On my site for 9 years every spring bloom two luxurious beds, dominated by peonies. Making mixed flower beds I did not, having given a piece of the garden these flowers. White slim exude a strong smell. It soothes, lifts the mood, so there I have arranged a Seating area. On the contrary it grows a few bushes with scarlet flowers. They do not smell, but look royally. Each year the peonies made me smile a lush flowering, I start with the end of the summer to prepare plants for the winter. Their secrets to care for peonies in the fall to share the article.

I prefer to grow tall flowers. My favorites are gladiolus, dahlias and peonies. On own experience were convinced that the latter is very important systematic care after flowering and preparation for winter. Only in this case the bushes as it should gain strength, and again please abundant flowering.

If the fall training measures were fully implemented in the spring shoots of peonies emerging from the ground with powerful, filled with power, are developing rapidly and form numerous buds.

1. Feeding

Abundant flowering depletes the plant. In spring and summer efforts were spent on the growth of green mass and forming buds. The share of the root system remained a pittance, and send to the plant for the winter in this condition is undesirable. If a strong depletion (especially on poor soils) it may simply not survive prolonged frosts.

Peonies are low maintenance and do not require complicated multi-step fertilizing, but especially in the care is still there.

First of all, at the end of the season, preference is given to potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. These substances strengthen and nourish the roots, strengthen the immune system and increase the frost resistance of plants.

It is best to begin fertilizing peonies from the end of July, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers.

Mineral fertilizers are applied in dry and liquid form. In the first case, the action is longer and more measured. The granules are scattered in the root zone with observance of the instructions amount. In the process of irrigation, they gradually dissolve and are assimilated by the root system.

Important! Pions from the main mass of roots located on the perimeter of the crown, directly under the stems they were almost there. This should be considered in the allocation of feeding.

The advantage of the liquid version is the additional soil moisture during the dry season. Thus it is necessary to ensure that the tablet or granules have completely dissolved and the solution did not get on the stems and the root neck of a plant.

As the organic fertilizing peonies for use:

• the compost that feeds the soil the whole complex of nutrients, making it more lightweight and water permeable;
• wood ash containing large amounts of calcium, phosphorus and potassium;
• green manure in powdered form, while serving the additional protection of the roots in severe frosts (mulch).

2. Division and transplanting

Peonies do not like to frequently change the dwelling place. They grow well and bloom in one place for up to 10 years. But if the Bush has grown, the soil is impoverished, then he will have to move. And the best way to choose the autumn.

There's no set timeline, it all depends on current weather forecast and the region. We in the Volga region the first snow falls in late October, serious frosts begin in the 20's numbers. For adaptation and rooting the peony will need at least 1-1. 5 months, then do not proceed with the planned event. I am leaving this job at the beginning of September.

To place a favorite flower, choose a warm clear day. 2-3 days before scheduled transplant flowerbed and then generously watered the roots can be easily dug out and separated without unnecessary injury.

Then I washed, inspect, remove old, damaged or rotten. For disinfection put on half an hour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and only after that divided into several parts, leaving young roots already formed buds.

A bed prepared for them in advance, again picking up a well-lit place. Soil poured 50 g of superphosphate, 1-2 buckets of compost and carefully dug. If the soil is heavy, add 1 bucket of sand and 1-2 cups of ash.

Plant peonies prefer trenches, single landing harder cover and water. The depth of 40-50 cm in width, trying to take stock, so as not to bruise roots.

When planting it is important to observe a measure and to leave the top Bud the young shoots above the ground but not higher than 1-2 cm planted the bushes is carried out 2-3 times a week. In the rainy season the amount of moisture is adjusted.

3. Pruning

Withered bushes once can not be cropped, disturbed photosynthesis. But also to leave in the spring of this event, the withered stalks happily breed fungi, bacteria and pests.

For this reason, I do not recommend to cover the bushes cut weight for the winter. Everything that fell under the shears immediately burned. Before processing each Bush tool is disinfected again.

The optimal pruning time is the time when frost left 1-2 weeks. To compute this can be difficult, but through careful observation peonies themselves will give a hint. As soon as the leaves changed color and began to fall to the ground, you need to remove them. Green mass is cut flush with the ground, leaving stumps and deeper into the soil does not need, it will harm the plant.

4. Preventive treatment of pions from diseases and pests

This is a very important and responsible step, to pass which is in any case impossible. Peonies attract a lot of pests who like to eat leaves, buds and petals of the flowers are already expanded. They include:

• ants;
• aphids;
• brantovka;
• khmelevy conapred;
• thrips;
• spider mite.

For prevention have not clipped the stems and leaves are sprayed with the preparation "spark" a solution of "Malathion" or tincture of yarrow.

5. Prepare peonies for winter

To keep the flowers in winter, it is necessary to consider climatic features of the region. In my case, the weather likes to play around the sudden fall and spring frosts, prolonged period of severe frosts up to -30...-35 °C without snow and other "charms". Not hoping for the mercy of nature, I take measures to preserve your favorite flower garden.

• Spud bushes, trying not to damage the sleeping buds.
• Prepare material for mulching. Good compost, sawdust, peat. Coniferous spruce branches I always have in stock. It is the second layer, to scare away small rodents.
• Mulch put a generous layer of not less than 20 cm Young, newly transplanted plants additionally closed the top drawer or a layer of spunbond.
• After the first snowfall sprinkles the top layer of snow and during the winter doing this several times, slightly protrombina top.

The procedure is simple, but its implementation for several years assures me the safety and health of the bushes.

Dear readers! As I gained experience, fall care of peonies, I had a small list of errors. Now I remember:

• without a layer of mulch, the plant freezes;
• cropped green mass cannot be left around the beds or to cover her roots;
• no preventive spraying peonies somebody eats in the spring;
• early pruning will weaken the bushes and will not allow them to fully bloom in the spring;
• nitrogen fertilizer, made in the autumn, can awaken dormant buds and the Bush will die or not bloom.

In the fall I always try to pay enough attention to the peonies, and watch them prepare in advance covering material. They pay me back, every year magnificently blossoming in the middle of may.

I wish you successfully to prepare peonies for the winter and enjoy their beauty in the spring!