Peonies

Description and varieties. Peony is one of the most luxurious flower plants, grown for cutting and decorating flower beds. This powerful plant has not only magnificent flowers, but also beautiful greenery of a high decorative bush with openwork leaves.

Floriculture cultivates varieties for milk and flowering, as well as varieties of hybrid peony for use in cutting and decorating flower gardens. In total, about 45 thousand varieties of pions are registered in the world. Peony - a perennial plant with a set of erect simple or branched stems( height 60-100 cm), ending in flowers. The leaves are twice- and thrice-jutted.large, green or bluish. Flowers large( 6-20 cm in diameter), regular, bisexual with numerous stamens, turned into double petals, and

with 3-5 pistils. The aerial part dies yearly. The underground part consists of a rhizome - a modified part of the stems, root-tubers - thickened, fleshy perennial roots with a supply of nutrients and suction one-year roots located at the ends of thickened. Rhizome is similar to root crops, but differs from them functionally: only on the rhizome buds of renewal and accessory roots are formed.

Kidneys start growing very early in the spring. Stem growth lasts 30-40 days, flowering begins 45-60 days from the beginning of growth. The bush blooms 10-15 days, each flower 6-8 days. In hot, dry weather, flowering begins earlier, its duration is shortened. Stems and leaves remain on the peony plant until October, and then die off. Rhizomes and root crops gradually thicken from year to year. Intense root growth occurs in the spring and in the first half of summer, the growth of accessory roots - in late August-September. In arid autumn, the accessory roots are formed late, which adversely affects the wintering of plants. In 8-10-year-old plants the roots reach a depth of 80-100 cm and expand in breadth by 75-80 cm. By the 8th-10th year, the rate of root growth slows down. Renewal buds are laid in the sinuses of the maternal kidney scales for 2 seasons before the apparent development of the shoot. The laying and development of the kidneys are directly dependent on the presence of leaves, which must be taken into account when cutting flowers. On the plant there are always uneven-aged buds, which ensure the continuity of development.

The color of the peony is in the range from white to dark red. The basis of the accepted garden classification of peonies is the shape of a flower. There are 5 main groups of pions:

. Non-malleable - in the flower there are 5-10 petals, arranged in 1-2 rows, in the center - pistils, surrounded by numerous stamens with large anthers, filled with golden pollen. Strong plant with straight unbranched stems. 2. Japanese - transition type from simple to double flower. The stamens are modified, often ribbon-shaped or even petal-shaped. Such neoplasms are called staminodia. Sometimes they are bent inside and form a pillow. Stamens are of different colors - yellow, pink, red, the same as petals, or contrasting. Stems straight, strong. 3 - Anemone - in a flower of 5 or more wide, arranged in 2 or more rows of petals. The stamens are modified into large

. The inframammated form of the

inflorescence is narrow staminoids, with which the center of the flower is filled. Staminoids can be yellow, have a petal color or in some cases have a different color.

4. Semi-circular - flower with 5 or more wide petals, in the center of the annularly located staminoids alternate with wide petal-shaped and normally developed stamens with viable pollen. Flowers are light, lush, well-cut.

5- Terry - in the flower there are 5 or more wide marginal petals located around the center of the flower. In many varieties, all the stamens and pistils are modified into petals, and they are filled with the middle of the flower. Some stamens and pistils are normally developed, but they are hidden by petals. Terry peonies are divided into four subgroups:

Japanese form of inflorescence

Crown form of inflorescence

Spherical form of inflorescence

Rosaceous form of inflorescence

Anemone form of inflorescence

rosy - the petals in the flower are wide, large, roundish, of approximately the same size, slightly smaller towards the center, resemble strongly opened roses; semi-arousal - have the same shape and structure, but in the center of the flower are visible stamens, the petals are located less densely; Crown - Extreme petals are wide, all stamens and pistils are usually turned into petals. The upper petals( petaloids), in which the pistils became wider and taller than the stamina. A flower is high with a crown at the top;

spherical ( hemispherical) - the outer petals are wide, large, all the stamens and petals are turned into petals. Petaloids are wider than staminoids. The petals along the edges are often dissected with serrated edges. The shape is hemispherical, with full disclosure - spherical.

Peonies are divided into 7 groups according to the periods of flowering: very early, early, medium, medium, late, late and very late.

The flowering time can be shifted depending on the weather conditions, but the succession of blooming of individual groups is preserved.

Pioneering dates for pioneering

blossoming starts

very early( AS)

before June 5

Early( P)

from 5 to 10 June

Medium-term( AS)

from 10 to 15 June

Medium( C)

from June 15 to June 20

Mid-late( AS)

from 20 to 25 June

Late( P)

from 25 to 30 June

Very late( OP)

later than 30th of June

Grades

Milk-flowering peony

Red

Semi-spherical flower shape: Kansas P), Sunrise ( C), Longfellow ( C), Marshal McMahon ( SP), Thomas Vaar ( SP), Highlight ( P).Spherical shape: Cruiser Aurora ( C), Alice ( C), Edwin Bills ( SP), Dixie ( SP). Horn-shaped formMere Brand ( C), Lärl Rozenfeld ( SP), Felix Kruss ( SP), Flicke Sue-prim ( P).

