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Culture of the Peony 



Soils, drainage, and preparation.- — We find that practically all 

 writers unite in recommending a heavy rather than light sandy 

 soil for peonies. A deep clay loam seems to be best. For propa- 

 gating purposes, soil of a more sandy nature would be desirable; 

 but for permanent bloom, a stiff soil is best. This stiff soil must 

 be well drained, however, and, while the peony delights in an 

 abundance of water, this must be fresh and sweet. The deep 

 growing habits of the peony roots necessitate a deep preparation of 

 the soil. The soil should be thoroughly broken and pulverized for 

 a depth of two feet or more. In case the physical texture of the 

 soil is poor, or if the clay is too stiff, sand or screened coal ashes 

 may be worked into the soil with good results. The peony is a 

 gross feeder and does well in a soil rich in organic matter. 



Planting. — The best time to plant peonies is just after they have 

 completed their summer's growth and formed the resting buds on 

 the crown, which is usually in September in the Eastern United 

 States. At this time the roots are fully dormant and transplanting 

 does not injure them. If left in the ground till spring, they put 

 out little white feeding rootlets with the very first touch of spring, 

 as soon as the ground thaws. After this, if they are transplanted, 

 these little rootlets are broken off and a serious setback is givenj 

 the plant. In September then, after the soil has been plowed 

 and subsoiled to a depth of two feet and heavily enriched with 

 well rotted manure and leaf mold, the plants should be set out. 

 They should be planted at least three feet apart each way. Open 

 up the hole and set the plants with the crowns at least three inches 

 below the surface. This is a very important point, especially in 

 the North. In stiff clay soils, the cold of winter will heave the 

 roots out of the ground if they are not planted deep and well 

 mulched. The necessity of mulching was very forcibly brought 

 home to the writer. The first winter the plants were not mulched, 

 with the result shown in Fig. i6. Most soils should be protected 

 with four or five inches of mulch, such as straw, leaves, coarse 

 stable manure or similar material. 



As I have already said, the peony is a gross feeder and can 

 utilize to advantage large quantities of manure. The feeding roots, 

 however, are somewhat localized compared with other plants, and 

 the manure should be applied close to the plant. This should be 

 applied in the fall for protection and worked into the soil in the 

 spring after the coarsest of the material has been raked away. 



