How to keep cut peonies longer. How to save cut peonies? Mineral fertilizer application plan

Peonies do not require special care; they grow in one place for many years. But often inexperienced flower growers complain that buds appear on the bushes, but refuse to bloom and dry out small. There are many reasons for this, and to prevent this from happening next year, you should know them.

Reasons why peonies do not bloom buds and ways to solve the problem

Most of the problems are related to the weakening of the bush due to various flaws in planting or care. Sometimes weather conditions, diseases or pests are to blame.

Weakened Bush

In order for the peony bush to bloom successfully, you should remember simple rules when planting and caring for it.

The peony is planted in the shade. This flower tolerates partial shade normally, but it is necessary that the sun shines on it for at least five hours in the morning. If this is not the case, the bush needs to be replanted.
Swampy soil. If groundwater is close to the soil surface, drainage must be installed when planting. You can plant a peony on a high embankment ridge.
Incorrect planting depth. This is one of the most important rules: when planting, the eyes should be at a depth of 3–5 cm. Deeper planting leads to the fact that the peony may never bloom; shallower planting is fraught with freezing of the replacement buds. If the bush is planted deep, it needs to be raised, possibly with preliminary digging. If it's shallow, adding soil can help.
Deepening during planting is one of the main reasons that a peony does not bloom.
Acidic soil. In this case, it must be limed. If the acidity is not too high, you can try adding lime and ash directly under the bush, digging shallowly.
Lack of nutrients. Peonies are planted in well-fertilized soil, but annual fertilizing in the form of humus is required. You can also feed with full mineral fertilizer, but you cannot overdo it with nitrogen: it will cause a lot of foliage and the buds will not bloom.
Too large parts of the bush were taken during planting. When dividing a bush, you need to choose its youngest part with 3-5 eyes. Once this mistake is made, it cannot be corrected.
Such a bush should not be planted: it must be divided into at least 2-3 parts
Bush is old. With good care, a peony can live in one place for up to 20 years, but the flowering gradually weakens, so it is better to replant it after 7–8 years.
Too many flowers cut. For a peony to fully develop, it requires that at least half of the flowers remain on the bushes. In addition, when cutting, you should leave at least 3-4 leaves on the stem.
Not all of this splendor will bloom, but even those flowers that open cannot be completely cut off
The bush was pruned too early last year. If the stems are cut before the foliage turns yellow, the bush does not have enough strength to prepare for winter. Perhaps he needs to be fed, and next year everything will return to normal.

Weather

It often happens that spring frosts destroy the newly born buds. If peony stems are frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures of -6 o C, then this does not apply to buds. Frozen buds cannot be saved, but this does not affect the future development of the bush.

The second weather reason is too dry weather at the end of the last season: already in August, peonies need a lot of moisture to prepare for winter, and if it doesn’t rain at this time, they need to be watered well, using a bucket of water every 10–12 days. The opposite reason - prolonged rains - can also play a bad joke, leading to rotting of the roots. There is nothing you can do about this, you need to dig up the bush and try to find a healthy piece in it to plant it in a new place, unless the rotting has led to a serious illness.

Diseases and pests

As for pests, ants are often blamed for the failure of peonies to bloom. These insects really like to crawl on the buds and even nibble the edges of the flowers, but for them to cause the buds not to open, there must be a lot of them. Ants must be destroyed; There are many drugs against them. For example, Anteater, Muracid (3rd hazard class) or Borax, which is of little danger to humans. They are used according to the instructions: scatter the powder in places of accumulation or prepare a solution with which to water the ground.

Muracid effectively destroys ants, but it is better to use harmless borax

Peonies can get sick with a dangerous infectious disease - fusarium, in which the rhizome rots, and the bushes are no longer able to bloom. Even large buds do not open. If a disease is suspected, water the bush generously with 1% Bordeaux mixture, soaking the soil as well. The procedure is repeated several times a season, and in August the bush is dug up, the rhizome is washed and the consequences are analyzed. Perhaps part of the bush can be replanted. Bordeaux mixture also protects against other fungal diseases, such as gray rot and various spots.

