Gardeners love and value peonies for the noble beauty and unpretentiousness. One of the brightest representatives of these plants is the peony thin-leaved or narrow-leaved. As soon as the snow melts, its shoots literally “shoot” out of the ground, declaring their right to be the discoverer of the spring season.
Material Content:
Fine-leaved Peony: species description
In the natural environment, this species of peonies is found in the steppe regions of southeastern Europe, in the Crimea, the Caucasus and the Balkan Peninsula, being a rare and therefore protected plant. People call it differently: raven or funnel, red azure, azure flower.
The plant is a low (up to 50 cm) shrub with a short rhizome, having pineal thickenings and shoots covered with spectacular openwork leaves. They are narrowly linear (up to 2 mm), twice or thrice pinnate, and are colored in shades of emerald green. Thanks to the leaves, the plant looks decorative throughout the season.
In April-May, at the top of each shoot buds of single flowers are formed with simple or double cups with a diameter of up to 8-10 cm. Corollas formed by a dozen obliquely shaped petals curved outward. The central part is decorated with numerous (up to 200 pcs.) Stamens with purple threads and yellow anthers.
Distinctive features of flowering narrow-leaved peonies are:
- simultaneous opening of most buds, which enhances the decorative flowering;
- short duration:
- simple forms bloom 1-2 weeks;
- on terry thin-leaved peonies, the buds remain fresh for at least 17 days.
In July, the bushes fall apart.In place of flowers, fruits are tied - pubescent leaflets formed of 2-5 slightly bent and deflected plates. Dark brown shiny seeds ripen inside the leaflets.
In August, all terrestrial honor dies. In the spring of next year, the plant forms it again.
Important nuances of growing
Narrow-leaved peonies are hardy and unpretentious, however, there are several important points, ignoring which will significantly reduce the decorativeness of the plant.
- Thin-leaved peonies can grow in an open sunny place and in the shade. However, it is better to place these flowers in partial shade, for example, under the crowns of trees. This is due to the tendency of foliage and buds to burn out.
- The plant does not tolerate acidic, as well as waterlogged or with a high nitrogen content of the soil. Excess nitrogen adversely affects flowering quality and leads to early lodging of shoots. The abundance of moisture provokes the occurrence of fungal diseases.
- Narrow-leaved peonies grow slowly and therefore do not need frequent transplants.
Outdoor landing
Peonies are planted in late August, early September.
Spring planting is carried out only in case of urgent need.
Landing is carried out in pre-prepared recesses (60/80), placing them at a distance of about a meter.
- A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom of the recesses.
- On top of the drainage is a soil mixture of leaf soil, humus and rotted manure with the addition of dolomite flour (400 grams per bush). An alternative is to use a mixture of garden or peat land, taken in equal quantities, with any complex mineral fertilizer and ash.
- A small mound is formed from the soil mixture, on top of which a rhizome is placed. From above the roots are sprinkled with garden soil. Renewal buds are left on the surface or slightly (2-3 cm) deepened.
Peony leaf care
Growing a funnel is easy. Caring for this plant is not burdensome and consists in holding a few events that are traditional for gardeners.
It:
- watering;
- top dressing;
- loosening;
- soil mulching;
- pruning.
Watering
The thin-leaved peony is hygrophilous and therefore needs regular and plentiful watering, the periodicity of which is determined by the state of the upper (2–4 cm) soil layer.
In hot, dry times, the soil is moistened at least 3 times a week, pouring up to 10 liters of water under each bush. The formation of soil crust is unacceptable.
Top dressing
Starting from the third year after planting, during the season, mineral additives are added several times:
- in spring - nitrogen-containing (ammonium nitrate, urea, 50-60 g under the bush in front of the strait);
- in summer - complex mineral fertilizers, observing the dosage specified in the instructions;
- in early autumn - phosphorus-potassium supplements.
Loosening and mulching
Regular cultivation and mulching helps to preserve soil moisture, enrich the earth with oxygen and prevent the appearance of weeds.
When growing narrow-leaved peonies, the soil under the shoots is loosened cautiously and shallowly, only 5-7 cm.
Mulching is carried out after watering using humus or peat.
Pruning
In the fall, after lodging the shoots, they are cut to the root. In areas with frosty and snowy winters, peat or foliage is sprinkled on top.
Breeding
There are 2 ways to propagate thin-leaved peonies: seed and vegetative. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.
Seed propagation
Seed material is purchased in the store or collected independently, picking the fruits before they are revealed. Voronets seeds quickly lose their germination capacity and therefore they are stored in the refrigerator until planting, placed in a paper bag.
Sowing is carried out in the first half of September, in the open ground, on the distributing beds, choosing sites with light loose soil. Shoots will appear in the spring. Growing over the summer and growing stronger by autumn plants are transplanted to a permanent place. Flowering will begin at 4 or 5 years.
Reproduction by seeds is rather laborious and time-consuming, therefore it is used infrequently.
Vegetative method of propagation of peonies
Vegetative propagation, carried out by division of the rhizome, will allow flowering of young plants in the current season.
Adult (from 5 years old) overgrown bushes are subject to division.
For this:
- in late August or early September they dig up a peony;
- the roots are carefully inspected, removing all deformed, decayed or doubtful areas;
- the rhizome is divided into parts (delenki), each of which should have 2-3 kidneys;
- Delenki planted in a new permanent place.
The method is good not only for reproduction, but also as a rejuvenating procedure.
Diseases, pests and methods of dealing with them
The thin-leaved peony is rarely affected by pests and is sick. However, the lack of care or a combination of adverse factors (prolonged rainy weather) provoke the occurrence of fungal diseases.
At the beginning of the growing season, there is a risk of caterpillar damage. To prevent their occurrence in spring, the soil under the plant is mulched using ash or dolomite flour.
