Blooming with lush caps of fragrant flowers, peony delights us every spring. This unpretentious plant does not require any special effort on the part of the gardener, but in order for it to please for not only several, but also decades, the bush must be rejuvenated every five years. This procedure means dividing the bush and planting the resulting divisions in a new location. In this article we will look in detail at how to replant peonies and how to prepare a place for them.
Such different peonies...
These perennials belong to the Ranunculaceae family and are divided into two main types: tree-like, retaining the aboveground part throughout the year, and herbaceous, with foliage dying off in autumn. In Russian gardens, the most widespread herbaceous peonies, blooming from May to the end of June. These plants with large, strongly dissected leaves can reach a height of up to 100 cm and have a fleshy, powerful rhizome. At the ends of the stems there are simple semi-double or double flowers. Their coloring can be very diverse.
According to the structure of the flower, peonies are divided into:
- anemone-shaped;
- terry;
- semi-double;
- non-double;
- Japanese.
Preferred Conditions
Peony is a perennial plant that, with proper care, lives and blooms for 20 years or more. But in order to enjoy flowering every year, you need not only to choose the right place for planting, but also to learn how to replant peonies.
These flowers need a sunny place, protected from strong winds. Peonies take shading calmly, especially in the afternoon, and tolerate it well. For spectacular flowering, these plants require 5-6 hours of sunlight.
Unfavorable for peonies are heavily shaded areas near buildings, large trees and shrubs. They will, of course, grow, but they are unlikely to bloom.
When to replant peonies?
This question is asked by many gardeners, believing that they know how to replant peonies. The most favorable moment for various manipulations with the plant, according to experts, is the time when the flower’s suction roots are actively growing. In our climatic conditions, this is the period from mid-August to the end of September. You can, of course, do this later, but it is better to give the plants more time for normal rooting. This will allow the bushes to develop faster in the future. Under no circumstances should you touch the plant during the hot months. Since replanting a peony in the summer means dooming it to illness and, most likely, death.
Spring transplant
Sometimes it becomes necessary to replant a peony bush in the spring. This can be done when the snow has already melted and the soil has thawed, and the plant buds have not yet awakened. However, many gardeners note that after spring replanting, the bushes lag behind in development and get sick quite often.
A small note about how to properly replant peonies so that they take root well in a new place and please abundant flowering next season. To do this, it is best to take the peony rhizome without dividing or disturbing it, moving it to a new place along with a lump of earth. Thus, you can replant bushes both in spring and autumn.
Do they need to be replanted?
These flowers can grow without replanting for up to 30 years. However, changing conditions on the site lead to the need to move them to another, more favorable place. When replanting peonies, it is worth remembering that their root system develops rather slowly, and for the first few years the plant will receive nutrients only from the surface layers of the soil. Since peonies can be replanted in early spring, And late autumn, it is important to properly prepare holes for them.
Preparing the place and soil for planting
Peonies are moisture-loving flowers, but they do not tolerate stagnation of liquid and dampness. Therefore, when preparing pits for these plants measuring 600 x 600 x 600 mm, it is necessary to equip them good drainage from gravel, expanded clay or finely crushed brick.
If the soil on the site is acidic, it is necessary to deoxidize it by adding wood ash or crushed lime (at the rate of 1 cup for each square meter). The most favorable soil for peonies is sandy loam.
or loamy, seasoned with well-rotted organic fertilizers (at the rate of approximately 5 kg per bush). It is worth noting that the fertilizer should be quite old, preferably 4-5 years old. Except organic fertilizers, in each planting hole add from 60 to 100 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium chloride, 10 g of iron sulfate and 400 g of bone meal, which can be replaced with the same amount of dolomite. More than half of these pits are filled with compost, sand, peat and garden soil mixed in equal proportions. After that, fertilizers are applied, watered and mixed so that the soil settles and there is no direct contact of the plant roots with the fertilizers.
Let's look at all the necessary steps step by step:
- Cut the leaves of the plant at a distance of 10-15 cm from the ground.
- Carefully dig around the perimeter of the peony, retreating 20-25 cm from the stems.
- Loosen the bush using a fork or crowbar.
- Carefully remove the rhizome of the flower along with a lump of earth.
- Carefully, being careful not to damage the roots, shake off the soil.
- Carefully inspect the rhizome for rotten, damaged or diseased areas.