There are many reasons why peony buds do not open, and we will eliminate a number of them. In most cases, the owner is to blame for this, allowing the bush to weaken. Sometimes the reason is bad weather, but peonies are attacked by diseases that can and should be fought.

Peonies are famous for their aesthetic qualities, so many housewives strive to decorate the interiors of their homes with them.

However, the life of such a bouquet is often calculated not even in weeks, but only in days.

How to extend the life of a bouquet in a vase, how to preserve their aroma and freshness longer, you will learn in this article.

Pruning according to the rules

Before you learn how to preserve the freshness of cut peonies in a vase for a longer time, it is worth understanding the issue of their correct placement. In order to please your eyes for as long as possible, you should cut them early in the morning, before the sun begins to warm in full force.

Remember that if you collect flowers during the day, most of the moisture has already evaporated from them and it is unlikely that they will stand in the vase for a long time.

You can also cut it in the evening, then over the coming night the plants will be able to get used to the room temperature.

If you intend to transport yours, then immediately after cutting it is worth wrapping them in paper and placing them in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, this will allow them to maintain a fresh and presentable appearance longer without being placed in water.
In order for the flowers to please you with their appearance for as long as possible, it is worth cutting off those buds that have not yet fully blossomed and are only slightly colored.

It is recommended to carry out the cutting procedure using or at a slight angle in relation to the stem.

Before you get into the vase

Before placing your bouquet in a vase, it is worth keeping it in a dark and cool place for at least several hours. The best option would be to fill a bathtub or large basin with water at a temperature of approximately 20-25°C and lower the bouquet into it. This procedure is designed to give flowers the opportunity to absorb moisture and undergo the process of acclimatization after outdoor conditions.

Before you begin the process of placing peonies in a vase, you should perform the following manipulations:

For peonies, vases painted in dark colors are best suited. In such vases, decay processes are usually less pronounced. It is necessary that the size of the vase is equal to at least half the length of the stem, and preferably even ¾ of the length. The vase must be perfectly clean in order to prevent rotting processes, to which these flowers are very susceptible. Before using it, you can wash the vase with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Feeding flowers

Although the flowers in the vase do not have a root system, it is not a bad idea to apply a little fertilizing to preserve their good appearance. However, keep in mind that these fertilizers differ significantly from the traditional ones used in gardening, since they are aimed at preserving cut peonies in a vase at home, and not at improving the processes of their growth and development.

For feeding you can use:

Important! Peonies are plants that do not tolerate excessive bacterial load well, so disinfection is one of the most necessary measures.

Changing the water

The ideal water that is suitable for these flowers is melt or rain. However, not everyone is able to pamper their bouquets in a similar way, so it’s quite a good idea to use simple settled water. To keep peonies in the vase longer, you need to change the water daily and wash it thoroughly every day.

We monitor the temperature

Cut peonies cannot tolerate either too cold or too hot temperatures. However, if you want your flowers to open as quickly as possible, you can briefly dip them in a small container of hot water, and the buds will bloom within a few minutes.

Important! If you intend to preserve the beauty of your bouquet for as long as possible, then at night, wrap the peonies in wrapping paper and place them in the freezer, after thoroughly drying the stems from any remaining water.

You should not leave a vase of peonies close to a heat source, as constant exposure to elevated temperatures can shorten their lifespan. Also, do not place a vase with these flowers close to fruits; peonies do not tolerate such proximity.

Large buds and a pleasant, persistent, but unobtrusive aroma - all this applies to peonies. Flowers look great outdoors, but at home you can create optimal parameters so that the plant in a vase pleases the eye for a long period of time. You need to know how to store cut large peonies in a vase so that they have freshness and visually look beautiful. Indoors, the peony aroma creates a cozy atmosphere.

The nuances of collecting flowers

Correctly done harvesting will help ensure that cut peonies stay in a vase for a long time. It is difficult to determine the duration of flowers standing in a vase - a lot depends on the chosen variety and the microclimate in the room. You also need to take into account the quality of the water and the size of the bouquet that will be in the container.

