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Peonies are perhaps the most popular flowers. And many gardeners prefer to grow them not only because they are unpretentious in care and do not require special attention. Their main advantage is a large number of beautiful, bright and large buds during flowering. Without a transplant, a peony bush can grow in one place for up to ten to fifteen years. But despite their unpretentiousness, they, like many flowers, sometimes ask to be taken care of. But at the same time, compared to other flowers, caring for peonies in the fall is not so burdensome. Having given your favorite flowers just a couple of hours, you will know with 100% certainty that with the advent of summer days they will thank you with lush buds and a delicate aroma.
Why fall in love with peonies
In spring and summer, peonies do not require such close attention. Throughout the season, they only need timely weeding and watering. But since these flowers bloom magnificently and for a long time, by autumn their roots are very weakened. For the whole season, they gave the plants a lot of nutrients. Therefore, in the autumn, it is advisable to feed them and help them prepare for the winter. Caring for peonies in the fall includes only four types of work:
- top dressing;
- Transplantation in case of urgent need;
- pruning;
- Mulching.
This plant will not require more from you.
Feeding peonies in autumn
If peonies bloom magnificently every year, then a logical question arises: why, in general, feed them? It would seem that the bushes have faded, and until spring they do not require special care. In fact, this is far from the case. Having given all their strength in the spring to the active growth of green mass and bright buds during the flowering period, by autumn their root system is very weakened. And during this period, the formation of new roots and the preparation of the plant for winter begins. Feeding peonies in the fall is a must so that they can get the maximum possible amount of nutrients. The root system of these garden flowers is arranged in a special way. In a certain part, the roots are thickest and fleshy. It is in these parts of the root system that all minerals and nutrients accumulate in the fall. During the period when the active growth of the aerial part of the plant begins in spring, all the accumulated “vitamins” are given to the roots of growing bushes and large buds.
Experienced gardeners advise feeding peonies in the fall from mid-September to the second decade of October. But given the characteristics of a particular region, one more important factor should be taken into account when determining the optimal timing for feeding peonies – the upcoming frosts.
Feeding peonies in the autumn has its advantages:
- In early spring, the buds will be much larger and stronger. Their number will also pleasantly surprise you.
- For timely feeding, peony bushes will thank you with more lush and bright buds.
- After feeding, peonies grow faster, bushes quickly increase in size.
How, when and how to feed peonies in the fall in order to admire bright and unique flowers in summer? At this time, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers will be useful for them. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers are best left until spring, as they stimulate the rapid growth of the above-ground part of the plant. And in the fall it is undesirable. Shoots will freeze at the first frost.
There are two ways to feed peonies in autumn: dry and liquid. Each method has its own advantages.
Dry feeding of peonies
In a dry way, peonies are most often fertilized in especially rainy weather. The liquid method in this case is not suitable for the reason that the roots have already absorbed enough moisture during the rainy season. Fertilizers they absorb the minimum amount. For the dry method, it is best to purchase top dressing in the form of granules. So, it will be easier for you to control their quantity and it will be more convenient to bring them into the ground. Such top dressings act much longer than their counterparts in liquid form. The plant receives all the nutrients in small portions, that is, dosed.
Scatter an incomplete handful of granules evenly around the peony bush. So that they are not washed away with the first rain, slightly loosen the ground under the plant, as if mixing the soil with fertilizer.
Liquid top dressing of peonies
Liquid top dressing of peonies in the fall is ideal if there is very little rainfall and the soil under the bushes is dry. In this case, granules containing mineral and organic substances are not suitable. It is better to use top dressing in the form of tablets. Optimal dosage: 1 tablet per bucket of water. A life-giving cocktail must be mixed very well. Pour your peonies with the resulting solution at the rate of 1 liter of liquid per bush. If the bushes are very large, then the dose can be increased.
Transplanting peonies in autumn
Peonies are perennial flowers that can grow in one place for up to 10-15 years. It really is. But given that for such a long period the land on which they grow becomes scarce, and old roots can cause diseases of young and fragile roots, it is still worth transplanting them at least once every 5-6 years. In this way, you will not only rejuvenate the peony bushes and enrich the soil, but also ensure that your favorite garden flowers bloom more luxuriantly.