Japanese form: Waikiki ( C), Nippon Pair ( C), SYUGU( C).

Pink

Spherical shape: Jules Eli ( AS), BETTER TIME ( C), Königin Wilgelmina ( C), Sweet-16 ( C), Cornelia Shaylor ( SP), Varenka (JV).Rose form: Rose Rose( C), Rake Ortnes ( C), Anniversary ( AS), Roosevelt ( SP), Princess Margaret ( SP), Bernard ( SP), Tondeleo (JV), James Pillow ( P).

White

Spherical shape: Festival Maxima ( СР), Smoу Île( SR), Gardenia ( C), Casablanca ( C), Gagarin's memory ( C), Anchantress ( C), Becky ( SP), Zuri Hayres ( P), A £. Kundert ( P).Crowned forms. Miss America( C), Mercedes ( C), Bayadere ( SP), Aiyaliya Olson ( SP).Japanese form: £ 7m( JV).Rose-shaped: Le Siyiv( C).

Hybrid pion

Red

Single or simple shape: Torch ( C), Red Pamens ( SR), Sewn Avm( OP), Messesayt ( P).Semi-double shape: Carina( SR), Nadia ( C), Golden Glove ( SR).

Terry form: Cincinnati ( OP), Kerol ( P), Evil " Cowley ( SR), Henry Boxtos( C), Diana Pack ( P), Dlets Monarch ( P), Red¥ y / chi( SR), Outens Red ( SR), Red Red Rose( SR), Otems Red( P).

Pink

Semi-double shape: of Louis ( C), Ray China

( P), Claudia ( C).

Terry form: Frosted Rose ( C), Ljgallo

Forehead( ?)

Japanese form: Betty Groff ( C).

White

Non-malleable, or simple, form: Sinet ( C).Semi-double shape: Ballerina ( OP), / Sle / 5 de Lum( OP), Minnie Shaylor ( C), Rus ABB "bs( SP).Terry shape: White sail ( P), Munstone ( OP), Polaris star ( P).

Yellow

Non-malleable, or simple form: Perri mun ( OP).

Reproduction, cultivation and care. Peonies reproduce vegetatively: by dividing the root, by buds of renewal, by cuttings of green and root cuttings. Divided 6-8-year-old bushes of peonies. The younger ones have small rhizomes and densely located buds, which is why they share with difficulty. On the roots of old bushes, diseases usually accumulate, in the central, oldest part of the rhizome, small, weak buds are formed that are unsuitable for planting. By fission proceed in the second half of August before the formation of fresh adnexal roots, which are easily damaged during transplantation. The bush is dug, surrounding it with a groove deep into the spade bayonet.

Then, using scrap, the bush is swung and carefully removed from the ground. Korneklubni free from the ground. If the earth is light and relatively dry, it is shaken off. Wet, heavy it is necessary to wash off water from a hose. The peonies excavated and peeled from the earth are left for several hours in the air. During this time they are slightly podvyut and will not be too fragile. Stems before division are cut to a height of 8-10 cm from the ground. The bush is examined, the place is chosen with the least number of kidneys, a strong wooden stake is slaughtered there. With this, a bush is broken into two parts. Then, each part of the sharp garden knife is divided first into large, and then into smaller, standard, delenki. Such a delenka is a part of the root-club, not less than 20 cm long, with 3 or more large kidneys.

Thick long roots are cut to 10-20 cm at an angle from the inside. Old, diseased, decayed parts of root-tubers are removed or cut to a healthy white tissue. When dividing, it is important to preserve small young roots, grown from the rhizome. In all operations, the root canopy can not be kept for trimming stems, since they easily break off, and at their base are the kidneys. You can not also throw them on the ground, because roots and kidneys can be broken off.

Peonies can grow in one place for 10-15 years. But the division of the old rhizome must be carried out for the rejuvenation and healing of the bush.

Many varieties of peonies can be propagated by stem cuttings. From stems cut at the base 2 weeks before flowering cut cuttings 5-6 cm long with one sheet and put them on a day in a 0.05% solution of heteroauxin in a dark place. Plant cuttings in a greenhouse or boxes with sand, poured a layer of 5 cm

/. The expanded peony bush is dug from the ground of the

and divided into the required number of parts.

2. The standard division, which is the

part of the rootkill, should be at least 20 cm

in length and have 2-3 or more well-developed

kidneys

over the nutrient ground. Cuttings are buried 3-4 cm so that they do not touch the ground. For 3-4 weeks cuttings are kept under frames or film, pritenyayut and sprayed on hot days. At this time, a callus forms on the cuts. Roots develop after another 4-5 weeks, during which ventilation is required. Renal buds are formed only after 2.5-3 months. In spring, when a sprout appears, the plant with a clod of earth is transplanted into the open ground into prepared soil. For pions, open solar areas are suitable, protected from prevailing winds, slightly shaded at noon. In a dense shadow near buildings, tall trees and bushes, peonies grow poorly. Raw, low, poorly drained and especially wetlands for growing pions are not suitable. Groundwater should not approach the soil surface closer than 1 m.

