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Peony Top Brass is a herbaceous perennial plant of the lactoflower group with creamy pink spherical flowers. The variety was bred in the USA in 1968.
Description of Peony Top Brass
The bush reaches a height of 90-110 cm, a width of 100-120 cm. The peony grows quite quickly. The stems are sparsely leafy, strong, and capable of supporting massive flowers on their own. The leaves are large, smooth, dark green, double-pinnate with a glossy sheen. The rhizome of the Top Brass peony is large, with strong shoots. Able to grow in one place for more than 10 years.
The Top Brass peony belongs to frost resistance group 4 and can withstand temperatures down to -34 degrees. The plant is grown in many Russian regions, including the Moscow, Vologda and Chelyabinsk regions. Prefers sunny open areas or light partial shade.
Top Brass peonies bloom up to 20 cm in diameter
Features of flowering
The flowers of the Top Brass variety are double, in the shape of a ball, bordered by two tiers of white petals. In the center, among the bright yellow staminodes, pink petals are formed, forming a tuft.Top Brass blooms once, profusely, for 2-3 weeks in the second half of June, and does not fall off for a long time. The aroma is light, barely perceptible. Sufficient light is important for flowering. Several buds grow on a branch and bloom sequentially. The seeds ripen at the end of August.
Application in design
It is recommended to plant with flowers in bright colors and next to fences and arbors covered with green foliage. Peonies are good in single plantings, but can also become an accent in landscape compositions. The Top Brass variety is used in rock gardens and rockeries, grown along paths in the garden and next to ponds. The bush is decorative until late autumn and serves as an excellent background for other plants. Suitable neighbors for the Top Brass peony:
- miniature conifers (dwarf pines, spruces, fir);
- roses;
- mallow;
- tulips;
- nasturtium;
- phlox;
- perennials with decorative foliage (hosta, barberry, thyme).
You should not combine more than 2 varieties of peonies in flower beds - the flowers are bright and dominant, so the variety of shapes and colors will be excessive.
Combination of Top Brass with peonies of other varieties
Reproduction methods
Top Brass can set seed, but is more often propagated vegetatively. Seeds do not always retain varietal properties and bloom only 4-5 years after planting. The most popular method is dividing the bush. An adult plant, no younger than 4 years old, is suitable for this purpose, and preferably 5-6 year old bushes. Division stages:
- The peony is dug in, carefully removed from the ground without damaging the root system, and shaken off the ground.
- Divide with a sharp knife into sections with several buds and young roots (at least 10-15 cm).
- Broken and old parts of the plant are removed.
- The cuttings are kept in a manganese solution for 30 minutes, the sections are treated with fungicides
It is advisable to divide Top Brass from the end of August until the second half of September. Other, less common methods include propagation by stem cuttings and layering.
Landing rules
Peonies are planted from August to October, in regions with cold climates - until September.
Peonies prefer well-drained, fertile soil. Neutral or slightly acidic loams are best suited. Sand and humus are added to excessively clayey soil. In sandy - clay and peat.
Top Brass does not tolerate close groundwater and location in lowlands. The peony rhizome is sensitive to stagnant moisture and rots easily.
Gardeners do not recommend planting Top Brass near buildings, bushes and trees - air circulation is important for peonies.
When purchasing cuttings from a nursery, pay attention to the absence of rot and nodular thickenings. It is important that the rhizome has several adventitious shoots and buds for renewal.
Landing algorithm:
- It is advisable to prepare the planting pit for soil settlement in advance. Depth and diameter of at least 50 cm, for large sections - 60 cm.
- Lay out drainage (expanded clay, pebbles, crushed brick, crushed stone, gravel).
- Fill with a nutrient layer - a mixture of garden soil, compost, sand, superphosphate or wood ash.
- Top Brass peonies do not tolerate deep planting; the division is deepened no more than 7 cm.
- Cover with a mixture of soil and compost, water generously, and gently tamp down with your hands.
