Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.
Peony is graceful and luxurious, with national beauty and fragrant fragrance. It has been respected as the king of flowers since ancient times. Known as the "rich flower", it is a valuable ornamental flower.
[Morphological Characteristics]
It is a deciduous shrub with branches sprouting from the ground. The branches are thick and short, and the nodes and leaf marks are obvious. Fleshy root system, no lateral roots. The leaves are alternate, papery, usually two-to-three compound leaves with long stalks. The flowers are solitary on the top of the branches, large, with 5 sepals, green, with either single or double petals. The flowers are rich in color, including yellow, white, red, pink, purple, green and other colors. The flowering period is from April to May, with follicles densely covered with yellowish-brown hairs and black seeds (see color picture 99).
my country has a long history of cultivating peonies and there are many varieties. At present, the total number of peony horticultural varieties in the country exceeds 500. The main famous brands are: Yaohuang, Weizi, Mokui, Doulu, Erqiao, Baiyu, and Lantian. Jade, Hu Hong, Zhihong, Luoyang Red, Zhuangyuan Red, First Case Red, Yipin Zhuyi, Yingluo Pearl, Zhao Fen, Dewdrop Pink, Three Transformations of Charming Face, Drunken Yang Fei, White Snow Tower, Kunshan Night Light, Big Brown Purple , Gejin purple, smoke cage purple, ink scattered gold, green dragon lying in the ink pool, etc. Regarding the research on the classification of peony varieties in my country, there is currently no consistent view. Some advocate dividing them into 3 categories and 11 types, while others advocate dividing them into 3 categories and 10 types.
[Distribution]
Original in western and northern my country, it is a warm temperate and temperate tree species. It is concentrated in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi and the Funiu Mountains of Henan. It has been cultivated for a long time and is widely distributed. It is especially famous for its cultivation in Heze, Shandong, Luoyang, Henan and Bo County, Anhui. Peonies cultivated and ornamental in other countries around the world were originally introduced from China.
[Habits]
Peony has strict climate requirements. "It likes cold and is afraid of heat, likes dryness and hates dampness. It should be planted high and open to the sun and has a comfortable nature." This basically summarizes the ecological habits of peony. , Generally speaking, they like a unique environment that is warm, dry, cool, sunny, ventilated and dry. It is quite cold-tolerant and can withstand low temperatures of -20°C, but is very intolerant to heat. The average daily temperature exceeds 27°C and the extreme maximum temperature exceeds 35°C. It grows poorly, with branches shrinking and leaves withering and falling off. For fleshy root systems, the average relative soil humidity should be about 50%. It has strong tillering power and is easy to divide, but it is not resistant to transplantation.
[Propagation, Cultivation and Maintenance]
Peony propagation can use various methods such as division, grafting, cutting and sowing. The most commonly used are the first two methods.
Propagation by division is simple and easy, but the reproduction coefficient is low. First, dig out the entire 4- to 5-year-old large peony plant, remove the soil attached to the roots, and let it dry in a cool place for 2 to 3 days. After the roots have softened slightly, check their interconnection status to find out where they are easily separated, and use Break it open by hand or split it with a knife. If the bush is large, each plant can be divided into 4 to 5 plants and then planted. Branching should be carried out in autumn, because after mid-to-late September, growth tends to stop and gradually enter the dormant period, but the roots do not completely stop growing at this time. At this time, it is the autumnal equinox, so the roots of peonies planted separately are the easiest to heal, grow new roots, and bloom the next year. If the roots are divided too late, the root wound will be difficult to heal. After germination in early spring the following year, water and nutrients will be needed for growth and flowering, but the underground part has not yet grown new roots, and its ability to absorb water and fertilizer cannot meet the needs of the aboveground part. The plants will wilt or even die. Most planted peonies will not bloom for many years. One of the reasons is that they are divided too late. It is not suitable if the plants are divided too early, because the temperature is high at this time, and new leaves can still germinate after planting, consuming nutrients and affecting the growth and flowering of the next year. If the plants are divided in spring, when the weather gets warmer, the above-ground parts will germinate rapidly, and the wounds on the underground parts have not yet healed, which will cause nutritional imbalance. Not only will they not be able to bloom that year, but their growth will be weakened, which will also affect the flowering of the next year.
Grafting propagation mostly uses peony root as the rootstock, and the new branches that sprout on the rhizosphere of the large peony plant or the one-year-old short branches on the branches are used as the scion. Grafting is carried out by cleft grafting or embedded grafting. Grafting is carried out in autumn.
For cutting propagation, choose rhizosphere-germinating branches as cuttings, about 15 cm long, treat them with 300 mg/L indolebutyric acid and then insert them into the seedbed. The cutting depth is 1/3 or 1/2 of the cuttings. . Water immediately after planting and keep the bed surface moist and shaded.
Sowing propagation is used to cultivate new varieties. The seeds are harvested and sown when they are nine-tenths of the time mature. This method will germinate neatly in the second spring. If the seeds are mature or sown too late, the seeds will not sprout in the second spring. Germination will not occur until the spring of the third year. The seedbed for sowing should be high to prevent water accumulation. After sowing, cover with grass to keep the soil moist.
