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ITO peonies have appeared recently. But, despite this, they have already become popular all over the world. Today they are serious competitors to herbaceous and tree varieties. And it is not surprising, because they have many advantages, among which the main ones are: high phytoimmunity, unpretentiousness in care, large size of flowers.
What does it mean “peony ITO-hybrid”
ITO peonies (Paeonia ITOH) are herbaceous ornamental plants that have been obtained by crossing tree-like and herbaceous varieties.
They got their name in honor of the Japanese who brought them out in 1948 – Toichi Ito. The hybrid has absorbed the best qualities of the parent varieties. Today, scientists continue to improve it.
Description of ITO hybrid pions
ITO hybrids are powerful large bushes with strong shoots. They have spreading roots located close to the surface of the earth. Over time, they grow strongly and become woody. This creates difficulties for transplantation. The height of the bush reaches 8,5 dm. Under the weight of the flowers, the shoots can bend, but do not lie on the ground. The leaves are densely arranged. They are similar to those of tree-like varieties – also carved. The green mass of ITO hybrids can be preserved until the onset of frost. Their shade by autumn changes only in certain varieties. Just like in herbaceous peonies, shoots of ITO hybrids die off annually. It happens in autumn. In the spring they grow out of the ground again.
ITO peonies are a cross between grassy and tree type.
How ITO peonies bloom
The buds of ITO hybrids are at the very tops of the shoots. Depending on the variety and care for it, the diameter of the flowers can reach 18 cm. The petals that make up their composition are characterized by waviness. They usually have spots at the base. The palette in this case is wide. There may be transitions from one shade to another. Almost all ITO peonies are prone to burnout. As the buds open, the petals light up.
The timing of flowering of hybrids of ITO peonies depends on the variety. Early species may bloom as early as April. Buds of late varieties bloom after other types of peonies have faded. The duration of budding is also different. The best ITO peony hybrids bloom for about a month.
How to propagate ITO peonies
Reproduction of ITO hybrids is possible only by dividing the bush. Even if the grower manages to get seeds, it is pointless to use them. The plants that grow from them will have different qualities and will lose their species characteristics. You can divide the bush after five years of life. If this is done earlier, the plant will die. After the first separation, the procedure is repeated every 3 years.
To divide the bush, it is removed from the ground, the roots are shaken off the ground. From one copy, no more than 2-3 fragments are obtained with 3-5 buds and a similar number of roots. The rhizome is divided with a sharp garden knife. If there are rotten areas on the roots, they are excised. After the procedure, ITO hybrid divisions are treated with a growth stimulator and planted immediately.
The best varieties of ITO peonies
At the moment, there are different subspecies of IT. It is impossible to say unequivocally which of them is better and which is worse. Each has its pros and cons. After studying the description of ITO varieties of peonies, and looking at their photos with names, everyone will be able to choose the option that suits them.
Hillary
Hillary is an ITO peony with a maximum height of 60 cm. Semi-double flowers. Their size is 20 cm, the fuchsia-colored petals acquire beige shades over time. The color scheme is changeable. It happens that one bush blooms with different buds: from beige-white to amber-amaranth. Inflorescences begin to bloom in late spring.
A bouquet of Hillary peonies is the best gift for any occasion
Pastel Splendor
Pastel Splendour is a medium growing plant. The height of the bush is 80 cm. The flowers are semi-double, with a diameter of 17 cm. The color of the petals combines shades of beige, lilac, lemon and pink tones. Petals at the base have a purple-scarlet spot.
Thanks to the special combination of Pastel Splendour shades, it looks very gentle.
Viking Full Moon
Viking Full Moon is a plant up to 80 cm tall. Its flowers are semi-double, reaching 18 cm in diameter. The petals are yellow, but there are subtle nuances of light green. At the base of the petals is a red-orange spot.
Viking Full Moon, growing in a flower bed, cannot but rejoice
Lois Choyce
Lois Choice is an ITO peony, bred in 1993 in the USA. Flowers are terry, complex coloring. The buds open early. The base of the petals is beige-white. This shade fades to beige-yellow and peach-pink towards the top. The shoots of the variety are strong, the leaf plates are rich green.
