How to fertilize peonies in the spring to bloom. How to properly feed peonies for lush flowering bushes
Not requiring special attention to itself. But certain agrotechnical methods for obtaining lush flowering of peonies still exist. It is especially important to know how to feed the peonies so that they bloom magnificently in the summer and overwinter safely in the open field.
What fertilizers are needed for peonies when planting
Competent and timely feeding of peonies is the key to their full development and lush flowering for many years. Providing the plant with nutrition should start with preparing the ideal soil composition for it.
Garden flowers peonies need fertile soil and fertilizing.
It is impossible to plant a peony in ordinary garden soil, since it needs fertile, loose soil for proper development. To plant a peony, you need to prepare a hole with a diameter of 70 and a depth of 60 centimeters. Two buckets of humus or peat and 300 grams of bone meal are placed at the bottom of the pit. Instead of bone meal, you can add 200 grams of superphosphate. It is recommended to add a bucket of sand to clay soils for loosening. If the soil is sandy - a bucket of clay.
With the correct filling of the soil, the plant up to 3 years old can not be fed. The fertilizers introduced into the pit will be enough to form a powerful peony root system.
Council. If buds have formed on the bush in the first 2 years, they need to be cut off so that the plant will put all its strength into root growth.
The scheme of feeding adult plants during the vegetative period
For lush flowering in the garden, peonies need to be provided with all the necessary nutrients.
Before applying top dressing at the root, the soil is moistened.
When fertilizing peonies, you need to take into account a number of features:
- With a lack of organic matter in the soil, the introduction of mineral mixtures instead of benefits will harm the flower.
- Fertilizers at the root are applied only to moist soil. You cannot apply fertilizer to dry soil - this can burn the roots and destroy the peony.
- Fertilizers are applied taking into account the age of the bush. The older the plant, the more magnificent its flowering, which means the greater the need for fertilizers.
The composition of fertilizers in spring and autumn is different, since the plant requires special nutrients at different periods of development.
Top dressing in early spring
The first peony feeding is carried out in the spring, in the first days after the snow melts. The plant is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 1 gram per 5 liters of water. This amount of liquid is used to water one bush.
As soon as the peony sprouts begin to bloom, they are fed with ammonium nitrate. For 10 liters of water - 15 grams of fertilizer.
Fertilizing peony during budding
Peonies begin to bloom in the third year after planting. By this time, 10-15 main stems are fully formed on the bushes. During the formation of buds, a second feeding of adult bushes is carried out.
For feeding, use the following mixture:
- nitrogen - 10 grams;
- phosphorus - 20 grams;
- potassium - 15 grams.
This amount of minerals is dissolved in 10 liters of water and used to water one bush.
Summer top dressing during and after flowering
In the summer, to improve the quality of flowering, it is recommended to feed peonies with one of the following compositions:
- Potassium salt - 5 g., Superphosphate - 10 g., Saltpeter - 7.5 g., Per 10 liters. water.
- Potassium - 10 g., Nitrogen - 10 g., Phosphorus - 15-20 g., 10 l. water.
During the flowering period, peonies are watered with a mixture of superphosphate and potassium salt.
This amount of fertilizer is consumed for 1 adult (5 years and older) or for two young bushes.
The third top dressing during the vegetative period is carried out after flowering, after 14-15 days. Experienced growers recommend using the Kemira-Kombi preparation with the addition of potassium monophosphate.
Peony autumn feeding
The last feeding of peonies during the growing season is carried out in the fall, at the end of September or in the first decade of October. It is not recommended to carry out liquid fertilizers at this time, as they will provoke the growth of shoots.
The last dressing consists of a glass of wood ash and 100 grams of bone meal. This amount of fertilizer is evenly distributed around each peony bush and embedded in the soil by loosening.
Mineral and organic peony feed
In addition to the main nutrients, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, a lush peony bush needs a number of minerals, which are called trace elements.
