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Herbaceous peony is a frequent guest in domestic front gardens. Many gardeners make their choice based on appearance, bud color, but there are other factors as well. Also, for active growth and rich flowering, cultures require appropriate conditions.
General description of the herbaceous peony
The culture got its name on behalf of the student of Asclepius Pean, the Greek god of medicine and healing. It is the grassy peony that is considered the most unpretentious in cultivation and care. It has been cultivated for more than a century, so many varieties and hybrids have been created that differ in aromas, colors, and shapes.
Luxurious flowering will decorate any garden
How the 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, terry, shades – cream, yellow, red, pink, white.
The duration of the flowering period is only 10 days. If you choose the right varieties, the garden will be fragrant for a long time. When flowering, the plants are fully formed, new leaves and stems do not give. In the summer months, they form buds at the base, which remain fully germinated until the new season.
What is the difference between a grassy 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 grassy type is not too demanding to care. The same can be said about decorative characteristics, application in landscape design.
Aromas are more complex in hybrid varieties. The sizes of flowers are also larger in selections. Hybrids are almost not afraid of diseases, they have a very strong root system.
Herbaceous varieties are slightly inferior to hybrid varieties in terms of ease of cultivation.
The best varieties of herbaceous peonies
There are quite a few varieties in the herbaceous group. You can select the most popular, which have their own characteristics.
White varieties of herbaceous peony
Plants grow up to 30-150 cm, the flowers are large and fluffy, the foliage is green, elastic. Culture feels good in different soils. Popular varieties:
- white cap – Japanese flowers with rounded outer petals and crimson hue. The inner petals are twisted, have a milky color. The average diameter of the buds is 16 cm. The flowering is plentiful, the bushes are straight, powerful.
- White Crane – globular variety, no more than 1 m high. It grows quickly, blooms in the middle of the season. The flower is white, medium size.
- Charles White – milky-flowered variety, shade slightly yellowish. The buds are large, single, terry, the central petals are narrow, the outer ones are large. The height of the plant is not more than 1.2 m, the buds are large. Flowering early.
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 – crowned flowers with lush bright inflorescences. The composition is colorful and bright. Flowering later, spreading bushes, rarely grow more than 90 cm.
- BOB – bushes with huge dark red buds, double, semi-double petals. 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 blossoms. Bushes grow up to 90 cm, stems are strong, powerful. The flower has a dense middle, even rounded outer petals. Side buds are absent.
It is best to combine bright buds with lighter ones.
purple herbaceous peonies
The group includes shrub and semi-shrub plants with different periods of flowering. 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. Flowering later, bud lilac-pink. The leg is long, the variety is optimally suited for the southern regions.
- Alexandr Duma – bomb-shaped variety, the shade of the petals is bright lilac. The variety is old, there are a couple of centuries. Flowering later.
Unfortunately, rich purple shades are almost never found.
Grass peonies of Chinese selection
Peonies of Chinese selection are the main decorations of rockeries, flower beds. They are indispensable in group and flower plantings, that is, they are universal. Popular types of peonies of the group:
- big blush – peony with two-color anemone-shaped pink buds. Some petals are cream. The buds are large, the bush is medium tall.
- Cold kiss of an exotic flower – the buds are neat, anemone-shaped, the outer petals are rounded. Colors – 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 – a 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 tender, fragrant, medium in size.
Application in landscape design
Herbaceous peonies, due to their excellent decorative qualities, are in high demand in landscape design. The flowers of different varieties are mostly light, the stems are strong, the bushes themselves are strong and do not require supports. This makes the plants universal in terms of application in landscape design – they harmoniously fit into compositions of any complexity.
When creating a decorative landscape composition, it is necessary to take into account the timing of flowering of different herbaceous varieties.
Features of reproduction
The main method of propagation of herbaceous varieties is the division of the bush. This is the optimal method for obtaining 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 split areas go.
For reproduction, healthy planting material should be taken.
The root consists of four parts – small fibrous, large tuberous, connecting 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 tuber root up to 4 eyes. The smaller the size of the division, the more time the plant will take before flowering.
How to plant a herbaceous peony
Herbaceous peonies are long-lived, 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 landing, to carry out the procedure according to the rules.
The best season is August-September. You need a lot of room for growth, at least 50 cm2 on the bush The distances between seedlings can withstand 30-50 cm. Deep planting is not done – ripening buds must be covered with a layer of earth up to 4 cm. It is important to be careful, since deep or shallow planting will delay flowering. The culture does not tolerate transplantation well, so 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.
Good drainage is required for clay soils.
The depth of the holes is optimally 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 will be.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Herbaceous peonies grow well in a properly prepared, moderately moist substrate – the main thing is that there is no moisture stagnation. 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 fertilize with the use of complex mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. Plants usually respond well to natural top dressing – from ash, humus, compost. It is necessary to ensure that chemicals do not fall on the neck of the plants.
In order for peonies to grow well, it is recommended to treat the roots with fungicidal preparations before immersing 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 viability during its formation.
Preparing for winter herbaceous peonies
Snow itself protects the lower parts of the shoots from frost. In cold areas, young seedlings are mulched at the base with earth, then covered with spruce branches. You should not close the bushes entirely – this accelerates the development of buds in the spring, often leading to freezing of the buds in the first frost.
How the culture will overwinter 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, death of shoots, leaves, buds. Often the bushes are affected by the powdery mildew fungus – it manifests itself in the form of a whitish coating.
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 secateurs.
Pests can completely destroy plantings, so careful care is needed.
The culture is resistant to diseases, but is not 100% immune from them. The main prevention of infection is the choice 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 fertilizing, watering, autumn pruning, shelter for the winter. Pest prevention is important.