Peony "Bartzella": variety description, planting and care

Peony "Bartzella" - one of the most outstanding representatives of Ito hybrids. Ito-hybrids are called varieties of peonies obtained by crossing them with various types of tree-like plants. The result of this crossing is tall and spreading bushes with dense foliage that can withstand frost, and large beautiful flowers of various shades of yellow. In this article, you will read about why gardeners from all over the world love this flower so much, and what rules should be followed in caring for it.

The Ito hybrid "Bartzella" is a peony variety bred at the end of the last century by an American breeder named Roger Anderson. This variety was awarded two awards at once from the American Peony Society - for its attractive appearance and high decorativeness. Here is a description of it with all the main qualities.

Peony "Bartzella" is a herbaceous perennial. It can grow up to almost a meter in height and grow just as wide, resulting in a rather attractive ball of leaves and flowers.

This variety has thick, feathery, dark green leaves. They very well set off its large semi-double flowers of lemon-yellow color. Flowers, by the way, also grow quite densely, up to 60 buds on one bush, and are scattered around the entire perimeter of the bush from the very roots to the crown. One flower can be up to 25 centimeters in diameter.

Due to its shape and size the flower is great for single planting. And also it can be used to build flower arrangements. But be careful - the flower does not react well to other plants nearby, and therefore try to pair it with something less demanding than itself.

The bush blooms once a year... Flowering begins in mid-June and lasts until mid-July. True, for the first time the bush will delight you with flowers only 3 years after planting. During the flowering period, a very pleasant and delicate aroma comes from it. This variety is quite frost resistant. (withstands temperatures up to -30 ° C), and therefore the foliage on it keeps until November.

Before you start planting any plant, you, of course, you need to choose the best place for it.

For stable growth and lush flowering, Ito hybrids need a sufficient amount of sunshine, but they do not like extreme heat. Therefore, it is best to plant the Bartzella peony where the light will fall on it only in the morning and evening, and at noon, when the sun is shining especially brightly, it would be covered by a shadow.

Do not forget about his dislike of other plants, plant the peony at some distance from them. And also "Bartzella" does not tolerate stagnant water, and therefore it is not recommended to plant it in lowlands.

When it comes to planting time, it is best to plant Ito hybrids as soon as the summer heat begins to subside. For most of the country, it is planted from early August to late September. And in warmer regions, it can be planted until November.

Best of all "Bartzella" grows on loamy soil with low alkalinity. If the soil on your site is not so favorable, then you can fix it by preparing it in advance.Before planting, the soil is fertilized with a mixture of compost and humus, dolomite flour (if the soil has high acidity), wood ash and superphosphate. If the soil in your area is clay, then it is recommended to add a little sand.

When all the preparations on the site are completed, you can proceed directly to planting our peony.

1. To begin with, we dig a hole under the seedling. It should be shallow, but wide (from 80 centimeters in diameter).
2. At the bottom, drainage from expanded clay or brick is arranged.
3. A mixture of peat, sand and prepared soil is poured from above to 2/3 of the entire depth.
4. After that, you can start processing the seedling, and the earth needs to be given time to settle a little. Experienced gardeners recommend holding the peony roots for 30 minutes in a potassium permanganate solution to protect the plant from possible diseases.
5. You can also treat the roots with biological stimulants to speed up rooting.
6. Before direct planting, the soil in the hole is well moistened.
7. After that, place the root in the center of the hole and dig in.

Very important, if the plant has formed buds, then in no case should they be buried deep (maximum 3 centimeters).

You will not have to transplant peonies soon. In one place "Bartzella" can stay for 10 years.

Proper care of the plant is the key to its good growth and health. Fortunately, Ito hybrids are not particularly picky in this regard, and they need about the same care as any other plant.

Bartzella peonies are resistant to most viruses and can even withstand severe drought. The frequency of watering depends on the weather, but not more often than once a week. You can water abundantly (on a hot day, an adult bush can safely absorb 2 buckets of water), but you need to make sure that all moisture goes into the soil and does not stagnate.

From time to time they should be fed (3 times during the growing season). As fertilizers, it is recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers (before flowering) and potassium superphosphates (after it). For the winter, the bushes are mulched, and when the snow thaws, the mulch is removed so that it does not interfere with growth.

In the first 2 years of cultivation, buds will appear in the peony, from which flowers will grow in the future. But the flowers grown on such a young bush will be small and not very beautiful. And therefore it is better to cut off all the buds from young bushes so that they do not take nutrients from the plant and do not interfere with its development.

Peonies are pruned once a year. This is usually done after they have already faded. During pruning, you just need to remove all dry inflorescences and branches (if any), be sure to collect fallen leaves and flowers to prevent the risk of developing diseases. It is not necessary to cut the bush to the very root.

Most often, "Bartzella" reproduces through the division of the rhizome. This procedure can be carried out only with adult flowers from the age of three years.

There is nothing complicated in this process, but in all Ito hybrids, their lower part is more like a tree than a flower, and therefore their root is very strong. When dividing it, you may need to grab the saw.

In addition, when dividing the root, there is a rather high risk of ruining the plant. Therefore, only people with experience should do this. Better to train on something not so expensive.

This is how the breeding process works:

1. first, thoroughly water the ground around the bush;
2. then you can start digging, you can dig boldly - the peonies have a very developed root system, which cannot be damaged;
3. shake off excess soil;
4. then cut the bush into 2 parts (in some cases into 3), so that each of them has several of its buds;
5. after that, you need to sprinkle the cut points with charcoal, leaving them for some time in a darkened place so that the coal dries up;
6. after that, the bushes are planted according to standard instructions.

If you do everything right, then soon you will have not one, but 2 peony bushes on your site.

In addition to division, sometimes peonies are propagated by cuttings. This is done very rarely, but this feature is still worth mentioning.

Most gardeners agree that planting a Bartzella peony can transform your garden beyond recognition. And also everyone, without exception, notes the amazing aroma and appearance of the plant during the flowering period. Mention also about the duration of this very flowering.

Regarding care, everyone also agrees that the plant is not too demanding. They only note that the more you pay attention to it, the more exuberant it will bloom.

As you can see, Bartzella peony is a very beautiful and spectacular plant, which, with all its advantages, does not require any special care. Therefore, we can safely say that at least one such bush on his site should be planted by every self-respecting gardener.

For more information about the features of caring for Bartzella peonies, see the video below.