Peony leaves signal the lack of any substance with their color and state:
Peony bushes respond well to fertilizing with organic fertilizers in pure form or in combination with mineral mixtures. During budding, you can water the peony with a mullein solution (1:10) with the addition of 40 grams of phosphorus and 20 grams of potassium.
Peonies have a beneficial effect on feeding chicken droppings. Half a bucket of chicken manure is diluted in 100 liters of water and fermented for 14 days. At the end of fermentation, the resulting solution is mixed with water in a ratio of 1: 3, 100 grams of superphosphate and 200 grams of wood ash are added to it. For one top dressing, 10 liters of fertilizer are used for each bush. With this composition, peonies can be fed twice a season: in spring and summer.
Peonies can be fertilized with diluted chicken droppings.
Foliar feeding of peonies
Foliar dressing is especially important in the first three years of a plant's life. At this time, the bush grows a root system.
For the correct development of a young plant, three sprays are necessary:
- Urea - 5 grams per 5 liters. Spraying is recommended. as soon as the first shoots break out of the ground.
- A mixture of carbamide and universal mineral fertilizer. 14-15 days after the first feeding.
- Trace elements, 2 tablets in a bucket of water. Spraying is carried out in the middle of summer.
Council. In order for the top dressing to better linger on the leaves during spraying, and not drain from them, it is recommended to add a small amount of laundry soap to the solution. This technique will additionally help rid the peony of insect pests.
Only healthy and well-fertilized peonies can give abundant and prolonged flowering, so you cannot neglect top dressing. A prerequisite for proper dressing is a combination of fertilization with abundant watering and loosening of the soil.
Experienced flower growers advise not to get carried away with organic fertilizing, as from an excess of nitrogen, the peony will begin to "fatten", that is, increase the green mass and slow down flowering. It is also important to observe the dosage of minerals in the dressings. For young plants, it is recommended to reduce the rate by half, and for adult bushes (over 5 years old) to increase by a third.
In the video, an experienced gardener shows and tells how to properly feed peonies in his garden.
Types of dressings
Especially strongly indicated flowers need nitrogen-containing compositions, but not in the last place for them are such useful substances as potassium and.
In addition, if the lush flowering of your "wards" is really important, then it is worth stocking up on fertilizers based on magnesium, iron, boron, zinc and copper, which plants also need, albeit in smaller doses. All of these micronutrients can be supplied in two main ways: root and foliar.
Foliar
Foliar dressing is carried out in relation to many plants, but in the case of peonies, it is also mandatory because thanks to this procedure, you can observe the lush flowering of the plant in the summer season. Young and adult bushes like to take foliar nutritional formulations every month, and what exactly to feed the flowers - gardeners decide on their own.
For example, the plant responds well to watering from a watering can (it is advisable to install a special strainer on the spout) with a solution of ready-made mineral fertilizer (a good example of such compositions is the drug "Ideal"), and to make it more firmly adhered to the leaves, a small part of the usual household soap or powder for washing (one large spoon is enough for a ten-liter bucket of water). 
The scheme for using foliar fertilizers is as follows:
Important! Many compositions can be applied to the bush from a spray bottle, but when using soapy compounds for better "stickiness", you can spray the peonies with a brush with a long bristle.
Root
Along with the use of foliar feeding, the root method of fertilization is often used. As in the previous case, during the entire growing season, nutrient compositions should be used several times: in early spring (already at the beginning of March), a good fertilizer for peonies will be mineral mixtures just scattered under the bush.
Together with melt water, they will gradually be absorbed into the soil and very soon will reach the roots, feeding the whole plant from the inside. With the arrival of summer, two more such fertilizers are expected, and, as in the first case, dry mixtures simply crumble under the peonies, and then watered well.
Feeding calendar
The effectiveness of any top dressing when caring for peonies depends not only on what kind of composition is used for fertilization, but also on the time of its introduction into the soil or plants. So, some preparations are more appropriate to use in the spring, while others are suitable only for autumn processing, since at different periods of its growth and development the plant needs different micronutrients.
