Preparing peonies for winter: pruning, feeding and shelter

Autumn is the time to prepare perennial plants for winter. It is in the fall that you must carefully take care of the peonies so that they can successfully overwinter and release many beautiful buds again next year.

Next, let's talk about how to properly care for peonies in the fall, when to feed, how to prune and whether you need to cover for the winter.

Note! Ignoring autumn care and preparing peonies for winter often leads to the fact that the plant stops blooming.

What to do with peonies in autumn

As a rule, among the basic measures for caring for plants after flowering and preparing peonies for winter include the following:

• summer pruning of buds after flowering;
• autumn feeding;
• autumn pruning;
• loosening and weeding;
• mulching;
• shelter for the winter.

You can also transplant a shrub to a new location (first dividing), of course, if there is a need or need for it.

By the way! About, how to properly divide and transplant peonies in autumn and spring there is a separate article.

Top dressing of peonies in the fall: timing and fertilization

Top dressing of peonies is usually done a couple of weeks after their flowering and pruning of peduncles. In other words, the approximate dates for the autumn application of fertilizers for peonies are August-early September, and the specific ones already depend on the climatic conditions of your region.

Interesting! Many growers combine top dressing with autumn stem pruning.

As for what fertilizers are required for peonies during this period, then this, of course, phosphorus and potassium, for example, a mixture of the same superphosphate and potassium sulfate or bone meal and wood ash... Alternatively, you can use any fertilizer marked "autumn".

Important! In the fall, in no case are they used nitrogen fertilizersthat stimulate the growth of green mass.

There are the following ways to feed peonies and other plants:

• dry;
• in liquid form.

If the autumn turned out to be dry, then it is better to dilute phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in water according to the instructions and apply directly under the roots. A liter of such a solution is enough for each bush.

In rainy weather, it is better to use granular fertilizers, which gradually enter the plant's root system. Usually dry fertilizers are scattered in the near-stem circle of the plant, slightly embedding them in the ground.

By the way! The site has a separate article about how to properly feed peonies in spring, summer and autumn for abundant flowering.

When and how to properly prune peonies after flowering and in autumn (for the winter)

Why prune plants after flowering and in autumn (for the winter)

Many growers are wondering whether it is necessary to prune peonies for the winter in the fall.

Naturally, not all novice flower growers know and understand why it is necessary to cut the foliage in autumn on this perennial shrub, because often they (leaves) at first glance are not affected by any diseases or pests, but only turned yellow and dried out, because the next cycle of development of this flower has ended.

Interesting! Some summer residents advise not even to prune peonies in the fall, but, on the contrary, leave them like this for the winter, so that decayed leaves can be removed in the spring.

However, it should be understood that the remaining uncut wilted foliage is an ideal place for wintering various pests and their larvae. Pathogens (fungi) can also "hide" there.

This is why it is highly recommended to prune the leaves of peonies in the fall: this is a kind of sanitary measure.

By the way! Of course, if the leaves are clean and you are 100% sure that the plant is healthy, then you can not cut it until spring, especially if deep autumn has already come, and the leaves are still green. Otherwise (if the leaves are clearly affected by something), in addition to pruning, you should also treat with a fungicide (spray with a remedy for diseases) the stems remaining after pruning and the ground around the peonies.

Thus, the autumn pruning of peonies is carried out to prevent fungal diseases that can infect the peony bushes.

Worth knowing! The most common and dangerous fungal disease that affects peonies is this is botrytis (gray rot).

When to prune after flowering and in autumn (for winter)

Timing is also important in this matter.

So the first time peonies pruned after flowering, and at this time only faded buds (while it is recommended to leave 3-4 leaves on the stem). This will make the bush look much cleaner. Naturally, foliage is not touched at the same time.

The fact is that after flowering, the process of photosynthesis continues in the leaves, which allows the roots (more precisely, root tubers) to accumulate useful substances necessary to restore the strength of the plant after flowering, so to speak, to prepare for future flowering.

