Paeonia Culture and Management Methods
Comprehensive analysis of the culture and management methods of Paeonia and the simplest maintenance methods for green plants and flowers, next, the editor will introduce.
Before planting Paeonia, choose a high and dry land with good drainage, requiring deep, loose, and fertile sandy loam. In areas with heavy salinity and alkalinity, it is necessary to change the soil; in low-lying areas, build a high platform, and ensure sufficient clean water for irrigation. Paeonia does not tolerate continuous cropping. In field cultivation, it is generally rotated every 3-4 years, otherwise the growth will weaken and the pest and disease damage will be severe. If the land is limited and cannot be rotated on time, deep tillage should be carried out 1-2 months before planting. The depth is 60-100 cm, and 1500-2000 kg of decomposed dung or 200-250 kg of cake fertilizer can be applied per 666.7 square meters. Remember not to apply raw fertilizer that has not been decomposed.
1. Planting Time: Whether it is seedling or division planting, the time in Heze is from late August (End of Heat) to late September (Autumn Equinox), and in Yangzhou, it is from late September (Autumn Equinox) to early November (Beginning of Winter). It is generally combined with division.
2. Planting Specifications: For garden ornamental cultivation, the spacing can be 1 meter × 1 meter, and the planting points can be arranged in a "triangle" shape. This planting method can evenly and reasonably utilize the land, which is beneficial for the balanced growth of the plants, but field operations may be inconvenient. For easy field management and observation, the "square" arrangement method is commonly used. The specifications of the planting holes are about 35 cm deep and 18 cm in diameter at the top. The holes should be narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. In ornamental cultivation, the thick roots are not removed, while in medicinal cultivation, the root-promoted seedlings after removing the roots are used, with a bare diameter of about 25 centimeters. If the芍头 after removing the roots is used directly, the depth can be shallower.
3. Planting Method: Apply decomposed dung or cake fertilizer at the bottom of the hole and mix it with the subsoil. Before planting, treat the Paeonia seedlings with a mixture of methytobuzin 700 times solution and methylinosulphuron 1000 times solution to prevent pest and disease damage. Hold the Paeonia seedling with the roots spread out in the hole. When half of the hole is filled with soil, shake and lift the seedling to make the roots closely combined with the soil. The height of the lifted seedling should be such that the buds are level with the ground. After watering, the soil pit will settle, which is the appropriate planting depth. If planted too deep, the buds will not easily sprout from the soil, and even if they do, their growth and development will not be vigorous. If planted too shallow, the rootstock will be exposed to the sun in summer, which can easily lead to death. Finally, fill the hole to the full, tamp it down, and make a soil pile of about 10 centimeters high to prevent cold and retain moisture, which also serves as a sign and protective function. Depending on the soil moisture, if the soil is moist, there is no need to water after planting; otherwise, water immediately after planting.
The cultivation of Paeonia mainly uses traditional propagation methods, including division, seeding, cutting, and layering. Among these, division is the easiest and most widely used. The seeding method is only used for breeding new varieties, producing rootstocks for grafted peonies, and producing medicinal materials. The rapid propagation of ornamental varieties is an urgent issue that has been hoped to be solved through tissue culture. Both domestically and internationally, much work has been done, and although there has been progress, it is still some distance from practical application.
Paeonia Culture and Management Methods
Paeonia Planting Methods
1. Cutting Method
Select a high and well-drained area as the cutting bed, loosen the soil, and then cover it with a 15 cm thick layer of river sand, which should be disinfected with 0.5% potassium permanganate. The cutting medium can also be vermiculite or perlite. Build a 1.5-meter-high sunshade shed on the bed. According to the experience of Changchun and other places, cutting and planting in mid-July is the best. The cuttings are 10-15 cm long, with two nodes, one compound leaf, and a few leaves left; the next compound leaf, along with the petiole, is cut off. After dipping in a solution of 500×10 to 1000×10 naphthylacetic acid or indole acetic acid, the cuttings are planted about 5 cm deep, with a spacing that ensures the leaves do not overlap. After watering thoroughly, cover with a plastic shed. It has been observed that the best root formation occurs at a substrate temperature of 28-30°C and humidity of 50%. Keeping the shed temperature at 20-25°C and humidity at 80%-90% allows for root formation and dormant bud formation within 20-30 days. After rooting, reduce the amount of watering and gradually remove the plastic and sunshade sheds. The cuttings grow slowly and need to be covered with soil to overwinter on the bed, and then transplanted to the open ground in the following spring.
