Peonies "Kansas": description of the variety, features of planting and care

Peonies are luxurious flowers with a delicate aroma, which are not inferior in popularity even to roses. Lush plants are exquisite and noble. They decorate many summer cottages and gardens, they make bouquets, flower growers are proud of them.

Peony "Kansas" - one of the most popular varieties of culture. Velvet flowers of a rich crimson hue are liked by many, if not all. It is about this magnificent variety that will be discussed in the article.

The description of the variety should begin with the fact that the flower is included in the herbaceous category. Its unpretentiousness is successfully combined with high decorative properties.

The culture grows up to 1 meter. Flowers are single, large. The color is crimson-red, sometimes with a slight purple tint. The buds appear at the end of May and delight the grower with their beauty until mid-June. Each flower that opens up can reach a diameter of 25 cm. The petals are double, located on the flower in large numbers, which makes it look like a fluffy hat.

Like other varieties, Kansas is a perennial plant. It can be grown in one place for more than 10 years. The culture is unpretentious to the composition of the soil. In fertile soil for the first 3 years, it can do without additional nutrition. If fertilizers were placed in the hole during planting.

The variety is resistant to drought and low temperatures. It can withstand frosts down to -35 degrees. Of course, it is better to cover young flowers (up to 3 years of age) before the onset of winter.

Breeding methods for the Kansas peony are standard. Cut specimens retain their fresh appearance for at least a week.

Spring is the time of awakening. After the snow melts and the shoots appear, debris should be removed. Then you need to water the flower with an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate. For 5 liters, take 1.5 grams of the substance. This amount is enough to water one plant. After the procedure, it is necessary to loosen the soil and mulch it.

Summer is the time for flowering. Young plants are already forming buds. It is believed that it is better to cut them off in the first year. This allows the plant to retain strength for further development and more abundant flowering next year.

Young bushes do not need feeding. As for adult specimens, it is advisable to fertilize them.

Each bush has 1.5 buckets. Plants are watered once a decade. When watering, it is important to take into account that moisture should not fall on the leaves, but strictly under the root. And you should also regularly loosen the soil near the flower, especially after rains.

After flowering, it is important to monitor the condition of the plants, to continue watering, loosening, weeding, and the introduction of nutrients. New plants are planted in the fall. Old bushes are transplanted if necessary (as already mentioned, it is not necessary to do this annually). If the flower remains in the same place, it is freed from dry foliage. In addition, bad stems are pruned, which are then burned. The remaining healthy parts of the culture are treated with ash.

With the arrival of frost, the flowers are cut off. Shelter is provided for juvenile specimens.

Fertilization is an important care element. During the growing season, peonies need to be fed only twice. The first time this is done at the beginning or at the end of the season, using organic matter. The second time is before flowering. Complex mineral compositions are used here.

When the shoots begin to actively grow, you should help them. During this period, it will be appropriate to add ammonium nitrate to the soil (15 grams of the substance are taken in a bucket of water).

Two weeks after the end of flowering, you can "please" the flowers with a special mixture. Potassium salt (5 g) and superphosphate (10 g) are diluted in a bucket of water. It is worth considering that mineral and organic substances can be alternated.

If the plant is older than 10 years, its root system is quite deep. Surface application of fertilizers to such a flower will not bring tangible benefits, therefore, in the fall, about 6 wells should be made, departing 0.5 meters from the flower. The diameter of each should be from 7 to 10 cm. The recommended depth is 40 cm. The pits are filled with superphosphate and dry chicken droppings. The components are mixed in equal proportions. This feeding will be enough for the plant for 2-3 years.

For Kansas peonies, sunny areas are suitable. Flowers do not like shadow - without light, they simply refuse to bloom. Undesirable close proximity of bushes and trees. Nearby buildings will also interfere with good air circulation.

The plant roots are impressive in size. They are almost 1 meter long. The root system of a 5-year-old flower is about 80 cm wide.This means that when preparing a planting hole for a bush, the recommended parameters should be taken into account. The optimal size is 80x80 cm.

The pit must be filled with fertile soil. In this case, the soil should be mixed with humus (1.5-2 buckets), double superphosphate (300 g), ash (300 g). If the soil is clayey and heavy, it will be useful to add sand and peat (1 bucket). If the soil is sandy, add clay.

The resulting valuable mixture is filled with 1/3 of the pit. This is a nutrient reserve. The root system of a young peony should not come into contact with it. The rest of the space (upper part) is reserved for normal fertile soil. Here, additional additives are not needed, except in cases where the soil is not loose enough - you can combine it with peat. After that, the soil is compacted and irrigated.

A hole for a young plant is prepared in advance. They begin to do this a month before planting, which allows the soil to settle. Do not forget - if you are planting more than one peony at the same time, a certain distance between flowers should be observed. It should be about a meter.

The root process is deepened in a certain way. The recommended position of the upper kidney is 5 cm below the ground surface. If you plant a flower deeper, or, conversely, do not deepen it enough, this can negatively affect the development and flowering of the culture.

By the middle of summer, the flowering of peonies comes to an end. It is necessary to analyze in more detail the care measures of this period.

Do not immediately remove faded buds one at a time. This is mistake. Leaves should also be left until the last flower withers. During this period, a process important for culture takes place. Renewal buds are intensively formed.

You should wait until all the flowers fade or fall off. The remains of the buds are removed to the first strong leaf. To do this, use a secateurs. You do not need to trim the stems down to the ground.

After 2 weeks after removing the flowers, it is necessary to feed. In addition, plants should be watered regularly. In August, moisture should become more intense. Reduce watering when flowers begin to turn yellow. The aerial part of the peonies is removed just before the frosts.

The Kansas variety can be propagated in several ways. Seeds are rarely used.

The simplest option is to divide the bush. It is often used by gardeners. Flowers over 3 years old are suitable for this. The division of the bush is carried out in mid-August. The deadline is early September. Each division must have at least 3 buds. The root size should be 10-15 cm.

The process is pretty straightforward. The bush should be carefully dug up. The tubers are freed from the ground. Then they are covered with a cloth and placed in a shaded area for 2 hours. Sick areas are removed (if any). A healthy root system is shared. The resulting bushes are planted in different places and watered.

A plant at the age of 5 years can be propagated in another way - by layering. In this case, the peony shoots are pressed against the soil. Then they are fixed in this position and sprinkled with earth. In the summer, watering and loosening the soil is carried out. In the fall, the layers are separated: they can already be planted as independent flowers.

Another breeding option is worth mentioning. One strong green shoot is separated from the bush. It is cut into cuttings. Moreover, each must have 2 internodes. Then the planting material is treated with "Heteroauxin", planted and covered with a film. In this position, future flowers are left until the arrival of spring.

Sometimes peonies attack pests. It is recommended to fight insects with appropriate chemicals. If a virus is detected, no measures will help. The affected plant is dug up and burned. Otherwise, the infection will spread to nearby crops.

Gardeners who grow Kansas peonies confirm that the variety is unpretentious. Many are pleased with large flowers of a beautiful shape. The splendor of the bushes is also commendable. But the shade of blossoming buds seems rustic to some. In this regard, flower lovers consider the prices for this variety slightly overestimated and give this variety a rating of 6 out of 10.

See the nuances of care and cultivation of peonies below.