Autumn Peony Transplantation – Secrets of a Successful Procedure

If you like peonies and want to make a peony garden, it’s important to learn how to properly care for these flowers. be your beautiful dream today. First, consider how to transplant peonies in the fall to a new location. If done correctly, from one bush spring you will have 3-4, and blooming! Great, right?

Autumn peony transplants are the secrets of a successful procedure

Why transplant peonies

Pion breeders celebrate dislike of these flowers for transplants and recommend conducting it no earlier than 4-5 years after planting. And very carefully.

You say that grassy peonies can not be transplanted for 20 years, and tree-like – in general 70? Yes, that’s right, these rhizome flowers do fine without a transplant, but only if they are comfortable in their place:

• enough nutrition in the soil;
• the neighbors do not obscure;
• the bush is well ventilated, dense;
• groundwater does not bother.

To determine if a peony is good in its place, answer these questions:

• Does the flower bloom abundantly and regularly?
• The inflorescences respond varietal size?
• Do all buds bloom? No falling?
• The flowers last a long time?
• The leaves are large, shiny, even saturated color?
• The stems are strong?
• Growth from the previous speed?

If you answered “no” to at least one question, then it’s not all right in the peony kingdom. Most likely, it’s time to think about changing the place of residence of the plant.

Consider the main signs and causes of trouble.

Excessive growth

Peony is not very capricious flowers. Two conditions that must be meticulously met are:

1. Free circulation of air around the bushes;
2. Sunlighting throughout the day. Only light penumbra at noon is permissible.

Therefore, peonies do not plant next to large trees, close to the walls of buildings.

This flower quickly grows green mass, its large leaves in an overgrown bush obscure each other. As a result:

• Flowering becomes less plentiful, until the cessation.
• The leaves are smaller.
• Not all buds open.
• The growth of the stems slows down, they bend.
• The bush becomes asymmetrical, loses decorativeness.
• There is a high risk of “catching” a fungal disease – it is the thickened plantings that the pathogenic microflora love so much!

These signs appear in flowers older than 7-10 years.

To prevent deterioration of the quality of pions from thickening and growth, it is necessary to regularly divide the bushes and plant them. The procedure is performed once every 6-8 years.

Long stay in one bed

Powerful peony bushes need a lot of nutrition.

As the plant grows nutrients from the soil are consumed faster, their supply is replenished by the gardener when feeding.

Peonies take useful trace elements from the soil

After 10-12 years, the soil will be depleted, especially in terms of trace elements, and the peony will go into starvation mode:

• The leaves will lose their luster, begin wither.
• Buds may form , but the bush already lacks the strength for their further development, so most of them are not revealed.

Peonies have few pests, but there are enough diseases. Their pathogens accumulate in the soil, but they are safe for a strong plant. Over time, colonies of pathogens grow, and the immunity of the peony decreases.

And the inevitable comes – illness, loss of decorativeness and possible death of the peony. Transplantation is the only salvation.

Redevelopment

It happens that the peony is all right, he is beautiful and happy, pleases with buds and carved healthy leaves, but … It does not look at all in the current composition.

But in combination with roses (irises / asters / chrysanthemums) it will look more advantageous – and in this case the transplant is justified.

When it is better to transplant – in autumn or spring

It is important that after transferring to another place the plants do not interrupt flowering. Peonies really do not like transplants, and in response they stop the formation of buds throughout the entire adaptation period.

The least traumatic are the division and transplant during rest: in early spring or autumn.

If these operations are carried out in the spring, there will be no flowering exactly this year – the bush will begin to spend its energy on planting and will not have time to grow stronger by the beginning of budding. There is one significant nuance: vegetative roots begin to grow at 3C, so when digging a bush they are in the active stage, and when they are in the air for more than 5 minutes they die. Spring transplantation of peonies is possible only by transshipment.

But in the fall, peony has enough time for everything. The coolness and rains contribute to the development of young roots, to the winter colds, the delenka will grow so strong that they will be ready to continue flowering next spring, i.e. Autumn transplant is better in every way.

Optimal timelines

You do not have to wait until autumn for a transplant.This operation can be carried out after flowering and buds are over – already in August, when suction roots begin to form in the peony. They provide painless adaptation of the plant to a new place.

Main conditions:

• the temperature of the air should not be higher than 20-22 ° C,
• sufficient the amount of moisture in the air and soil.

It is important to carry out the procedure 35-45 days before the onset of cold weather.

