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Peony Marie Lemoine is a perennial plant with double, light cream flowers of a lush spherical shape. A variety of hybrid origin, bred in France in 1869.
Peonies Marie Lemoine bloom up to 20 cm in diameter
Description of peony Marie Lemoine
The herbaceous peonies of the Marie Lemoine cultivar reach 80 cm in height, forming an upright, rapidly growing bush. The stems are strong and resilient. The leaves of Marie Lemoine are deep green, trifoliate, dissected and pointed. The rhizome is large, developed, with fusiform thickenings.
Peony Marie Lemoine is resistant to drought and cold. Belongs to the 3rd zone of frost resistance - withstands a drop in temperature to -40 degrees and is able to grow in the Moscow region, the Far East, the Urals. Marie Lemoine prefers lighted areas, but slight shading is acceptable.
Flowering features
Milk-flowered peonies Marie Lemoine have lush double crown-shaped inflorescences. Single buds, bloom up to 20 cm in diameter, creamy pink, occasionally with a lemon tinge. In the center there is a funnel of white petals with crimson stripes and shortened yellow petals. Abundant flowering, later (late June),
lasting from 8 to 20 days, sweetish aroma. There are 3–8 buds on the shoots.
Application in design
The openwork bush Marie Lemoine is decorative throughout the season. During flowering, it looks spectacular against the background of the lawn. Forms a harmonious combination with roses, clematis, geraniums, junipers and dwarf pines.
Marie Lemoine is popular in mixborders near gazebos and walkways. Can be combined with brighter varieties (red, lilac and pink flowers) and other decorative deciduous plants. Peonies are indispensable for making bouquets and floral arrangements.
Landscape composition with peonies
Reproduction methods
Reproduction of Marie Lemoine is possible by seeds and vegetatively. An effective way is by dividing the bush. For this, an adult peony (4-5 years old) with a developed root system is chosen. Divide with a secateurs or a sharp knife. On the daughter and mother plant, it is necessary to leave roots of at least 10 cm and 2-3 buds. The division is carried out from the second half of August to the end of September. Other less popular methods: propagation by root and stem cuttings, vertical layers.
Landing rules
Marie Lemoine prefers loamy, moderately alkaline soils with deep groundwater levels. If the soil is acidic, lime can be added to it.
A place for planting is chosen illuminated, with sufficient air circulation; it is undesirable to place it near trees and walls of buildings.
Suitable time for planting: August to October depending on the climate. It should be noted that at least 40 days should pass from the moment of planting to the onset of frost.
Saplings, as a rule, are in the form of a cut - part of a bush with roots. The rhizome should have several adventitious processes, buds for renewal and not be thin or have a lignified skin. The Marie Lemoine seedling should be checked for rot and nodules.
Peony rhizome with adventitious processes
Planting stages:
- They dig a hole 60x60 cm in size, fill the bottom with a drainage layer (small pebbles, chipped brick, crushed stone, gravel) by 10 cm.
- Wood ash, compost, peat, sand are mixed, sprinkled with earth, leaving 12 cm to the soil surface.
- The seedling is deepened by 7 cm.
- The soil is carefully compacted.
- Watering, adding soil when subsiding.
- Mulch with a thin layer of rotted manure.
With a group planting, the distance between the bushes of Marie Lemoine peonies is left 1-1.5 m, since the plant is actively growing.
Follow-up care
The Marie Lemoine variety begins to bloom at 2-3 years old. Peony care consists of regular watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and mulching.
Marie Lemoine needs moderate watering. Waterlogging of the soil can lead to root rot. In summer, irrigate in the evening every 10 days. The water norm is 20 liters per adult bush. After watering, the soil is loosened up to 50 cm wide and up to 5 cm deep, making sure that the water does not linger around the peony for a long time. It is important to remove weeds in a timely manner.
For the lush flowering of the Marie Lemoine variety, complex fertilizers are used. Top dressing is carried out 3 times per season:
- After the snow melts, fertilize with nitrogen-potassium supplements. A peony bush requires about 15 g of nitrogen and 20 g of potassium.
- During the period of bud formation, they are fed with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus: 15 g of substance per bush.
- 2 weeks after flowering, fertilize with phosphorus-potassium dressings (30 g per bush)
In dry weather, fertilizers are diluted in water, in rainy weather - granular additives can be used by scattering them in a trench next to the trunk circle.
In addition, Marie Lemoine is treated with foliar mineral dressings, sprayed with a spray bottle.
Natural organic fertilizers (compost or manure) saturate the soil well and nourish the plant, mulching the soil with them before frost. The procedure protects the rhizome from hypothermia, moisture loss and does not allow the soil to become too compacted. Before mulching, it is advisable to sprinkle the ground with wood ash.
Preparing for winter
In autumn, peonies are prepared for the ground: they are pruned and covered. Pruning is carried out with pruning shears, having previously disinfected it with alcohol. Leave small shoots. Then a complex fertilizer based on potassium and phosphorus is added, or bone meal together with ash, loosened and slightly dripped.
To protect against freezing temperatures after the first frost, Marie Lemoine peonies are covered with peat, manure, humus or spruce branches. You can use special non-woven fabrics. Should not be covered with trimmed tops.
Pests and diseases
Peonies are often infested with Botrytis paeonia mold or gray mold. Symptoms of the disease: decay of buds and petals, darkening of stems and leaves with the appearance of brown spots. The fungus develops very quickly and leads to wilting and dropping of the stems. Cold rainy weather, waterlogging of the soil, lack of air circulation and sudden changes in temperature in summer and spring contribute to the reproduction of the pathogen.
Another fungus that infects Marie Lemoine peonies is Cronartium flaccidum or rust. Signs of the disease: the formation of small brown spots, curling and drying of leaves, weakening of the plant. Humidity and warm weather contribute to the development of the parasite.
Powdery mildew, a fungal disease caused by microscopic pathogens, is dangerous for peony. When infected, a white bloom develops on the leaves, and when the spores mature, droplets of liquid appear. The development of the pathogen at the initial stage can be easily stopped by sprinkling with copper sulfate diluted in water.
Powdery mildew affects peony leaves
Sometimes Marie Lemoine peonies are affected by root rot caused by fungi Fusarium, Phytophthora, etc. The manifestation of the disease is darkening and wilting of the stems.
For the prevention of fungal diseases, it is necessary:
- removal of damaged parts of the plant;
- limited use of fertilizers containing nitrogen;
- autumn pruning;
- moderate watering, avoid excessive soil moisture.
For treatment, fungicides are used, spraying in spring and summer. Infected leaves and stems are harvested and burned.
Of viruses for peonies Marie Lemoine, the ring mosaic (Peony ringspot virus) is dangerous. The disease can be recognized by light foci on the leaves. If found, tear off and remove the damaged parts of the peony.
In addition to microorganisms, peonies can infect insects: ants, whiteflies, aphids. For destruction, insecticides are used. Aphicides are good for aphids.
Conclusion
Peony Marie Lemoine is a herbaceous light cream peony with large double flowers that resemble crowns. The variety is late, unpretentious and frost-resistant. With proper care, it blooms magnificently, in landscape design it is used both in single and in group plantings.
