Content
Peony Nancy Nora is one of the representatives of the herbaceous milk-flowering species of the crop. The variety was bred in the middle of the last century in the United States. But it has not yet lost its relevance and is able to compete with new species. This is explained by its high decorative qualities, lush and long-lasting flowering, as well as its low maintenance requirements.
Description of peony Nancy Nora
This type of peony is characterized by tall, spreading bushes. The height and width of the plant reaches 90 cm-1 m. The Nancy Nora peony has erect, strong shoots that easily withstand the load during flowering and do not bend even after rain.
The leaves of the peony “Nancy Nora” are trifoliate, up to 30 cm long. The plates are alternately located on the stems. Their color is dark green. Due to the foliage, the peony bush looks voluminous. Peony “Nancy Nora”, if you follow the rules of care, retains its decorative effect throughout the season. And with the arrival of autumn, its foliage and shoots acquire a crimson tint.
Peony is grown in gardens as an ornamental plant.
This perennial forms a powerful root system, which goes deep up to 1 m and grows in width by 30-35 cm. Thanks to this, an adult peony bush is able to easily tolerate frosts and provide itself with moisture even in the driest periods of the year. At the top of the root there are renewal buds, from which new shoots grow every spring.
The peony variety "Nancy Nora" is highly frost-resistant. It can easily withstand low temperatures down to -40 degrees. It is recommended to grow it in the central and northern regions.
Peony "Nancy Nora" belongs to the category of light-loving crops, but if necessary it can withstand light partial shade. However, in this case, flowering will be delayed by 2 weeks. The bush grows in 3 years.
Features of flowering
The peony variety “Nancy Nora” belongs to the herbaceous milky-flowering species. It is characterized by large double flowers, the diameter of which varies from 18 to 20 cm. The shade of the petals is pinkish-milky with a pearlescent tint.
"Nancy Nora" has an average flowering period. The first buds bloom in mid-June. Flowering duration is 2.5 weeks.
The splendor of flowering depends on the age of the bush and its placement on the site
With a lack of light, the plant actively grows foliage, but the number of buds is sharply reduced. The first full flowering occurs in the third year after planting in a permanent place.
Application in design
Peony “Nancy Nora” looks great in both single and group compositions. It can be used to decorate the garden path, the entrance to the gazebo, as well as to decorate flower beds and create ridges.
Lilies, tall conifers and other decorative deciduous shrubs can serve as a background for a peony. Also, this plant will look organic in combination with a green lawn.
Ideal neighbors for the Nancy Nora peony could be:
- daffodils;
- tulips;
- hyacinths;
- irises;
- garden geranium;
- roses;
- daylilies;
- delphinium;
- heuchera;
- flowering annuals.
You cannot plant the plant next to hellebore, anemone, lumbago, or adonis, as they emit toxic substances that inhibit the growth of peony. Also, the culture does not like limited space, so planting it in a pot can cause its death.
"Nancy Nora" is not suitable as a tub plant, as it has a powerful root system
Reproduction methods
Peony "Nancy Nora" can be propagated by cuttings and dividing the bush. Both methods help to obtain young seedlings with the preservation of all species qualities.
In the first case, in July it is necessary to separate from the bush a cutting with a small root shoot and one dormant bud at the base. In this case, the shoot itself should be shortened to 2-3 leaves. It is necessary to plant cuttings in a garden bed in partial shade, without covering them with a canopy. You just need to make sure that the soil is constantly moist.
In the second case, seedlings can be obtained by dividing the mother peony bush into parts. A plant aged 5-6 years is suitable for this. Moreover, it must have at least 7 developed shoots.
It is best to carry out this procedure in late August or early September. To do this, you need to dig up a bush, shake off the soil from it and wash the roots.Then place the plant in the shade for 2 hours until it softens slightly. This will allow division to be carried out with minimal losses. After time, use a sharp knife to divide the peony bush into parts, each of which should have several root shoots and 3 renewal buds, as well as 2 or more shoots. Fresh cuts must be sprinkled with ash or charcoal, and then the seedlings must be planted in a permanent place.
Landing rules
The plant can be planted in April and throughout September, but the temperature should not drop below +2 degrees. Before planting the Nancy Nora peony, it is necessary to prepare the site 2 weeks in advance so that the soil has time to settle. To do this, you need to dig it up to the depth of a shovel and carefully select the roots of perennial weeds.
The planting hole for the Nancy Nora peony should be 60 cm wide and deep. A 10 cm layer of broken brick should be laid at the bottom, and the rest of the space should be filled with a nutritious mixture of turf, peat, humus and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1.
If the soil is highly acidic, it is necessary to add bone meal, superphosphate or wood ash.
Landing algorithm:
- Place a peony seedling in the center of the planting hole.
- Spread out the roots.
- Lower it so that the renewal buds are 2-3 cm below the soil surface.
- Cover the roots with soil and compact the surface.
- Water generously.
Aftercare
Peony "Nancy Nora" does not require care, but in order for the seedling to quickly take root and grow, it is necessary to control the soil moisture. Avoid overwatering and drying out the roots. Therefore, in the absence of rain, it is recommended to moisten the soil 1-2 times a week.
It is also important to loosen the soil at the base of the bush. This improves air access to the roots. And to prevent a crust from forming on top of the soil, you can lay a 3 cm layer of peat or humus mulch. This also helps prevent excessive evaporation of moisture during hot periods.
You need to start feeding the Nancy Nora peony from the third year. Until this period, the plant will have enough nutrients that were provided during planting. Fertilizers must be applied for the first time in the spring during the period of active shoot growth and bush formation. At this time, you can use mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:15). If unavailable, you can use urea or ammonium nitrate in a proportion of 30 g per bucket of water.
The second time, feeding the peony should be done during the formation of buds. During this period, mineral fertilizers such as superphosphate (40 g per 10 l) and potassium sulphide (3 g per 10 l) should be used.
Peony feeding should be done after rain or watering so that fertilizers do not burn the roots.
Preparing for winter
In late autumn, peony shoots should be cut off at the base, leaving small stumps. It is also recommended to cover the root with a 10 cm thick layer of humus. This will allow the plant to survive frosts painlessly even in the absence of sufficient snow.
Pests and diseases
Peony "Nancy Nora" has stable immunity to many diseases and pests. But if the growing conditions are inappropriate, the plant weakens.
Possible problems:
- Powdery mildew. The disease develops at high humidity and high temperature.It appears as white spots on the leaves, which subsequently grow and merge into one whole. As a result, they acquire a dirty gray color. The disease interferes with the process of photosynthesis, as a result of which the leaves cannot function normally and wither. For treatment, it is recommended to use “Topaz” or “Skor”.
- Ants. These insects attack the plant during the formation of buds, which leads to their deformation. To combat ants, you need to use garlic infusion at the rate of 10 cloves per 1 liter of water. The mixture must be left for a day and then sprayed on the buds.
Conclusion
Peony Nancy Nora attracts attention from afar. Its huge double flowers will not leave anyone indifferent. Therefore, this variety maintains its leading position for many years. And its ease of care makes it popular among experienced and novice gardeners.
Reviews of peony Nancy Nora
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv00PvA8uzU