Peonies have fleshy roots. When planting, choose loose, fertile, deep sandy loam, and choose a place with high, dry terrain and good drainage. Planting should be done in the Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly known as the "peony birthday". When digging seedlings, be careful not to break the fine roots. It is better to plant as you dig. If long-distance transportation is required, it is advisable to dry the roots for 1 day before packaging and shipping. During cultivation, the roots should be properly pruned, diseased roots and broken roots should be cut off, and then soaked in 0.1% copper sulfate solution or 5% lime water for half an hour for disinfection, and then taken out and rinsed with clean water before planting. The planting depth is based on the junction of the roots and stems. It is better to be flush with the soil surface.
Peonies like fertilizer. If you want to make the peony flowers large and colorful and avoid the phenomenon of "blooming every other year", you need to apply fertilizer at least three times a year: the first time is pre-flowering fertilizer, after thawing in February; The second time is after flowering, in early May; the third time is before winter.
In order to make the peony grow strong, bloom every year, and have colorful flowers, it is necessary to perform pruning, including stem setting, pruning, bud removal, bud thinning, etc. After 2 to 3 years of peony planting, stemming can be carried out to determine how many branches the plant will have. For varieties with weak growth potential and few branches, generally cut off thin and weak branches and keep strong branches. For varieties with strong growth potential and many branches, it is appropriate to leave 3 to 5 trunks. For varieties with particularly strong growth and vigorous growth, they can be pruned into single-stem "peony trees". The flower buds of peonies begin to differentiate in late July each year and are completed in late September. Since they differentiate into flower buds at the tops of new branches of the current year, pruning should be carried out immediately after the flowers fade in late spring and early summer. Each peony planted in the flower bed can retain 5 to 6 clustered main branches. Cut off all the remaining main branches, and use the leaves on the old branches to support the germination and growth of new branches and provide assimilated nutrients for the differentiation of flower buds. . Old perennial plants need to be renewed by pruning, preferably before the leaves fall in early to mid-September. In addition, it is necessary to remove buds and prune redundant branches, diseased branches, inward branches, cross branches, parallel branches, and overlapping branches every year to ensure balanced plant growth and luxuriant flowering.
Peony's cold tolerance has a certain limit. In the northern temperate zone, it needs to be buried in soil to prevent cold and overwinter. The thickness of the buried soil must be 10 to 15 cm higher than the top of the branches to prevent the flower buds from freezing. If the flower branches are too dense before blooming in the early spring of the following year, the low flower branches should be thinned out to make the flower heads dense and sparse to prevent "flowers hidden in the leaves". Some varieties with huge flowers often droop and fall after blooming, and poles should be set up for binding.
Peonies are also suitable for cultivation. Through temperature control, they can bloom on New Year's Day and Spring Festival. The method is to pot the peonies 35 to 60 days before the festival, and gradually increase the temperature after moving into the greenhouse, to 20 to 25°C during the day (open windows for ventilation if it exceeds 25°C), 10 to 15°C at night, and increase the relative humidity every other day. Apply a thin fertilizer solution once every 10 days. You can also spray the leaves with 0.2% to 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate as top dressing. If the flower buds do not sprout, you can apply 300 to 500 mg/L gibberellin solution to the buds to promote germination. , after 40 to 45 days, it will bloom in up to 60 days. If flowering occurs early, the potted flowers can be moved into a low-temperature room (5-15°C) for temporary storage.
The main diseases and insect pests of peony are: peony gray mold, leaf mold, ring spot, spot disease, rust, blight, root rot, root-knot nematode, Japanese turtle wax scale, blowing cotton scale , peach aphid, domestic termites, etc. Prevention and treatment methods: ① Spray or pour any agent such as chlorothalonil, Bordeaux mixture, zinc, and thiophanate methyl several times in the early stage of the disease. ② Treat the soil with nematicides in the field, bury the potted plants with carbofuran in the soil, and water them to kill various pests. ③ During the ant colony activity season, apply ant spirit to eliminate termites. ④ In the nymph stage of scale insects and aphids, spray any pesticide such as omethoate, phoxim, phoxim, phoxim, and carbaryl.
[Appreciation and Application]
Peony is a traditional famous flower in my country. The plant shape is dignified, the branches and leaves are beautiful, the flowers are elegant, and the flowers are brightly colored, including white, yellow, pink, red, purple, dark green, and blue. They are also fragrant and outstanding in appearance. They have won the reputation as far back as the Tang Dynasty. The praise of "national beauty and heavenly fragrance". "It takes twenty days for the flowers to bloom and fall, and everyone in the city is going crazy." This is a true portrayal of the unprecedented splendor of viewing peonies in Chang'an, the capital at that time. For thousands of years, the peony has been deeply loved by the Chinese people for its graceful and elegant appearance. It is revered as the first of all flowers, the king of flowers and the most famous flower in China. It has been praised and praised by countless people.
Peony plays an important role in gardening. In the garden, they are often planted on flower beds, called "peony beds". If they are planted next to mountains or around trees, they are planted in layers and paired with lake stones, which is quite unique. If planted in a border, protected by low railings and decorated with lake stones, it will be very beautiful. Most parks have a separate area, with peonies as the centerpiece, and stacked stones, trees, grass and flowers cooperating with each other to form a garden within a garden with peonies as the main scenery, which is called a "peony garden".
The application of peony potted plants is more flexible and convenient. It can hold peony variety exhibitions indoors, can also be placed at major scenic spots in the garden, and can also be used as decorations indoors or on the balcony of residents.
Peonies can also be cultivated as cut flowers. After the flowering period is delayed, they can bloom in all seasons. If they are put into the Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asian markets, the economic benefits are extremely high.