- When planting in hot weather, to prevent the roots from drying out, mulch with a thin layer of compost or rotted manure.
When planting peonies in groups, take into account that the bushes grow, so leave a distance of 1.5 m between plants.
Peony seedlings ready for planting
Aftercare
Among perennial flowers, herbaceous peonies are the most resilient and require minimal attention. The Top Brass variety, planted in fertilized soil, does not need to be fed for the first 2-3 years. An adult plant needs nitrogen and potassium at the beginning of shoot growth, and potassium and phosphorus during the formation of buds and until the end of the growing season. Excess nitrogen is undesirable for peonies, as it increases the risk of developing gray rot. Top Brass is fertilized in the evening or on a cloudy day, otherwise there is a risk that the sun will dry out the fertilizer.
Good results are obtained by foliar feeding - treating the foliage by spraying. Use boric acid diluted in water in proportions of 1 g of substance per 1 liter of liquid.
When watering, it is important to consider the following points:
- peony needs regular hydration, but stagnation of water is undesirable;
- The plant especially needs irrigation during the growth period in early spring, as well as during flowering, bud formation and during drought;
- in summer, the Top Brass variety is watered abundantly every week (20 liters of water per bush);
- avoid getting moisture on leaves, stems and flowers;
- The roots of the plant grow deep, so surface irrigation will not be effective.
- With the onset of autumn and yellowing of the leaves, watering is reduced.
To retain moisture after watering and removing weeds, the soil must be loosened. The procedure is carried out carefully so as not to damage the root collar of the plant. Peonies are mulched with rotted manure, bark, and gravel.
Preparing for winter
In autumn, the stems of the Top Brass peony are cut to ground level with pruners or small stumps are left. To prevent fungal diseases, the soil is treated with fungicides. A popular drug for these purposes is Fitosporin. Then the soil is covered with bone meal and ash and dug in with earth (on average 1 bucket per bush).
After the weather gets colder and the soil freezes, rotted horse manure is added on top. This nourishes the peony roots, promotes the further formation of large buds and abundant flowering. Top Brass winters well under snow, but in regions with a cold climate or lack of precipitation it is advisable to cover it. You can use special covering materials.
Pests and diseases
The Top Brass variety has good immunity and is resistant to many diseases. Fungal infections and insect pests are harmful to peonies. The development of microorganisms occurs during stagnation of water, excessive soil moisture, and sudden temperature changes. Most often, peonies suffer from:
- gray mold (Botrytis paeonia). When infected, the buds rot, and the stems and leaves darken, becoming covered with brown spots. Mold develops very quickly, which leads to withering and falling of the bush;
- rust (Cronartium flaccidum). The fungus attacks the leaves, covering them with brown spots and causing them to dry out;
- powdery mildew (Erysiphales). Leads to leaf wilting, white coating slows down photosynthesis, weakening the plant;
- Septoria macrospora, promoting spotting and falling of leaves and shoots;
- ring mosaic virus (Peony ringspot virus). Symptoms are light spots with a characteristic pattern. Infected peonies are destroyed.
Ring mosaic - incurable peony virus
To prevent fungal diseases, Top Brass is treated with copper sulfate, dissolving the substance in water at a concentration of 50 g per 10 liters. Both the plant itself and the soil around the tree trunk are irrigated. Other warning factors include: timely pruning, moderate watering and limited use of nitrogen fertilizers.
When the disease develops, peonies are treated with antifungal drugs - fungicides. Affected plants are burned.
Top Brass can be damaged by insects: ants, whiteflies, aphids. Insecticides are used for destruction.
The roots of Top Brass peonies are damaged by nematode worms, weakening the plant and leading to the formation of compactions. Pesticides, such as phosphamide, are used for treatment.
Conclusion
Peony Top Brass is easy to grow in fertile, well-drained, lighted areas. Frost-resistant and requires minimal care. The white-pink and lemon-colored flowers bloom in late June and have an unusual shape.