Must remember! You need to trim flowers from the bush as carefully as possible. Cutting rules indicate that to extend the life of flowers in a vase, it is recommended to collect them early in the day. In the morning, the buds have not fully blossomed, so a sufficient amount of moisture is retained inside for long-lasting freshness.

If it was not possible to collect in the morning, then you can do it in the evening, after sunset, then the freshness can also be preserved for a long time. Within 10-12 hours the plant will be able to adapt to new conditions.

peonies in a vase will last longer if you cut off the partially bloomed buds (while still on the bush);
cut flowers must be wrapped in paper (if transportation is to be carried out);
in the case when the peonies are placed in water a few hours after cutting, you need to place them in a cool place (in the refrigerator) for several hours;
It is not recommended to collect during or immediately after rain - wet buds will begin to darken and fade faster after blooming;
peonies like to be cut using special garden tools: pruning shears or large scissors - this way the stems will maintain health and good appearance.

On a note. If you need to change the height of the bouquet, it is also better to cut off some of the stems using pruning shears.

Caring for peonies

You also need to know the peculiarities of caring for peonies and follow the recommendations in order to prolong the natural beauty of the plant in a vase. There are a number of rules and recommendations that need to be studied before cutting flowers from a bush. You need to know what water to put cut peonies in and whether fertilizing is required.

Interesting. Since the plant has long stems and lush buds, the vase should be high and wide.

Preparatory procedures

Special preparation is the main stage to prolong the fresh appearance of flowers.

Before placing them in the prepared vase, you need to do a few simple manipulations, which include the following steps:

Preparation for being indoors - acclimatization of flowers. To do this, it is important to keep the plant in a dark and cool place for several hours before placing it in water;
Dip the bouquet in water at room temperature;
Prepare water and a vase - it is recommended to use a container made of dark glass to exclude excess sunlight;
You also need to do the following: rinse the container with a solution of potassium permanganate to eliminate microorganisms pathogenic to flowers;
It is recommended to store flowers for a long time in an opaque vase (not necessarily made of dark glass);
The ideal water for the plant is collected after rain or melted water.

If you use ordinary running water, then before using it you need to leave it for 1-2 hours so that it settles and warms up to room temperature.

Peony pruning

The preparatory stage should include pruning. It is carried out immediately before putting the bouquet in the water. Each stem will need to be trimmed. The peculiarity of the procedure is that you need to choose the most pronounced angle. It is recommended to carry out pruning under running cold water. At this time, the bouquet absorbs the required amount of moisture, so all biological processes are preserved, so the freshness of the flowers can last for a long time.

For your information. Proper and good care, which is part of preparing a bouquet, is removing leaves. This applies to the part of the stems that will come into contact with water. It is necessary to carry out removal in order to prevent the process of leaf rotting.

Another important point is how much cut peonies cost in water. This indicator depends, among other things, on the choice of location for installing the vase. It is best to place them in a place that receives indirect, diffused sunlight.

Five storage rules

Flowers in a vase will be stored well if you follow a few rules. They must be followed when the preparatory stage is completed. Storage allows you to extend the life of plants after cutting.

The bouquet should be in a place protected from drafts, since under the influence of the wind the flowers quickly become unusable;
You should cover the buds at night - use paper (it is best to purchase it in flower shops, as special one is required), or ordinary cellophane - as a result of these actions, the pleasant aroma of flowers lasts longer;
It is necessary to follow the rules of the neighborhood - if peonies are placed, how to preserve cut flowers - avoid being near plants such as lilies of the valley, calla lilies, carnations, lilies and roses. Chrysanthemums are also undesirable neighbors, next to which peonies will get sick and quickly fade.

It is necessary to regularly change the water in the vase. This must be done every day, as the liquid in which the flowers were located could become contaminated. Each time you change the water, the vase should be thoroughly washed, rinsed, and only then refilled with a clean one.