- Remove all affected areas with a knife and treat the affected areas with crushed activated carbon or wood ash.
- Plant the rhizome in a hole prepared 2 weeks before planting, deepening the “eyes” (buds) 2-3 cm below the ground level and making sure to straighten the roots.
- Cover with garden soil and compact it firmly.
- Water each transplanted plant with 5 liters of water.
- Sprinkle a little loose soil above.
Instead of a conclusion
According to experts, optimal time The time to move peonies to a new location is the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. However, when and how to replant peonies, each gardener must determine for himself, depending on the tasks being solved on the site, the needs of the plants, climatic conditions and other factors that are individual and unique in each region.
When to replant peonies if the bushes have grown or there is a construction project planned, or some other redevelopment of the site? Some people are so sorry to touch their bushes that they have to adapt to the flower “regime”.
Peonies are flowers that the less you disturb, the better they grow. Next to it is a photo of my most long-suffering bush, which will bloom for the first time in 8 years!!! years. I planted it in the spring, as soon as I bought the rhizome. In the summer, we urgently needed to install water supply through the front garden. Although there was plenty of space for a trench, for some reason the peony ended up in the excavator bucket. I successfully got it out and after all the work I put it back in place.
This year it didn't bloom. On next year While I was away, workers had to dig a trench for the telephone cable. and again the peony ended up on the road. Here, of course, no one began to save him; they simply dug up the ground. then we walked around with a tractor. In general, I have already said goodbye to my peony. When two years later in the spring I discovered shoots. I didn’t touch him, I waited. It didn’t bloom for two years, but this year it was all covered with buds.
I also have gorgeous white peonies, but they bloom later. I generally replanted them with small “stubs” of rhizomes after vandal digging of the neighboring garden. So when should you replant peonies and how to do it correctly?
When can peonies be replanted?
Peonies, like all perennial flowers, have to be replanted at some point. The bush gradually grows, roots grow a large number of, they are not so much cramped as they lack food. and no matter how we feed the plants, we get fewer and fewer flowers until they stop blooming altogether. In addition, often old bushes are especially susceptible to various diseases and infections. But it should not be brought to such a state. Still, after three to five years, try to find time and replant and plant your peony bushes.
When is the best time to replant peonies?
Best time transplanting and propagation of these flowers is in early autumn. the first mid-September, when it is no longer hot, there is no such heat during the day. and there is still a long time before frost. Then the root system has time to take root well and accumulate strength to form buds for the next year.
Autumn replanting is good. that the flower will take root in a new place in more comfortable conditions. Moreover, it is the flowers transplanted in autumn that bloom faster. But the most important thing is that it has formed suction roots, thin, thread-like, through which it feeds.
In summer, it is generally better not to touch peonies; roots pulled out of the ground can get sunburn, bake in the sun. and it will not be easy for the flower itself in the heat. When transplanting, some part of the roots is damaged and it will not have the strength to recover.
Is it possible to replant peonies in spring?
It’s possible, but as soon as the snow melts. so that the flower begins to bloom before the onset of hot days. In spring, the most rapid growth of peony leaves begins and you need to replant as carefully as possible. In principle, it is practically no different from autumn. The only thing is, don’t expect flowers in the first summer.
How to replant peonies correctly
Will be better. if you immediately prepare holes for planting the cuttings. To do this, you need to prepare a place that is not flooded with rainwater, in sun or light partial shade. Apply fertilizers in advance too. Just under no circumstances should it be fresh manure. You can use a complex fertilizer for flowers.
When the soil for replanting is ready, you can dig up the bushes. To do this, retreating from the bush, you need to dig around it with a shovel, at full bayonet level, and only then carefully tilt it. There are old, huge bushes that require two or three people to deal with, so to make it easier, replant early.
Under no circumstances should a peony be pulled out of the ground by its stems. This way you can tear off all the buds that are attached to the stems and connected to the roots. It is better to first scrape off all the soil from above and on the sides and then it will be much easier to completely pull out the rhizome. But it still cannot be done without damage. The roots of peonies are quite fragile and those that are thinner break off and remain in the ground. but they can also be used as divisions if there are buds there.
After the bush is dug up, it must be washed with water so that the condition of the roots and buds can be seen and how many parts it should be divided into. Usually one or two buds are attached to each stem and then the rhizome goes. Do not try to leave a large division; the size does not depend on the quality of flowering and growth rate.
