Peony White Cap (Paeonia White Cap) - features of planting a flower
Content:
Peony White Cap is one of the most interesting representatives of its kind. It is loved by flower growers for its appearance, since its inflorescences are two-colored, which is not often found among peonies. They also love him for the compactness of the bush, which can be successfully located even in the smallest summer cottage.
Peony White Cap (Paeonia White Cap) - what is this variety
Peony White Cap was born in 1956 thanks to the activities of the American breeder Winchell George E. The name is translated quite simply "white cap". This is due to the fact that by the end of flowering, the entire peony fades in the sun and becomes almost completely white.
Peony White Cap
Throughout its history, the plant has won many awards, including international ones.
Brief description, characteristic
Botanical Description of White Cap Peony:
- life form - herbaceous milky-flowered perennial;
- the stems are erect, but bend under the weight of the inflorescences, therefore they need support;
- stem height up to 1 m;
- one stem carries up to 4 shoots at once, each of which ends in a large bud;
- leaves are tough, dark green, lanceolate, alternating;
- by autumn, the foliage acquires a crimson hue;
- double flowers, painted in 2 colors: the middle is white-pink, and the petals located at the edges are dark crimson (however, by the end of flowering, the bud burns out completely and becomes white);
- flower diameter about 16 cm.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The pros and cons of culture are presented in the table.
| Advantages of the variety | Disadvantages of the variety |
| high decorativeness; | needs an obligatory support, without which it can fall apart during the flowering period. |
| simultaneous blooming of all buds; | |
| frost resistance; | |
| unpretentiousness; | |
| compactness; | |
| does not require regular transplantation. |
Use in landscape design
The White Cap milk-flowered peony attracts the attention of both ordinary florists and landscape designers.
It looks great in group plantings, as a curb plant and for decorating parapets. Ideal to combine with other peonies. Looks especially impressive next to the peony Edulis Superba.
Growing a flower, how to plant it in open ground
Peony White Cap is rather unpretentious, but nevertheless it needs to follow certain rules when planting and caring for it.
Planting by root cuttings
A root cut is a part of the rhizome of a peony, which has an independent root and 1 or more eyes for growth. In order to apply this planting method, you must first select the planting material.
Its preparation is carried out as follows:
- Carefully, without damaging the roots, the rhizome of an adult peony is dug out. It is divided into small pieces, each about 6 cm in size. All pieces must have at least 1 bud and root.
- For a couple of hours, parts of the rhizome are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate, then rolled in crushed charcoal and dried in the fresh air until a small crust forms (this will take 10-12 hours, you can leave it overnight).
After that, the planting material is deepened into the nutrient mixture by about 4 cm. The place in which the cuttings will germinate should be well lit. The substrate should be moistened regularly.
Time, place, preparation
Since most often the flower reproduces by dividing the rhizome, it can be planted both in the second half of spring and in late summer - early autumn. It is this time that is best suited for laying the active root system of the White Cap peony.
The place should be well lit, protected from gusts of cold winds and drafts. Light shading is acceptable, which protects the flower from the midday hot rays. The soil must be nutritious and well-drained. Groundwater should pass no higher than 1 m from the roots of the flower.
The planting pit is prepared approximately 1 month before planting. The soil should be well loosened, with the obligatory addition of compost and humus, as well as mineral and complex fertilizers.
The seedling is easier to prepare. A couple of hours before direct planting in the ground, the root system is checked for damage, soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, the cuts are processed with crushed charcoal.
Planting procedure step by step
- Drainage and necessary fertilizers are introduced into the prepared planting pit.
- Sand is added to too clayey soil and vice versa.
- Place the prepared seedlings in the holes, sprinkle with earth.
After that, the soil around the White Cap peony is thoroughly watered and mulched with any natural material.
Planting with seeds (for breeding)
Planting with seeds is not recommended, since the variety is hybrid and the maternal properties will not be passed on to the daughter.
If you want to try yourself as a breeder, it is important to remember that seeds germinate very slowly. They are harvested at the end of summer, subjected to long-term stratification and scarification. But the chance that they will rise is minimal.
Plant care
Caring for a flower is quite simple, the main thing is to follow all the necessary procedures on time, as well as tie a peony, give it support. Otherwise, the stems simply cannot support the weight of the flowers.
Watering and feeding
Top dressing is not required for the first 2 years after planting, the plant will have enough of those nutrients that were laid in the ground during planting. Starting from the 3rd year, flowers are fed:
- immediately after the snow has completely melted (approximately in mid-April);
- during the formation of buds;
- at the end of flowering.
For feeding, special complex fertilizers are used. During flowering, it is possible to apply potash-phosphorus fertilizers, as well as a weak solution of chicken droppings. In the spring, you can add some ash to the soil.
All herbaceous peonies are fairly drought tolerant. This also applies to the White Cap variety. It is enough to water adult bushes once a week. At the same time, from 20 to 40 liters of water is poured under each bush. This dose depends on the age, size of the plant, and weather conditions.
Preventive treatment
Preventive treatment is carried out most often in early spring, even before the buds are laid.
The peony is treated with fungicidal solutions. Bordeaux mixture will protect from pests (3 liters per 1 bush).
Peony Blossom White Cap
Flowering medium-late, the plant blooms in mid-May.
Peony Blossom White Cap
Flowering begins in late May - early June, lasts about a crescent. After that, the bush goes into a dormant stage.
During flowering, the White Cap must be regularly watered and fed. It is important to exclude the use of nitrogenous fertilizers, they are contraindicated in flowers.
What to do if it does not bloom, possible reasons
The main reasons that can cause a lack of flowering are the following:
- Lack of light. If the bush was originally planted incorrectly, it needs to be transplanted to a more open place, only after that it will bloom.
- Lack of nutrients. After 2 years of life, additional fertilization is required to the substrate.
- Very deep planting of the flower. The maximum depth of the planting pit is 50 cm.
If the grower initially treats his plant carefully, it will grow, develop and delight with lush and bright flowering.
Peonies after flowering
After flowering, preparation of the paeonia White Cap variety for winter begins. This should be taken into account especially carefully. The development and flowering of a peony next year depends on the correct observance of all the rules.
A transplant is only required if the plant is not planted correctly or has grown too much and needs to be rejuvenated.
It is very important to remove all wilted flowers, they can cause the development of many infectious diseases. Cardinal pruning of herbaceous peonies is carried out before wintering - the ground part is completely removed, only small parts of the stem of 15 cm remain.
Preparing for winter
Since this variety can hibernate at fairly low temperatures, preparing for winter will not be difficult. The remaining stems are spud up to the maximum possible height. From above, they are covered with cut parts of an adult plant.
No other cover is required. They will perfectly survive the winter frosts under a layer of snow.
Preparing a peony for winter
Diseases, pests and ways to control them
The White Cap peony has developed immunity to most infectious diseases. Protection is enhanced by preventive spring flower treatment.
Avoid planting peonies next to potatoes or strawberries that attract pests.
In this case, the problem should be eliminated, the damaged parts must be cut off, and the bush must be treated with fungicides. When parasites appear, special insecticides will help.
Peony White Cap is an excellent choice for those who are going to start breeding these beautiful flowers for the first time, for those who do not have much time to devote to plants, but want to create beauty in their garden. But also experienced flower growers and landscape designers should not lose sight of the variety. This is a gorgeous plant that looks gorgeous both on its own and in company with other plants.
