Content
It is believed that peonies can only compete with roses in the beauty of their flowers. Anyone who has seen these beautiful plants bloom will agree with this statement. Today, many different varieties are grown on gardeners' plots - both new and old, for example, the Madame Calot peony has been delighting owners with its flowering for more than 150 years. Experienced flower growers know why this variety is attractive and how to grow it correctly.
Description of Peony Madame Calot
The Madame Calot variety was bred in France in 1856. It grows quickly, the bush is compact, 75-100 cm high, the leaves are green, and by autumn a reddish tint appears. The stems are strong and do not bend to the ground during the flowering period, so the bush does not need support.
Plants of this variety like to grow in sunny places, but also do well in partial shade. They prefer fertile, non-acidic, well-drained soil. The Madame Kalot variety has high winter hardiness and can withstand temperatures down to -37 °C. It can be planted in almost all regions of Russia, except the most northern ones. It can bloom for 15-20 years in one place without transplanting.
Blooming peonies of the Madame Calot variety will not leave anyone indifferent
Features of flowering
Peony milky-flowering Madame Calot blooms in late May, early June. Flowering is long and abundant. The flower of the plant variety is 14 cm in diameter, double, crown-shaped, with a strong aroma. The petals are creamy white, tinged with soft pink at the edges and pink towards the center of the flower. During the flowering process, the color of peonies may lighten. They look great both on a bush in the garden and as a cut flower.
Application in design
Peony is a large plant with large, noticeable flowers; it looks best in the garden by itself, and not surrounded by other flowers. When planting in a group, he needs to select neighbors who will bloom a little earlier or later. It is desirable that these are also perennials and after flowering they remain decorative, like the peony itself, with its beautiful green leaves.
For example, for early spring flowering next to the Madame Calot peonies, you can plant crocuses, tulips, daffodils, irises, hyacinths, primroses; honeysuckle will look good among the bushes. After the peonies, delphiniums, lilies, bluebells, poppies, petunias, foxgloves and asters will bloom. Among non-flowering but ornamental plants, conifers can be planted next to the peony - juniper, thuja, pine.
Madame Kahlo's peony is large and is not intended for growing in pots, where it will be cramped, and with irregular feeding it will lack nutrients. If you grow it not in the garden, but, for example, on a balcony, then you need to choose a container that is large enough so that the flower growing in it does not need anything. It will have to be looked after more carefully, fed every year and watered more often.
Peonies look good in the garden in combination with other flowers
Reproduction methods
Peonies of the Madame Calot variety are propagated by dividing the bush or by rooting cuttings - stem and root.The first method is to propagate at the end of summer or in September, when the growth of stems and leaves has already stopped, renewal buds have formed, but new roots have not yet begun to grow. This period is considered the most suitable time, since the plant is already at rest. It can be divided early in the spring, but still the period before the young roots begin to grow in the spring is shorter, so it is more difficult to guess over time when replanting will not harm the plant.
How to replant the Madame Calot peony by dividing the bush:
- Trim the stems at a height of 0.2 m, remove the leaves.
- Dig up the bush, lift the clod of earth along with the roots.
- Shake off the soil from the rhizome.
- Divide it into parts, each should have at least 2-5 buds.
- Sprinkle the sections with ash or coal powder.
You don’t have to dig up the whole plant, but dig it up on one side, cut off a part of the rhizome suitable for replanting, and then cover it with soil again.
Root cuttings are a part of a root at least 10 cm long. They are planted not in a permanent place, but in a special bed, where young roots and growth buds appear on them. Peonies grown from root cuttings bloom at 3-5 years of age.
Green cuttings are part of the stem with a root collar. They are grown in the same way as root ones, that is, they are first rooted in a warm and humid place, and then transplanted permanently.
It is important to divide peony cuttings correctly so that the plant takes root.
Landing rules
Madame Calot peony seedlings with bare roots should be purchased in early spring or early autumn. Grown in pots, they can be planted in spring and summer. The time for spring planting should be chosen so that the temperature is no higher than 7-10 ˚C.The success of further rooting depends on this: the plant grows white roots at a temperature not exceeding the specified one. If it is warmer, it will not have time to take root properly, but the stems will begin to grow, using up rhizome reserves. This will depress the plant, it will become sick and develop worse.
In the fall, planting Madame Calot peonies should take place no later than a month before the cold weather sets in. To be safe, they can be hilled up or covered with mulch to protect them from damage.
For peonies, you need to choose open, sunny places or partial shade, but do not place them under trees or close to buildings and fences, where they will stretch out strongly. There should be no winds in the area so that during flowering they do not scatter the stems in all directions. Too damp areas and acidic soils are not suitable. Peonies prefer loams and clay; they bloom more luxuriantly and colorfully on them. On sandy soils, flowering is not as decorative, although it begins earlier.
If the Madame Calot peony seedlings are healthy, they do not require special preparation. But it is recommended to keep their roots in a solution of growth stimulants for 1 day before planting. After planting is completed, you can water the plants with the same solution.
At the bottom you need to lay a layer of drainage made of brick chips, broken slate, and small stones. Cover the top with a mixture of dug up soil, humus or compost, and ash. Bury the seedlings so that the buds are covered with soil by about 3 cm. Lightly compact the soil and water. If the soil begins to sag, you need to add more so that the buds are covered.
Aftercare
Madame Kahlo milk-flowering peonies adapt well to different weather conditions, but, like all garden flowers, they require care. Water them frequently after planting until they take root. Adult bushes are almost never watered, only in the summer in case of strong or prolonged heat.
For the first 2 years, Madame Kalot's peonies are not fed; they only need the nutrients that were added with fertilizer during planting.
Then every year the plants are fed according to the following scheme:
- In the spring, during the growth of stems, use nitrogen fertilizers (50-70 g per bush).
- During the period of bud throwing, phosphorus and potassium mixtures are added to nitrogen mixtures (diluted according to instructions). For 1 bush, approximately 0.5-1 bucket of solution is required.
- After flowering ends, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used, without nitrogen.
Both mineral fertilizers and organic matter are suitable for feeding Madame Calot peonies.
In the first year, peonies should not bloom: the plants have not yet become stronger, they will spend nutrients on flowering, which can greatly weaken them.
Despite its stability, during the flowering period, in rain or wind, the stems may bend towards the ground. They need to be tied together with rope. After the flowers begin to fade, they are cut off to prevent the formation of seeds and reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases.
Caring for peonies should be correct and feeding according to schedule
Preparing for winter
In the fall, when cleaning the garden, you need to cut off all the shoots at ground level, collect them and burn them. Sprinkle young bushes with a layer of mulch.
Pests and diseases
Most often, peonies become infected with gray rot.The causes of the disease are wet weather, poor ventilation of the bushes due to their close proximity to each other, and excess nitrogen. Control measures: cut off the affected parts of the stems and burn them, spray the shoots, leaves and soil around with a solution of copper sulfate (50 g per bucket) or solutions of copper-containing preparations.
Conclusion
Although the Madame Calot peony was bred a long time ago, it is still popular among gardeners. Their devotion to this variety can be explained by the exceptional beauty of the flower, the unpretentiousness and durability of the plant.
Reviews of Peony Madame Calot
