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Peony Nick Shaylor is a popular representative of milky peonies, famous for its pale pink flowers. The variety is highly valued for its large fragrant buds and resistance to harsh environmental conditions. It is also popular because of its unpretentiousness and ease of care.
Peony Description Nick Shaylor
Milky-flowered peony “Nick Shaylor” is a perennial plant of the peony family that can live up to 50 years. The group of varieties was called “milky-flowered” because the first peonies of this section, still wild at that time, had milky-white flowers. According to the main classification, all species of this group belong to herbaceous peonies.
The plant has strong stems that can withstand the weight of large flowers. It has densely arranged dark green leaves, elongated in shape. Spreading bushes, at the end of flowering look good because of their carved foliage. The height of “Nick Shaylor” reaches 90 cm. Closer to the inflorescences, the foliage thins out, its main mass is concentrated on the lower half of the plant.
‘Nick Shaylor’ is the best garden and cut variety of late blooming peonies.
The main advantage of milk-flowered peonies Nick Shaylor is large double flowers of pink shape. On large pale pink petals, you can sometimes see strokes and veins of crimson color. In the center of the bud are yellow stamens, but behind the thick petals they can hardly be seen.
Florists note the unpretentiousness of the plant, which lies in its drought and frost resistance. It is easily accepted and quickly grows into sprawling bushes.
In Our Country, they are best suited to areas from Arkhangelsk and south, but with proper preparation for winter, they can be grown in colder regions. With good care, “Nick Shaylor” can withstand temperatures down to -37 ℃.
Features of flowering
The variety belongs to the groups of large-flowered, double, rose-shaped and herbaceous peonies. Flowering later, begins at the end of June and lasts only about 10 days.
The most common color of the variety “Nick Shaylor” is pale pink. Sometimes a lush flower smoothly changes its color from the periphery to the center: large petals are milky white along the edges, and small ones in the center of the plant are pale cream. The diameter of each flower reaches 20 cm, there are only 7-12 of them on one plant.
The central buds bloom first, they are the largest on the bush. Then lateral flowers are formed. To form a lushly flowering peony, the central buds are cut off immediately after withering, after which the side buds develop in full force, and the bush blooms long and magnificently, forming new buds.
The flowers are especially expressive, on which raspberry veins appear.
The special charm of the Nick Shaylor peonies is given by bright red streaks, which stand out sharply against the background of the main soft shade. True, such strokes do not appear on all bushes. But always from peonies comes a strong delicate aroma.
Application in design
“Nick Shaylor” is used in a variety of landscape compositions. If the idea is to use only peonies, then varieties with different flowering periods are selected. Alternately replacing each other, they retain the decorative effect of the composition for up to several months. With other types of flowers, “Nick Shaylor” also goes well, usually roses, irises, phloxes or astilbes are used.
Herbaceous peony Nick Shaylor can be combined with tree varieties. Differences between species create a spectacular contrast that looks great on alpine slides or rockeries. When combined with other herbaceous peonies, you can create a beautiful landscape due to varieties with flowers similar in shade.
Combinations with dwarf conifers and shrubs have proven themselves well. Among the latter, a very wide choice is now offered: from small cone-shaped thujas to blue dwarf firs and globular pines.
Peonies “Nick Shaylor” will bring splendor and structure to such compositions as:
- flower beds;
- alpine slides;
- track design;
- meadows;
- terrace framing.
You can also use “Nick Shaylor” as flowering individual plantings.
Methods of reproduction
The vegetative method is the only way to propagate Nick Shaylor peonies. It is carried out using layering, root cuttings or dividing the bush. The latter is used most often because it is simple and gives good results. Seed propagation is rarely successful for peonies Nick Shaylor.
Peony Nick Shaylor can be divided in two ways: with partial or complete digging of the plant. Fully digging bushes is recommended for younger peonies, and incomplete digging is used for older large plants, this will help rejuvenate them.
“Delenka” is cleaned of rotten roots and cut to 18 cm
For complete digging, the stems are cut with secateurs to a height of 10 cm. After that, a bush is removed from the ground, washed with water under pressure from dirt, and a “delenka” is obtained from it. With partial excavation, a suitable sector is selected, a trench is dug on one side of the plant and the soil is removed from the roots.
Further, in both cases, a piece of rhizome with several stems is cut off, the cut point is allowed to dry for a couple of days, and then covered with a mixture of compost and earth. At the “delenka” it is necessary to remove the old rotten roots, and shorten the healthy ones to 15-18 cm.
Rules of landing
Choosing a landing site for the Nick Shaylor is very simple. The main thing is to make sure that it will not be obscured by a wall, trees or shrubs. In addition, the latter can deprive him of water and nutrients. When planting bushes near paths, you need to retreat enough space, otherwise it will interfere when it grows.