By region

Depending on the time of the onset of constant frosts, the maximum possible regional transplant dates are also chosen:

• Ural, Siberia – mid-August;
• Middle lane, Moscow Region – August-early September;
• South, To th, Kuban – the end of September

If you can not hold a transplant within a specified time, it is better to move it to the next year.. Otherwise, the roots will not have time to form, the plant may not survive the winter or will be weakened and with a high degree of probability will fall ill.

According to the lunar calendar

The procedure is recommended to be carried out on the growing moon

The lunar calendar instructs to perform operations related to the roots in the growing phase . It is during this period that the underground part of plants (roots, tubers, rhizomes) are at rest and are not so susceptible to stress during mechanical damage.

For 2019, these are the following dates:

• August: 2-14, 31;
• September: 1-13, 29-30;
• October: 1-13, 29-31.

How to transplant correctly

To maintain peony bloom after transplantation, it’s important not only to correctly choose the timing of the operation, but also conduct it in the least traumatic way for the plant. At the same time, taking into account the characteristics of the flower and providing optimal conditions for adaptation.

Choosing a place

Peony is a light-loving subtropical plant, so it has special requirements for the place of planting. It should be:

• Sunlit at least 8-10 hours, possibly with slight shading for 3-4 hours a day.
• Protected from the wind, but with free air circulation .
• Far from large plants and buildings.
• Without a close approach to groundwater.
• On a hill where water will not accumulate after rains and snow melt.

Peony is good at any time: its carved leaves are attractive, the beautiful shape of the bush. He will retain these advantages in case of a not quite appropriate landing place. However, it will not bloom in the shade and in the draft.

Soil

Peonies grow on any soil. But their beauty is most fully revealed on light loam or sandy sandstone with a Ph value ranging from 6.0 to 6.8. More acidic soils must be treated before planting with dolomite flour or ash.

The soil before is prepared in advance, at least 2-3 weeks in advance: from garden soil, sand, peat and humus in equal shares

For this:

• The soil is dug up on the bayonet of a shovel, carefully choosing weeds.
• They bring in organic matter – rotted compost, leaf humus. The introduction of manure or bird droppings leads to spots on the leaves and reduces the immunity of the plant to fungal diseases.
• Dig holes 60X60 cm in size.

Transplant technology

If you plan to plant several bushes, place them at a distance from each other:

• undersized varieties – at least 70 cm;
• of average height – up to 110 cm;
• tree-like – 150-180 cm.

In each hole, drainage is laid on the bottom – broken brick, expanded clay, pebbles. The “heavier” and wetter the soil, the higher this layer should be – up to 20 cm.

Then the prepared soil and fertilizers are poured:

• 200 g of double superphosphate;
• 1 tbsp iron sulfate (or bury 2 tin cans);
• 0.5 tbsp potassium sulfate.

The soil mixture in the pit is mixed, watered and left to shrink.

Peonies have a very vulnerable root system

The root system of the peony is very delicate, vulnerable, so the transplant procedure must be performed with the least damage edema rhizomes.

To do this:

• Dig a bush in a circle at a distance of 40 cm from the stems;
• Insert the forks into the dug groove and loosen the bush so that it can easily be was removed from the ground;
• Carefully free from adhering earth. Under no circumstances should you shake and beat on a hard surface! If it is necessary to divide the bush, then small roots can be washed under a gentle stream of water;
• Leave to dry for several hours;
• Remove all diseased, damaged and dry roots with a sharp knife;
• Shorten the shoots to 20 cm;
• Divide the rhizome (if this operation is necessary) so that 4 buds remain on each divide;
• Dip the roots of the plant in a fungicide solution, then soak in a root-forming solution;
• Sprinkle the places of the slices with crushed activated charcoal, potassium permanganate or garden varieties.

Into the hole with the finished g untosmesyu delenki placed so that the root collar was at a depth of 5-7 cm Absorb remaining part of the soil is compacted and abundantly watered -. not less than 5 liters of water per bush

Note.! Young buds must be covered with earth, otherwise they will dry out and die. But too deep penetration will lead to decay and cessation of flowering. The optimal soil layer above the buds is 3-5 cm.

Why there may be no flowering after transplantation

The plants separated in the fall take root well, but begin to bloom only for 2-3 years.If the delenki did not bloom for 3 years, then the planting material is divided up very finely. You need to wait until the bush reaches the required volume.

Correctly transplanted peonies without division can bloom the very next year. If this does not happen, then there may be several reasons:

• the soil is too acidic;
• the depth of planting is more than 7 cm or less than 5 cm (if deep, the buds will rot, while shallow – freeze);
• in the soil, an excess of nitrogen fertilizers or organic matter. The bush spends energy on increasing green mass, not on flowering;
• lack of moisture during the laying of flower buds;
• leaves and stems are cut immediately after flowering. They did not participate in the process of photosynthesis and did not transfer the necessary energy to the roots;
• the peony is damaged by diseases or pests.