Peony Ito Lois Choice reaches 75 cm in height
Julia Rose
Julia Rose is an ITO variety that tends to fade to yellow. At the same time, the base of the petals always remains more saturated. Pink, unevenly colored throughout the plant, the buds change color to pale yellow as they open.
Peony Julia Rose can be called a real miracle of the flower garden
Dark Eyes
Dark Eyes is an ITO cultivar valued for its unusual maroon petals. The height of the plant is 90 cm. The diameter of the flowers is not too large – 15 cm. This minus is compensated by the fact that the peony produces a lot of buds.
Peony Dark Eyes was bred back in 1996, but has not yet spread widely.
Copper Kettle
Copper Kettle means “Copper Kettle”. This is another rare and not quite ordinary variety of ITO peonies. In flower growers, it is valued due to its unpretentiousness. Tricolor semi-double flowers of this variety are real giants. Their diameter is 20 cm. Shades of scarlet, yellow and orange combined and gave the flower a unique “copper” appearance. The bush of this ITO hybrid grows slowly. Its maximum height is 90 cm.
The Copper Kettle was introduced to the USA in 1999.
Pink Hawaiian Coral
Pink Hawaiian Coral is an 85 cm high shrub. It produces semi-double flowers, 16 cm in diameter. Flowering continues from May to June. When the buds are fully opened, the coral petals take on an apricot hue. In the center there are beige-yellow stamens.
Pink Hawaiian Coral hybrid needs bright light
Yellow Emperor
Yellow Emperor is one of the ITO varieties tested over the years. Its semi-double flowers reach 13 cm in diameter. The petals are yellow. At their base there is a rich scarlet spot. The buds of this variety are hidden behind a lush green mass. Flowering is rich.
Peony ITO Yellow Emperor was one of the first bred
Lollipop
Lollipop is a hybrid up to 90 cm high. The buds are semi-double. Their diameter is 18 cm. The color of the petals is light yellow. They have a lot of purple blotches on them. As it blooms, the shade of the petals changes from yellow to lemon, peach and soft coral.
Peony Lollipop looks very unusual
Canary Diamonds
Canary Brilliants is a hybrid with a maximum height of 70 cm. Its flowers are densely double. The color of the petals is formed from many shades of yellow. At their base there is a spot of orange color. The buds begin to open in mid-spring or closer to its end.
Canary Brilliants is a dense double representative of ITO peonies
Lafayette Squadron
Lafayette Escadrille was launched in 1989. The hybrid has simple flowers, which include up to 10 narrow petals. Their diameter is 10 cm. The color is bright – black and burgundy. The height of the ITO peony is 75 cm.
Breeders from the USA worked on the creation of Lafayette Escadrille
First Errival
First Arrival was released in 1986. Semi-double elegant flowers of this variety are initially painted in lavender-pink. However, over time, the edges of their petals become light pink. The diameter of the flowers is 20 cm. The height of the bush itself reaches 75-90 cm.
Homeland First Arrival – Holland
Yellow Crown
Yellow Crown can be called a short ITO hybrid. Its height does not exceed 60 cm. The flowers are double, not large, but not small either. Petals are sunny yellow. At their base there are rich scarlet strokes. The number of simultaneously opened buds on one bush can reach up to 30.
Yellow Crown is characterized by abundant flowering
Impossible Dream
Impossible Dream is one of the lesser known ITO peonies. Its semi-double lilac-pink flowers are among the largest and reach 25 cm in diameter. Petals are rounded, arranged in 4-6 rows. The size of the bush is 90 cm. It starts to bloom early.
Impossible Dream was launched in 2004
Magical Mystery Tour
Magical Mystery Tour is a tall ITO peony. The variety was bred in the USA in 2002. The diameter of the flowers varies within 16 cm. The color of the petals is creamy peach. At their base there are brown spots. As it blooms, the petals become first light beige, and a little later – pale pink. An adult bush can produce up to 50 buds per season.
