Gardening with Gary
Gardening Advice from an Expert
Tree Peonies
TheGoodSue writes~
I see that the Tree Peonies in the garden center are grafted. Can any variety of
Peony be trained to become a tree peony, or is this a process that is better left
to the pros?
A. Most tree peonies are grafted plants. The rootstock for them is that of the
herbaceous peony - that old fashioned and familiar plant that grows more quickly
and strongly than its exotic cousin. This gives the infant tree peony, which is
grafted to it, a strong head start in life. Again, most peonies can be grafted onto
a root stock, but leave this to the pros unless
you are an accomplished gardener.
When you plant it, you want to make sure that the graft is buried at least an
inch or two below the soil surface. What happens is that the grafted tree peony,
when beneath the soil, will begin to grow its own roots instead of depending on
the herbaceous peony. The result is a stronger plant that can live for more than
a century given proper care. It may take a year or two before you finally see blooms
on your new plant - but when you do you will know what all the fuss is about. And
you will be happy to know that the show will repeat itself in greater and greater
splendor.
Tree peonies need good soil, and regular feeding. They do not like to be relocated,
so choose your planting site carefully. Prepare a good-sized planting hole - way
larger that seems necessary, because you want the plant's roots to have plenty of
room to expand. The soil should be deep and rich - if not add some well-rotted manure
and compost. While they really prefer slightly alkaline soil, mine are thriving
in acid soil - so they really aren't too finicky as long as the soil drains well.
Too much moisture can lead to root rot.
These plants do like iron. I have heard many people say that they toss a couple
of old nails into the hole while planting - believe it or not this does release
a continual supply of it on into the soil. But you may prefer to buy yours as a
soil additive. Otherwise, a good, balanced fertilizer such as 5-10-5 will do fine.
Assistance from: www.dutchbulbs.com
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