How to cultivate peony?

Family and genus: Paeoniaceae, Paeonia.

Decorative features:

Peony grows slowly, its plant type is small, and its plant height is mostly between 0.5 and 2 meters. Roots are fleshy, thick and long, with lignified center, generally 0.5 ~ 0.8 meters long, and a few roots can reach 2 meters; The color of root bark and root meat varies with varieties; The branches are erect, crisp and round, and look like shrubs from the roots. Annual branches are smooth and brown and often crack and fall off. Leaves alternate, leaves are usually compound leaves with three cycles and three exits, the upper branches are often simple leaves, and the leaflets are needle-shaped, ovule-shaped, oval and so on. The terminal leaflets are often 2-3-lobed, the upper leaves are dark green or yellow-green, and the lower leaves are grayish green, smooth or hairy; The total petiole is 8 ~ 20 cm long with grooves on the surface; The branches of peanuts in that year were bisexual, large and colorful, and beautiful in shape. The flower pattern is K5G2 ~ 5: 1: 2 ~ 5, and the flower diameter is 10 ~ 30cm. The colors of flowers are white, yellow, pink, red, purple, deep purple (black), snow blue (pink blue), green and compound color. Male and female pistils are often petaled, and the natural growth of petals and the degree of petaled pistils are related to varieties, cultivation environmental conditions and growth years. Normal flowers have many stamens, strong seed setting ability and high seed maturity. Flowers with serious pistil petals, few seeds but no seeds, completely free stamens, 5 carpels, at least 8 carpels, each ovary bottle-shaped, placenta margin, most ovules pentagonal, 7- 13 per corner, and round seeds.

After peony changed from wild to domestic, due to the change of environmental conditions and continuous artificial breeding and cultivation, not only the color, pattern and flowering period changed sooner or later, but also the shape of plants, the length and thickness of roots and the color and shape of leaves.

I. Plant types

Peony plants vary in height, cluster, vertical inclination and aggregation due to different varieties. Generally speaking, according to its shape or divided into five types;

1. Vertical

The branches are upright and tall, densely distributed, with small spreading angle, and the included angle between the branches and the vertical line is mostly within 30. Internodes are long, the annual growth of new branches is 10 ~ 65438+40~50cm, and the average plant height of five-year-olds is 40~50cm, and the highest is above1m. Such as "Shougehong", "Purple Er Qiao" and "Yao Huang".

2. Evacuation type

Most branches are scattered and bent to extend around, and the plant width is greater than the plant height, forming a low-spread plant shape. The angle between the branch and the vertical line is greater than 45, and the new branch is long and soft. Such as Zhao Fen, Keep Red, Mountain Flowers in Full Bloom, Qinglong in Mo Chi, etc.

3. Open type

The branches grow strong and straight, extending obliquely around, and there is an angle between them. The plant type is perfect and correct, and the height is moderate. The annual growth of new branches is 6 ~ 8 cm, and the average plant height of five-year-old branches is 30 ~ 40 cm. Such as "Zhuangyuanhong", "Silver and Red Pairs" and "Gold and Jade to Send".

4. Dwarf type

Branches grow slowly, internodes are short, leaves are dense, and branches are compact and short. The annual growth of new branches is 2 ~ 4 cm, and the average plant height of five years is about 15 cm. Such as "Beauty Red", "Luohan Red" and "Haiyunzi".

Step 5 go it alone

Most of them are artificial art shapes, with obvious trunk and different heights, generally 20 ~ 80 cm. Some branches grow on the trunk to form a crown (some have no crown), which is simple and looks like a bonsai and grows slowly. It usually takes more than 8 years to form. Such as "18".

In each plant type, due to different varieties, the erect degree, height and oblique extension angle are also different; At the same time, the branches are thick, thin, hard and straight. For example, in the dwarf type, "arhat red" belongs to the stout dwarf type, while "flowing from the stem to win the green" belongs to the thin dwarf type; Another example is that the upright "Shouanhong" belongs to the coarse upright type, and the "Yao Huang" belongs to the fine and hard upright type.

