Flower Baixueta

Color: white; flower shape: crown form; plant type: medium-high and semi-stretched; specification: more than six twigs; level: level 2; place of origin: Luoyang, China

Peony Culture Methods

I. Soil Culture

1. Soil Selection

Peony should be planted in sandy soil that is porous, fertile, thick, leeward, sunny and well-drained. Practice indicates that peony location should be slightly high, with shade on one side. Doing so can prevent water buildup from rotting its root. In addition, the soil should be neutral or slightly acidic. Neither excessive soil acidity nor excessive basicity is suitable for peony growth.

2. Suitable Season and Method

Peony must be cultivated between early October and late November, which assures such plant of highest livability and strong growth next year. In this period, you'd better do planting early as high soil temperature then helps it grow roots early, survive well and winter over for next year's growth. The latter you grows it, the weaker it will be. The worst result is death. Even it survives, this flower will not grow normally yet slowly until the third year.

Peony seedlings, be they planted in the furrow or in holes, should have a broad, deep space with adequate basal dressing. Before planting, please cut off broken or sick roots. Soak peonies in 500-700 times dilution of a solution mixing isofens-methyl and thionate-methyl (carbendazim acceptable as well) 10-20 min in advance. After covering a proper portion of soil, lift up each plant slightly so that the root system can stretch out, followed by compaction layer upon layer. As a rule, water well the seedlings to keep roots and soil in close touch. But, don't go to another extreme in overwatering or having water build up as either act would lead to root rotting.

The density depends on your purposes. For example, if peonies are cultivated for long-time ornament or entertainment, the plant spacing should be 80-100 cm.

II. Pot Culture

Pave the pot bottom with a 3-5 cm layer of rough sand or gravels for draining's sake. In this scenario, please apply mixture of yellow sand soil and seedcake fertilizer, or culture soil consisting of fully decomposed dung, garden soil and coarse sand in 1:1:1 proportion. Bank soil well so that the root system can sprawl and stretch, with no sign of curling; after covering, compact soil with your hands to make the root system closely touches the soil for the sake of survival. Plant seedling in a pot and water it well before putting in a half-shady place for rejuvenation. When it comes to normal care, put the potted peony in a sunny place for receiving sufficient sunlight. During the growth, please loosen soil at regular intervals and apply compound fertilizer once half a month or so. However, no fertilizer, in particular dense fertilizer, should be applied to any newly potted peony; otherwise the fleshy root would rot to death. Half a year later, you can apply light fertilizers like composted chicken manure water or bean washing /soaking water (20%-30% fertilizer). Newly potted peony does not necessarily have fine flowers. But after one year or two years' cultivating, it would bloom lavishly year after year. Since peony often blossoms in mid or late April, you can apply liquid fertilizer 1-2 times in advance and do the same half a month later.

III. Maintenance & Care

1. Fertilization

Fertilize the peony at least three times a year: first, do it beforehand to speed up flowering; second, do it half a month later to supplement nutrients that flowering consumed; third, do it before winter comes. Seedcake fertilizer should be mainly used (0.5-1kg per plant each time). Besides, compound fertilizer can be mixed with seedcake fertilizer.

2. Watering

In general, peony is a drought-tolerant plant. Even so, you should water a peony in any dry season to keep soil moist. After rainfall, please drain away standing water in time.

3. Pest & Disease Prevention

For peonies, the commonest disease is brown spot. To prevent it, apply bordeaux mixture, thionate or carbendazim solution once half a month after the period of flowering. Before winter, trim off sick leaves and burn down them; before sprouting in spring, spray calcium polysulfides. Peonies are mainly afflicted with white cottony cushion scales, which may cling to branches, stems and leaf-backs in summer or autumn. You can apply 500 times dilution of fluoroacetamide or 1,000 times dilution of omethoate to kill such pests or apply calcium polysulfides to branches and stems.

White grub, among others, is the main pest underground. How to Prevent: Sprinkle 1000-1500 times dilution of 50% xim emulsifiable concentrate 20-30 cm deep at the peony root. The dose should be 0.25 kg per mu.