Autumn pruning of peonies spend directly at the end of the season, those. before winter, when the leaves have already turned yellow and began to dry out.

Many summer residents agree that the later you cut the peonies, the better. So, pruning of peonies in the fall is carried out before or immediately after the first light night frosts, i.e. with the onset of a steady cold snap, when the average daily temperature drops to 5-7 degrees, i.e. around October.

How to trim properly

Pruning peonies in the fall is very easy: you need cut off the stems practically to ground level (level with the ground), better without any stumps (as raspberries), but you can also leave 2-5 cm (some gardeners even recommend up to 10-15 cm).

Important! All cut shoots, along with the foliage, are immediately taken out of the site and burned, and not left in the trunk circle. Or they throw it into a compost heap, where, as mentioned earlier, pest larvae and pathogenic fungi can be found.

Video: pruning peonies in the fall

Further care after pruning: loosening, mulching

After you carry out the autumn pruning of peony leaves, the trunk circle follows gently (do not damage the renewal buds in any way), slightly loosen (2-3 cm) and weed off emerging weeds.

Why is it important to remove weeds in a timely manner?

If this is not done, then the weeds will take root and will simply take food from your cultivated plants.

After the procedure for loosening the peonies, you can mulch bushesby pouring out some compost or humus. It will also be an additional fertilizer, as well as a shelter.

Is it necessary and how to properly cover peonies for the winter

Fertilizing and pruning peony bushes are the main measures for preparing this flowering perennial for winter. However, if necessary, it is also important to properly cover the peonies for the winter so that they do not freeze (or do not come out).

For obvious reasons, this procedure (shelter) is especially relevant for those cold regions where there are severe frosts in winter and little snow falls (or the peonies are planted in a place where snow simply does not accumulate or is delayed, for example, it is blown out by the winds).

Advice! In any case, you can insulate the peonies yourself by throwing snow on them with a shovel.

How can peonies be insulated for the winter?

As a rule, most gardeners cover peonies for the winter with spruce branches (spruce branches).

Or lay a layer of mulch on top (5-10 cm) (so to speak, spud), using rotted sawdust, peat, again humus or compost.

Remember! The cut foliage of a plant, in which “harmful” insects and pathogens, may remain hibernating, cannot be used as a covering material.

However, do not overdo it, because the peony is a fairly winter-hardy plant that can quite successfully overwinter without shelter even in the conditions of the Central strip (Moscow region). But to get rid of it as much as possible, so no films and similar shelters!

Important! In the spring, be sure to remove the shelter from the peonies and / or open the bushes on time!

Features of pruning and preparing for the winter of a tree peony

The procedure for the autumn pruning of tree peonies is several different from herbaceous.

As you know, the tree-like peony was named due to the fact that the shrub has main and skeletal branches. Therefore, if you cut the bushes completely, the peony will not bloom until a new skeleton grows again.

Thus, tree peonies do not need pruning (unless, if you want to shape your "tree" in a special way), another thing is that you should tear off all the withered leaves.

Advice! However, if you want enhance the growth of young shoots and by this contribute to a more abundant flowering of perennials next year, then you need to carry out a stimulating autumn pruning of a tree-like peony, namely, trim all lignified stems to a height of 0.7-0.9 m.

As for whether tree peonies require shelter for the winter, then the answer is also negative - no, not required.

By the way! But just planted or transplanted bushes of tree peonies are very desirable to cover for the winter, more precisely, to mulch.

Thus, preparing peonies for winter is a very important process, on the correct implementation of which it depends how well they will survive the winter and will be ready to bloom for the next season. Therefore, if you want your perennial flowering plants to only delight the eye with their colorful and abundant flowering, then take the time to carry out autumn pruning, and also do not forget to feed and, if necessary, cover your peonies for the winter.

Video: autumn care and preparation of peonies for winter - pruning, feeding, mulching (hilling), shelter