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Peony Marie Lemoine (Marie Lemoine) is a perennial plant with double light cream flowers of lush spherical shape. A variety of hybrid origin, bred in France in 1869.
Peonies Marie Lemoine bloom up to 20 cm in diameter
Description of the peony by Marie Lemoine
Herbaceous peonies of the Marie Lemoine variety reach 80 cm in height, forming an upright, rapidly growing bush. The stems are strong and resilient. The leaves of Marie Lemoine are rich green, trifoliate, dissected and pointed. The rhizome is large, developed, with spindle-shaped thickenings.
Peony Marie Lemoine is resistant to drought and cold. It belongs to the 3rd frost resistance zone – it can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees and is able to grow in the Moscow region, the Far East, the Urals. Variety Marie Lemoine prefers lighted areas, but slight shading is acceptable.
Features of flowering
Milky-flowered peonies Marie Lemoine have lush crown-shaped terry inflorescences. The buds are solitary, bloom up to 20 cm in diameter, creamy pink, occasionally with a lemon tint. In the center is a funnel of white petals with crimson stripes and shortened yellow ones – petalodias. Flowering is plentiful, later (at the end of June),
lasting from 8 to 20 days, the aroma is sweetish. On shoots 3-8 buds.
Application in design
Openwork bush Marie Lemoine is decorative throughout the season. During flowering, it looks spectacular against the background of the lawn. Forms a harmonious combination with roses, clematis, geraniums, junipers and dwarf pines.
Marie Lemoine is popular in mixborders near gazebos and paths. Can be combined with brighter varieties (red, lilac and pink flowers) and other ornamental foliage plants. Peonies are indispensable in the preparation of bouquets and floral arrangements.
Landscape composition with peonies
Methods of reproduction
Reproduction by Marie Lemoine is possible by seeds and vegetatively. An effective way is by dividing the bush. To do this, choose an adult peony (4-5 years old) with a developed root system. Divide with secateurs or a sharp knife. On the daughter and mother plant, it is necessary to leave roots of at least 10 cm and 2-3 buds. The division is carried out from the second half of August until the end of September. Other less popular methods: propagation by root and stem cuttings, vertical layering.
Rules of landing
Marie Lemoine prefers loamy, moderately alkaline soils with deep groundwater levels. If the soil is acidic, lime can be added to it.
The landing site is chosen illuminated, with sufficient air circulation, it is undesirable to place it near trees and walls of buildings.
Suitable planting time: August to October depending on the climate. It should be noted that at least 40 days must pass from the moment of planting to the onset of frost.
Seedlings, as a rule, in the form of a delenka – part of a bush with roots. The rhizome should have several adnexal processes, buds for renewal and not be thin or have lignified skin. Seedling Marie Lemoine should be checked for rot and nodules.
Peony rhizome with adnexal processes
Landing steps:
- They dig a hole 60×60 cm in size, cover the bottom with a drainage layer (small pebbles, crushed brick, crushed stone, gravel) by 10 cm.
- Wood ash, compost, peat, sand are mixed, sprinkled with earth, leaving 12 cm to the soil surface.
- The seedling is deepened by 7 cm.
- The soil is carefully compacted.
- Watered, when subsidence add soil.
- Mulch with a thin layer of rotted manure.
When group planting, the distance between the peony bushes Marie Lemoine is left 1-1,5 m, since the plant is actively growing.
Aftercare
The Marie Lemoine variety begins to bloom at 2-3 years. Peony care consists of regular watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and mulching.
Marie Lemoine needs moderate watering. Waterlogging the soil can lead to root rot. In summer, irrigate in the evening once every 10 days. The norm of water is 20 liters per adult bush. After watering, the soil is loosened up to a width of up to 50 cm and to a depth of up to 5 cm, making sure that the water does not linger around the peony for a long time. It is important to remove weeds in a timely manner.
For lush flowering varieties Marie Lemoine use complex fertilizers. Top dressing is carried out 3 times per season:
- After the snow melts, they are fertilized with nitrogen-potassium additives. A peony bush requires about 15 g of nitrogen and 20 g of potassium.
- During the formation of buds, they are fed with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus: 15 g of the substance per bush.
- 2 weeks after flowering, fertilize with phosphorus-potassium supplements (30 g per bush)
In dry weather, fertilizers are diluted in water, in rainy weather, granular additives can be used, scattering them in a trench next to the trunk circle.
In addition, Marie Lemoine is treated with foliar mineral dressings sprayed with a spray bottle.
Natural organic fertilizers saturate the soil well and nourish the plant: compost or manure, mulching the soil with them before frost. The procedure protects the rhizome from hypothermia, moisture loss and does not allow the soil to become too compact. Before mulching, it is advisable to sprinkle the ground with wood ash.
Preparation for winter
In autumn, peonies are prepared for the ground: they are cut and covered. Pruning is carried out with secateurs, having previously disinfected it with alcohol. Leave little streaks. Then a complex fertilizer based on potassium and phosphorus is added, or bone meal along with ash, loosened and slightly added dropwise.
To protect against sub-zero temperatures after the first frost, Marie Lemoine’s peonies are covered with peat, manure, humus or spruce branches. You can use special non-woven materials. Should not be covered with cut tops.
Pests and diseases
Peonies are often infected with the fungus Botrytis (Botrytis paeonia) or gray rot. Symptoms of the disease: rotting of buds and petals, darkening of stems and leaves with the appearance of brown spots. The fungus develops very quickly and leads to wilting and abscission of the stems. The reproduction of the pathogen is facilitated by cold rainy weather, waterlogging of the soil, lack of air circulation and sudden changes in temperature in summer and spring.
Another fungus that affects Marie Lemoine’s peonies is Cronartium flaccidum or rust. Signs of the disease: the formation of small brown spots, twisting and drying of the leaves, weakening of the plant. The development of the parasite is facilitated by humidity and warm weather.
Powdery mildew, a fungal disease caused by microscopic pathogens, is dangerous for peony. When infected, a white coating develops on the leaves, and when the spores mature, droplets of liquid appear. The development of the pathogen at the initial stage is easy to stop by irrigating with copper sulphate diluted in water.
Powdery mildew attacks peony leaves
Sometimes Marie Lemoine peonies are affected by root rot caused by fungi Fusarium, Phytophthora, etc. The manifestation of the disease is the darkening and wilting of the stems.
For the prevention of fungal diseases it is necessary:
- removal of damaged plant parts;
- limited use of fertilizers containing nitrogen;
- autumn pruning;
- moderate watering, avoid excessive soil moisture.
Fungicides are used for treatment, spraying in spring and summer. Infected leaves and stems are collected and burned.
Of the viruses for peonies Marie Lemoine, the ring mosaic (Peony ringspot virus) is dangerous. You can recognize the disease by light foci on the leaves. If found, cut off and remove the damaged parts of the peony.
In addition to microorganisms, peonies can infect insects: ants, whiteflies, aphids. Insecticides are used for destruction. Aphids are good for aphids.
Conclusion
Peony Marie Lemoine is a herbaceous light cream peony with large double flowers resembling crowns. The variety is late, unpretentious and frost-resistant. With proper care, it blooms magnificently, in landscape design it is used both in single and in group plantings.