In this short article, I would like to tell you about the shelter of peonies. It's about herbaceous representatives. It so happened that both me and most of my friends are growing this particular perennial. I will not describe the advantages of this type, as I am sure that my readers know very well about them even without me. I will only tell you about some of the nuances of the shelter.
Unlike tree peonies, it is not customary to cover herbaceous perennials for the winter. They already tolerate the cold of the middle zone well. It is enough to mulch the cuttings of the stems with a thick layer of peat or sawdust and the root system of the peony will be under reliable protection. However, there is one caveat that over time turns into a serious problem.
Mulching the root system of a peony with sawdust and high-moor peat, we gradually acidify the soil and change its density. In such a substrate, the flower feels worse, the risk of gray mold damage increases. If you do not restore the soil every year, the culture will not be able to fully develop and please with lush flowering.
I get out of this situation as follows. In the fall, when the green part of the peonies has already been cut off, I put a thin layer of earth on the stems and cover them with a spruce forest.
I want to say right away that I never cut spruce branches from growing spruce trees. In large horticultures, it is not at all difficult to collect it. Can be cut from spruce trees that have been cut or shortened after clearing the space under the wires. Many fallen trees can be found while hiking in the forest for mushrooms and berries. That year I managed to collect a lot of spruce branches after clearing the area next to the railway. I start harvesting spruce branches from the beginning of the season, slowly, little by little.
A few years earlier, I myself suffered from pests that cut off some of the branches from my fir trees growing on the site. It was very disappointing then. The fact is that the lower branches will no longer grow back and the trees will stand half naked. You don't have to do that.
This way of sheltering peonies also saves from changeable spring weather, when frosts and even severe frosts may return after early snowmelt.
Read also on my website -How to get rid of ants on peonies
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