Content
Peony Ice Hill is a variety that stands out from other plantings with its large snow-white flowers. They may have a faint crimson or beige tint, as well as subtle inclusions. The medium-sized perennial is widely used in design and floristry; many professionals know about it.
History of appearance
Ice Hill is a hybrid crop bred using a milk-flowering peony and an unknown type of peony. The author's name has not been preserved.
Description of the herbaceous peony Ice Hill with photo
The plant reaches 75-80 cm in height, peonies measuring 90 cm are less common. Ice Hill has not become widespread in Russia, despite its resistance to frost and low demands.
The variety can be grown at temperatures down to -35 degrees
Stems are erect. The leaves are dark green in color and have an elongated shape. Ice Hill (translated as Ice Hill) received its name due to its large white flowers.
Timing and duration of flowering
Ice Hill is a late flowering peony. Budding occurs in mid-June. The flowers open in a few days, and after 1.5-2 weeks they dry out and fall off.
To increase its decorative value, Ice Hill peony is planted in open areas. In the midst of a summer day, it is useful to shade the crop for relaxation. Flowering is possible only once a season.
Advantages and disadvantages
Peony Ice Hill is unpretentious to grow. At the same time, it is very beautiful and fits perfectly into any landscape projects.
After cutting, the plant can be kept in water for at least a week.
Pros:
- pleasant aroma;
- large bud size;
- compactness;
- no need to build supports;
- drought resistance;
- Can be grown in light shade.
Minuses:
- reacts painfully to excess fluid in the roots;
- under the influence of ultraviolet light the flowers turn yellow.
Landing scheme and rules
The Ice Hill variety must be planted before the onset of frost, therefore, if we are talking about rooting in open ground, work is planned for the first half of September. Planting material must have two or more renewal buds and the same number of shoots. It is recommended to choose seedlings with a developed root part.
Peony is undemanding to the quality of the substrate, but when choosing between fertile and poor soil, they choose the former. The optimal acidity level is 6.5 points. Areas with close groundwater occurrence are excluded.
Before planting, you need to prepare a hole: dig a hole 60 x 60 cm, add drainage and a nutrient mixture - peat, superphosphate, sand, ash. After this, the hole is buried and watered. Three weeks later, they begin planting the Ice Hill peony:
- lower the rhizome of the plant so that the nearest buds are 4 cm above the surface;
- compact the root zone;
- carefully moisten the substrate.
Now you need to mulch Ice Hill with one of the following materials:
- hay;
- wood chips;
- peat;
- fallen leaves.
How to care
To get beautiful flowers, the gardener needs to pay attention to the following points:
- Fertilizers. Use 3 times a year - at the beginning of spring (nitrogen mixtures), after snowmelt (organics) and during budding (complex mineral fertilizers for peonies).
- Watering. Ice Hill needs to be watered to prevent the shoots from drying out. One plant requires at least 20 liters of settled liquid.
- Weeding and loosening. The looseness of the soil plays an important role in saturating the roots with necessary substances. Therefore, from time to time it is necessary to pick up a tool and loosen the root zone. At the same time, you can get rid of the weeds growing next to the Ice Hill peony.
In order for the variety to develop faster, you need to remove old and damaged leaves as they appear. The same applies to weakened stems and wilted flowers.
Preparing for winter
Before the arrival of frost, the Ice Hill peony should:
- feed, perform moisture-recharging irrigation;
- water;
- trim;
- mulch.
In warm autumn weather, you need to moisten the soil by using 10-15 liters of warm water for each peony. After moistening, fertilize with mineral preparations containing a small amount of nitrogen.
After some time (before the onset of frost), the stems of the Ice Hill peony are trimmed, leaving 4-centimeter stumps on the surface. Healthy leaves are used to fill the compost pit, while diseased shoots are taken outside the garden and burned.
For better protection from the cold, the mulch height is increased to 10 cm. In this case, young Ice Hill peonies need to be additionally covered with non-woven material.
Reproduction methods
Peony Ice Hill can be propagated by seeds or vegetatively - using stem cuttings and root shoots. Seeds are rarely used. The most effective planting material is cuttings.
Disease and pest control
Ice Hill has a well-developed immune system, but if agricultural practices are not followed, damage is possible:
- gray rot - brown formations appear on the shoots, soon the leaves dry out and collapse;
- rust - leaves become covered with red spots.
Gray rot can be treated with HOM or another product with a high copper content. Peony Ice Hill, infected with rust, is restored with Bordeaux mixture or Fitosporin.
If growing conditions are violated, the Ice Hill variety may be attacked by ants, nematodes, and bronze beetles. Ants feed on flowers and are controlled with Intavir. Nematodes attack the underground part, so the culture must be removed from the substrate and treated with formaldehyde. Bronzeworts feed on young buds, and are treated with the insecticide Aktara.
Application in landscape
The variety is used as a background for brighter flowers
Peony looks interesting near lilac plants
Using this variety you can create interesting hedges
Conclusion
Peony Ice Hill is a unique plant bred at the beginning of the last century. The crop is grown for decorative purposes.And although it is not as popular in Russia as in other countries, flower growers will not have problems with planting and growing.
Reviews from flower growers about Ice Hill peony
