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When to prune peonies after flowering for the winter
Peonies are a perennial herb that blooms in large inflorescences. The flower has lush greenery and a pleasant scent. Loves a temperate climate and does not require much maintenance. However, pruning peonies after flowering is an important step in the development of a healthy plant. It is for this reason that it is necessary to clearly determine the time when it is better to prune peonies for the winter, so as not to harm the bulb.
Cooking peonies for the cold winter
With the arrival of cold weather, the plant stops growing and preparing for the next season. Therefore, the main sign that speaks of the need for pruning peonies is the arrival of the first frosts.
Pruning peonies after flowering is an important step in the development of a healthy plant.
Autumn is the best time for pruning peonies, since early cutting off the peduncle entails a number of unpleasant, and sometimes disastrous consequences:
- active growth of foliage with a small number of peduncles;
- insufficient nutrition, as a result, underdeveloped kidneys;
- deficiency of nutrients in the root system of the flower.
There is a set of strict rules that should not be ignored:
- it is necessary to cut the stems with a well-sharpened tool, leaving 3-5 cm of the stem length above the ground;
- cut vegetation must be removed and burned;
- for the winter, it is best for peonies to arrange a peat or humus pillow;
- it is strictly forbidden to cover with foliage;
- The best antiseptic for cutting is wood ash.
Compliance with these simple rules will help keep the root system of peonies from the cold winter, and in the spring – get a lush-flowering bush.
Gross mistakes when pruning peonies and their consequences
Having decided when to prune peonies, you need to familiarize yourself with the mistakes that can greatly harm the health of the flower:
- pruning buds immediately after wilting. Summer is not the best time, as the plant will have time to sprout new buds, but at the first frost they will die. As a result, lush greenery without buds;
- cutting flowers for bouquets. Few people thought that, having picked a flower, next year the peony will give several times fewer inflorescences;
- untimely pruning of peonies in the fall can lead to the death of the flower, in particular, rotting of the bulbs.
After pruning, the soil must be thoroughly moistened and fertilized. As an autumn feeding, mineral fertilizers, bone meal or wood ash are used.
To prune a peony after flowering for the winter, you must follow the rules for caring for a flower bed in the fall. Even a novice florist is able to grow a healthy and very beautiful plant.