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Paula Fey's peony is an interspecific hybrid created in the 70s of the last century in the United States. The cultivar was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Peony Society for its abundant flowering and bright color. This is a common crop in Russian gardens, which can also be grown in greenhouse conditions.
Peony description by Paula Fey
The Paula Fey variety is a herbaceous compact shrub that grows up to 80-85 cm in height. Forms a crown with a diameter of about 50 cm. The peony is distinguished by intensive shoots, grows well. The first budding occurs in the third year of growth.
Externally, the Paula Fey hybrid looks like this:
- the peony bush is dense, not spreading, keeps its shape well without additional tying to the support;
- stems are tough, upright, smooth, light green in color. In rainy weather, when the flowers become heavy with moisture, slight drooping of the tops is possible;
- the leaves are arranged alternately, on one petiole there are 6 opposite leaf plates;
- the shape of the leaves is lanceolate with a pointed top, smooth edges and a glossy surface. Slight pubescence is present in the lower part. The foliage is dark green;
- the root system of a peony is mixed, fibrous, grows up to 50 cm in diameter, penetrates into the ground to a depth of 60 cm.
The mixed type of root fully supplies the plant with moisture and nutrition. Due to the significant deepening, the peony winters well without additional shelter. The Paula Fey hybrid differs from other representatives in its high frost resistance, withstands a drop in temperature to -33 ° C.
Paula Fey is a priority when choosing varieties for gardeners in Siberia, Middle, European regions. Peony is in high demand in the Moscow region, it is found in areas of the Leningrad region. The plant is grown in all regions of the North Caucasus. According to the degree of frost resistance, the culture belongs to the 4th climatic zone.
Flowering features
Peony is an early cultivar that blooms in mid-May. The flowering period is about 15 days. The buds form on the tops and lateral shoots, up to three flowers can be on one stem, their life cycle is one week. After the end of the flowering phase, the Paula Fey hybrid retains its green mass until frost, in late autumn the leaves turn a maroon color, then the aerial part dies off.
Peony milky-flowered Paula Fay is a representative of the semi-double type:
- flowers are formed by petals arranged in five rows. The lower ones are open, and closer to the center - half open;
- the heart is dense, consisting of numerous stamens with orange anthers;
- the petals are rounded with wavy edges and a corrugated surface;
- flowers are glossy, dark pink with a coral tint that changes depending on the lighting;
- the shape of the flower is round, lush, the diameter is about 20 cm.
The abundance of flowering Paula Fey depends on the location and the adequacy of nutrition. In the shade, the flowers do not fully open, they are smaller and pale in color. If the peony lacks nutrition or moisture, it may not bloom.
Paula Fey is grown for cutting in order to obtain lush inflorescences, the lateral stems with second-order buds are removed.
Application in design
The interspecific form of the herbaceous peony was created for decorative gardening. Paula Fey is ideally combined with all early flowering plants and evergreen shrubs: dwarf and ground cover species of conifers, yellow tulips, roses with dark flowers, daylilies, bladders, irises, daffodils, hydrangea.
The peony is not placed in the shade of large trees with a dense crown. The constant lack of light and high humidity negatively affect the growing season and flowering. Paula Fey does not tolerate the neighborhood with plants with a creeping root system, since the competition for food will not be in favor of the peony.
The culture was bred for open ground, but when creating full-fledged lighting, the peony can be grown in volumetric pots on the balcony, loggia or decorate a closed veranda. If the biological requirements are not met, the flowers of the Paula Fey variety will not fully open, in the worst case, the peony will not bloom.
A few examples (with a photo) of the use of the Paula Fay peony in ornamental gardening:
- as a border option, peonies of different colors are planted around the perimeter of the flower bed;
- decorate the central part of the flower bed;
To make the peony bush more compact, install a decorative support
- used solo or in a mix of different varieties to decorate lawns;
In a mass planting, Paula Fey is placed next to white or cream varieties
- grown on a bed;
- used in mass planting to design a recreation area;
- to create a color accent in the foreground of large-sized people;
- planted along with flowering crops near the fence;
Peony is in harmony with any flowering plants and shrubs, if they do not shade it
Reproduction methods
Generatively hybrid culture is not propagated, since the germination capacity of the material is poor, and the seedling from seeds does not retain varietal qualities. For Paula Fey, the vegetative method is possible, but the cuttings and cuttings root poorly, at least three years pass before flowering, therefore this method is considered ineffective.
