Ok, planting the tree peony was a breeze. It was very easy to do. But now a few weeks have passed and the questions arise: Do you have to water them? Does she need fertilizer? Does it need frost protection in winter?
How do you properly care for a tree peony?
Tree peony care includes regular watering without waterlogging, fertilizing with compost in spring and after flowering, protection against diseases such as gray mold, pruning parts of the plant if necessary and winter protection with brushwood or straw for young plants.
When and with what should tree peonies be fertilized
The tree peonies should be supplied with fertilizer from the second year at the earliest. Organic fertilizers such as rotted compost are ideal for fertilizing. It is important that the fertilizer does not contain too much nitrogen.
For the first time of the year, tree peonies are fertilized in spring shortly before budding. This is the case around mid/late February. The second time they are fertilized is immediately after flowering. Simply rake the fertilizer carefully into the soil.
Should you water tree peonies regularly?
A moist environment is what tree peonies need. You should therefore urgently protect them from dryness. Congested moisture can also quickly damage them. Here are a few tips:
- Apply a mulch layer of bark (€14.00 on Amazon) over the root area
- for light soils: water more frequently in summer.
- Tap water can be used (plants tolerate lime)
- Do not water the leaves or flowers, otherwise you risk gray mold
What diseases are tree peonies susceptible to?
A disease affects many tree peonies. It's the gray horse. You can recognize it by dried buds, wilted shoots and rotting stems. As a rule, the fungus attacks the plant in spring when it is humid. Affected areas should be cut off and discarded.
Do you have to cut these plants and if so, how?
It is not absolutely necessary to cut the tree peonies:
- missing cut: sparser flowers the following year
- It's best to avoid seed formation - cut away old flowers
- remove old plant parts in spring or early autumn
- cut off directly above a bud
- Rejuvenation: cut back to 30 to 40 cm
Do tree peonies need winter protection?
These plants are frost hardy. But in severe frosts they should be protected in the form of brushwood or straw. Young plants should also be protected in winter. It is also advisable to tie the branches together to prevent them from breaking due to a layer of snow.
Tip
You can lime the soil with eggshell powder (homemade).
