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Peony Mathers Choice was bred by American breeders in Glascock in 1950. The name of the variety translates as “Mother's Choice.” Thanks to its excellent decorative properties, simple care and minimal requirements for growing conditions, Mathers Choice was recognized by the American Peony Society as the best variety in the world among varieties obtained as a result of selection, and in 1993 it was awarded a gold medal.
The Mathers Choice variety has excellent decorative properties and a pleasant floral aroma.
Description of Peony Mathers Choice
The straight stems of this beautiful plant grow up to 70 cm in height. They are so strong that they do not need additional support during flowering. The bushes are covered with small dark green leaves. As the variety grows, it takes up a lot of space on the site. The height of the bush ranges from 60 to 150 cm.
Like all peonies, the Mathers Choice variety is light-loving and, if constantly in the shade, can die. The herbaceous plant has high frost resistance and therefore takes root well not only in the central part of Eurasia, but even in regions with cold winters and harsh climates.Peony is suitable for growing in areas belonging to frost resistance zone 4 - in the Moscow region, in most of Russia, as well as in the mountainous and northern regions of Scandinavia.
Features of flowering
The milky-flowering variety Mathers Choice is double-pink, with tall, dense buds of symmetrical shape and pure white color. The medium-sized inflorescences reach 15 cm in diameter and have a creamy tint inside, giving the bushes a special elegance. The edges of the petals are sometimes painted crimson.
A year after planting, the peony will decorate the garden plot with lush milky flowers.
The herbaceous peony Mathers Choice is characterized by a medium-late period of bud formation. The period occurs in May-June and lasts 2-3 weeks. Bud formation occurs in late July or early August. The buds have a pleasant floral aroma and last a long time both in the garden and as a cut flower. The inflorescences look voluminous due to the many densely spaced petals.
Moderate watering, mulching and following the rules when applying fertilizers will create favorable conditions for intensive flowering of the Mathers Choice peony and the formation of beautiful white buds.
Application in design
The variety is medium-sized and can be used both as individual decorative plantings and in combination with other plants as a beautiful element of existing flower beds.
The flowering of the perennial lasts up to 15 years, subject to constant growth in one place without replanting.
Peony Mathers Choice retains its attractive appearance even after flowering, so it will decorate not only flower beds, but also borders. But this variety is not suitable for planting on balconies and loggias. Shrubs will not be able to grow in crowded conditions and insufficient sunlight.
In an open area, it is undesirable for the Mathers Choice peony to be in proximity to plants that have a highly developed root system. Lilac, hydrangea, as well as any trees will prevent the peony from receiving nutrients and water in the required quantity.
Flowers of the ranunculaceae family are also incompatible with peony plantings. Adonis, anemone, hellebore, and lumbago quickly deplete the soil. In addition, their roots secrete substances that inhibit other flowers.
It is good to decorate small areas with a flower bed of roses and peonies. In spring, you can add any bulbous seasonal flowers to them. This way the flowerbed will not seem empty. Peonies go well with tulips. After flowering is complete, asters, chrysanthemums, phlox, lilies, petunias and astilbe tassels will look appropriate against the background of foliage.
Peonies combine well with other flowering shrubs that have similar requirements for growing conditions.
Reproduction methods
The Mathers Choice variety is propagated by dividing the tubers. Autumn is the most suitable period. Pre-selected, healthy, adult specimens are dug out of the soil and carefully cut into several parts so that each of them has 2-3 buds. Peony roots are quite strong, so it is better to use a sharp knife or saw.To prevent the cut parts from rotting, the cut areas should be treated with a charcoal-based mixture.
Less commonly, the method of green cuttings is used to propagate the Mathers Choice peony. To do this, separate the stem with part of the root collar. This method is not effective, as it can weaken the mother bush.
The root cutting method is quite lengthy. When using it, a part of the root no more than 10 cm long is buried in the ground, on which buds will gradually appear.
Peonies of the Mathers Choice variety very rarely set seeds, so the plant is not propagated in this way.
Landing rules
Late summer and early autumn are the optimal time to plant Mathers Choice peonies. In this case, the bushes will have time to take root before the cold weather arrives. When planting in spring, this should be done before the plant awakens. But peonies will no longer be able to bloom this year.
Tubers prepared for planting in the soil must first be dried and the cut areas treated with manganese solution or charcoal. This will protect the plant from rotting and various infections getting into the root.
Great importance should be paid to the choice of landing site. Peony Mathers Choice is a light-loving plant, so the area should not be in the shade.
Excessive moisture can cause flowering shrubs to die. To avoid this, it is recommended to drain the soil with the following materials:
- expanded clay;
- foam chips;
- sand;
- crushed pine bark;
- charcoal;
- peat.
Well-drained soil provides free access of oxygen to the roots.Adding drainage protects the soil from sudden temperature changes and prevents the development of fungal diseases of the root system.