Important! It is equally important to remove spoiled, wilted, yellowed or beginning to rot leaves; buds should be removed from the bouquet if they have wilted.

If the question arises, peonies do not open in a vase, what to do, it is recommended to lower them into hot, but not boiling water, with the buds facing down. There is also another option: add a few drops of alcohol to the water in which the cut flowers will stand.

Top dressing

Despite the fact that peonies are no longer in open ground, feeding is very important for them. Proper care of these flowers requires that certain substances be added to the water. Good ingredients that help maintain the necessary biochemical processes are sugar and vinegar. 1 tsp. These components must be added to a liter of water. Boric acid also prolongs the freshness of the bouquet well. You need to add 200 ml of the composition to the vase where the peonies stand.

Another element that will help flowers preserve well is aspirin. It is recommended to add the tablet to water. This way the liquid will be completely cleansed of negative microorganisms. By following these recommendations, questions will arise less frequently about how to care for peonies cut from the bush so that they delight you with beautiful flowers and lush buds.

Preserving the attractive appearance of a bouquet for a long time is a task that requires attention and knowledge of a certain set of rules. The question of why peonies change color in a vase may arise, since all biological processes in the plant gradually fade away. Also, peonies that actively change color are found due to the characteristics of the selected variety. Flower growers often observe how a white flower is already pink the next season. The color can change under the influence of a number of factors, the main reason for each case is individual. That is why, if peonies suddenly change color in a vase, there is no need to throw them away, since changing the shade is a natural procedure for this species in some varieties. After the bouquet has stood in the water and there is nowhere to put it, you can make it an object of decoration.

Often paintings depict dried flowers in the interior. Permission to preserve a fluffy bouquet can be obtained, since it is very beautiful even in a dried state. If peonies have closed buds after cutting, then you need to lower them into water and place them in a warm room protected from drafts.

Why observe the correct flower proximity? A flower that will help maintain the freshness of the bouquet is a fragrant orchid or a sophisticated lotus.

Peony is a beautiful and long-lived perennial with large fragrant flowers. If the gardener does not know why peonies do not bloom, what to do in this situation, then it is useful to consider all possible reasons. These could be planting errors, improper care, or lack of nutrients.

New leaves grow, but there are no buds, or they fall off without blooming. This situation should not be surprising in the first year of planting. There is a simple and natural explanation - the biological characteristics of the plant. Nutrients accumulate and the root system forms.

Some varieties of peonies do not bloom fully in the second year after planting. In the third year, flowers of normal size should appear, but for some cultivars this process is delayed for another year. Underdeveloped buds must be removed. After a year or two, you can leave the large ones and cut off the small ones, the side ones.

Sometimes buds do not appear in the second and third years after transplantation. The fragile bush was exhausted and did not adapt to the conditions of the new place. Often the lack of flowers is explained by incorrect actions during planting and replanting.

Reasons why a plant does not bloom

Poor planting location and improper deepening of the growing point are the two most common mistakes. The conditions on the site do not correspond to the biology of the plant, but gardeners may not know about this, or do not pay attention to it.

Wrong choice of location

Peonies come from subtropical climates where sunny weather prevails and there is enough moisture all year round. The area where the plants are planted may be too shaded or dry for them.

Peonies prefer good lighting, open areas, but without drafts. With a lack of light, the number of buds is reduced or they do not appear at all.

Peonies are often planted too close to trees and shrubs, near walls and fences. Shading prevents the herbaceous plant from developing, and the roots of larger species take water and nutrients from the soil. In such conditions, getting flowers is problematic. The proximity to trees is favorable when creating openwork shade for herbaceous perennials, good watering and regular fertilizing.

Large bushes produce many leaves that constantly require moisture. Therefore, too dry or waterlogged soil on the site is not suitable. Stagnation of water near the roots contributes to rotting and the spread of diseases. The composition of the soil is also important - peonies require a pH of no less than 5.8 and no more than 7.

Interesting fact: peonies on heavy loams and black soils bloom more brightly and live longer. Bushes planted on light sandy soils bloom earlier, but quickly become obsolete.

