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It is believed that the beauty of the flower peonies can compete only with a rose. Anyone who has seen these beautiful plants bloom will agree with this statement. Today, many different varieties are grown on gardeners’ plots, both new and old, for example, the Madame Kalot peony has been pleasing owners with its flowering for more than 150 years. Experienced flower growers know why this variety is attractive and how to grow it correctly.
Description of peony Madame Calot
The Madame Calot variety was bred in France in 1856. It grows quickly, the bush is compact, 75-100 cm high, the leaves are green, a reddish tint appears by autumn. The stems are strong, during the flowering period they do not tend to the ground, so the bush does not need support.
Plants of this variety like to grow in a sunny place, but also feel good in partial shade. The soil prefers fertile, not acidic, well-drained. The winter hardiness of the Madame Kalot variety is high, it can withstand temperatures down to -37 ˚С. It can be planted in almost all regions of Our Country, except for the northernmost ones. In one place without a transplant, it can bloom for 15-20 years.
Blooming peonies of the Madame Kalot variety will not leave anyone indifferent
Features of flowering
Peony lactiflora Madame Kalot blooms in late May, early June. Flowering is long and abundant. The flower in plants of the variety is 14 cm in diameter, terry, crowned, with a strong aroma. The petals are creamy white, with a soft pink tint along the edges and pink closer to the center of the flower. In the process of flowering, the color of peonies may lighten. They look great both on a bush in the garden and in the cut.
Application in design
The peony is a large plant with large conspicuous flowers that looks best in the garden on its own rather than surrounded by other flowers. When planting in a group, he needs to pick up neighbors who will bloom a little earlier or later. It is desirable that these were also perennials and after flowering they remained decorative, like the peony itself, with its beautiful green leaves.
For example, for early spring flowering next to the peonies of Madame Kalot, you can plant crocuses, tulips, daffodils, irises, hyacinths, primroses, honeysuckle will look good from shrubs. After peonies, delphiniums, lilies, bluebells, poppies, petunias, foxgloves and asters will bloom. From non-flowering, but ornamental plants, conifers can be planted next to the peony – juniper, thuja, pine.
Peony Madame Kahlo is large and not intended for growing in pots, where it will be cramped, and with irregular feeding, there will be a lack of nutrients. If you grow it not in the garden, but, for example, on the balcony, then you need to choose a container that is large enough so that the flower growing in it does not need anything. It will have to be looked after more carefully, fed every year and watered more often.
Peonies look good in the garden in combination with other flowers.
Methods of reproduction
Peonies of the Madame Kalot variety are propagated by dividing the bush or by rooting cuttings – stem and root. The first method is propagated at the end of summer or in September, when the growth of stems and leaves is already stopped, renewal buds have formed, but new roots have not yet begun to grow. It is this period that is considered the most suitable time, since the plant is already at rest. You can divide it early in the spring, but still, the period before the beginning of the growth of young roots in the spring is shorter, so it is more difficult to guess over time when the transplant will not harm the plant.
How to transplant the Madame Calot peony by dividing the bush:
- Cut the stems at a height of 0,2 m, remove the leaves.
- Dig a bush, lift a clod of earth along with the roots.
- Shake off the soil from the roots.
- Divide it into parts, each should have at least 2-5 kidneys.
- Sprinkle slices with ash or coal powder.
You can not dig up the whole plant, but dig it on one side, cut off a part of the rhizome suitable for transplanting, then sprinkle it with earth again.
Root cuttings are a part of a root at least 10 cm long. They are planted not in a permanent place, but in a special bed, where young roots and growth buds appear on them. Peonies grown from root cuttings bloom for 3-5 years of life.
Green cuttings – part of the stem with a root collar. They are grown in the same way as the root ones, that is, they are first rooted in a warm and humid place, and then transplanted to a permanent one.
Peony cuttings are important to divide correctly so that the plant takes root
Rules of landing
Peony seedlings Madame Calot with open roots should be bought in early spring or early autumn. Grown in pots can be planted in spring and summer. The time of spring planting should be chosen so that the temperature is not higher than 7-10 ˚С. The success of further rooting depends on this: the plant grows white roots at a temperature not exceeding the specified one. If it is warmer, it will not have time to take root properly, but the stems will begin to grow, consuming the reserves of the rhizome. This will oppress the plant, it will begin to hurt and develop worse.
In autumn, the planting of Madame Calot peonies should take place no later than a month before the dates when the cold sets in. For reliability, they can be piled up or covered with mulch to protect against damage.
For peonies, you need to choose open, sunny places or partial shade, but do not place them under trees or close to buildings and fences, where they will stretch out a lot. Winds should not walk on the site so that during flowering they do not scatter the stems in all directions. Too damp areas, acidic soils are not suitable. Peonies prefer loam and clay; they bloom more luxuriantly and colorfully on them. On sandy soils, flowering is not as decorative, although it begins earlier.
If Madame Calot’s peony seedlings are healthy, they do not require special preparation. But it is recommended to hold their roots in a solution of growth stimulants for 1 day before planting. After planting is completed, the plants can be watered with the same solution.
At the bottom you need to lay out a layer of drainage from brick chips, broken slate, small stones. Top with a mixture of excavated earth, humus or compost, ash. Bury the seedlings so that the buds are covered with earth by about 3 cm. Lightly tamp the soil, pour water over it. If the soil begins to sag, you need to add it so that the kidneys are covered.
Aftercare
Lactic-flowered peonies Madame Kahlo adapt well to different weather conditions, but, like all garden flowers, they require care. Water them often after planting, until they take root. Adult bushes are almost not watered, only in summer in case of strong or prolonged heat.
For the first 2 years, Madame Kalot peonies are not fed, they have enough of those nutrients that were introduced with fertilizer during planting.
Then every year the plants are fed according to the scheme:
- In the spring, during the growth of the stems – nitrogen fertilizers (50-70 g per bush).
- During the period of throwing out the buds, phosphorus and potassium mixtures are added to nitrogen (dilute according to the instructions). Approximately 1-0,5 bucket of solution is required for 1 bush.
- After flowering, potash-phosphorus fertilizers are used, without nitrogen.
Both mineral fertilizers and organic matter are suitable for dressing peonies Madame Calot.
In the first year, peonies should not bloom: the plants are not yet strong, they will spend nutrients on flowering, which can greatly weaken them.
Despite the stability, during the flowering period in rain or wind, the stems can tend to the ground. They need to be tied together with a rope. After the flowers begin to fade, they are cut to prevent the formation of seeds and reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases.
Care for peonies should be correct, and feeding on schedule
Preparation for winter
In autumn, when cleaning the garden, you need to cut off all the shoots at ground level, collect them and burn them. Sprinkle young bushes with a layer of mulch.
Pests and diseases
Most often, peonies become infected with gray rot. The causes of the disease are wet weather, poor ventilation of the bushes due to their proximity to each other, excess nitrogen. Control measures: cut off the affected parts of the stems and burn them, spray the shoots, leaves and soil around with a solution of copper sulfate (50 g per bucket) or solutions of copper-containing preparations.
Conclusion
Although the Madame Calot peony was bred a long time ago, it is still popular with flower growers. Their devotion to this variety can be explained by the exceptional beauty of the flower, the unpretentiousness and longevity of the plant.
Peony reviews Madame Calot
