Content
Herbaceous peony is a frequent guest in domestic front gardens. Many gardeners make their choice based on the appearance and color of the buds, but there are other factors as well. Also, for active growth and rich flowering, crops require appropriate conditions.
General description of the herbaceous peony
The culture got its name from the name of the disciple of Asclepius Pean, the Greek god of medicine and healing. It is the herbaceous peony that is considered the most unpretentious in cultivation and care. It has not been cultivated for the first century, therefore, many varieties, hybrids have been created, differing in aromas, colors, shapes.
Luxurious bloom will brighten any garden
How a herbaceous peony blooms
The flowers of the bushes are large, fragrant, beautiful. One peduncle usually gives one bud, rare species more. Types of flowers - semi-double, simple, double, shades - cream, yellow, red, pink, white.
The flowering period lasts only 10 days. If you choose the right varieties, the garden will be fragrant for a long time. During flowering, the plants are fully formed, new leaves and stems are not produced. In the summer months, they form buds in the base area, which retain full germination until the new season.
What is the difference between a herbaceous peony and a hybrid
Hybrids are selection, varieties that take only the best from their parents. Herbaceous peonies are a separate group of plants with certain characteristics, flowering periods. The buds of hybrids renew faster, such varieties are completely unpretentious to growing conditions - but the herbaceous type is not too picky about care. The same can be said for decorative characteristics, applications in landscape design.
The aromas are more complex in hybrid varieties. The sizes of the flowers are also larger in the breeding. Hybrids are almost not afraid of diseases, they have a very strong root system.
Herbaceous varieties are slightly inferior to hybrid ones in terms of ease of cultivation.
The best varieties of herbaceous peonies
There are quite a few varieties in the herbaceous group. The most popular ones can be distinguished, which have their own characteristics.
White varieties of herbaceous peony
Plants grow up to 30-150 cm, flowers are large and fluffy, foliage is green, elastic. The culture feels good in different soils. Popular varieties:
- White Cap - Japanese flowers with rounded outer petals and a crimson hue. The inner petals are twisted and have a milky color. The average diameter of the buds is 16 cm. The flowering is abundant, the bushes are straight, powerful.
- White Crane - a globular variety, no more than 1 m in height. It grows quickly, blooms in the middle of the season. The flower is white, medium in size.
- Charles White - milky-flowered variety, slightly yellowish shade. The buds are large, single, double, the central petals are narrow, the outer ones are large. Plant height no more than 1.2 m, large buds. Early flowering.
The described varieties look luxurious on any site.
Red herbaceous peonies
Red varieties immediately attract attention, are the main decoration of the flower bed. Among them:
- Arkady Gaidar - crown flowers with lush bright inflorescences. The composition is colorful and bright. Flowering later, the bushes are spreading, rarely grows more than 90 cm.
- BEAN - bushes with huge dark red buds, double petals, semi-double. The young plant often has a Japanese shape, the stamens are golden, contrasting. There are black petals. Height - no more than 80 cm, the diameter of the buds is large.
- Red Grace - large cherry blossom buds. The bushes grow up to 90 cm, the stems are strong and powerful. The flower has a dense center, smooth rounded outer petals. Lateral buds are missing.
It is best to combine bright buds with lighter ones.
Purple herb peonies
The group includes shrub and semi-shrub plants with different flowering periods. The most popular varieties:
- Bowl of Beauty - the bush blooms with small lilac-pink buds, yellow in the middle. Plants are undersized.
- Anastasia - a variety with luxurious terry inflorescences, foliage of a bright green hue. Blooming later, the bud is lilac-pink. The stem is long, ideal for the southern regions.
- Alexandr Duma - bomb-shaped variety, the shade of the petals is bright lilac. The variety is old, it has existed for a couple of centuries. Blooming later.
Unfortunately, deep purple hues are almost never found.
Chinese herbaceous peonies
Peonies of Chinese selection are the main decorations of rockeries and flower beds. They are irreplaceable in group and flower plantings, that is, they are universal. Popular types of group peonies:
- Big blush - peony with two-colored anemone-shaped pink buds. Some of the petals are creamy. The buds are large, the bush is medium-sized.
- Cold kiss of an exotic flower - the buds are neat, anemone-shaped, the outer petals are rounded. The colors are white-pink, purple-red. The buds are large, the height of the bush is up to 1 m. They acquire a white-pink hue. Flower size: 15 × 9 cm.Bush height: up to 100 cm.
