Content
Growing peonies from seeds is not a very popular method, however some gardeners use seed propagation. For the procedure to be successful, you need to carefully study its features and rules.
What peony seeds look like
Peony seeds are quite large, their average size is from 5 to 10 mm. The color depends on the type of peony and can be light brown, dark brown, beige. The seeds have a glossy sheen, they are round in shape, smooth to the touch, slightly elastic and not rigid.
Fresh peony seeds should be smooth and shiny
Is it possible to grow peonies from seeds
Growing peonies from seeds at home is associated with certain difficulties. It is quite possible to get flowers in this way, but they rarely resort to seeds for breeding peonies. The procedure has more disadvantages than advantages.
Pros and cons of seed propagation of peonies
There are only 2 advantages to growing peonies from seeds:
- During seed propagation, varietal characteristics are not preserved. Theoretically, as an experiment, you can grow a completely new variety, which in appearance will be different from the usual varietal peony.
- Seed-grown peonies generally adapt better to climatic conditions and exhibit high hardiness.
But the seed method has quite a few drawbacks. These include:
- low decorativeness, since the seedlings do not retain the characteristics of the variety, most often adult flowers do not have special value and beauty;
- very slow growth, the first flowers appear only 5-7 years after planting seeds;
- a complex cultivation procedure, so that the planting material sprouts, the seeds must be stratified, and then pay special attention to their germination;
- a high risk of death of seedlings at a young age, even if the seeds sprout, not all of them will be able to get stronger.
For all these reasons, peonies are usually preferred to be bred by vegetative methods.
Seed reproduction does not bring results very soon, therefore it is rarely used.
What peonies can be grown from seeds
Not all varieties of peonies, in principle, are suitable for seed reproduction. Usually, the following varieties are sown with seeds in the ground - black and wild peonies, the evading peony Maryin root, thin-leaved and lactic-flowered peonies. The tree variety also reproduces by seeds, but its seeds are covered with a dense shell and germinate very slowly.
The timing of the propagation of peony seeds
Seed-bred plants grow slowly - only a few centimeters per year. Even when using fresh seeds, the first shoots may appear only after a few months.It is possible to wait for flowers only after 4-7 years, depending on the variety, seed shell density and growing conditions.
The first sprouts during seed planting may appear not only after six months, but also after 1-2 years
How to grow peonies from seeds
Since growing peonies with seeds is especially difficult, it is important to follow all the rules in the process. Neglecting the growing algorithm will reduce the chances of the seeds sprouting at all.
Selection of containers and soil preparation
You can germinate seeds at home in almost any container. Shallow wooden pallets, tin cans without a bottom, or ordinary low cups are best suited for this purpose. You can also plant seeds in special peat pots. Trays and cups are sterilized before planting peonies to eliminate the negative influence of microorganisms.
Flowers are not too demanding on the soil, but they prefer loose neutral or calcareous soils. A mixture of fertile soil, sand and peat with the addition of lime will be optimal for peonies.
What to do with peony seeds before sowing
The shell of peony seeds is very dense, therefore, without special preparation, seedlings can germinate up to 2 years. To speed up the process, the following treatment is carried out before sowing:
- the seeds are filed very carefully or slightly scratched with sandpaper, the shell loses its strength, and the sprouts break through faster;
- seeds are soaked for a day in water with the addition of a growth stimulant, you can also take an ordinary dark purple solution of potassium permanganate.
If you prepare correctly, you will have to wait much less for the first shoots to appear.
Before planting, the seeds must be properly soaked to soften the shell.
How to germinate peony seeds
After preparation, the seeds need germination; it can be accelerated if the planting material is provided with sufficiently high temperatures.
Wet sand is poured into a shallow but wide bowl, seeds are sown into it and lightly sprinkled with sand on top. After that, the bowl is placed on a warm surface - on a radiator or an electric heating pad. For 6 hours, the seeds are provided with a stable temperature of at least 30 ° C, after which it is reduced to 18 ° C for 4 hours.
In this mode, the bowl with seeds must be kept for about 2 months. All this time, the sand is regularly moistened so that the seeds do not dry out - when the sand is squeezed, drops of moisture should appear in the hand.
How to sow peony seeds
If germination in the warmth was carried out correctly, then after 2 months the seeds will give the first roots. After that, they will need to be carefully removed from the bowl with sand, slightly pinched the root at the tip and sown in a previously prepared container with a soil mixture of peat and sand. The seeds do not need to be planted too deep; the soil layer above them should be only 5 mm.
Further, the seeds must be kept in a well-lit place at a temperature of about 10 ° C and at low humidity, no more than 10%. The cold stage continues until the first green leaves appear, it may take about a couple more months.
How to grow peonies from seeds
In late spring, after the final warming of the soil, young peonies are planted in a garden plot. The place for them is selected half shaded, the earth should be nutritious and sufficiently loose, neutral or alkaline. The sprouts are buried by 4 cm, not forgetting to leave a distance of about 5 cm between them, watered and mulched.
Flowers are transplanted into the soil for growing only after the final warming of the soil
In the first year, young peonies can be fed with urea at the rate of 50 g of fertilizer per bucket of water. With the onset of autumn, plantings are covered with fallen leaves, lutrasil or spruce branches.
