Content
Peony Old Faithful is an amazingly beautiful flower that has been popular with gardeners and landscape designers for many years in a row. This representative of the Dutch selection is unpretentious; it will become a real masterpiece, since it goes well with various garden crops.
Large yellow stamens stand out brightly against the dark background of the petals.
Description of the herbaceous peony Old Faithful
Peony Old Faithful is an interspecific hybrid. Back in 1997, he received a gold medal from the American Peony Society. It stands out for its straight powerful shoots, each of which has many leaves. They are large, dissected, wide, and the color is medium green. The height of the bush is within 90-100 cm.
Peonies are spreading; mature bushes require a large area. This feature should be taken into account when choosing a location. After planting, in the first two years the bushes grow slowly as they build up the root system.
The Old Faithful variety is a flower of the sun; shadow has a critical effect on it, so it needs to be planted in an open place, protected from drafts.The species is moderately frost-resistant; in the Northern regions it needs to be well covered for the winter.
A late blooming variety, the buds do not fall off for a long time. No tying required. Old Faithful peony, according to gardeners, can last for almost two weeks when cut.
Features of flowering
The hybrid belongs to terry herbaceous plants. The buds are large, reminiscent of a rose. The diameter of the flower is about 20 cm. The petals are wide, purple-red, and velvety to the touch. The older the bud, the more delicate the color becomes. The petals seem to be burning out.
There are large stamens in the center of the bud. During flowering, a pleasant fruity aroma spreads around. In central Russia, the buds bloom in mid-June.
The petals are so dense that they seem plastic
Application in design
The magnificent Old Faithful looks great both in single plantings and in flower beds and mixborders. You need to understand that plants with huge buds should be given a central place.
Herbaceous peony Old Faithful in design:
- Flowers will decorate any lawn with emerald greenery. In this case, peonies are planted in the center or perimeter.
- You can create a composition only from peonies, but they should be contrasting in color to the Old Faithful variety. You just need to select plants with close flowering periods.
- Peony is often planted in a circle, placing tall garden crops, such as delphiniums, in the center.
- If silver spruce trees grow in the garden, then the Old Faithful hybrid looks advantageous against their background. Just plant the bushes at a distance of at least 1 m.
- Bulbous plants that bloom earlier are planted next to peonies. It’s easy to maintain the decorative appearance of a flower bed; just cut off the wilted flower stalks.
- The Old Faithful peony will look great next to phlox, clematis or plants with small white flowers.
Mixborders with Old Faithful peonies are a decoration for any area
Tall hybrids can be planted in pots and grown on balconies and loggias, only in the fall they will have to be built for the winter. If possible, dig directly into the containers.
It is not recommended to plant peony bushes of any variety or hybrids under trees, as they do not tolerate heavy shading.
Reproduction methods
Like other varieties, Old Faithful peony can be propagated in different ways:
- vertical layering;
- dividing the bush;
- stem cuttings;
- seeds.
All methods are good in their own way, but the most convenient is dividing the bush.
By choosing a mother plant, you can immediately get several full-fledged seedlings
It is also possible to obtain seedlings from seeds, but the crop requires additional pollination.
Landing rules
Old Faithful peonies do not respond well to shade, especially in the afternoon. That is why you need to decide in advance on the planting location, especially since they will grow here for more than one year.
Selection of location and soil
You can plant peonies in openwork partial shade at a distance of at least 1.5 m from the fence or 2-3 m from the building. The main thing is that the plants should not be bothered by drafts, but at the same time the air should not stagnate. A distance of at least 1-1.5 m should be maintained between the bushes so that they do not interfere with each other’s growth.
As for the soil, Old Faithful peonies are unpretentious in terms of its composition; they grow even on depleted soils, but the flowering will be weak.Experienced gardeners prefer to plant crops on rich loams, pre-filled with humus. Heavy soils can be made loose and breathable using sand, compost, peat or humus. This is the best composition to fill the planting hole for Old Faithful peonies.
Preparation of seedlings
As a rule, plants are planted in the fall. This is the most favorable time. It is better to propagate in divisions:
- The selected mother bush is dug in from all sides so as not to damage the tubers and growth buds.
- Then, using a sharp shovel, they cut the rhizome into pieces and carefully examine it. Planting material must have living tubers without blackness and rot.
Only the division located in the picture on the left is excellent for planting
- Each piece should have from three to five buds, and the length of the roots should be at least 10 cm. Before planting, they must be shortened to stimulate the activity of the plant. Such planting material will take root faster, and the peony will successfully overwinter.
- If the rhizome is not cut, then the seedling will work not to create lateral layers, but to form buds.
Landing algorithm
Planting peonies in the ground is not particularly difficult. A novice florist can also perform this operation if he follows the rules:
- Dig a large hole: length, width, depth - 80 cm.
- Place drainage at the bottom of the hole.
Use any material: broken brick, pebbles or coarse river sand
- Then fill it halfway with soil mixed with superphosphate, potassium fertilizer or wood ash.
The fertilizing layer should be sprinkled with clean, fertile soil so as not to burn the roots.
- Make a mound in the center, place the seedling on it slightly inclined, straighten the roots. Sprinkle with fertile soil.
The kidneys should be at a depth of no more than 2-3 cm
- After planting, gently pat the soil with your palms so as not to break the plant’s eyes, and water generously.
Aftercare
If the planting was carried out according to all the rules of agricultural technology, then in the next two years the plants only need to be watered, loosened the soil and mulched; fertilizing is not required. The bushes need to be moistened moderately, avoiding water stagnation. Remove weeds throughout the growing season.
In the third year after planting, for lush flowering under peonies, you need to add nutrition
Feed the bushes several times a season:
- The first is mineral fertilizers with nitrogen until seedlings appear.
- The second feeding is carried out before flowering with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. You can use organic matter: compost, wood ash.
- In the fall before preparing for winter. Experienced gardeners sprinkle the tree trunk circle with wood ash.
Preparing for winter
Since the Old Faithful peony is a herbaceous variety, the stems are cut almost to the ground in the fall.
Feed with wood ash and humus. This is also a kind of shelter for the winter. In regions with little snow and frost, the layer should be at least 20-25 cm to protect the rhizome.
Pests and diseases
Such is the nature of peonies that they rarely get sick (most often it is gray rot). Mainly due to the fact that the agricultural cultivation technology has been violated. Among the pests that can bother you are aphids and peony flea beetles. As a preventative measure, it is recommended to sprinkle the bushes with wood ash. If the insect attack is real, it is better to buy special products and treat the plantings.
Conclusion
Old Faithful Peony is a perennial herbaceous plant that is popular among gardeners. The crop is relatively unpretentious and can be grown in almost all Russian regions.
