Do you have a beautifully blooming peony and want to propagate it? Then you have several options to do this. Below you will learn how to proceed step by step with all propagation methods and which propagation method is the easiest
How can you successfully propagate peonies?
Peonies can be propagated by seeds, division of perennial peonies, cuttings of shrub/tree peonies or by grafting. However, seeds require patience, while division or cuttings provide faster results.
Sowing the shiny black seeds
Sowing the seeds is not difficult. But waiting for germination requires patience. First of all, it is important that you use fresh seeds. They ripen around September and are found in the follicles of the peonies. When ripe, the follicles open and present their shiny black seeds.
After harvesting, the seeds are best sown immediately:
- Fill the seed tray or pot with nutrient-poor, sandy soil
- Sow seeds approximately 1 cm deep
- moisturize
- put outside in the open air e.g. B. in the garden or on the balcony
- need a longer cold period
Seed germination can take up to 2 years. Immediately after emergence, the seedlings must be pricked out. This is usually the case in March/April. Another disadvantage of sowing is that with shrub peonies, flowers on the sown plants can be expected for the first time after 7 years. For perennial peonies it takes 3 to 4 years.
Dividing perennial peonies
Dividing the perennial peony is not about rejuvenation, but only about propagation. The division can take place towards the end of July/beginning of August. But the timing is also perfect in autumn and spring. It is important that only older plants are divided and that the division never takes place during flowering.
Step by step:
1. Dig up the peony carefully.
2. Separate the roots with a spade.
3. Plant root pieces separately from each other.
4. A suitable location is sunny and sheltered from the wind.5. Pour on.
Propagate shrub/tree peonies using cuttings
Paeonia lutea, delavayi and rockii can be easily propagated using offshoots or cuttings. It works like this:
- choose semi-ripe shoots that are woody at the base
- separate from the end of August
- shorten to a length of 10 to 15 cm
- remove lower leaves
- Stick the cutting 3 cm deep
- keep moist
- Rooting time: several months
Propagate shrub peonies through grafting
Refining is also possible with shrub peonies. If you decide to do this, you should know this:
- Result: same properties as the mother plant
- first flowering after 2 to 3 years
- graft a suitable shoot onto the roots of a shrub peony
- plant in humus-rich, permeable soil
- Planting depth: at least 10 cm
Tip
Often a cold stimulus from one winter is not enough for the seeds, but a second winter is necessary. Due to this length of time, sowing is not recommended.