As deep pits are digged under peonies, they can be grown on almost any soil, creating a nutrient medium in the root-the habitable zone inside the pit. On heavy, swampy soils dig pits with a diameter of 60 and a depth of 70 cm. At the bottom lay the drainage layer of 20 cm. At light depth, the pit is 50 cm. Then, for 30 cm, pits are filled with humus or compost, to which lime is added 100-200 g. Bone meal300-400 g. Superphosphate 200 g and potassium chloride 100 g and mix everything. The upper part of the pit is filled with the top layer of the earth selected from the pit. Roots are covered with earth, slightly shaking the piece to fill the soil with all voids, and compact. The buds should be 3-5 cm below the ground level. If the planting pits were filled before planting, then the plants are planted so that the kidneys are at ground level. Then, when shrinking the land in the pit, they will be just at the right depth. Landings at the same time need a bit of okuchit, so that the kidneys were covered with earth. If the delineation is deeper, it can become one of the main causes of poor flowering, and even non-flowering of peonies. For the August planting of the pit, it is better to prepare the pits in the spring, so that the land can settle. In the first winter the plants are covered with peat or the soil is plowed with a layer of 15 cm. In the spring, this land or peat is raked. Part of the peat or other organic material used for the shelter can be left as a mulching layer. In the first and second years after planting, no cut flowers are produced, the buds formed are pricked. Care of peonies includes a usual set of agrotechnical measures - weeding, loosening, watering. Watered plants in the case of dry weather until the end of June, which will allow them to form full-fledged buds of renewal, and then produce 2-3 waterings in late August-September for the development of young adnexal roots. Watered sparingly and abundantly( up to 50 liters / m2) to soak the soil to the depth of the roots. Top-dressing of pions starts from the third season. Doses of fertilizers increase in proportion to the age of the plants. In the third year, 15-25 grams of ammonium nitrate are introduced in several receptions, the first time immediately after melting snow or at the moment when the shoots reach a height of 8-10 cm;the last one - before flowering. Since the unfolding of the leaves and before the beginning of flowering, the peonies are also fed in diluted mullein( 1 10) in 2-3 doses. The total amount of applied fertilizing should not exceed 10 liters per plant. Superphosphate and potassium chloride at the rate of 50 grams per plant are made three times: the

1. At the bottom of a deep pit prepared for pion planting, lay a drainage layer with a thickness of 15 - 20 cm.

2. In the root layer 30-35cm, it is necessary to create a nutrient medium from well-fertilized soil.

3. Up to the top, the pit should be filled with the earth selected during excavation.

4. When planting the kidneys should be buried no more than 3-5 cm

bloom, 2 weeks after flowering and the last time - at the end of August. By the 8th year, fertilizer doses double. They are introduced in dry or dissolved form into grooves 10 cm deep made around the plants at a distance of 25-30 cm from the base of the stems. Peonies are watered in these grooves. In autumn, compost 1 bucket per 4-5-year-old plant is introduced.

Many varieties of peonies have large flowers that lodge, especially after the rains. Therefore, starting from the 3rd year, they need support. Also, from the 3rd year, peonies go to bed - remove the side buds and leave one central on each stalk. Flowers are larger and of better quality. Faded flowers are necessarily removed, since crumbled petals contribute to the spread of gray rot. In autumn, with the onset of stable frosts, around October 15, the stems of peonies are cut off, leaving hemp 1-2 cm high above the kidneys. For the winter peonies cover a layer of peat or unripe compost. Shelter or leaves can cause fungal diseases. Peony flowers are cut early in the morning, in dry weather, leaving at least half of the untouched stems on the plant, and 2-3 leaves on the cut stems. If the plants are cut more severely, they will not be replaced and the replacement buds will not develop, and this will worsen the flowering in subsequent years. Gustomahrovye flowers cut during the deployment of the lower row of petals. At an earlier cut, the buds will remain undisclosed or will unfold very slowly, and then quickly fall off.

You can prolong the flowering if you cut off half of young shoots 5-8 cm high on the bush, leaving a 2-3 cm gap. In this case 2 lateral shoots start to grow from the sinuses of the covering scales. Flowers from them are obtained finer, on thinner peduncles and later for about 2 weeks.

Diseases and pests. Gray rot( botrytis) often occurs, especially on moist, acidic clay soils, as well as in case of applying an excessive dose of nitrogen fertilizers;brown rot( late blight), rust, leaf spot( septoria, ascochitis, cladosporium), powdery mildew, decay of roots( fusariosis, rhizoctonia), stem rot( coniatirium and sclerotinia), viral ring spot and ring mosaic, root root-knot nematode.