2. Root Cutting Method
Use the broken roots during the autumn division of Paeonia, cut into 5-10 cm root segments, and insert them into the deep and levelled trenches. Cover with a 5-10 cm thick layer of fine soil and water thoroughly.
3. Layering Method
In the spring, insert the young shoots that have just emerged through the pot holes of a flower pot into a pot with a diameter of 15-20 cm. As they grow, gradually fill the pot with soil, keeping the soil moist, and by summer, they will have rooted. Before winter, cut off the stem below the pot to form a potted Paeonia.
4. Modern Tissue Culture Method
Plant tissue culture, also known as plant aseptic culture technology, is based on the theory of totipotency of plant cells. It uses isolated organs, tissues, or cells of Paeonia (such as roots, stems, leaves, etc.) in a sterile environment and under suitable artificial culture medium, light, and temperature conditions to induce callus, adventitious buds, and adventitious roots, eventually forming complete plants identical in genetics to the parent plant. This technique is also known as cloning technology and is used for rapid propagation, with wide application value.
The main steps of Paeonia cultivation methods revolve around the following four steps, hoping to help flower enthusiasts with the daily maintenance of Paeonia.
1. Temperature
Paeonia is a typical temperate plant that is warm-loving and cold-tolerant, with a wide ecological adaptation range. In northern China, it can be grown in the open field and is quite cold-tolerant. In the Nenjiang County of Heilongjiang Province, with a growing period of only 120 days and an extreme minimum temperature of -46.5°C, it can still grow and bloom normally and overwinter in the open field. In the summer, it prefers a cool climate but is also heat-tolerant. For example, in Bozhou, Anhui Province, even with an extreme maximum temperature of 42.1°C in the summer, it can still survive the summer safely.
2. Light
Paeonia requires sufficient light during the growing season to grow luxuriantly and have colorful flowers; however, it can also grow normally under light shade. During the flowering period, it can be appropriate to lower the temperature and increase the humidity to prevent damage from strong sunlight, thereby extending the viewing period. However, excessive shading can cause etiolation, weaken growth, and prevent flowering or result in sparse flowering.
Paeonia is a long-day plant that differentiates flower buds in the short-day season of autumn and winter and blooms in the spring under long-day conditions. Both bud development and flowering require long-day exposure. If the day length is too short (8-9 hours), it can lead to slow bud development, accelerated leaf growth, poor flowering, or even no flowering.
3. Soil
Paeonia is a deep-rooted plant, so it requires deep soil layers and is a coarse fleshy root, suitable for loose and well-drained sandy loam. It grows poorly in clay and sandy soil. High soil moisture and poor drainage can easily cause root rot, so neutral or slightly acidic soil is preferred, and alkaline land is not suitable for planting. It grows better in fertile soil, but attention should be paid to not having too high nitrogen content to prevent etiolation of the branches and leaves. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can be appropriately applied during the growing period to promote robust growth and beautiful flowering. Paeonia does not tolerate continuous cropping. In traditional Paeonia concentrated production areas, it is a common practice to continuously plant Paeonia in the same plot of land for many years, which has caused severe losses, not only in terms of serious pest and disease damage but also in terms of reduced yield and quality, and even large-scale death. Therefore, a scientific and reasonable crop rotation system must be implemented.
4. Water
Paeonia prefers a high and dry environment and does not require frequent irrigation. As it has fleshy roots, it is especially intolerant of waterlogging. Accumulated water for 6-10 hours can often lead to root rot. Therefore, low-lying areas are not suitable for China's Paeonia production areas. After each flood, almost all Paeonia plants are destroyed, leaving only those in high and dry areas that were not flooded.
The above introduction of Paeonia culture and management methods and the simplest maintenance methods for Paeonia flowers are provided by the Green Plant Enthusiast website [www.lvzhimi.com]. We hope it can help you, and we also welcome everyone to visit the Green Plant Enthusiast website for more green plant and flower experience and knowledge!