The Chinese peony, also known as the common garden peony, comes in many beautiful and bright colors such as white, pink, red and yellow. It is an excellent choice to grow if you want to liven up your backyard flower garden or add another color to your house’s landscape. This perennial shrub thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, so it can grow just about anywhere in the country. Chinese peonies have large leaves that are green on top and purple underneath and turn golden orange during the fall season.
Planting
There are many different varieties of peonies, but the most popular variety is the common garden peony. This plant is also known as Paeonia suffruticosa. They are perennials that can grow to be up to 3 feet tall with an 8-10 foot spread. The flowers have five petals that come in various colors including white, pink, red, purple, and yellow.
The best time to plant your peones is in fall or winter after all danger of frost has passed.
Watering
When watering your peonies, it is important to water the plant deeply but infrequently. The best way to do this is by using a long hose with a sprinkler on the end so that you can reach all of the roots. It may take up to five minutes for the peonies to absorb all of the water so make sure you are patient and have time set aside for this job.
Fertilizing
Chinese peonies, like other plants, need to be fertilized in order to grow. Fertilizing every two weeks is usually enough to keep the plant healthy. You can use any type of organic fertilizer on your peony. The best time to fertilize is right after watering because the fertilizer will have time to seep in before it dries out.
Pests
The most common pests of the garden peony are aphids, leaf miner, leafhoppers, slugs, snails and thrips. Aphids are sap-sucking insects that leave behind sooty mold on the leaves. Leaf miner does not have any noticeable external symptoms but leaves small tunnels in the green tissue of the leaves. Leafhoppers suck plant juices from young plants. Slugs are mollusks that eat nearly anything they can find including garden peonies.
Common Diseases
Chinese peonies are susceptible to many of the same diseases as other potted plants, including leaf spot, rust, anthracnose and powdery mildew. To avoid these problems, start by planting the plant in rich soil that drains well. Water it regularly during hot weather but be careful not to overwater the plant. If you notice any signs of disease or damage on the leaves, remove all leaves from the infected area to prevent spreading.