In the second year, peonies are transplanted to a permanent place, this is best done in August. A plant is immersed in a hole about 50 cm deep, along with the old earthen lump, broken brick or crushed stone is preliminarily laid on the bottom of the hole as drainage.Also, when planting, top dressing is introduced - superphosphate, potassium sulfate and dolomite flour.
After planting, the plants are watered abundantly, and in the future, caring for the peonies is reduced to standard measures. Water the flowers once a week or twice a month in rainy weather. They are fed three times a year with complex fertilizers - in spring, early summer, and in autumn. For the winter, peonies are insulated with lutrasil or spruce branches.
Features of growing peonies from seeds from China
Since seed propagation is not popular, it is not easy to find peony seeds for sale. Most often, gardeners purchase planting material over the Internet from China, suppliers promise excellent germination rates and very decorative results.
Seeds from China look very attractive, but real reviews from gardeners claim that planting material has its drawbacks:
- Seeds from China are not very germinating, on average only 20-25% of the total number of seeds germinate.
- Adult peonies from seeds at home do not always look as attractive as in the picture on the package. In addition, when buying planting material from China, you cannot get firm guarantees that the package will contain seeds of the exact variety indicated in the description.
- Gardeners note that after germination, Chinese seeds often die 2-3 weeks after germination, despite the quality conditions.
Before planting purchased seeds, you need to carefully study their appearance. Good peony seeds should be smooth and glossy, not too hard to the touch. If the seeds are very dry and shriveled, there is little chance of germination successfully.
Peony seeds from China do not give 100% germination, usually it does not exceed 25%
How to germinate peony seeds from China
The algorithm for growing Chinese seeds is practically the same as the standard one. The main difference is that the planting material needs more thorough preparation:
- Since purchased seeds are often not very fresh and dry, the first step is to soak them in water for 2-3 days. The shell from this will soften a little, and the likelihood of seedlings will increase.
- It will not be superfluous to scarify the seeds, that is, scratch them with emery or cut them with a sharp blade.
- Germination of seeds from China is carried out with a warm method at the end of winter. The planting material is placed in a flat dish with moistened sand, after which it is warmed up to 30 ° C in the daytime and only up to 15 ° C at night.
If the seeds are of high quality, then after about 2 months they will give the first shoots.
How to plant peony seeds from China
Sprouted seeds are transferred to fertile soil, consisting of leafy soil and peat mixed with sand. It is not necessary to deeply deepen the seeds, it is enough to make holes for them about 5 mm deep and lightly sprinkle them with soil. After that, the pallet or pot with seeds is placed in a well-lit place with a temperature of no higher than 10-12 ° C and continue to moisten regularly until shoots appear.
The cultivation of Chinese seeds is practically the same as usual.
How to grow peony seedlings from Chinese seeds
When the first green leaves appear in the pots, the seedlings will need to be kept indoors for a few more months. It is recommended to transfer peonies to the ground in mid-August. Until this point, the seedlings need to be watered, keeping the soil constantly moist, and keeping the room temperature around 18 ° C.
Open ground for peonies should be loose, with an admixture of peat and sand. When planting, it is recommended to feed peony seedlings with complex fertilizers and maintain weekly watering before the onset of cold weather. Before winter, young peonies are sheltered from frost with spruce branches or lutrasil.
When and how to collect peony seeds
When seed propagation, the best results are shown by fresh peony seeds, which have not yet had time to dry and harden.Therefore, if there are fruit-bearing flowers in the garden, seed material can be collected from them; for this, the varieties Maryin root, Michelangelo, Raphael, milk-flowering peonies are suitable.
It is necessary to collect planting material during ripening, before the disclosure of the carpels.
Seeds are harvested in late summer, between August 20 and September 15. You need to choose light brown shiny seeds with an elastic structure, which have not yet opened the carpels.
Planting fresh seeds is considered optimal. But the process of seed reproduction usually begins in the middle of winter, so autumn seeds are most often stored for storage. To do this, they must be dried - laid out on paper on a flat surface and left in a dry and ventilated place until completely dry. From time to time, the seeds are turned up so that they are fully dried from all sides and not moldy.
After drying, the seeds are threshed through a sieve to remove small debris, and placed in paper envelopes or bags, remembering to attach tags to them with the name of the flowers and the time of collection. It is necessary to store the planting material in dry conditions at a temperature not exceeding 12 ° C.
The germination capacity of peony seeds lasts on average up to 2 years. But it is recommended to plant the material during the first year, then it will be more difficult to germinate flowers.
Expert advice
For seed growing, professionals recommend taking small peony seeds - 3-5 mm. Large seeds take longer and more difficult to germinate, as their shell is denser.
To grow seeds quickly, it is worth using the home breeding method. Some gardeners sow seeds directly into open ground before winter for natural stratification, but in this case, sprouts may appear only after a year or two.
Small flower seeds germinate easier and faster
Conclusion
Growing peonies from seeds is challenging but exciting. This method is usually chosen by gardeners who are inclined to experiment, and if all the rules are followed, they achieve a positive result.