Peony height Magical Mystery Tour is 90cm
Cora Louisa
Cora Louise is an ITO peony that blooms in the middle of the season. Outwardly, it resembles a mountain peony to many. Its flowers are semi-double, up to 25 cm in diameter. The color of the petals includes white, pale pink, beige and purple shades. At the base of the petals there is a purple spot of saturated color. In the center of the bud is a bunch of yellow stamens. Reviews about this peony ITO are positive.
Cora Louise flowers are gigantic
Norwegian Blach
Norwegian Blush is an ITO hybrid with semi-double flowers with a diameter of 17 cm. Its petals are pink and white. There is a dark spot at the base. There are yellow stamens in the center. The height of the ITO peony is 85 cm. It is important to plant this plant in well-drained soil. Otherwise, its roots will rot.
Flowering time Norwegian Blush medium
Prairie Charm
Prairie Charm is another ITO semi-double peony. It was launched in 1992 in the USA. The diameter of its flowers is 16 cm. The color of the petals is yellow, with a greenish tinge. They have purple spots at their base. The height of the peony is 85 cm.
Flowering time Prairie Charm mid-late
Application in landscape design
Peonies look perfect in vast spaces surrounded by green lawn grass. However, not everyone has a large backyard. In this case, experts advise planting an existing flower bed (of any size) with peonies and roses. So that it is not half empty, in the spring you can add your favorite bulbous flowers to the plantings. A good option would be to use tulips. After the flowering of ITO peonies is completed, lilies, petunias, asters, chrysanthemums and phloxes will look great against the background of their leaves.
ITO peonies on the lawn look great
When creating a flower garden, it must be borne in mind that ITO peonies always dominate. They need to select the best place in the flower bed and surround them with companion plants. Peonies bloom, though plentiful, but short-lived. Before it starts and after it ends, other ornamental plants will fill the space in the flower garden and delight the eye.
For those who have a small plot, ITO peonies need to be planted in flower beds in tandem with other flowers.
ITO peonies are categorically incompatible with plants from the Ranunculaceae family. The latter very quickly deplete the soil and release substances that inhibit other flowers.
Planting and caring for ITO hybrid peonies
Immediately after planting, the ITO peony may look sluggish. You don’t need to worry about this, it’s normal. Hybrids always adapt and recover for a long time. In the first year they do not bloom. Usually this process begins at 2-3 years. Although there are varieties that continue to bloom even after transplantation. This is more the exception than the rule.
Planting dates for peonies of ITO hybrids
The most suitable time for planting ITO peonies is the last week of August and the whole of September. In the southern regions, this period can be extended until the end of the second autumn month. After planting ITO hybrid peonies in autumn, they have time to take root before the onset of severe cold weather.
Where and how to plant an ITO peony hybrid
Having chosen the best varieties of ITO hybrid peonies, you can start planting. The most suitable place is an area with loose soil, which includes a lot of humus. It is desirable that the earth be neutral or slightly alkaline. Peonies should not be planted in close proximity to trees and shrubs. In this case, plants will have to fight for light and nutrients. Peonies should not be placed near buildings, where during precipitation on them, a runoff can form from the roof. Also, the lowlands, where melt and rainwater collects, are not suitable for them.
Peonies love light, tolerate partial shade well. The ideal option is to place the ITO hybrid in a place where it will be under the sun in the morning and late in the evening, and in the afternoon it will be protected from the scorching rays. Then the peony will bloom for a long time, and its flowers will not burn out.
A place for planting ITO varieties must be prepared a month in advance. In this case, the fertilizer will have time to dissolve, and the soil will settle. Under each bush dig a hole 50 cm in size3. Drainage is placed at the bottom (for example, expanded clay). This is especially important if the peony is planned to be planted in an area where groundwater is close to the surface.
To the recommended volume of the pit, add 3 buckets of soil, 1 cup of phosphate fertilizer, ½ bucket of ash, 6 cups of bone meal and ½ cup of any preparation containing a complex of minerals. The soil intended to fill the pit, as well as the prepared substrate, are sieved. Due to this, the soil is saturated with oxygen and remains loose for a long time.