After dividing the rhizome, the cut must be treated with crushed activated carbon or a piece of wood so that bacteria do not begin to develop in these places. If you notice a lot of damage on the roots. then it’s better to soak it all for half an hour in the drug Maxim or another fungicide.
All that remains is to place all the divisions in the prepared holes; yes, you should not bury the plant, otherwise the peony will not bloom. The optimal depth is 7-9 cm. After the rhizome is planted, fill it with soil and lightly pat it down, be sure to water it.
That's basically all about the time of transplanting peonies. Try to keep an eye on them and care for them, although they are considered unpretentious, they will thank you for your time spent on them.
Subscribe to my video channel. In the fall there will definitely be a story about replanting peonies.
Peony is one of the most beautiful garden flowers. Its bright buds, among the dense greenery of carved leaves, delight the owners and their guests. How to breed peonies cultivated plant, began more than two thousand years ago, in China. In modern gardens, they mainly grow the herbaceous peony, which is loved by summer residents for its rather large buds and bright, varied colors. And even when the flowers fade, the foliage of the bushes retains its attractiveness. How to replant peonies to bloom next year? We invite you to find out the answer in this article.
How to replant peonies to bloom next year?
The best time for transplantation is the second half of August - September. By this period, the rhizome is already actively producing shoots, which, when transplanted, are a good guarantee of survival in a new place.
Location. Prepare the hole in advance, as the flower does not like it if the soil is not stable. The hole is prepared for two weeks before transplantation. Small pebbles are poured onto its bottom as a drainage layer. A mixture consisting of earth, sand and humus, taken in equal quantities, is poured on top. Additionally, a glass of ash is added to the bucket of the mixture. The mixture must be prepared in the spring in order to ripen by the time of planting. Then you need to pour a bucket of water into the hole and leave it for a week.
Trimming. In autumn, the peony bush is tied into a bunch and the leaves and stems are cut off, leaving about 20 centimeters from the rhizome. You need to dig up the soil around the bush and water it well. Digging is done the next day.
The soil. The root system of an adult plant goes to a depth of 90 centimeters, so when digging up a rhizome for replanting, you need to be very careful. In order to dig it up, use a pitchfork, since you can crush the root with a shovel; the peony will hurt for a long time. If the transplant is carried out in the fall, then the root is cleaned of the soil, and if the soil is acidic, then it is also washed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. When replanting in spring, the soil is not removed; on the contrary, the larger the lump, the better.
Watering. In the prepared hole, the rhizome is placed in the middle so that the young roots can straighten well and subsequently feed the entire root. The flower is watered, and then covered with earth, so that a hole is formed in which water will accumulate.
The buds of the plant should not be underground, more than 3-5 centimeters, otherwise they may rot. If the peony takes root after deep planting, then there is a high probability that one large bush will grow without buds. Whether the peony will bloom next year depends on the presence of buds and their quality. When dividing a bush, it is important that each planting root has at least three buds. The more buds, the better flowering on next year. You can plant a tuber without buds, but then flowering will occur only after three years.
Peonies blooming next year - what not to forget?
In the first month after planting, the peony is sick and needs to constantly loosen the soil. After the leaves begin to gain strength, peonies are spudded. In the first year after transplantation, peonies do not bloom, but they grow and develop especially actively in well-lit areas. Flowers are afraid of drafts and planting in lowlands, as the roots can rot due to excess moisture.
Peonies bloom especially wildly if planted in alkaline soil. It is necessary to fertilize the soil annually, since an adult bush consumes a large amount of nutrients. So, now you know how to replant peonies, to bloom next year? By planting peonies correctly, regularly fertilizing and caring for them, you can achieve abundant flowering and large buds.
See also video:
When to replant peonies?Owners of private houses, country cottages and give it to everyone flowering bushes prefer peonies, as they are unpretentious, bloom for a long time and produce the finest aroma, creating a cozy atmosphere in the garden. Peony buds come in different colors, ranging from white to dark burgundy. Caring for the bushes is simple, it consists of timely feeding and constant watering, but the time of transplanting and planting seedlings must be strictly determined so that the plant can delight you with lush color all season long.
The best time to transplant peonies
When to replant peonies?
