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Shirley Temple peony is a herbaceous variety. It was bred in the middle of the last century by the American breeder Louis Smirnov. This species was obtained by crossing "Festival Maxima" and "Madame Edvard Doria", from which it took the best characteristics. It got its name in honor of the Hollywood actress who was awarded an Oscar.
3 or more flowers are formed on one stem, which is a feature of this variety
Description of Peony Shirley Temple
The Shirley Temple variety is characterized by medium-sized spreading bushes. Their height does not exceed 80-90 cm, and their width is about 100-110 cm. The shoots of “Shirley Temple” are strong, so they can easily bear the load during the flowering period and do not require additional support.
The leaves are openwork, during the summer they have a dark green color, and closer to autumn they acquire a crimson hue. Thanks to this, the plant retains its decorative qualities until frost.
The shoots of the Shirley Temple peony, like all herbaceous species, die off in the winter. The underground part consists of root shoots, which noticeably thicken over time, and renewal buds. The latter are covered with scales and contain the rudiments of next year's leaves and flowers.
The root of the Shirley Temple peony goes 1 m deep. Thanks to this feature, this variety is highly frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures down to 40 degrees. It can be grown in all regions of the country.
Peony "Shirley Temple" is light-loving, so it should be placed in open, sunny places. But it can also withstand light partial shade.
Features of flowering
"ShirleyTemple" belongs to the double crop species. The diameter of the spherical flowers reaches 20 cm. The color at the stage of blooming buds is soft pink, and then becomes milky white. The petals of the inflorescences are straight, notched, narrow, located on the inside and fit tightly to the outside, forming a spherical flower. The variety is characterized by a delicate aroma that is felt when the buds open.
According to the description, the milky-flowered peony Shirley Temple is considered early. The first buds bloom in early May. Flowering lasts 2-3 weeks, depending on growing conditions.
The number of buds of the Shirley Temple variety directly depends on compliance with the rules of care and placement of the bush. With a lack of light, the plant will grow excessive leaves to the detriment of the formation of buds.
Application in design
This variety goes well in group plantings with other types of crops. It can also be grown alone against a background of green lawn or conifers.
Landscape designers recommend planting the Shirley Temple peony in combination with daylilies, irises, delphinium, perennial asters, honeysuckle, poppy and bluebells.
This variety cannot be used as a tub crop, since with limited space, flowering may not be expected
Shirley Temple milky peony can be used to complement early flowering plants such as crocuses, tulips, daffodils and forsythia.
When combined with other shrubs, this milky-flowering peony will look good with roses, dicentra, barberry and spirea. And to fill the surface of the soil under the bush, it is recommended to use violets, ivy and periwinkle.
Reproduction methods
The Shirley Temple herbaceous peony can be propagated in a variety of ways. The most accessible of them is dividing the bush. This method guarantees the preservation of all species qualities of the plant. But its disadvantage is that it makes it possible to obtain a limited amount of planting material.
It is recommended to divide the bush at the end of August or beginning of September. To do this, you need to dig up the mother plant, clean the roots from the soil and use a sharp knife to divide the bush into several parts. Each “division” should have 2-3 above-ground shoots and well-developed root shoots. The resulting parts must be planted immediately in a permanent place.
"Shirley Temple" can also be propagated by lateral shoots. This method is recommended for bushes 6 years old. To get young seedlings, it is necessary in April, when the renewal buds begin to bloom, to bend several young shoots to the ground, fix them and sprinkle them, leaving only the top. Throughout the entire season, the cuttings need to be mulched, regularly watered and fed. By the end of summer, the shoots take root.Replanting to a permanent location is recommended next season in the fall.
To obtain a large number of young seedlings, it is recommended to propagate the Shirley Temple peony variety by cuttings. This method can be used for 4-year-old plants. Cuttings should be cut starting at the end of May. They should be 15 cm long and have 2 internodes. Before planting in the ground, the lower cut should be kept in a Heteroauxin solution, which will speed up rooting and increase survival rate. Cover the top of the nursery with film to create a greenhouse effect.
Landing rules
Shirley Temple peony should be planted in September and early October. The period depends on the growing region, but at least 3 weeks must remain until stable frosts.
"Shirley Temple" does not tolerate dense soil; it becomes most decorative when planted in slightly acidic or neutral loams with good moisture and air permeability. Seedlings should be placed at a distance of 3 m from tall bushes and trees, and a distance of 1 m should be maintained in a row.
Young seedlings of the Shirley Temple peony bloom in the third year after planting
The area for the plant should be open, but at the same time protected from cold gusts of wind. It is best to choose 2-year-old seedlings with 3-5 above-ground shoots and well-developed roots.
10-14 days before planting the peony, it is necessary to prepare a hole 60 cm wide and deep. Fill it with soil mixture, mixing the following components:
- turf – 40%;
- leaf soil – 20%;
- humus – 20%;
- peat – 10%.
Add 80 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium sulfide to the resulting substrate.Fill the planting hole 2/3 full with the mixture.
Landing algorithm:
- Make a slight elevation in the center of the recess.
- Place a seedling on it, straighten the root shoots.
- Recovery buds should be 2-3 cm below the soil surface.
- Cover the roots with soil and compact the surface.
- Water the plant generously.
The next day, mulch the root circle with humus to prevent loss of moisture from the soil.
Aftercare
After planting, it is important to ensure that the soil does not dry out, so it is recommended to water 2 times a week in the absence of rain. You should also regularly remove weeds and loosen the soil in the root circle. This will improve the nutrition of the young seedling and air access to the roots.
In the first and second years, feeding the Shirley Temple peony is not required, since all the necessary components were added during planting. Seedlings aged 3 years must be fertilized 2 times per season. The first feeding should be carried out in the spring during the active growing season. For this, it is better to use mullein or chicken droppings. The second should be carried out during the formation of buds, using phosphorus-potassium mineral fertilizers.
Preparing for winter
Before the onset of winter, shoots of the Shirley Temple peony must be cut off at a height of 5 cm from the soil surface, and the ground near the plant should be sprinkled with wood ash. Adult bushes do not need shelter for the winter, as they do not suffer from low temperatures. It is enough to simply lay a layer of mulch 5-7 cm thick in the root circle.
Young seedlings need shelter for the winter, as their immunity is not yet high enough.To do this, after pruning, sprinkle the bushes with fallen leaves or spruce branches.
The plant needs to be pruned in late autumn.
Pests and diseases
The Shirley Temple peony is highly resistant to common diseases and crop pests. But if the growing conditions are not met, the plant weakens.
Possible problems:
- Gray rot. The disease develops in the spring when there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil, wet weather and thickened plantings. It is characterized by the appearance of gray spots on the stems and leaves of the plant, which subsequently increase in size. To combat it, it is necessary to remove the affected areas, and then spray the plant and soil at the base with copper sulfate (50 g per 10 l).
- Rust. It appears as brown spots on the leaves and shoots of peony. This leads to their premature drying. Subsequently, the plant may die as the process of photosynthesis is disrupted. For treatment, it is necessary to spray the bush with Strobi or Cumulus.
- Ants. Insects damage the buds. For destruction it is recommended to use “Karbofos” or “Inta-vir.
Conclusion
Peony Shirley Temple is a worthy representative of milk-flowering species. The plant does not require careful care, but at the same time pleases with lush flowering.
The bush can grow in one place for more than ten years. This explains its increased popularity among gardeners. After all, few garden crops have the same characteristics.