The first
For the first fertilization of peonies, the foliar method is usually used, immediately after the snow cover melts... At this time, nitrogen-potassium fertilizers will be especially important for flowers at the rate of 20-30 g of the mixture per bush.
Important! When using the composition, try not to get it on the flowers and leaves of the plant, as chemical burns may appear on them, which will significantly reduce the decorative appearance of the peony bush.
The second
14-21 days after using the first nutritional formula for feeding peony bushes (about one to two weeks before the flowering of the plant), you can carry out a second feeding, using liquid nutrients for this purpose.
To 10 liters of real cow dung, add 20-25 g of potash fertilizers and twice as much phosphorus, pouring about 2-3 liters of the finished mixture under each bush.
Third
The third time nutrients are added to the soil after the plant has faded... The following solution is perfect for the role of a nutrient mixture: 10-15 g of potassium sulfate and about 30 g of superphosphate should fall on a ten-liter bucket of infused manure, and after mixing them, the finished solution is poured under the bush. The specified amount of liquid will be sufficient for 1 m² of plantings. 
How to feed: fertilizer options
We found out exactly when it is worth fertilizing the peonies, it remains to figure out what to water the flowers for their lush and long flowering. First of all, it should be noted that everything is fine in moderation, therefore, both in the spring and at other times, all formulations used for feeding should be applied according to the recommendations given and in the correct dosages.
Otherwise, an excessive amount of, for example, nitrogen will lead to overgrowth of the leafy part to the detriment of flowering.
Did you know? In ancient times, according to the beliefs of the people of Greece, peonies were able to cure more than twenty different ailments, which is why these bushes could be found near any monastery. As for the modern hybrid forms of this plant, they came to Europe only in the 6th century and were used for a long time in the fight against epilepsy.
Organic
For active growth and good flowering of peonies, it is necessary to take care of their fertilization in autumn, providing the soil and rhizome with a sufficient amount of micronutrients. Organic compounds are perfect for these purposes, since they contain a wide variety of components necessary for a plant.
Usually for autumn organic feeding use compost, manure orby simply laying them on the ground under the bush. Gradually rotting, all nutritious components come out of them in a dosed manner, which eventually sink closer to the root system of peonies. 
In addition, such organic matter also performs another important function: it does not allow the ground to freeze through, since the decomposition of manure occurs with the release of heat necessary for plants in especially harsh winters.
With the onset of the first stable frosts, plant shoots can freeze slightly, after which they are cut flush with the soil (so that the stumps are invisible). By following this procedure, you can additionally mulch the ground using humus, compost and fallen leaves.
To heighten the effect, you can add wood ash (300 g), bone meal (200 g) or both substances under the mulch layer. It is enough to scatter all this in an even layer around the bush and dig a little.
This approach to the integrated application of nutrients in the fall will help prepare the peony for lush bloom next year, especially if you reinforce the positive effect with the right fertilizers in the spring.
If we are talking about plants that have been in the same place for quite a long time without transplanting, then you can use a ready-made organic fertilizer called "Baikal EM-1", with the presence of living microorganisms in its composition.
The latter have a good effect on the structure of the soil and increase its fertility, but before spring top dressing with the indicated preparation, it must be mixed with autumn compost, and then used as mulch. The thickness of such a "fertilizing" layer should not exceed 7-10 cm.
No less popular and so-called "Folk recipes" for creating organic compounds... So, ordinary bread can provide lush flowering to your peonies, and all you need is to soak half a loaf in sweet water overnight (two tablespoons of sugar are enough for a glass of water), and in the morning strain the resulting mixture and pour the peonies that have appeared from the ground with the indicated solution.
Another simple recipe for organic fertilizer for these plants is based on the use of chicken manure (0.5 liters per 10 liters of water), however, it must be infused well for 14 days. In the future, the finished composition is additionally diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3, and for better efficiency a handful of ash is added to it.