How to plant ITO hybrids of peonies
The seedling is placed in the center of the pit and covered with earth. Root buds should eventually be five centimeters from the surface. Plantings are watered abundantly. Then a bucket of soil is poured over each peony and lightly tamped down. With the onset of spring, the earth is removed.
ITO peonies are planted in autumn
Caring for ITO Peony Hybrids
Contrary to popular belief, ITO peonies are not the most capricious flowers. Caring for hybrids is no different from caring for any other peonies. It does not take much time and does not require special skills. Even for a beginner, if he approaches this task responsibly, everything will work out.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
In the case of irrigation, they are guided by the condition of the soil. If its top layer began to dry out, then the peony needs watering. It is important not to let the water stagnate, otherwise the ITO hybrid will start to get sick. To moisten the soil, settled water at room temperature is used. It is poured directly under the root, trying not to wet the green mass. The procedure is performed in the evening.
Every spring, bone meal and ash are brought under the peonies. If the ITO hybrid grows in one place for more than three years, then any complex fertilizers are also added to this. If the peonies were not mulched with ground or manure, then in early May they are fed with Kemira. It is better to refuse the introduction of preparations containing nitrogen. Their use can lead to the development of fungal diseases. The second (last) feeding is carried out in the middle of the last summer month. In this case, an ash extract or a solution of superphosphate is used.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
In order for peonies to grow strong and healthy, flower growers regularly remove weeds. The latter take useful components and moisture from the flowers. In addition, insect pests can breed in them.
After each watering, loosening is performed. Do this carefully so as not to damage the ITO hybrid. This procedure is necessary so that oxygen in sufficient quantities enters the roots. It depends on how abundant the flowering will be.
To prevent overheating of the roots and rapid evaporation of moisture, ITO peonies are mulched. Dry grass is used as mulch. This procedure also helps to restrain the growth of weeds.
Trimming rules
After the peony has faded, it is pruned. To do this, use sharp garden shears. They remove the very top of the peduncles, where the seed box is formed, in front of the second true leaf. The place of the cut is treated with ash. Some flower growers also advise removing the first buds so that they do not take strength from a young, not strong peony.
Preparing for winter ITO peonies
Caring for ITO peonies in autumn is special. At the end of September, they start preparing for winter. Unlike herbaceous peonies, they do not get rid of the green mass for a long time, so it is cut off at the soil level. Then the plantings are mulched with horse manure, and covered with cut tops. Preparation of ITO hybrid peonies for winter is mandatory if the bushes are still young. Mature plants are highly frost-resistant and do not need shelter.
Pests and diseases
Most often, ITO varieties suffer from gray rot. It occurs due to the abuse of nitrogen-containing drugs, thickening of plantings, frequent and cold rains. Symptoms appear in the second half of May. Young stems begin to rot and fall. The pathological process can affect leaves and flowers. In this case, they will be covered with gray mold. To solve this problem, you must first remove all diseased parts and burn them. This will prevent the spread of fiction. After that, the bushes should be shed with a 0,6% suspension of Thiram.
Gray rot is one of the most common diseases
In addition, ITO peonies can be affected by powdery mildew. This is mycosis, in which the green mass is covered with a white floury coating. Over time, it turns yellow and dies. In this case, it is useful to irrigate the bushes and the earth with a 0,2% Figon solution.
If you start fighting powdery mildew in a timely manner, the plant will recover
Among the pests that pose a threat, aphids can be distinguished. She lives in the green mass of the plant and drinks its juice. Insecticides are used to control insects (Ankara, Kinmiks).
Aphids destroy peonies in the shortest possible time
Conclusion
ITO peonies are the best version of herbaceous and tree varieties. From the parent plants, they inherited only the best qualities. Today, this hybrid is extremely popular, so planting material is easy to find. Both young and adult bushes are undemanding to care for. Everyone can grow them, regardless of experience in floriculture.
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