Two. root

Peony has a well-developed root system and many deep-rooted fleshy main roots and lateral roots. Primary roots start from white, gradually turn yellow to brown, the meat is white, individual red, and the meat center is lignified, commonly known as "wood heart". The fleshy part stores a lot of nutrients and water for plants to grow. Generally speaking, plants with deep roots have lush foliage and tall plants, while plants with shallow roots have short branches and short plant types. Peony has different types and numbers of roots due to different varieties, but it can be generally divided into three categories:

1. Straight root type

This kind of roots are deep (the roots of four-year-old peony can be buried more than 80cm), but the roots are sparse, with only dozens of thick "surface roots" with uniform thickness. The root is smooth and has a hundred skins, and there are few small roots on the root. Roots (called "peony bark" after processing) have high yield and good quality. Such as Feng Dan, Zhao Fen, Er Qiao and Mo Kui. Most of these peonies are medicinal and ornamental varieties.

2. Slope root type

This kind of root varies in thickness and length, and there are many lateral roots, which grow in a cross, commonly known as "chicken claw root". Most of the soil layers are shallow and the slope angle is large. Such as "Qingshan Guan Xue", "White" and "Huanghuakui", the quality and yield of this kind of peony are lower than that of straight root type, so it is not suitable for medicinal cultivation.

3. Intermediate type

This kind of root has moderate density and no obvious main root. Most of them are "noodle roots" with uniform thickness and smooth skin, with an average burial depth of 70 ~ 80 cm, such as "planting black" and "Yao Huang", which have both ornamental and medicinal values.

Three. bud

There are 6 ~ 8 scales around peony buds, so peony buds are also called "scale buds". Peony overwinters with scale buds.

Peony bud can be divided into flower bud, leaf bud, latent bud and adventitious bud according to its function and differentiation degree.

1. Huaya

The flower buds of peony are mixed buds, which can branch, grow leaves and bloom. The "terminal flower bud" growing at the top of branches is called "terminal flower bud". Once the branches of flowers are opened, the stems will dry up and retract for a period of time. The flower buds inserted between the axils of the lower leaves of the stem are called "axillary flower buds" or "lateral flower buds". Flower buds are generally plump, and you can see the "flower embryo" (that is, the bud inside the scale bud) by peeling off the scales.

2. Young leaves

Leaf buds only have branches and long leaves, most of which are inserted between the axils at the lower part of flower buds, and some of them are born at the top of branches, which are thinner than flower buds and develop into branches after germination.

3. Dormant buds

The latent bud is born in the lowest part of the new branch, and its shape is small and flat, such as millet, commonly known as "dog turtle". It does not germinate at ordinary times, but can germinate only after the flower bud, leaf bud or branch is injured, and its life span is long, reaching 10 ~ 15 years.

4. Adventitious buds

Buds attached to roots are called "adventitious buds". After unearthed, it germinated into sprouting branches, commonly known as "soil buds". Adventitious buds have strong germination ability and are the main source of scions. Old branches (rootstocks) are updated and new shares are added. Adventitious buds do not bloom that year, but grow vigorously. They can develop and differentiate into top flower buds that year and bloom the next year.

Peony buds are different in shape and color due to different varieties, with different shapes and characteristics. Generally speaking, there are cone, pearl, oblate, oblong cone, olecranon, etc. The size of buds, the number and thickness of scales are different. There are also different degrees of turquoise, yellow-green, khaki, khaki, silver gray, brown and purplish red; In addition, there are colors and mixed colors, which are the main basis for distinguishing varieties in autumn. Therefore, it is difficult to identify peony varieties only by the shape and color of flower buds, and it is necessary to master the characteristics of scale flower buds of each variety through long-term patient and meticulous observation.

Four. branch

Due to the different internode lengths of effective branches in that year, the number of buds inserted and germination ability of new branches are also different, and the branching habits are also obviously different, but there are generally two types of branches:

1. Single branch type

In that year, the new branches had long internodes and few buds, which only germinated at the base of node 1 ~ 2 or node 1 ~ 3, and only one of these new buds germinated into the new branches of that year. This type is generally tall and sparse, such as "Yao Huang".

2. Dense branching type

The new buds of that year have short internodes and many new buds, usually 3-5. New branches are strong, and each new branch can be pulled out in that year, forming short branches, many branches are thick and clustered. This variety of plants is usually short and densely branched. Such as Ying Luo Zhu Bao, Dan Furnace Flame and Fat Red.