It is necessary to plant peonies in early autumn. In Siberian regions with a harsh climate, this process should be postponed to the third decade of August. In this case, the plants will be perfectly accepted, and the root system of peonies will have time to absorb all the substances necessary for growth and development by winter.
Planting is best done in warm, dry weather. But the soil on which the flowers grow must be moist. This will greatly facilitate the digging process, and you will not damage the young roots. If the soil is dry, water the peonies generously 1-2 days before transplanting.
Dig up old bushes carefully, trying not to damage the buds and shoots. Gently shake off the remaining soil from them and rinse with water. Carefully inspect the rhizomes for rot and disease. Separate old, hard, damaged and obsolete roots from young ones. Place young roots in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) for 30-40 minutes. And obsolete rhizomes should be immediately removed from the site.
After processing, plant the separated roots in the prepared soil. Planting peonies in the old place is not recommended. It’s better to pick them up somewhere else. Keep in mind that the new place should be sufficiently lit – peonies are very critical to the lack of sunlight, which immediately affects flowering. Strong and piercing winds are undesirable for garden flowers. It is advisable to take care of soil preparation in advance: about 3-4 weeks before planting, it is good to loosen and fertilize the area with superphosphate. Nitrogen fertilizers during the autumn transplant should not be used.
A landing hole for peonies needs to be dug quite spacious – at least 40-50 cm deep. It is very important that the roots are located freely in it. At the bottom, lay a pre-prepared mixture of compost and wood ash in a ratio of 3: 1. Now carefully, trying not to break the young shoots, place the roots in the hole. Keep in mind that the top kidney should peek out of the ground a little. But no more than 1-2 cm. Fill the hole with soil and water the transplanted peonies abundantly.
After transplanting, do not forget about your pets and, in the absence of precipitation, water at least 2-3 times a week. Peonies transplanted in the autumn do not need additional feeding.
You will learn the basic rules for transplanting and planting old peony bushes from the video:
autumn peonies pruning
After you have fed the plants, the obligatory annual procedure follows – peonies pruning. In no case should such an important process be postponed for the spring season. There are several important reasons for this:
- Wilted stems are difficult to cut in spring.
- Trimming peonies in the spring can easily damage the delicate buds that are about to appear from the ground.
- Withered foliage is an excellent place for the accumulation and active reproduction of various pests.
There are no difficulties in the autumn pruning of peonies. It is important to find the perfect time. Peony bushes need to be trimmed about 1-2 weeks before the onset of frost. Plants will tell you when you need to pick up a garden tool. When the foliage on the bushes takes on a reddish tint, and subsequently lies on the ground, you can safely get to work. Previously, it is not recommended to cut the leaves, because the process of photosynthesis takes place in them before frost. Moreover, early pruning can negatively affect the flowering of peonies next summer.
All withered foliage must be cut flush with the soil surface. It is undesirable to go deep into the ground, as you can touch the roots and buds. Leaving too high “stumps” during autumn pruning is also not worth it. At the end of the process, all foliage must be removed from the site. Ideally, all cut leaves should be burned to prevent the spread of disease.
If at the time of pruning the autumn turned out to be warm and does not indulge in precipitation, water your favorite flowers well after work.
The author of the video will tell you how and when to cut peonies:
How to properly cover peonies
Considering the peculiarities of the structure and vegetation of peony bushes, namely, the location of growth buds too close to the surface of the earth, they must be carefully prepared for winter.
The growth buds formed in autumn are located at a depth of only 3-7 cm. In regions where winters are especially severe, plants should be spudded as frost approaches.
In addition, it is necessary to prepare covering material for peonies in advance. The ideal cover would be:
- Lapnik;
- Sawdust;
- dry foliage;
- Peat.
The mulching layer should be at least 15-20 cm. In this case, the peonies will perfectly endure the frosty winter and will be perfectly preserved.
Pay special attention to the amount of precipitation in winter. If the winter turned out to be stingy with snowfalls, do not be lazy, throw a small snowdrift of snow on your flower beds. Such a measure will protect your flowers from freezing.
Conclusion
Additional work to care for peonies in the fall is not required. If all of the above conditions are met with high quality and on time, in summer your flower beds will be strewn with bright buds, and their delicate aroma will give you real pleasure.