Mineral
Mineral dressings include a wide variety of formulations, which today are easy to find in specialized stores. For example, a well-known representative of this group is the drug "Kemira"used three times per season.
With the onset of spring (before flowering), a more suitable composition will be "Kemira-Universal", and it is also used 7 days after the end of flowering plants. This drug is quite simple to use: having made a small depression under the bush, a small handful of the specified composition is poured into it and sprinkled with soil on top.
For the second feeding, it is also good and "Kemira-Kombi", and this time you can not add it. Simply sprinkle the packaging on the ground under the peonies and pour generously on top. This composition dissolves rather quickly, so it will soon be delivered to the plant's root system. 
For foliar fertilization, ready-made complex preparations (for example, the aforementioned "Ideal"), most of which must be pre-dissolved in water in accordance with the instructions.
Another useful composition with a whole set of trace elements is a preparation that can increase the strength of peony tissues and optimize the intrinsic defenses of flowers. 
Thanks to the improved immunity of the plant, the likelihood of its disease decreases and growth improves, which is why the effect of the drug is often compared with the effect. To prepare a ready-made solution for treating bushes, you need to mix 2-3 ml of the drug with 1 liter of water.
In a word, there are many options for preparations for mineral and organic fertilizing, but much in this matter depends on the characteristics of plant growth, the climatic region and the personal preferences of the gardener.
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Garden peonies take a lot of energy to maintain abundant flowering. The task of the grower is to provide them with nutrients in the required amount. Top dressing of peonies in spring, during the growing season, should be comprehensive and timely.
How to fertilize peonies in spring
Root feeding of peonies with mineral substances begins from the third year of plant development. Until this time, perennials do not bloom. Foliar spraying with a urea solution is enough for them. Sodium humate is recommended to stimulate root growth. An adult bush requires regular fertilization during the growing season - from spring to autumn.
Experienced farmers willingly share tips on how to feed plants for lush flowering in the garden. Prepare for the procedure in advance, because manure (chicken or cow) must ferment for 2-3 weeks. Mineral additives, poured into the hole during planting, have already dried up, it's time to renew their supply. Spring feeding of peonies is the most important, it provides a nutritious base for the formation of dense greenery and the formation of buds. The plant needs three main components during active growth: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In addition to them, flowers need trace elements (magnesium, iron, copper and others).
Soil fertilization scheme
All the necessary nutrients are not poured into the soil at one time. There is a scheme according to which feeding takes place in 3 stages:
- The first feeding of peonies in the spring is in April, early May. It is performed when flower shoots appear from the ground. In some regions, there is still snow at this time, it does not interfere with fertilizers. If the soil is open, loosen it thoroughly. Nitrogen and potassium are used as the first food. These substances in the amount of 10-15 g of each are scattered around the bush. Water abundantly on top - up to 20 liters. Fertilizer granules can be immediately dissolved in water and moistened with soil.
Council. Use urea as the first fertilizer, it contains a large amount of nitrogen.
- The second time the fertilization of peonies in spring occurs at the moment of bud formation. This procedure is more thorough. A full range of minerals and organics are required. In specialized stores you can buy good balanced products: "Kemira" and "Nitroammofoska". "Kemira Universal" contains nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium in a ratio of 10-20-20%, as well as all the necessary trace elements. "Nitroammofoska" is a well-known fertilizer, its components are in an easily digestible form. Enough 1 tablespoon of the composition for a peony bush (10 liters of water). After watering with a solution of minerals, the flowers are fed with diluted manure.
Council. Mineral fertilizer granules dissolve faster in hot water.
- The interval between procedures is 2-3 weeks, the third is performed half a month after the end of flowering. Mineral nutrition and fertilization of herbaceous peonies at the end of the season will provide the introduction of superphosphate and potassium. The last component can be replaced with a glass of wood ash. During the third feeding, it is recommended to use the organic preparation "Baikal EM-1". It improves the structure of the soil, increases fertility. Fertilizer contains beneficial bacteria and yeast. It is consumed sparingly - 1 ml per 1 liter of water.