Verb (short for verb) leave.

Peony leaves alternate and consist of leaves and petioles. The shape, size, color and texture of leaves vary with varieties and can be divided into the following categories:

1. Large circular blade type

The whole leaf is large and round, with a length of over 40cm and a width of over 25cm. The leaflets are wide, round and pure, and they are oval or oval. Marginal loss of lateral leaflets; How flat the leaves are. Such as "Wang Hong", "Great Lake Red", "Mokui" and "First Case Red".

2. Large long leaf type

The size of the whole leaf is the same as before, but the leaflets are long and narrow, rectangular and thin, with few notches, sharp edges and sparse flat or drooping leaves, such as "silver powder and gold scales" and "ice-covered red stones".

3. Lobular round leaf type

The whole leaf is small, about 20 ~ 30cm long, with short and thick leaflets and short and round edges. Such as "Jin Ge Zi", "lantian jade" and "Beauty Red".

4. Small shape and long leaf type

The size of the whole leaf is the same as above, but the leaflets are narrow, with notches at the edges and rolled up. Such as "fat red" and "smoke dragon purple".

5. Medium blade type

The whole leaf is medium-sized, about 30 ~ 40 cm long, with oval lobules, concave edges, sharp rolling and inclined leaves. Such as "false kudzuvine towel purple", "Zhuangyuanhong" and "big brown purple".

There are special leaf shapes at home and abroad. For example, in the "Three Strange Sets", only three irregular circular leaves are born on each petiole, which is two-thirds less than that of ordinary varieties, and it is a compound leaf with two cycles; Another example is "Fleshy Hibiscus" and "Big Brown Purple". There are three groups of leaves on each petiole, which are divided into the top five and six * * * eleven leaflets, two more than ordinary varieties.

The color of peony leaves is mainly green and yellow-green, and some varieties have different degrees of purple halo; Some leaves are dotted with purple or yellow spots; The back of leaves is mostly grayish green and light gray, and some varieties (such as "Bai He") have a lot of fluff.

Petiole of intransitive verb

The petiole of peony is also divided into thickness, hardness and length, which can reach 40cm for the elderly,10 cm; Abbreviation Petiole concave is mostly dark purple, purplish red, taupe, yellowish green and other different colors.

The length of petiole, especially the angle between petiole and branch, varies greatly with different varieties, which also has a great influence on the ornamental value of flowers. The angle between petiole and branches is large, the leaves are flat or drooping, and the leaves are sparse, such as "ink sunflower", which has flowers on the leaves, forming beautiful flowers and leaves, which complement each other. On the contrary, the petiole is short and the included angle between the petiole and the branch is small. Because of the close branches and leaves, flowers are often hidden in leaves, resulting in the phenomenon of "hiding flowers in leaves", and the ornamental value is greatly reduced.

Seven. flower

Peony flowers are colorful and varied. Some varieties have intact floral organs and normal development of sepals, stamens and pistils, such as "lotus" and "phoenix white". But some varieties have petals or degenerate, forming colorful flowers.

According to the number of petals, flowers are traditionally divided into single petals (layers), double petals (layers) and thousand petals (layers). In these three categories, according to the ornamental characteristics of flowers, they can be divided into six flower types: sunflower type, lotus type, rose type, hemispherical type, crown type and hydrangea type (traditionally called crown type and hydrangea type). This classification method intuitively reflects the various forms of flowers.

In recent years, peony-related experts and scholars, together with researchers in producing areas, combined with traditional classification methods, have found out the evolution law of peony flowers and flower composition after years of field observation and anatomical observation, and put forward new flower classification, that is, peony flowers are divided into single petal type, lotus type, chrysanthemum type, rose type, thousand-layer terrace type, laurel type, gold ring type, crown type, hydrangea type and Louzitai type.

Ecological habits:

In the process of evolution, peony has formed the habit of unifying its growth with the surrounding environmental conditions.

1. China Peony is a typical temperate tree species.

They are concentrated in the mountainous areas in southwest China and the loess plateau and hilly areas in north-central China. Although the southwest region is located in the climate zone from warm temperate zone to subtropical zone, the peonies here all grow in mountainous areas above 2500 meters above sea level, and like the peonies distributed in central and northern China, they all grow in temperate environment for a long time. Therefore, they all adapt to the temperate climate characteristics, and form a preference for mild and cool, with certain cold tolerance; It is advisable to be dry and afraid of damp heat; Like sunshine, slightly tolerant of semi-shade ecological habits.