In order for the plant to survive the winter well, the roots must take root completely and produce small shoots, so peonies can be replanted no later than mid-September. If you were unable to replant the plant, it is better to do it in the spring, otherwise the roots will die during the first frost.
Choose time by lunar calendar. It is important that the planting is carried out on a waxing moon, when the weather is rainless, dry and warm. Usually at the end of August there are several days that are considered the beginning of the velvet season; at this time it is best to put flower beds in order. When you replant in the fall, the plant will bloom as usual the next year, even with larger flowers. After planting, do not forget to water the bushes intensively and feed them with mineral fertilizers for better growth root system.
Spring replanting is fraught with diseases of the bushes; all summer the peony will take root and react with yellow foliage to summer heat. The plant will bloom only in the next season, even if you do not divide the rhizome into several parts.
When to replant peonies to ensure vigorous flowering and large and bright buds? Rejuvenation of bushes should be carried out only in the fall, so that by winter fragile buds appear that can begin to grow in the spring and produce flowers. In summer, all growth processes are aimed at powerful flowering, and not at maintaining the bush and the growth of its rhizomes, therefore both planting and dividing the bush should be carried out at the end of the growing season.
How to replant a peony correctly?
The process of transplanting perennials is the same.
14 days before the actual planting of peonies, holes are prepared where the rhizome could fit.
Approximate dimensions: 50 cm in diameter and the same in depth.
Usually several bushes are planted side by side, the distance between them should not be less than 1 m.
When the soil is clayey, artificial drainage is poured into the hole, so you need to dig even deeper by 20 cm to cover the bottom with pebbles and expanded clay.
Before planting directly, pour a lot of water into the hole and let it dry: only in well-moistened soil can the rhizome be planted. In addition to drainage, the soil is fertilized with minerals, humus and manure; after planting, you can sprinkle a little ash on top, which will gradually go into the ground with each watering.
How to get it old bush from the ground without damage? First, we cut off the tops, leaving about 20 cm from the ground, and then carefully dig up the rhizomes with a shovel, pulling them along with the soil by the “tail.” It is difficult to dig up a bush without damaging the roots if it is old: the underground part will be highly branched, so you can chop the rhizomes with a shovel.
Wash the roots with running water, inspect them carefully: if there are rotting shoots, cut them with scissors, remove all dried parts of the root. Treated surfaces must be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with ash.
Before planting, the roots must be completely dry, so it is better to leave them in the house for a day, spread out on newspaper. If you replant in the fall, the root is divided into 2-3 parts, and full-fledged peonies of the same variety are obtained.
Spring planting does not require such precautions. The roots are not separated or washed, but are immediately dug up and replanted with soil into a prepared hole. While the summer season lasts, they will be able to take root on their own.
What peonies are suitable for propagation?
Too old peony bushes, which are more than 8 years old, must be destroyed.
You need to replant 4-5 year old bushes, and choose those where each division grows at least 3 buds.
Several sections are separated from the common rhizome with a knife, and the cut is treated with potassium permanganate and ash.
The buds should not be covered with soil; they will be located at a distance of 3-5 cm from the soil.
When the buds are in the ground, the peony does not bloom in the first year; if it is planted shallow, it can freeze in winter, so the optimal planting depth is important condition plant growth and survival.
Why don't peonies bloom?
- The first and most common problem is incorrect planting depth. Peony does not like deep planting. The optimal depth is when the soil level is approximately 3-4 fingers above the root bud. If you plant it deeper, the peony will bloom over time, but time will pass until it gets closer to the surface, growing a new root system.
- If you plant a peony section too small, the buds may freeze in winter and there will be nothing to bloom.
- The second reason may be the landing site. If a peony is planted in deep shade, it is unlikely to want to please its owners with abundant flowering. It is better to find him a ventilated place somewhere on a hill, in open sun or light openwork partial shade.
- Third reason. The peony bush has been growing in the garden for a very long time. Old bushes can reduce the intensity of flowering, so the peony needs to be dug up, the root examined, dead and unhealthy parts removed, divided into small sections that will have from 3 to 5 buds, and planted in a new place.
- Fourth reason. Too small divisions, which have a root with 1-2 buds, will grow for several years and will bloom later. But if, for the best reasons, you planted a large section that has more than 5 buds, then it is better to dig it up and divide it into smaller ones so that the plant can develop normally.