Planting dates vary depending on the method of obtaining “delenki”. Purchased peonies in bags are planted from late April to May. Those bought in containers are planted until the middle of summer, and if the “delenki” are received on their own site, then it is better to start breeding peonies in August.
The depth of the pit for peonies should reach 60 cm. A distance of a meter must be maintained between several bushes. A prepared mixture of humus, black soil and crushed clay is poured into the planting pit. To make the plant better accepted, you can add wood ash and superphosphate there. Fill the hole with this mixture so that about 12 cm remains to the edges.
In the center of the landing pit, you need to fill a small mound and install a “delenka” on it. The roots are carefully covered with earth so that the kidneys are at a depth of 3-6 cm from the surface of the earth. This is a very important point, because the peony may not bloom if the correct depth is not observed.
Now the future bush needs to be watered, pour more earth and mulch. Mulch with a layer of several centimeters is made from sawdust, moss or non-acidic peat.
In the first two years, it is recommended to remove the flowers, or at least most of them. This way you can stimulate the best development of peonies, and the flowers in the future will be more magnificent and brighter. Otherwise, the plant will spend nutrient reserves from unformed roots on the formation of buds.
Aftercare
‘Nick Shaylor’ peonies aren’t the most demanding flowers, but without the right care, they will fall far short of their ideal shape. The flowers become small and dull, the bushes are not sprawling, and the stems are weak. Therefore, it is necessary to create an optimal agrotechnical background for the plant.
The decorative effect and longevity of peonies depends on proper care.
Peonies are very moisture-loving and require weekly watering. During dry periods, you can moisten the plants even more often. It is especially important not to deprive the plants of moisture during the period of budding and laying new buds for the next year, this happens immediately after flowering. For one watering, several buckets are poured under each bush. It is impossible to wet the leaves and stems, as this can lead to the appearance of putrefactive diseases. If you wet the flowers, the petals will turn black and fall off.
You need to feed “Nick Shaylor” fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. These are complex mineral top dressings that are carried out in the spring. For each bush you need to pour half a glass of fertilizer.
Peonies are very fond of spring mulching. Most often, mowed grass is used as mulch, which quickly rots with the formation of vermicompost. Moss and sawdust are also suitable, especially if the plant is sick, because then it is better not to use organic matter for mulching.
It is necessary to loosen the soil under the peonies carefully, trying not to touch the growth buds. Only at a distance of 15 cm from the stems and pains can deep loosening be used. This procedure helps to retain moisture, increase oxygen access and prevent the growth of weeds. Loosening is carried out after heavy watering or rain.
Preparation for winter
The first step in preparing for winter is pruning the bushes. “Nick Shaylor” is pruned at the end of September, but if, when examining the leaves and stems, it turns out that they are very withering, then you can perform the procedure a little earlier.
It is recommended to fertilize peonies shortly before pruning. Phosphorus, potassium, bone meal and wood ash are suitable for autumn feeding. But nitrogen fertilizers in the fall are not suitable for use, as they stimulate the growth of leaves and stems.
After fertilization, peonies are pruned in autumn
Peonies need to be cut to the very root, although some still leave 2-3 cm of the stem above the soil level. The cut tops must be burned or removed from the site, as in the future this may become the optimal environment for the growth of parasites that threaten the health of peonies.
Shelter peonies “Nick Shaylor” for the winter is necessary only in very cold regions, as the plant is frost-resistant. Before that, it is desirable to mulch it with a layer of sawdust 5-10 cm. Organics or cut peony stems are not suitable for this, it is important to consider this in order to exclude pest infestation. On top of the mulch, the plant is covered with spruce branches.
Pests and diseases
Of the pests for peonies, botrytis, which is also called gray rot, is dangerous.
The causes of the disease can be:
- rainy, cool summer;
- acidic soils with poor aeration;
- mulching with tops cut from peony.
The manifestations of gray rot are bright and hard to miss. The buds turn brown and stop developing. Brown spots cover the stems and leaves, drying and dying begins.
Brown spots are a characteristic sign of botrytis
When gray rot appears, the plant must be treated with Hom or Abiga-Peak. If this does not help, then the peony will have to be cut off completely, and the remains should be burned with brilliant green or Vitaros. The most important thing is to prevent the spread of gray rot to the root.
Conclusion
Peony Nick Shaylor, due to sprawling bushes and pale pink flowers, is able to decorate any flower garden. Its unpretentiousness and ease of care allow it to be kept almost everywhere. With the right approach to cultivation, you can extend the life of a flower up to 50 years. It is enough to pay a little attention to “Nick Shaylor” to get healthy bushes with large fragrant buds.
Peony Reviews Nick Shaylor