Follow-up care

Care after transplantation should be gentle:

• watering only after the top layer has dried (excessive moisture can cause decay of an unrooted plant);
• regular surface loosening of the soil to improve root aeration;
• spraying with adaptogens;
• cessation of top dressing.

A closer look at each of these operations.

Watering

Feature treatments that have no base of the bush of the suction roots, they are located on the perimeter. In order for all the moisture to benefit the plant, they dig a shallow groove around the periphery of the root circle.And this is where the water is poured! When watering under the base of the bush, there is a risk of rotting of the stems.

Peony is a “water loaf”; for normal development and flowering, it needs abundant but rare watering. The volume of each is 2-3 buckets per bush.

It is especially important for watering a transplanted flower at the end of August, when the adventitious roots actively develop.

But with all the love of water, a peony is better to undersatisfy than to pour . In the case of constantly “wet heels”, the bush will begin to rot and lose immunity to fungal diseases. Therefore, moistening the rhizome through irrigation holes is the safest.

Feeding

Young plants do not need fertilizers

Transplanted peonies do not feed the first 2-3 years. The plant needs enough nutrition that is planted in the planting pit.

At this time, foliar feeding 1-2 times per season with growth regulators and humates is permissible.

Starting from the 3rd year, feeding is carried out according to the standard scheme – 4 times a year, at the rate of 30-35 g of fertilizer (matchbox with a “slide”) per bush:

• In spring, during the period of active formation of leaves and stems – a complete complex fat with a predominance of nitrogen . The most effective top dressing is on melt snow. Granular fertilizers are scattered around the bush. Together with melt water, they quickly get to the awakening roots.
• During the budding period, it is a complex fat with a predominance of potassium.
• During flowering – potassium-phosphorus mixtures, with an increased proportion of potassium.
• After flowering – phosphorus-potassium, with an excess of phosphorus.

It is important to completely eliminate humates and nitrogen after July 15-20. And, of course, all top dressing is carried out only after watering!

Loosening, hilling

In addition to the basic procedures – watering and top dressing – it is important to regularly conduct aeration of the soil.

Such actions saturate the soil with air and contribute to the active development of suction roots.

However, loosening should be carried out to a depth of not more than 5 cm at the base of the bush so as not to damage the root system. At the periphery of the root circle, a depth of 15 cm is permissible.

It is especially important to loosen after watering and rains.

Once the peony has grown stronger after transplanting, you can grow a bush – this helps the formation of additional roots.

Pruning

The peony does not need to be formed – its natural shape is perfect! If the symmetry of the bush is broken, then the place for the plant was chosen erroneously.

Pruning is necessary for a flowering peony to increase the flowering period or to allow the formation of larger flowers.

Remember the rule:

• if you want to see large flowers, then remove the side buds when they become the size of a pea;
• if you prefer to admire the lush flowering bush, then leave all the buds, but the flowers will not be very large.

Faded flowers should be removed immediately, cutting to the first well-developed leaf with a stump no more than 2-3 mm.

This is especially important in rainy weather, as falling petals, falling on the leaves, can cause gray rot. Yes, and such a bush looks untidy.

Wintering

The entire aboveground part of the peonies needs to be cut, but this should only be done when constant cold weather sets in. Until this time, the leaves, participating in photosynthesis, supply the roots with nutrients. Early pruning will weaken the plant very much.

After pruning, you need to carefully examine the base of the shoots – if the buds are bare. In order to protect them, peonies are bred with fertile soil to a height of 7-10 cm. Peonies tolerate cold well. Usually, only plants that are replanted shortly before the onset of frost need shelter.

In this case, they are covered with peat or leaf humus up to 15-20 cm thick. Peonies most often die not from frost, but from heating . Therefore, straw or leaves cannot be used as a shelter.

Adult rooted peonies do not cover for the winter.

The operation is necessary if:

• the bush has grown;
• the flowers are smaller, they become smaller;
• plant growth has stopped.

A peony is transplanted in the fall, 35-45 days (in extreme cases – a month) before the onset of constant cold weather.

During the transplant process, the bush can be divided. Each dividend should have at least 3-4 growth buds.

When planting, the root neck is buried by 5-7 cm.

The transplanted plant is watered in a circular groove at the border of the root circle, but is not fed .

Here, perhaps, are all the secrets. Nothing complicated, right? But how much joy will bring you the children of your favorites, who have taken root in a new place. Beauty will settle on a summer cottage. And you did it!