- Fifth reason. Do not replant peonies too often. They don't like it. To gain strength, the peony must grow stronger and grow over the course of five years. So, after replanting the peony, leave it alone.
- Sometimes it happens that a peony throws out buds, but it does not have enough strength to open. This is a signal that the peony is starving. Feed it, fertilize the soil around it.
- In addition to the above reasons, watering greatly affects the flowering of peonies. Moreover, abundant, timely watering in the summer, in July-August of this year, will affect the abundance of flowering not next year, but the year after.
- Peony doesn't really like being disturbed in the spring..
At the end of August - beginning of September, the time comes for dividing and replanting old peony bushes and planting newly acquired plants.
It happens that it is necessary to transplant an adult specimen. If you simply dig it up and move it to a new place, many thin shoots will form and the plant will stop blooming. Therefore, large peonies will have to be rejuvenated: divided into smaller parts, and in very old ones, at the same time, fragments of old rhizomes must be removed.
Extract the roots
To dig up an overgrown bush, cut the stems to 2/3 of the height and tie them, and then use a shovel to dig up the peony around at a distance of 20 cm from the base of the shoots to a depth of 30-40 cm. Carefully remove upper layer soil, and trim the long roots from below. The easiest way to remove a peony from the ground is with two shovels or a shovel and a crowbar. Lay the bush on its side and carefully remove the soil with a pointed stick or rinse with a stream of water from a hose.
Freshly dug roots break easily, so let them wilt slightly in the shade (for 2-3 hours) and only then start dividing. It is more convenient to do this on the table using a small wooden block for support, a sharp garden knife, scalpel, pruning shears, chisel, hammer, etc. First, completely remove the remaining stems. Shorten the thick roots of peonies of the milk-flowering group to 10-12 cm, and leave the thick roots of interspecific hybrids about 20 cm long, that is, as they were dug up. Cut roots 1 cm or less thick to 3-5 cm. If possible, remove completely old root, with which a delenka was once planted.
Divide according to the rules
Inspect the root system from all sides. Tackle the parts that are easiest to separate first, such as the parts attached to the side or top of the rhizome. Another option is to cut the visible bridges between the thick roots. Then we will see how to proceed further. If the choice is difficult, you will have to carefully cut the rhizome in half using a chisel and hammer, without touching the buds.
Try dividing old copies in a different way. Drive a pointed stake into the center of the bush from above and, gently rocking it, separate large pieces, which are already easier to divide.
Clean the cuttings from rotten and old parts of rhizomes, dry the sections and rub with ash or crushed charcoal. It is better to wait a little while planting so that the cuttings become corked - keep them for 7-10 days in boxes with slightly damp moss.
Optimization problem
Choose a sunny, ventilated place for planting peonies. Shading should not be more than 3-4 hours a day. Peonies grow in the shade, but hardly bloom. You shouldn't plant them under big trees and in areas with high level groundwater, in lowlands flooded by spring floods and heavy rains. Soils are preferably loamy, neutral or alkaline.
It is better to prepare a hole several weeks in advance, 40-50 cm deep and 60-70 cm wide. Make up the soil mixture from garden soil, deoxidizer (200 g dolomite flour or wood ash), two-year humus, manure (last year's, better than horse manure), vermicompost. To improve the structure clay soils add sand, for sandy ones - clay. Also add 1-2 tablespoons of superphosphate and complex to the pit. mineral fertilizer with reduced nitrogen content. Fill the hole to 3/4 of the height with the prepared mixture, compact it, water it and leave until planting.
Plant first early varieties, followed by middle and late ones. At a temperature of about 10 ° C, they take root in 20-30 days and have time to adapt to winter.
When planting, place the cutting on top of the substrate and cover it with clean garden soil without fertilizers, which can be taken from the beds where vegetables grew. Lightly compact the soil with your hands so that the buds are at a depth of 3-5 cm from the surface of the earth. A plant that is too deep will not develop well, so I recommend using a bar or ruler to control the level. Don't forget to put a tag with the name of the variety.
In the first years of life, peonies must develop a strong root system in order to produce luxurious flowering in the future. Therefore, next year, no matter how much you would like to see a new peony bloom, overcome this desire and be sure to tear off the buds.
Galina Kruglova, peony collector