2. Peony varieties in China have both typical ecological habits and extensive ecological adaptability.

Although their original species are concentrated, adjacent and overlapping, different species groups are formed due to different provenances, different altitudes and specific land environmental conditions, which make them difficult to adapt to different ecological environmental conditions and make them have their own typical ecological habits.

In addition to the above ecological habits, there are two different ecotypes in the wild population of Paeonia suffruticosa in China. One is Paeonia suffruticosa, Paeonia suffruticosa and Paeonia suffruticosa in Shan Yang (distributed in higher latitudes), which are distributed in habitats below 2000m above sea level, with annual rainfall of about 1000mm, absolute maximum temperature higher than 30℃ and absolute minimum temperature higher than ~ 19 m℃. They have close ecological habits, characterized by liking cold and dry climate, cold and drought tolerance. The other is purple peony, yellow peony, yellow peony and Sichuan peony, which are distributed at an altitude of about 2000m, with annual rainfall greater than 1000mm, absolute maximum temperature less than 30℃ and absolute minimum temperature less than ~ 10℃. Their ecological habits are similar to each other. Compared with the former, they prefer warm and humid climate, but they are cold-resistant.

Peony varieties cultivated in China not only retain the habits of their original species and new varieties, but also obtain a broader ecological variety group under long-term natural hybridization and artificial cultivation and breeding. They demand their most suitable habitat conditions, showing their outstanding ecological habits. For example, from the main meteorological factors in Heze, Luoyang and Beijing, the central plains cultivation centers, this area is dry and windy in spring, hot and rainy in summer, cold and sunny in autumn and winter, and has the characteristics of warm temperate climate, thus forming a typical ecological variety group in the central plains, which is temperate, cold-resistant, heat-resistant, high drought, afraid of humidity and waterlogging. It can also be clearly seen from the meteorological factors in its main producing areas that the northwest variety group has strong adaptability. Compared with the central plains variety group, they prefer cold and cool, and are more cold-resistant and drought-tolerant, so they can be classified as cold and cool variety group. Jiangnan varieties, mainly producing Ningguo and Tongling, are located in the hilly area of southern Anhui, with a subtropical climate. Winter is warm and humid, summer is hot and humid, and the air relative humidity is as high as 80%. The local peony is very strong and luxuriant, with gorgeous flowers, early flowering and late dead leaves, which shows that the variety prefers relatively warm and humid air to repair, can resist high temperature and high humidity, and has the ecological characteristics of high temperature and high humidity. Although there are not many varieties in Southwest China at present, and the genetic relationship is not very clear, the variety habits are quite distinctive, that is, they are not cold-resistant, afraid of summer heat and strong light, require high air humidity, and like loose and slightly acidic soil. This is the result of their long-term adaptation to the habitat conditions of Pengzhou, Sichuan and Lijiang, Yunnan, where there is no cold in winter and no heat in summer, and the seasons are warm and humid, and they belong to the warm and humid mountain ecological group.

To sum up, it can be seen that the main factors affecting the normal growth and development of peony in China are temperature and humidity (mainly air humidity). Different species and varieties are very sensitive to their reactions, and they all have their adaptation ranges. If it exceeds this range, their growth and development will be affected. For example, when southwest varieties are introduced into the Central Plains, they often bloom because of the hot summer. Another example is that many varieties in the Central Plains variety group were introduced to Qinghai and northern Heilongjiang, but because the winter temperature is too low, they can't overwinter in the open air or the aboveground parts die, and they are often in a perennial state, so they need to be protected for normal growth. However, due to high temperature and high humidity, the introduction to Jiangnan caused poor growth and development, but some varieties were able to adapt and bloom normally. This shows that different varieties in the same variety group have different responses and adaptations to the same ecological factor.

Peony varieties in China have low requirements on light factors and soil conditions, and have strong adaptability. Most varieties like sunshine and have a little patience with semi-shade. If there is side shade when flowering, the flowering effect is better and the flowering period can be extended appropriately, especially for some varieties that are not tolerant to sunlight. The introduction and cultivation of southwest varieties to the north also has strong adaptability.

