HENDERSON'S GARDEN GUIDE AND RECORD. 



45 



Herbaceous Peonies 



PLANTING AND CULTIVATION 



PREPARATION OF SOIL FOR PEONIES, AND PLANTING. The Peony is a 

 gross feeder and the richest soil is none too good. They furnish the strongest stems and 

 the largest and most desirable flowers when planted in situations where the soil retains a 

 moderate degree of dam-pness. They should, however, be planted suflBciently far away 

 from the border of streams or ponds to avoid flooding, or water standing upon the plants, 

 and the soil should be so drained as to avoid any tendency of a swampy nature. 



Where the finest flowers are desired, the soil for the Peony bed should be prepared as 

 follows: An excavation the full size of the bed should be made two or three feet in depth, 

 according to the character of the subsoil. If the subsoil is of a loamy nature, and of such 

 texture as will retain moisture nicely, and admit of the growth of an abundant root system, 

 the bed may be excavated to the depth of two feet, then a layer six inches in depth of 

 thoroughly well-rotted manure should be spread on the bottom, and well spaded in. Cow 

 manure is preferable. Do not use fresh manure. If the soil taken out is of a stiff, clayey 

 nature it should be lightened by the addition of sand, leaf mold, and thoroughly well- 

 rotted manure, using in bulk one-third of the sand, leaf mold, and manure to two-thirds, 

 soil. This should be turned over two or three times, so that all of the ingredients will become 

 evenly mixed and incorporated throughout the mass. Then fill up the excavation with this 

 prepared soil, rounding it up at the centre, which should stand about eight inches above 

 the level of the ground. In setting the roots, abundant room to allow them to develop 

 into large clumps must be given. Each should be allotted a space equaling a circle three 

 feet in diameter for its development. The crowns should be from two and one-half to three 

 inches below the surface of the soil, and the earth well firmed around the roots. After the 

 bed is planted it should be mulched with three or four inches of coarse, strawy manure, or 

 that which contains a large proportion of forest leaves. In case the sub-soil at the bottom 

 of the bed is of a very light, sandy nature, a dense, stifT clay, or coarse, rockj- gravel, the 

 excavation should be continued to three feet, this poor sub-soil discarded and the entire 

 bed filled with the prepared soil. 



TIME FOR PLANTING PEONIES. The best time for planting Peonies is in 

 September. They will then make root growth before winter sets in and usually bloom 

 the following spring; all planting should be finished not later than the 1st of November, 

 although Peonies may be safelj' planted as late as the soil can be cultivated in the fall; 

 but the late planted roots will lose a year in reaching full normal development. Peonies 

 may be as sucessfully planted in the spring as in the fall, but, as before stated, it will take 

 an additional year to develop into blooming plants. 



AFTER CULTIVATION. There is no plant which will thrive, increasing in strengh 

 and beauty every year, with as little attention as the Peony. The third year after planting 

 the ground will be entirely occupied and densely shaded by the foliage. Each fall, after 

 the ground has become frozen, the tops of the Peonies should be cut off about three inches 

 above the soil, and may be thrown back over the plants to serve as a protecting mulch 

 during the winter. This should be augmented by a liberal dressing of coarse manure. In 

 the spring this mulch should be shaken up, the coarse parts removed from the bed, and the 

 remaining fine stuff spaded into the soil to the depth of five or six inches; the surface 

 should be stirred around the crowns of the plants, care being taken not to injure or disturb 

 the dormant crown buds. 



During seasons of extreme drought in April or ^Slaj', the growth of the Peony plants 

 may be much improved and the crop of flowers largely augmented in quality and size by 

 drenching the beds thoroughly with water once or twice a week. Under such conditions, 

 sufficient water should he given to saturate the soil to a depth of twelve to fourteen inches. 

 WHEN TO EXPECT CHARACTERISTIC FLOWERS. There is one fact in 

 connection with the planting and identification of Peonies that all purchasers of Peony 

 roots should understand, that is, it takes fully three years from the time the "ordinary 

 commercial root," i.e., the 3 to 5 crown cut division — is 

 planted before the Peony becomes adequately established, 

 and the crowns and root system sufficiently developed 

 to enable it to produce normal flowers. 



DISBUDDING. Most Peonies usually set three or 

 more flower buds to each stem. These should all be pinched 

 off excepting the terminal (largest bud) on each stem if 

 finest flowers are wanted. 



WHEN TO CUT PEONY FLOWERS. As cut flowers 

 for vases ai»d other floral decoration, long stemmed Peonies 

 are unsurpassed. The flowers are most beautiful and 

 lasting when cut from the plant before fully developed. 

 These will gradually develop maximum size, when placed in 

 water, and will last a week to 10 days if fresh water is given daily and a half-inch of the stems 

 cut off every day to remove the callus and permit the flowers to absorb water. 



Half open flowers are best. 



