Peony: planting and care features

This magnificent perennial flower owes its name to the ancient Greek healer Peon, the disciple of the god Esculapus. According to the myth, the disciple surpassed the teacher in healing, in retaliation the god poisoned him, but left him to live in the world in the form of a beautiful flower. Such is the ancient Greek legend, meanwhile China is the birthplace of the peony. There he was considered the most refined of flowers and landed near palaces and temples. There is even information that it was possible to buy this plant only for gold. And all because more decorative qualities were valued for its medicinal properties: from dozens of diseases, the peony was cured. Planting it was allowed only for the nobility, and commoners had no right to grow this refined culture.

Peony today has about six thousand varieties. It is of two kinds - grassy and tree-like, with lignified stems. The second species is most common in China itself, the Mediterranean countries and North America. Russian herb growers are the most common herbaceous peony. Planting and selection of it is popular both in large flower farms and in suburban areas. Variety of shades, luxurious large flowers, subtle aroma - everything attracts in it. In his homeland, in China, the beauty of the peony was appreciated much later, and at first Chinese medicine widely used its rhizomes for the preparation of miracle potions. Our pharmacists and traditional healers also appreciated the strength of this plant. Tincture of the root of the peony with propolis is recommended for the treatment and prevention of oncological diseases, with diabetes, gynecological problems, with diseases of the kidneys and bile ducts. In addition, preparations based on the peony are famous for their soothing effect. It is known that this flower is able to raise the tone and improve mood. It is enough to approach the bush and take a deep breath of the aroma that exudes the peony. Planting this decorative culture is carried out once for many years. If the place is chosen successfully, the peony will grow in one place until seven or ten years.

He loves well-drained soil, in moderately dry and lit places. Where the storm drains pass, the pion does not belong. Copious watering is required to him only after transplantation, until he takes root. The bush is beautiful even in itself thanks to abundant carved foliage. But it sometimes has to tie up when large heavy peonies are blooming. Planting and care (photo on the left) consist in the successful location and cleanliness of the area around the flowers, whether whole plantations or solitary bushes, which also looks very impressive.

And yet, this flower has its whims. The most important of these is the specific depth of the pit for tubers. If you want your peony to bloom in a new place, planting should be at such a depth that the kidneys are closed one or two centimeters, not more. Otherwise, the root will go deep, and flowering can not wait. A transplant bushes should be in case if the flowering has become meager or has stopped, or the flowers have become smaller - it means the bush is time to update. Carefully excavated rhizome must be divided into several parts and planted in pre-prepared wells. The optimal transplant time is the end of August and the middle of October, when the ground part is cut off. But it is also possible to plant pions in spring in the ground. As already mentioned, the fossa should be shallow, some growers even put rubble or flat stone on the bottom so that the roots do not rush down. Very long rhizomes can be pruned, but we must very carefully touch the tender shoots - they are very brittle.