Propagation and culture:

Copy:

The time is 10 from late September (autumnal equinox) to early October (cold dew). Dig out 4 ~ 5-year-old mother plants (pay attention to keep the root system intact). Remove the soil attached to the root, then break it with both hands or split it with a knife according to the growth texture, and split it in two. Strong growth potential, many branches can be divided into three or four seedlings. Each seedling should have more than one branch and partial root system.

1. Connection:

Peony can be dug out and grafted, or grafted on the spot, from the beginning of September (white dew) to the beginning of June (cold dew). Rootstock is Paeonia lactiflora root or 2-3-year-old seedlings. The length is more than 15cm and the diameter is 1.5 ~ 3 cm. The scion adopts the strong branches of the year, with a length of 6 ~ 10 cm, stout terminal buds and 2 lateral buds1~. You can also use branches with full lateral buds. Grafting is done by splicing. First, cut the lower part of the scion into a wedge shape of 2.5 ~ 3cm, then flatten the top of the rootstock, and cut a 2.5 ~ 3cm long crack longitudinally from top to bottom on one side. Then insert the scion, align the scion with the bent part of the scion and connect it closely, tie it tightly with hemp skin or plastic film, then smear wet mud on the joint, dry it in the shade and plant it. When planting, the interface should be 2 ~ 3 cm below the ground, and the mound with the height of 10cm should be cultivated to protect the winter.

2. Sowing method:

Peony is a cross-pollinated plant, and its seedlings are easy to mutate. Therefore, sowing is generally used to cultivate new varieties and propagate rootstocks. Seeds should be harvested in August and September when the seed coat is completely black. After harvesting, spread it in a ventilated place to dry, and sow it from late August to late September. The fully mature seeds harvested in the previous year have low emergence rate and are generally not used. Soak the seeds in wet water at 70℃ for 24 ~ 30 hours before sowing. According to the different sowing amount, pot sowing, box sowing or open sowing can be used.

Sufficient base fertilizer should be applied before sowing. After ploughing and harrowing, furrows about 2 cm deep should be opened at the row spacing of 30 ~ 40 cm, and a seed should be planted every 3 ~ 5 cm in the furrows. You can also directly open a sowing ditch with a row spacing of 50cm, a width of 10cm and a depth of 2cm in the field, sow one grain every 4-5 cm on both sides of the ditch in double rows, cover it with 2-3 cm soil after sowing, and then cultivate soil stalks with a height of 10cm with fine soil to preserve moisture.

Peony seeds have the phenomenon of hypocotyl dormancy, and only take root and do not germinate in the same year after sowing. Ridges should be raised in the middle of March of the following year (before the vernal equinox) to facilitate seedling emergence. Seedlings are transplanted after 2 ~ 3 years of growth, and planted with 50cm row spacing and 30cm plant spacing respectively. Generally, they can bloom after 2 ~ 3 years of cultivation.

Cultivation management:

Peony should be planted in a high, dry place with good drainage. The top soil is loam, and the bottom soil is sandy loam, and the PH value is about 7. Low-lying land, cohesive soil and saline-alkali land are not suitable for planting peony.

Apply organic fertilizer first half a month before planting, and plow deeply and rake flat. The first ten days of September (autumnal equinox) to the first ten days of 10 (cold dew) are suitable for planting, and pits can be dug at a fixed point according to the row spacing of 80cm; You can also build a frame with a width of 60cm and a ridge width of 20, and fix the flowers in the middle with a spacing of 80cm. Planting per mu 1000 plants. For ornamental purposes, appropriately increase the spacing between plants. According to the size of the wood, a hole with a width of 20 ~ 50 cm square and a depth of 40 cm is planed. When planting ornamental seedlings, flower buds can be reserved appropriately, and when planting ramets, axillary buds or soil buds at the base can be reserved, and the upper branches can be cut off. Before planting, soak the seedlings with 500 times carbendazim or Ralstonia solanacearum solution for half an hour, gently lift the seedlings up, slightly shake them left and right, then fill in the soil and tamp them with wooden sticks. The planting depth should be 2 ~ 3 cm deeper than the ground. Too shallow is not conducive to rooting and survival, too deep is not prosperous after survival. When the soil is dry, water it immediately after planting, and seal the mound after water seeps out to protect the seedlings from overwintering. In the early spring of the following year, with the loosening of the soil, half of the mound was scraped off and allowed to grow naturally and unearthed. In order to control underground diseases and insect pests, phoxim insecticide, carbendazim, Rhizoctonia solani and other fungicides can be combined with planting and application.

