PLANTING AND CULTIVATION 



resulted in many instances in the rotting away 

 of the root. While the peony is a gross feeder, 

 manure — always well-rotted — or compost should 

 be applied to it with both discretion and restraint. 

 I have mentioned this in Chapter VI on the 

 preparation of the soil, and refer to it again 

 here, because mulching many perennials with 

 manure is a common and successful practice. In 

 my observation and experience such mulching has 

 in numerous cases proved harmful to peonies. In 

 my own garden, the only peonies I have ever 

 lost have rotted away from a manure mulch. 



Straw or leaves make the best mulch, but 

 should not be applied too heavily: three or four 

 inches of loose material are sufficient. Last year, 

 as a cover for a newly planted bed, I used com 

 stover with good results. Chicken wire stretched 

 over the straw or leaves and staked at the edges 

 keeps them from blowing away in the high winds 

 of winter. 



It has been suggested that the leaves of the 

 peony plants be cut and thrown back on the roots 

 for a mulch in the Autumn. This would be good 

 practice were it not for the danger of spreading 

 any fungoid diseases to which the peony is sub- 



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