- Purple lotus - peony with delicate petals of red, saturated flowers. Anemone plant. The buds are medium, the bush does not grow more than 90 cm.
All of them are unusually delicate, fragrant, and are of medium size.
Application in landscape design
Herbaceous peonies, due to their excellent decorative qualities, are highly demanded in landscape design. The flowers in different varieties are mostly light, the stems are strong, the bushes themselves are strong and do not require support. This makes plants versatile in terms of use in landscape design - they fit harmoniously into compositions of any complexity.
When creating a decorative landscape composition, you need to take into account the flowering time of different herbaceous varieties.
Breeding features
The main breeding method for herbaceous varieties is by dividing the bush. This is the best method for producing new healthy specimens. The procedure should be carried out carefully without damaging the roots. The plant is dug up, shaken off the ground, washed with water. This will make it easier to see exactly where the separation areas go.
For reproduction, you should take healthy planting material.
The root consists of four parts - small fibrous, large tuberous, connective root, upper eyes (points of active growth). The root system should be divided into parts, make sure that each division has at least one strong root-tuber up to 4 eyes. The smaller the size of the cut, the longer it will take for the plant to start flowering.
How to plant a herbaceous peony
Herbaceous peonies are long-livers, they grow and bloom in one place for up to 50 years if comfortable conditions are created.Therefore, it is important to choose the right territory for planting, to carry out the procedure according to the rules.
The optimal season is August-September. You need a lot of space for growth, at least 50 cm2 on the bush. Distances between seedlings maintain 30-50 cm. Deep planting is not done - ripening buds need to be covered with a layer of earth up to 4 cm. It is important to be careful, as deep or shallow planting will delay flowering. The culture does not tolerate a transplant, therefore it is undesirable to do this.
Before planting, the soil should be properly prepared. The acid-base balance should be close to neutral, the soil itself with high-quality drainage and a high content of organic components. The ideal choice is fertile loose loam.
For clay soils, high-quality drainage is required
The optimum depth of the holes is 50 cm. If it is less, the roots will go along the surface of the soil, suffer from a lack of moisture and nutrition. Two-thirds of the hole is filled with a mixture of compost, ash and garden soil.
Caring for herbaceous peonies
At the base of the stems, after planting, it is good to make mulch from compost or pine bark, which will retain moisture in the soil. Some tall varieties require support during flowering - the smaller the plant, the stronger the stems.
Watering and feeding schedule
Herbaceous peonies grow well in a properly prepared, moderately moist substrate - the main thing is that there is no stagnation of moisture. Too frequent watering is also not recommended; it is forbidden to spray the leaves. Abundant moisture is needed only during periods of severe drought.
In the spring, the first sprouts will appear, it will be possible to make top dressing using complex mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. Plants usually respond well to natural feeding - from ash, humus, compost. Care must be taken to prevent chemicals from getting on the neck of the plants.
In order for the peonies to grow well, it is recommended to treat the roots with fungicidal preparations before immersion in the soil.
When and how to prune herbaceous peonies
The stems of plants are cut in the fall, when the leaves become not so bright green, acquire a yellow tint, and lose their decorative effect. It will be enough to leave up to 15 cm above the ground. It is not necessary to use leaves for garden compost, since bacteria and spores do not lose their viability during its formation.
Preparing for the winter of herbaceous peonies
The snow itself protects the lower parts of the shoots from frost. In cold areas, young seedlings at the base are mulched with earth, then covered with spruce branches. You should not completely close the bushes - this accelerates the development of buds in the spring, often leading to freezing of the buds in the first frost.
How the culture overwinters will depend on the rules for preparing for the cold.
Diseases and pests
When caring for plantings, you need to be as careful as possible - the bushes can be affected by gray mold, which first forms a plaque, then leads to wilting, the death of shoots, leaves, buds. Often the bushes are affected by the fungus powdery mildew - it manifests itself in the form of a whitish bloom.
Another disease of herbaceous varieties is ring spot. It is viral in nature, accompanied by the formation of irregular yellow rings. The presence of the virus does not create serious problems for growth, but it is better to cut off the affected parts with a pruner.
Pests are capable of completely destroying plantings, so careful care is needed.
The culture is resistant to diseases, but it is not 100% immune from them. The main prevention of infection is choosing for planting well-drained soils, ensuring sufficient air circulation.
Conclusion
Herbaceous peony is a luxurious ornamental plant that will decorate any garden. If favorable conditions are created, the culture will live up to 50 years. Care involves feeding, watering, autumn pruning, shelter for the winter. Pest prevention is important.
