"Oh, great Pluto, save me," the young pupil of Aesculapius Peon appealed to the mighty god of hell. And Plato heard the cry of a young man. After all, it was Peon with the help of a plant given to him by the goddess of darkness Latona, healed him from the cruel wounds inflicted by Hercules. "You helped me, and for this I will help you," said the mighty Pluto and turned his healer into a beautiful flower. Subsequently, this flower multiplied and spread throughout the earth. The name of these favorite flower gardeners are peonies, it's about their planting and caring for them that will be discussed below.
What you should know before planting peonies?
Before you deal with the acquisition and planting of peonies, you should know at least general information about this beautiful flower. Understand his preferences and moods, so that labor to care for him does not go to waste.
From the numerous historical and botanical sources it is known that the cultivation of pions as ornamental and medicinal plants was carried out for many centuries before our era. Cultivated them in China, and Greece, and in Rome, and throughout Central Asia, that is, in warm sunny countries with a pleasant mild climate. Then they began to spread across Europe, and during the reign of Peter I, they also went to Russia. However, Russian botanists took their breeding seriously only in the 1950s.
There are peonies and their own classification according to the type of flowers and the period of flowering. By the type of flowers, they are divided into non-mat, anemoid, Japanese, half-double and double. By the period of flowering are early, medium and late. However, irrespective of the flower structure and the flowering time, all varieties of pions are sun-loving and moisture-prone. Let's take as a basis a tree-like peony and consider all the nuances of leaving on its example.
Tree Peony: Care
Let's start from the very beginning, that is, from landing. And even better, with the choice of a landing site. As already mentioned above, peonies love solar heat and are afraid of swampiness. Therefore, the site of the dislocation of the flower should be well illuminated, qualitatively drained and located at some distance from buildings and large plants that can obscure the flower.
When is the best time to plant peonies? At the end of August or the first half of September, when the plants have already gone to the resting phase of flower buds. The peony planting is carried out this way. The hole is digging a hole depth and diameter of 50 cm. If the land is loamy, then it is enough to dig it well and add last year's compost, together with a small amount of mineral fertilizers. If the soil is sandy and swampy, the pit is digged 60 cm deep and 10-12 cm covered with gravel and gravel for better drainage. And already put the fertilizer and part of the excavated land on drainage.
It should be noted that most often pions reproduce by dividing an adult plant. The best is a little girl who has at least 3-5 eyes and the same number of roots. Immerse it in the landing pit should be calculated so that the eyes are 5 cm below the edge. If you lower them too low, the peony in the future will sparse bloom, if lower, it can freeze in winter. When all the above rules are observed, flowering will begin in 2 years.
Now with regard to irrigation and ventilation. The peony does not require special moisturizing, however at any time it takes up to 3-4 buckets. This amount is necessary to ensure that moisture reaches the most secluded corners of the root system. More abundant watering of the plant is required in the spring, when buds are poured, and in August, during the laying of flower buds. As a true native of warm countries, peony is afraid of drafts, so the neighborhood of other lush plants is welcome. However, they should not deprive the flower of the sun and minimal airing.
Diseases of peonies
There is this flower and its health problems. The most common diseases of pions are gray rot and ringed mosaic. Both of them appear from waterlogging and poor ventilation. The first affects the entire aboveground part, the second - only the leaves. They can be defeated by creating favorable conditions and treating a flower containing a copper preparation, for example, a Bordeaux liquid. Do this in the early spring, twice with an interval of 10 days. Sometimes a plant is attacked by hordes of ants or small bugs, eating up buds. Hot water and a suitable insecticide will help them cope with them.
Peonies are truly beautiful flowers, and planting and caring for them is possible even for beginners. Plant these cute plants in your garden, and they will bring you a lot of joy.