Content
Peony Etched Salmon is considered a recognized leader. This hybrid American variety has recently begun to spread in Russia. Peony is prized for its beautiful coral-pink flowers with a delicate lemon scent. Due to its satisfactory winter hardiness, this peony can be grown in many regions of Central Russia.
Description of peony Etched Salmon
Peony Etched Salmon is a hybrid variety bred in the USA in 1981. It produces lush, truly luxurious flowers of pink and coral shades with a diameter of 15-16 cm. The leaves are wide, rich green. The stems are strong, hold shoots and flowers well, and therefore do not require the installation of supporting supports. The bush is compact, medium in height (70-80 cm).
Etched Salmon is a sun-loving variety, so it is best to plant it in an open, well-lit area. There is evidence that it has good winter hardiness. However, it is recommended to grow only in Central Russia, mainly in the middle zone and in the south of the country (Kuban, Stavropol region, North Caucasus).
The photo of the Etched Almon peony shows that it really produces very lush, openwork flowers of a pleasant light coral color.
Etched Salmon peony flowers are painted in pastel pink and coral shades
Features of flowering
Peony Etched Salmon belongs to large-flowered, double, tree-like varieties. The flowers are regular, round, double, pink-shaped. The outer petals have a waxy texture, allowing them to hold their shape well. The central petals sometimes have a golden border, which gives them a special beauty.
The flowering period is medium-early, occurring in the beginning and middle of summer. Usually flowers grow very lush, it depends on:
- care (watering, fertilizing, mulching);
- soil fertility;
- plenty of sunlight (Etched Salmon prefers open areas);
- lightness of the soil structure (the soil needs to be loosened regularly).
Application in design
The herbaceous peony Etched Salmon perfectly decorates the garden with its bright flowers, so it can be used both in single and group plantings. Since the flowers turn out to be very beautiful, it is better to place the bush in the most visible place - next to the entrance, on an open lawn, in the center of a flower garden.
Peony Etched Salmon goes well with many flowers and plants:
- juniper;
- poppies;
- yellow daylily;
- honeysuckle bushes;
- chrysanthemums;
- nasturtiums;
- bells;
- tulips;
- delphiniums.
Since the bush grows quite large and loves abundant sunlight, it will not be possible to grow it at home (even on southern windows).
Etched Salmon peonies look good in large, open spaces
Reproduction methods
The main methods of propagation of the Etched Salmon peony are cuttings and propagation by layering. Moreover, the last option is considered the simplest and most effective. It is better to start the procedure in early spring, after the snow has completely melted.
The sequence of actions is as follows:
- In an adult plant (4-5 years old), a powerful shoot with several healthy buds is selected.
- They take a box without a bottom and place it directly on this shoot. The sides are sprinkled with earth.
- Then it is filled to 10 cm with a mixture of garden soil, sand and compost - respectively 2:1:1.
- After a few weeks, shoots will appear - then they need to be sprinkled with another mixture: garden soil with compost and rotted manure in the same ratio (layer up to a maximum of 30 cm).
- The soil must be watered regularly throughout the entire period.
- As soon as the buds appear, they need to be pinched - now it is important to preserve the foliage.
- At the beginning of autumn, the cuttings are separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place or to a temporary site (followed by replanting after 2 years).
Etched Salmon peonies can be propagated by cuttings and layering; the method of dividing the bush is also used
Landing rules
Peony Etched Salmon is purchased in specialized stores. It is best to plant them in late August or early September, and for southern regions - in late September or early October. The location must be chosen especially carefully, since this type of peony does not like frequent transplants.
When choosing, you should proceed from several requirements:
- The area is open, preferably without shade (in the south, slight shading is allowed for 2-3 hours a day).
- Elevation is preferable - rain and melt water accumulates in the lowlands.
- If possible, the place should be protected from open wind.
Etched Salmon peonies love fertile, light soils, preferably loams and chernozems with a moderately acidic or neutral reaction pH = 5.5-7.0. They grow poorly on highly acidified soils, so it is better to neutralize them first by adding, for example, a few pinches of lime or dolomite flour.
The planting technology is simple - it is recommended to proceed as follows:
- The area is cleaned and carefully dug to a depth of 2 spade bayonets.
- Form a planting hole with a depth and diameter of 60 cm.
- Cover it with a mixture of sand, peat, humus, and garden soil in equal quantities. To these components it is advisable to add 1 kg of wood ash, a large spoon of copper sulfate, a glass of superphosphate and a small spoon of potash (potassium carbonate).
- The seedling is rooted and covered with soil, without compacting the soil.
- Water generously with 1-2 buckets of water.
Aftercare
Peony Etched Salmon is quite demanding in terms of care, but the basic conditions are easy to fulfill. First of all, in the spring (immediately after the snow melts), it should be well watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate 1%. This ensures not only disinfection of the soil, but also stimulates the swelling of the buds.
In the future, watering should be plentiful - every 10 days the peony is given at least 3 buckets of water (for young seedlings, a little less can be used). In case of drought, watering is carried out weekly; in the presence of rain, its volume is reduced.
It is better to water Etched Salmon peonies in the evening, shortly before sunset
If fertilizer and humus have already been added to the ground during planting, the plant does not need feeding over the next 2-3 seasons. At the 3rd or 4th year they begin to fertilize regularly:
- In spring, nitrogen fertilizing - for example, ammonium nitrate.
- During flowering, superphosphates, potassium salt (can be alternated with mullein solution).
- Immediately after flowering - again with potassium salt and superphosphates.
- In autumn, a month before frost - with a similar composition.
To keep the soil moist for as long as possible, and also to prevent weeds, it is advisable to mulch the roots. To do this, it is enough to lay out a layer of 4-5 cm of sawdust, straw, hay, pine needles or peat.
Preparing for winter
A few weeks before the onset of frost, the Etched Salmon peony must be cut almost to ground level, leaving small stumps of 5 cm. The work is carried out using scissors or pruning shears, the tools are first disinfected in potassium permanganate or another product.
After this, the bush is covered with earth and sprinkled with:
- humus;
- high peat;
- straw;
- spruce spruce branches.
The layer should completely cover the plant, and in the spring it must be removed in time, otherwise the shoots will rot.
With proper care, Etched Salmon peonies produce very beautiful flowers.
Pests and diseases
Etched Salmon is periodically affected by fungal and viral diseases:
- mosaic leaf disease;
- gray rot;
- rust;
- powdery mildew.
The plant is also harmed by:
- chafers;
- nematodes;
- aphid;
- ants;
- thrips.
Therefore, before planting, Etched Salmon peony bushes should be treated with Maxim, Topaz, Skor fungicides or other preparations. Secondary treatment is carried out after a month, then another similar period (before the formation of buds).
For prevention purposes, it is recommended to treat with insecticides (Biotlin, Karate, Actellik). In the first stages of the appearance of an insect colony, folk remedies (wood ash, baking soda solution, laundry soap shavings, onion peel decoction, and others) help well.
To preserve the Etched Salmon peony, it must be periodically inspected for signs of diseases and pests.
Conclusion
It is quite possible to grow the Etched Salmon peony, especially in the climatic conditions of the south and middle zone. Thanks to timely watering, loosening the soil and applying fertilizers, you can get several beautiful lush flowers on 1 bush. If desired, both an experienced and a novice gardener can cope with this task.