The peony grows quickly, takes root well in a new area, gives a lot of young root tubers.
Landing rules
Hybrid Paula Fey calmly tolerates a drop in temperature, it can be planted before winter or spring. The peony is early, so placement on the site at the beginning of the growing season will postpone flowering by a year. Gardeners most often practice autumn breeding, planting the plant in mid-September. In the spring, the peony will quickly gain green mass and give its first buds.
Landing requirement:
- fully lit. Even partial shade is not allowed, since the peony stops forming new shoots, the flowers become small, do not open completely, lose the brightness of color;
- the soil is neutral, fertile, well aerated, without stagnant water;
- sandy loam or loamy soil;
- good air circulation.
A month before planting, in the area set aside for Paula Fey, if necessary, adjust the soil composition to neutral. On acidic soil, the peony's immunity decreases, on an alkaline composition, the vegetation slows down. A pit 60 cm deep, 50 cm wide is prepared in advance so that the soil has time to settle. The bottom is covered with drainage and peat mixed with compost. Peonies respond well to organic matter; there is not a lot of fertilizers for the culture of this type of fertilizer.
Paula Fey is planted shallowly, therefore, before planting, a fertile mixture is prepared from the sod layer and humus, superphosphate and potassium are added. Fill the hole so that about 15-20 cm remains to the edge and fill it with water.
If the seedling is purchased in a shipping pot, it is placed in a pit along with an earthen lump.In the case of planting with a plot from the mother bush, the root is examined, carefully so as not to damage the young shoots, weak areas, dry fragments are removed. Immersed in a clay solution.
A peony plot should consist of five vegetation buds
Planting the Paula Fey variety:
- The dimensions of the pit are corrected, it should not be deep or, on the contrary, shallow, it is impossible to deepen the kidneys below 4 cm.
- Place the plank on the edges of the groove.
Sprinkle soil so that the buds are 4 cm in the ground
- The peony is placed in the pit at an angle of 450 and fixed to the bar so that the plant does not deepen when the earth subsides.
- Gently sprinkle on top with sand and substrate, if there are young shoots, they are left on the surface.
- The soil is lightly tamped, the peony is watered.
The aerial part is cut off, the root circle is mulched. If the planting is autumn, then the fixing bar is removed at the beginning of summer, after spring work - in the fall. When placing bushes in one line, the distance between the holes is 120-150 cm.
Follow-up care
Paula Fey's Herbaceous Peony Care:
- To maintain moisture on the surface of the soil around the peony bush with a diameter of about 25 cm, the soil is covered with mulch. Every spring the material is updated, in the fall the layer is increased.
- Watering the Paula Fey hybrid begins in the spring, when a stable above-zero temperature has been established, and activities continue until mid-July. The frequency depends on precipitation, on average, a peony needs 20 liters of water per week. Moisture stagnation must not be allowed.
- If there is no mulch, when a crust forms, the soil is loosened, at the same time removing weeds from the root.
- In early spring, the peony is fed with nitrogen-containing agents and potassium phosphate. Phosphorus is added for the budding period. When Paula Fey blooms, the plant is fertilized with organic matter, during this period nitrogen is not used.
Preparing for winter
Before frost, the stems are cut, leaving about 15 cm above the ground. The plant is watered abundantly, the layer of mulch is increased, and fed with organic matter. After the autumn planting, young seedlings are recommended to be covered with straw, then with sacking, and in winter a snowdrift should be made over them.
Pests and diseases
Paula Fey is very rarely sick. The hybrid has a stable immunity to all types of infection. Only with insufficient aeration and drainage can the peony be affected by gray rot or powdery mildew. The plant must be treated with "Fitosporin" and transferred to another place.
Of insects on Paula Fey, the bronze beetle and rootworm nematode parasitize. Get rid of pests with Kinmix.
Conclusion
Peony Paula Fey is a herbaceous shrub of early flowering period. A hybrid variety created for ornamental gardening. The plant has strong immunity. Bright semi-double flowers of a coral shade are combined with all types of plants with similar agricultural technology and biological requirements.
Reviews of the peony Paula Fey