The depth and width of the planting holes should be at least 50-70 cm. A nutrient mixture prepared from compost or rotted manure is placed in the lower 2/3 of the planting holes. Tubers of the Mathers Choice peony are planted in the upper 1/3 of the hole without fertilizers, sprinkled with soil and watered abundantly, spending 5 liters of water on each bush. Add some dry soil again on top.
Well-fertilized planting holes will create a supply of nutrients for the successful wintering of peonies and the development of the root system in the spring
Aftercare
In the first year after planting, caring for young seedlings of Mathers Choice peonies consists of timely watering, loosening and fertilizing. It is necessary to monitor the process of soil subsidence. If the roots of the peonies are exposed, they are sprinkled with a sufficient amount of soil.
Watering is carried out regularly to the entire depth of the roots. It is especially important to maintain an optimal level of moisture in the summer. For mature bushes, you need to use 2 buckets of water several times a week.
It is recommended to loosen the soil regularly. This should be done with caution so as not to damage the root system of Mathers Choice peonies. It is important to promptly remove weeds from the site, as they intensively absorb nutrients from the soil.
In the first year of life after planting, there are almost no reserves of nutrients in the cut roots. Therefore, it is recommended to feed young Mathers Choice peonies from the moment shoots emerge until the beginning of July.
Mullein solution is one of the most common and accessible means of feeding.It promotes the rapid development and growth of the root system, the formation of leaves, shoots and replacement buds.
In the absence of mullein, you can feed Mathers Choice peonies at intervals of 2 weeks, using the full mineral complex.
When above-ground vegetation appears, peonies are watered with a solution obtained from 50 g of urea diluted in 10 liters of water.
Foliar feeding of Mathers Choice peonies with urea in the first year is mandatory, since it consists of 47% nitrogen, necessary for plant growth
To protect the soil from weathering, washing out and freezing of roots in winter, it is recommended to mulch it using sawdust, straw or mowed grass.
Mulching creates favorable conditions for the effective growth and development of Mathers Choice peonies.
Preparing for winter
After the onset of the first frost, the above-ground part of the bushes lies on the ground, only after that it should be completely cut off to the soil level.
The variety is frost-resistant and does not require the construction of shelters for the winter.
Pests and diseases
The main pests that affect Mathers' Choice peonies are:
- Ants. Penetrating inside the inflorescences, insects damage and deform them. Such buds will no longer be able to bloom.
Ants attracted to sweet nectar can carry various fungal infections
- Aphid – small bugs of black or green color. They settle on the tops of shoots, as well as around buds.
Numerous colonies of aphids feed on plant sap, depriving them of vitality.
- Spider mites – very small insects about 1-2 mm in size, red, orange, yellow-green or milky-transparent in color.
Malicious pests initially settle on the underside of the leaves, entangling them with cobwebs
- Nematodes - worms that damage the roots of Mathers Choice peonies.
The presence of nematodes is determined by nodular swellings on the roots
- Thrips – black bugs of an elongated shape, ranging in size from 0.5 to 1.5 cm.
Thrips are the cause of wilting of young shoots; pests cause the greatest damage to Mathers' Choice peonies during budding
- Bronzovka – a voracious beetle feeds on the stems, leaves and petals of peonies.
The back of the bronze beetle is green with a metallic tint
Timely detection of signs of insect pest activity and treatment of shrubs with protective agents will prevent the death of peony plantings.
The Mathers Choice variety is often susceptible to the following diseases:
- Gray rot. The fungal disease begins with the formation of brown spots around the peduncle in the root collar area. The stems in these areas rot, dry out and break.
Buds infected with gray rot turn brown, bloom poorly, take on a one-sided appearance, dry out and fall off
- Ring mosaic. Yellow-green rings and stripes appear on peony leaves.
The spots, merging with each other, form a marble pattern on the surface of the leaves.
- Rust. Easily identified by the formation of yellow pads with spores on the back of the leaves after flowering.
Rust affects the leaves of Mathers' Choice peonies and progresses after flowering has ended.
- Brown spot turns foliage and buds an uneven brown color.
The first signs of the disease appear at the beginning of summer in the form of elongated spots on the leaves, gradually covering the entire plant, causing the bushes to take on a scorched appearance.
- Powdery mildew manifests itself in the form of a white cobwebby coating on the entire surface of the tissues of the bushes.
The fungal disease affects only adult peonies, the leaves of which become deformed and dry out.
To effectively combat diseases, preventive spraying of Mathers Choice peonies with special preparations, for example, copper oxychloride, should be carried out. Petals should not be allowed to fall on the leaves, as spots of gray rot may appear on them due to dew or high air humidity.
Failure to comply with the watering regime and excessive rainfall will lead to rotting of the buds. Creating drainage channels to drain rainwater will help solve this problem.
Buds that have lost their decorative appearance should be cut back to the first green leaf and unnecessary vegetation should be removed from the area.
Conclusion
Peony Mathers Choice, despite its American origin, has recently gained increasing popularity among Russian flower growers. Decorative appearance, easy care and undemanding nature and weather factors create favorable conditions for growing this beautiful herbaceous perennial in various regions of Russia.