Council. When using mullein, the organic composition is diluted 1:10. It is better to pour it into the groove dug around the perimeter of the plant.
Fertilization rules
- Cloudy weather is recommended to nourish the flowers; a little rain will not be an obstacle. If the weather is clear, wait until evening.
- When scattering granules, avoid contact with leaves, otherwise there will be a burn.
- Fertilization is accompanied by abundant watering - 20-30 liters under the bush.
Council. When applying fertilizers, do not exceed the recommended dose. This will not do the plants any good. Excess nitrogen inhibits flowering and provokes the development of diseases.
Feeding peonies with bread and yeast
Some gardeners have replaced the traditional application of mineral fertilizers with original recipes. The necessary active substances for the plants are supplied by the spring feeding of peonies with yeast. The product, widely used in cooking, contains potassium, magnesium, folic acid, phosphorus. In addition, yeast improves the structure of the soil, stimulates the development of beneficial bacteria, and strengthens plant immunity.
To prepare the solution, dry or fresh yeast is taken, 10 g and 100 g, respectively. The product is dissolved in 10 liters of warm water, add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. The composition is insisted in a warm place for 10-12 hours. A bucket of solution is meant for one shrub. Feeding peonies with bread is close in efficiency. It is made from 500 g of rye bread, rich in microelements. The product is cut into pieces and dried in the oven. Dissolve 50 g of sugar in a bucket of warm water and soak crackers. Fertilizer is insisted for 12 hours. Before watering, the bread is taken out and squeezed.
Council. Top dressing from a watering can, this will distribute the liquid evenly around the bush.
Ash - potassium replacement
Wood ash consists of trace elements necessary for plant development. By feeding peonies with ash in spring, you will strengthen their immunity. Ash is applied directly to the soil, making small grooves. The second option is to add it to one of the nutrient solutions (based on bread, yeast, chicken droppings). Ash is a complete substitute for potassium; it is introduced in combination with phosphorus and nitrogen during the second feeding.
Foliar dressing
In the spring, foliar feeding will not be superfluous. Urea (50 g) or other mineral fertilizer is diluted according to the instructions. The bushes are abundantly sprayed with the resulting composition. Add some laundry soap to keep the nutrients on the stems better. The procedure is performed once a month. To extend the flowering period and eliminate the potassium deficiency, fertilizing with the "Bud" preparation will allow - 1 ml is dissolved in 1 liter of water.
For the lush flowering of peonies, it is necessary to introduce organic matter and minerals into the soil. Spring chores with feeding will pay off with the abundant appearance of buds, large size and bright colors of flowers.
During the growing season (spring), it is important to pay attention to your peonies and they will delight you with unusually lush flowers. About how to feed peonies and in what time frame this article will tell.
In one place, peonies can grow excellently for a long time and bloom magnificently. To do this, you need to carefully look after the peony bushes. In the third year of plant development, when the peonies are going to bloom, in addition to regular watering and loosening, they must be additionally fed.
Three times per season, we carry out foliar feeding of peonies, which will allow the peony to delight you with friendly and long flowering throughout the season. Spraying is carried out with any complex mineral fertilizer (for example Ideal) on the leaves.
To be effective, add a little laundry soap or washing powder to the fertilizer solution (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of solution), so it is better for the nutrient solution to stay on the surface of the leaves,
Foliar dressing is desirable in the evening or in cloudy weather.
- Bread dressing. Experienced summer residents consider this top dressing to be the most effective. To prepare it like this: Soak rye bread in a bucket of warm water (about half a loaf), add a glass of sugar, Leave it to swell for three hours. Water the peony bushes with this solution.
- Yeast feeding. 100 g dissolve yeast in a bucket of warm water. We leave for 20 minutes. Pour the peony with this solution.
- Chicken droppings. Take 1 part chicken manure and 25 parts water. We leave in a warm place to infuse for two weeks. We dilute the resulting solution with more water in a ratio of 1: 3, add a handful of wood ash.
