Propagation of a tree-like peony is done in different ways: dividing the bush, airborne method, cuttings, sometimes grafting. The seed variant of reproduction is mainly used by breeders, but we will also talk about it.
How does a tree peony breed
Reproduction by dividing the bush
This method is used when the plant is already 5 or 6 years old. They carefully dig up the peony, wash the roots, and separate them so that at least 3 shoots are present in each fragment. It is desirable to rinse the separation sites with a solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkle with chopped charcoal or activated carbon. Before deepening into the soil, each separated part is dipped into a solution of water and clay for about half an hour. This process is best done in the fall. The division method is rightfully considered one of the most convenient and effective ways of propagating this type of pion.
Tree peony - propagation by cuttings
This process is best carried out in July - mid-summer. A healthy and strong bush is selected, semi-lignified shoots with a bud (heel) and leaves are separated from it. The leaves are cut in half, and the shoots themselves are placed in the sand-peat substrate by about 2-3 cm (by the way, vermiculite can be used for these purposes). To make the process more productive, it is better to cover the cuttings with plastic transparent glasses or cut plastic bottles - to create a kind of “greenhouse”. The stock of cuttings should be often aired and watered. After 2-3 months, the seedlings are planted in separate pots and “kept” in such greenhouse conditions until spring comes. From the moment of active growth of the cuttings, it can be transplanted to a permanent place of residence, to the site.
Tree peony - propagation by layering
This method was briefly described a little higher: a shoot is selected located at the bottom of the bush, is cut, pressed to the ground (for example, with a wire pin), and sprinkled with soil. It is better to do this procedure in May, and with the onset of autumn, this shoot is finally separated from the bush and planted separately. Sometimes you can find recommendations for wrapping the shoot with foil or sprinkling with moss instead of backfilling with earth. If this business succeeds with you and the method itself will appeal to you - try it, look for a convenient option for yourself.
Tree Peony - Reproduction by Vaccination
The best time for this procedure is the second half of August. Leaving with this approach is quite tedious, but, from some point of view, it can be called creative. A pre-separated and processed part of the root is taken, an incision is made in it in the form of the letter "V", a scion is inserted into this incision. Butt joints are tightly tied with a special garden or grafting tape (as it is called) and additionally covered abundantly with garden var. 20 days before planting in the soil, this “structure” can be placed in a container with sawdust, under the film, creating a kind of greenhouse for it. These containers should be placed in a room where there will always be partial shade. In the case of a side-type vaccination, everything happens the same way, only the shape of the incision is different - or rather, a diagonal cut is made at the stock and scion.
Tree Peony - propagation by seeds
This is the work of breeders, this method requires strict adherence and sequence of actions. Alternating treatment with cold and heat is only a small part of all the manipulations. Plus, the seeds should be freshest, because even with not very long storage, they still quickly lose their germination ability. If everything works out and this method will bring a positive result, then such peonies will be able to germinate in 2 or 3 years of life, and will bloom only after 5-7 years.
From the foregoing, it follows that the reproduction of a tree peony gives the best result when dividing the roots. For grafting, skills are also needed, layering - the method is quite affordable for beginners, along with division. Vaccination should also be carried out if not a breeder, then a fairly experienced gardener. It will take about a couple of years for the layering to give a result, vaccination takes one and a half to two years, reproduction by the heel will give results much faster. Well, then the choice is yours - to whom it is more convenient, more interesting.
How to grow a tree peony from seeds at home?
If you are tempted to make this difficult undertaking a reality, then why not! The process will be long, but with proper observance of all the nuances, the business will succeed. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that growing peonies from seeds will take a very long time.
Seed pod, photo:
How to grow a tree peony from seeds at home:
- Seeds should be taken only fresh. Best of all those that are collected immediately after the disclosure of "ripe" pods. With the onset of autumn, in the place of flowers, some varieties of peonies have pods in which seeds are found. A sign of seed maturity is the dark brown color of the pod. As soon as the pods reach this stage, they should be carefully opened and black grains removed. The seeds themselves are quite large, in size they are about the same as coffee beans or peas of black pepper.
- Seeds collected should be carefully inspected, damaged or suspicious specimens discarded immediately.
- After that, we take convenient containers, fill them with vermiculite (or calcined river sand), moisturize (but not very much) and do not immerse the seeds very deep in them for 30-35 days. These containers should be kept in a dry and dark room, where it is always warm. You can place them on a heating battery, for example (or on an electric heating pad with the ability to control the temperature). Throughout the whole time, the air temperature near the containers should be approximately + 30 ° C during the day, and with the onset of night, it should be lowered to + 15 ° C. Vermiculite or sand should constantly be in a moistened state, which is easy to maintain with a spray gun.
- When the seeds have small roots, then they should produce the so-called cold stratification. For this, other containers are already being taken, they are filled with earth mixtures containing peat and / or humus, and the seeds that have been hatching with roots are carefully transplanted into them. During this period, the air temperature in the room with containers should be approximately +7 .. + 10 ° C.
- Now you have to be patient and wait for the first leaves to appear, after which the air temperature should be raised to +18 .. + 20 ° C. Periodic irrigation should not be forgotten, and growth stimulants can sometimes be added to water. Young shoots are transferred to permanent residence at the end of August.
If you purchased the seeds in a flower shop, then most likely they can be pretty dried out. In such seeds, the shell hardens, hatching is difficult, the germination rate of crops is greatly reduced. If you got just such a seed, then be sure to first place it in water at room temperature for two days.
Young peony in a pot, photo:
There is another way to grow a tree peony from seeds at home - by sowing them in the soil immediately after harvesting. Winter cold will provide a natural stratification of the seed. Seeds planted in this way can sprout in the same fall (at the very end), or in spring. In the sowing process itself, there is nothing complicated: the seeds are buried in the soil by about 4-5 cm, the distance of the seed from the seed should be at least 3 cm. Water this area regularly, but not too abundantly, to avoid root rot.
With the onset of the first cold weather, cover the beds with fallen leaves (mulch). When September comes to an end, watering should be stopped, you can additionally lay a layer of foliage on top. If everything was done correctly, you will see the first sprouts in the spring, but remember about the time - some seeds can germinate even after a year, next spring. Moderately water young plants in summer, nourish with small doses of appropriate fertilizers. With the onset of autumn, young peonies can be planted at more spacious distances from each other. Full-fledged foliage of such seedlings appears around the 3rd year of life, at this time the plants should receive enough sunlight to be able to develop normally further. We have already mentioned the choice of a place for planting a peony a little higher.
When does a tree peony bloom? With normal care and compliance with all planting requirements, such seedlings can give the first flowers already in the 4th year of life. Be prepared for the fact that 5 or even 6 years may pass before a tree-shaped peony grown from seeds will please you with its first flowers. When choosing planting material, be sure to consult with more experienced gardeners or, for example, study information on the Internet. Some varieties: Madame Forell, Mont Blanc, Marshal Mohon do not form seeds at all. But even those peonies that give seeds, when growing a new livestock, can only partially retain their “maternal” qualities. This process is fascinating and really is in some way creative, because it is always interesting what will happen next, what flower will turn out from a small seed grown by one’s own hands.
Didn't I really scare you with the difficulties of propagating a tree peony? Of course they are. This is the waiting time when your pet will bloom after planting a delenka or after rooting the cuttings, and this is the unpredictability of the result when planting seeds. But, a gardener always believes in luck when he really wants to have a plentifully flowering bush on his plot - a tree-like peony. Reproduction in one of the ways described above (and you choose the one that interests you the most) will not seem an impossible task.
Good luck