Felt Peony

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 15:51

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Latin name: Paeonia tomentosa Family: Peony Categories: Flowers

Felt peony (lat. Paeonia tomentosa) - a perennial representative of the genus Peony, belonging to the Peony family. In nature, the species in question dwells in the mountains, forests and on the slopes of the Caucasus mountains. It is not a common species; it is cultivated on personal household plots only by selected flower growers and gardeners who appreciate the diversity and originality in the garden.

Characteristics of culture

Felt peony is represented by perennial herbaceous flowering plants introduced into cultivation back in 1919. The species is distinguished by tall, strong, thick, green stems up to 1.5 m, forming compact bushes during the growth process, over which single flowers flaunt. The stems, in turn, are crowned with a complex, rough to the touch, dark green, wide, wrinkled, veined foliage, pubescent with gray long hairs. The lobes of the leaves are elliptical or ovoid, pointed at the tips.

The flowers are medium, light yellow, with a reddish tint at the base. The petals are ovoid, oblong, about 3-5 cm long. The seeds of the species under consideration are small, wrinkled, black in color with a bluish tone. Fruiting is active, annual, observed in late summer - early autumn. Flowering occurs at the end of May, sometimes at the beginning of June. The dates may shift slightly to mid-June, which happens when spring is not happy with warm weather. In general, the species in question is unpretentious, therefore it will get along well in the gardens of people who do not have a lot of free time to care for a flower garden.

Landing subtleties

Despite the fact that the felt peony does not belong to the category of demanding crops, there are some peculiarities in its cultivation. So, planting peonies is preferable in areas with fertile, moderately moist and loamy soil and a sunny location. Before planting, it is very important to cultivate the soil, dig holes about 60 cm deep, arrange high-quality drainage at the bottom and lay a mixture of garden soil and fertilizers (organic matter + nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizers) in a heap.

The depth of the pit is of great importance, because in the process of growth, the culture forms a powerful root system, and if the pit is too small, plant growth will slow down significantly, in fact, and flowering will be poor. When digging holes, it is important to observe the distance, it should be equal to 100 cm, non-observance of this nuance threatens the spread of fungal diseases and pests, which are quite difficult to get rid of.

It is recommended to plant peonies in the second decade of August - the third decade of September, which largely depends on the climatic conditions of the region. It is too late to plant peonies, because they will not have time to take root in the cold and, in the end, will die. Previously, it is also impossible to engage in this operation, because in the bushes that are supposed to be divided, renewal buds are formed only by mid-August.

Planting in the spring is not prohibited, but undesirable. They produce it until the plants start growing. The timing in this case varies depending on the climate, for example, in central Russia, the procedure is carried out in the second decade of April. By that time, the soil will thaw, and the snow will melt and be absorbed. It should be noted that a spring transplant promises a lag in development, death is possible, especially if you ignore the timing of planting.

Disembarkation is carried out together with a lump of earth. The cuttings are planted so that above the renewal buds located on top, the soil layer does not exceed 5-7 cm. After the cuttings are set in the pit, the voids are filled with soil and well tamped. This is followed by abundant watering (one bush requires about 4-5 liters of water). After watering, a little more soil is poured under the bushes. By the way, after planting, the main care procedure is precisely watering, of course, if there is no rain in the region, but the weather is hot or dry.

For the next year, plants need to be given as much attention as possible. They require loosening, weeding, watering and preventive actions against pests and diseases. Among the latter are rust, gray rot and, of course, the ring mosaic, which affects the quality of the foliage not in the best way. Plant feeding is also required, but they begin to be carried out in the second year. Fertilizers applied to the planting pit are quite enough.