Peonies are loved by our gardeners and grow in almost every front garden. However, for some, these are huge bushes, completely covered with flowers, for others, they are also solid, and there are just one or two buds on them. And the reason, as a rule, is in the care of the plants.
In the first years of life, peony flowers may be smaller than intended and may not even correspond to varietal color. The properties of the variety are fully manifested only from the fifth year of flowering.
Alexey Volodikhin, an agronomist from Saratov, will tell you how to properly care for peonies so that they annually please with abundant flowering. Your attention - 5 secrets of lush flowering of peonies.
1. Competent watering of peonies
In a rainy and cool summer, you do not need to water the peonies. However, if it's hot, you will have to do it and - according to the rules.
In the heat, peonies need to be watered every 7-10 days. Watering is especially important in late May - early July, when the bushes grow rapidly and flowers form. Another important stage is mid-July - August, when the buds of renewal are laid.
Many people pour water directly under the bush, where there are practically no roots. There, near the base of the shoots, there are thickened rhizomes that store nutrients, they cannot absorb moisture from the soil. Young roots, capable of watering the bush, are located on the periphery.
In young peonies, the suction zone is therefore approximately 20-25 cm from the center of the bush, and in old ones - 40 cm. This is where water should be poured. And so that it does not spread, dig a groove about 10 cm deep around the perimeter and water directly into it - 3-4 buckets under the bush.
It is best to water the peonies in the evening so that the water is completely absorbed into the soil and does not evaporate.
2. Loosening the soil around the bushes
This work should be done after each watering or rain if you want the roots to breathe and grow well.
It is necessary to loosen the soil around the bushes carefully - at the stems to a depth of no more than 5-7 cm, and at 20-25 cm from them it is already deeper, by 10-15 cm.
3. Timely feeding of peonies
If the planting pits for the peonies were pre-filled with fertilizers, it is not necessary to additionally feed the peonies in the first two years. Starting from the third year, peonies need 4 feeding per season:
- The first top dressing is applied as soon as red shoots appear from the soil. 1 tbsp ammonium nitrate is dissolved in 10 liters of water and the plants are watered at the rate - a bucket for each bush. After that, the soil is mulched with humus, which will gradually give the plant nutrients.
- The second time the peonies are fed when they have buds. Mix dry 1/2 tbsp. ammonium nitrate, 1/2 tablespoon superphosphate and 1/3 tbsp. potassium salt, scatter it all under the bush and embed it in the soil.
- The third top dressing in composition repeats the previous one and is applied already during the flowering of the peony.
- The fourth time, peonies are fertilized after they have completely bloomed. Apply 1/2 tablespoon under the bush. superphosphate and 1/3 tbsp. potassium salt.
Fertilizers can only be applied after rain or watering. Follow the rate of feeding - excess nitrogen stimulates the growth of shoots and leaves to the detriment of bud setting.
4. Removing buds
In order for peonies to bloom profusely, the buds must be removed. It is especially important to do this in the first and second years after planting, since mass flowering does not allow the root system to fully develop.
If you want large top flowers, remove the side buds when they are about the size of a pea. And, on the contrary, you do not need to do this if it is not single cut flowers that are more important for you, but their total number on the bush and its long flowering.
It is very important to remove flowers as soon as the wilting begins, without waiting for the petals to fall off. Otherwise, hitting the leaves, they can provoke a disease with gray rot, especially in rainy weather.
5. Rejuvenation of peony bushes
Peonies may well grow in one place for 50 or even 100 years! However, the older the bush gets, the weaker it blooms. Therefore, once every 8-10 years, peonies need to be dug up and divided so that there are 3-4 buds on each cut. Moreover, this can be done only in August!
As you can see, it is not very difficult to make peonies bloom especially magnificently in your garden and are pleasing to the eye. We have revealed to you the secrets of the abundant flowering of these spectacular perennials.