1. Fertilizing, scarifying and watering:

Fertilization generally begins in the second year after planting and is applied three times a year. The first time is before flowering 15 ~ 20 days, the second time is half a month after flowering, and the third time is before freezing after autumn. The main types of fertilizers are compost, manure, bean cake, oil residue and other decomposed organic fertilizers. And compound fertilizer. Methods The method is universal in the whole garden or applied in plants. When fertilizing, spread it evenly on the ground first. Generally, five or six kilograms of compost or about three hundred kilograms of cake fertilizer are applied per mu, and then the soil is loosened with a hoe. Plant fertilization is to spread fertilizer around plants and then loosen the soil; Or 20-30 cm on both sides of peony, with rotten bean cake or oil residue daub holes with depth of 10 ~ 12 cm. Apply 2 ~ 3 Liang to 3 ~ 4-year-old peony plants and then restore the soil.

Loosening soil and weeding: generally two or three times before flowering and once or twice a month after flowering. After the rain, when the soil is slightly dry, hoe the soil. The depth of hoeing is 5 ~ 10 cm, and it is easy to hurt the root system if it is deeper. In order to preserve soil moisture, deep hoeing and shallow hoeing should be used to drain water.

2. Pruning, bud taking and bud picking:

Pruning is also called pruning. Its purpose is to keep certain plant shape and branches by removing redundant branches and waste buds, so as to make the aboveground and underground parts grow in balance and concentrate nutrients for flowering and rooting. Fixed stock is to determine the number, high and low position and distribution direction of branches according to the purpose. Keep more for breeding, less for viewing, and keep 5 ~ 8 for both. Taking buds is to peel useless buds from roots and branches. Peony can grow in the first year after planting. From late March (vernal equinox) to early April of the following year (Qingming), select 5-8 branches with vigorous growth and uniform distribution, and cut off all the other branches. When the rhizosphere soil is removed, all sprouted new branches and buds are removed from the base, except that there are not enough branches left, which need to be reserved and supplemented.

In order to concentrate nutrition for flowering and promote robust growth, seedlings planted every year keep 1-2 flowers and remove redundant buds. If the growth is weak, the flower seedlings can be picked. Medicinal cultivation can remove buds and promote root growth in early spring.

Pests and diseases:

The main pest of peony is leaf spot. From mid-May, spray 200 times bordeaux mixture or 500 ~ 600 times carbendazim every 15 ~ 20 days. Cleaning the fields after autumn, cutting off dead leaves and picking them up for centralized burning can reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases in the coming year. The main pests are underground pests such as longicorn beetles and grubs. Anoplophora glabripennis overwinters in its roots as larvae. In May and June, a thin iron bar (on both sides of the plant or triangular) can be used to drill 2 ~ 3 small holes with a depth of 20cm in the soil near the root of Paeonia suffruticosa, and an aluminum phosphide is placed in each hole, and then the holes are covered and fumigated. To control grubs, poison bait can be applied in planting holes, or the roots can be watered with 2000 times phoxim solution to kill them.

Garden use:

Peony is very suitable for landscaping, whether it is single planting, clumping planting or sticking planting. In smaller classical gardens or residential courtyards, peony terraces can be built in prominent places for planting. The flower bed should not be too high, 50 ~ 70 cm is appropriate.

Peony flower beds can be set up in the cultural rest park, and more varieties can be collected and rationally arranged to improve the ornamental value. Because peony likes dryness and hates dampness, the elevation of flower beds should be raised appropriately to facilitate drainage. The flower bed area should be1000 ~ 3000m2.

In large parks or scenic spots, peony gardens can be established.

Peony potted application is more flexible and convenient, which can be used for indoor peony variety exhibition, placed in the main scenic spots of the garden, and can also be used as decorations for residents indoors or on the balcony.