact time is when the bark can be easily detached. The bark flaps must then be detached to the sides. Then an eye without leaves of the desired variety is taken without wood, placed under the bark flaps of the base and then pressed firmly with a grafting rubber.

  • Remove the eye without leaves and without wood from the desired plant
  • push under the bark flaps of the underlay and press down
  • favorable time July / August, when bark can be easily removed

The chip refinement is similar to the oculation. It offers the advantage that propagation can also be carried out at different times than the budding times. A thin sliver is taken from the bark of the plants – substrate, which can be left in full length, but can also be shortened. A dormant eye of the noble variety (not sprouted, leaves removed) is placed behind it and pressed on with a grafting rubber. If possible, do not use peony roots as a base.

  • Put the eye of the noble variety behind the bark of the chip
  • press
  • do not use a peony as a base
  • independent of time

wedge method

The wedge method is one of the finishing methods that was discovered and used centuries ago. The scion is tapered here in a wedge shape and pressed into a prepared narrow gap at the head of the root. This means that the rice is very tight and hardly or not at all needs to be pressed. However, the rice should be protected from moisture, for example resin can be used for this. However, this method offers a very small growth rate, so it is hardly irrelevant nowadays.

  • traditional method
  • Rice pointed in a wedge shape and pressed into the top of the base
  • protect from moisture
  • bad growth rate
  • division of the peony

In contrast to many other stud plants, the peony should only be divided and transplanted very rarely, if at all. This “homeland connection” at one and the same location over decades provides the perennial peonies with optimal conditions for optimal development. However, if a division is to be made, it is advisable to do this in the autumn. A division must be made in any case, should a plant ever have to be transplanted. Autumn is the best time for this, too, because this is when the resting phase for the winter begins.

Flowering time of the tree peony

Most species bloom in April and May. It often begins in mid-April and then extends into May. In some species, flowering does not begin until the beginning of May.

Tips for the winter

Most species of the Päomie that occur in our country are hardy. The reason for this is the deep-seated roots. The buds can withstand temperatures of minus ten degrees, the flowers can still cope with temperatures of minus five degrees. For this reason, additional security measures against frost can be omitted. However, there is the option of covering the plants with fir and spruce brushwood to prevent them from freezing too high. However, care must be taken to ensure that this cover is removed in good time before budding.

Fertilize

  • twice a year, during budding and after flowering
  • Weakly phosphorus and potassium-rich compound fertilizer

Diseases

The greatest danger for the peonies comes from the gray mold. This fungus can cause a lot of damage to the plant. Gray mold is most common in spring. So when the air is humid and warm. Signs of an infestation are whole withered shoots in the tree peony and rotting stalks or dried up buds in the garden peony. If the plant is infested, the diseased parts of the plant must be removed and disposed of with household waste. Never add the plant parts to the compost. As a result, the fungus can only continue to multiply with the compost soil and attack other plants. The affected part is removed by cutting back the bushes until you reach the healthy wood. In the case of perennials, the entire stem should be removed. To prevent gray mold

Conclusion
The peony is a plant that is very easy to care for. Compared to many others, it only requires occasional fertilization and a clean-up cut in the fall. However, the right location should be chosen for the peony so that it gives pleasure for a long time.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

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