Errors when planting a peony

Growth buds should be at a depth of 3–5 cm. If they deviate in one direction or another, the plant does not bloom. Being too close to the soil surface is dangerous for the peony - the buds freeze out. Strong deepening of the growing point lengthens the period of shoot formation and forces the plant to waste the energy necessary for flowering.

Improper care

The appearance of a bud followed by its drying out is a sign of mineral starvation. After feeding, the peony will gain strength and bloom next year. You should not “feed” the bushes. Excess nitrogen fertilizers stimulates abundant growth of leaves, buds do not appear or open poorly and dry out. Peonies are fed at certain times, best after flowering, when new buds form.

Mistakes with watering or prolonged rains cause the buds to get very wet. They do not bloom, become saturated with water and turn brown. Drought prevents flowers from developing and reduces the number of buds that give rise to shoots for the next year.

Main mistakes when propagating peony

Spring replanting is undesirable, because the plant will definitely shed its buds. There are other violations of agricultural cultivation techniques that negatively affect flowering. The division of the bush is carried out at the end of summer and early autumn. The planting hole is made deep - at least 0.7 m.

An adult bush has a powerful root system that supplies ground organs. However, the roots of older plants may rot. When the intensity of flowering of an adult peony decreases, the bush is dug up and inspected. If there are healthy buds on the roots, they are divided into parts and transplanted to another area.

It is not advisable to grow a peony in one place for too long. After transplantation, the young plant is allowed to grow stronger for 5–6 years.

Main mistakes when propagating peony:

Planting small or too large divisions
Wrong choice of work deadline
Dividing a bush under 5 years of age
Planting cuttings in place of the mother bush

When replanting a peony, divisions with 3–5 reddish shoots bloom faster. An economical option - a root with 1-2 buds - will only lead to flowering starting later than after 2 years.

What to do if peonies don't grow?

Peony's annual abundant flowering depends on good care. This does not mean that you need to spend your days and nights in the garden. The less the peony is disturbed, the faster it accumulates nutrients and creates a microclimate in the depths of the powerful bush.

The peony should not be disturbed in the spring during the period of work to remove old leaves and debris. If you are careless, you can injure the buds and roots of the plant. Watering is carried out 3-4 times per season (taking into account the amount of atmospheric moisture). The soil is loosened and weeds are removed around the bush. If necessary, tie them down or install supports.

After flowering, the plant also needs care, as next year's shoots are being laid.

In autumn, the leaves are cut off just before frost at a height of 10 cm above the soil. The above-ground parts of the plant are not used for compost, so as not to spread fungal and bacterial diseases. Branches and leaves are burned or otherwise destroyed.

How to feed peonies to improve flowering

Additional nutrition is necessary for young and adult plants. Mineral and organic fertilizers are mixed with the soil and added to the planting hole, so in the first two years the peony needs less feeding. After three years of life, the plant requires additional feeding for normal flowering.

Mineral fertilizer application plan:

In early spring, potassium-nitrogen fertilizer is scattered on the melting snow around the bush. They dissolve well and penetrate to the awakened roots.
During the budding period, a complex fertilizer, for example ammophosphate, is applied to each bush.
Two weeks after flowering, phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is applied, which is most important for the formation of new buds. You can feed with phosphorus and potassium in the fall, the nutrient will gradually penetrate into the soil.

Organic fertilizer for peonies

The plants are fed with slurry diluted with water. However, excess nitrogen in this organic fertilizer causes the bushes to overgrow. A folk remedy for replenishing nutrients is fermented rye bread. Half the loaf is cut and soaked in water for ½ day. The result is a thick mass, which is diluted in a bucket of water. Water the solution on young shoots that appear on the surface of the earth in spring. Such feeding will have a beneficial effect on peony flowering this year and next year.

After correcting the errors that delay flowering, the peony bushes will begin to consistently delight you with the splendor of their blossoming buds for at least 10 years. This will require regular watering and prevention of so-called care diseases.