Content
Peony Yellow Crown is the ancestor of most modern ito-hybrid bushes. It differs from its tree and herbaceous relatives in its beauty and rarity. For a long time, Japanese gardener Toichi Ito worked on plant selection. And finally, in 1948, his diligence was crowned with success, and the world saw a beautiful plant.
Description of peony Yellow Crown
“Yellow Crown” combines the best qualities of two varieties of peonies - herbaceous and tree-like. It has the same spreading bush with gracefully cut leaves of a dark green color, like a plant with a tree-like trunk. At the same time, the Yellow Crown peony has a grassy stem that dies off in winter.
Some peony specimens reach 1 m
“Yellow Crown”, as the name of this ito hybrid sounds in translation, is a beautiful lush
a bush reaching a height of up to 60 cm. It can reach a width of up to 80 cm.
The leaves are lacy, dotted with thin longitudinal veins, rich green in color with a glossy surface. Even after flowering, the Yellow Crown peony retains its attractiveness until frost.This plant loves light very much, so it is recommended to plant it in illuminated areas, but hide it from direct sunlight. This hybrid does not like places blown by the wind. And at the same time, the “Yellow Crown” peony is not at all capricious and calmly tolerates a lack of moisture. Another advantage of the bred variety is its frost resistance. This peony can grow in areas where the temperature in winter can range from -7 -29 ˚С. Thanks to one of the “parents”, this peony inherited stable flower stalks, which prevents “Yellow Crown” from breaking. Because of this, it does not need supports.
Features of flowering
The new variety belongs to the group of multi-flowered varieties with double or semi-double flowers. They, reaching a diameter of up to 17 cm, delight with their flowering for almost 1.5 months, from the second half of May to June. The flowers of the "Yellow Crown" peony are very large, with an unusually attractive color from lemon-orange to yellow-burgundy. The contrast of the red center with golden stamens and pale yellow, thinned petals creates a truly magical impression.
The first flower on a bush may have an irregular shape
The yellow-red buds are modestly hidden among the green leaves. They have a delicate and pleasant aroma. Moreover, every year the ito-peony “Yellow Crown” bush becomes more magnificent and the number of flowers increases all the time. The first flower stalks on the bushes of this hybrid may appear already in 2-3 years, but the flowers on them will not be very beautiful, irregular in shape and disheveled. But already in 4-5 years they will show themselves in all their glory.
Application in design
Due to its beautiful and long-lasting flowering, as well as the spectacular appearance of the bushes themselves, the Yellow Crown peony is used to decorate parks and flower beds in local areas. This peony prefers single plantings and, if there are neighbors, can suppress them. But by selecting plants of the same group, only in different colors, you can create wonderful compositions. Due to the powerfully developed root system, the ito hybrid will not be able to feel comfortable in small flowerpots or pots, or grow on balconies and loggias, unlike its truly herbaceous relatives.
Reproduction methods
Regular peonies are propagated by seeds and vegetatively. But hybrids are characterized exclusively by the second option. It is not only the most effective, but also the only one for peony propagation.
“Yellow Crown” buds are found both on rhizomes (a characteristic of a herbaceous variety) and on woody shoots (a characteristic of a tree-like variety). And the root system itself is an extensive network of lateral and powerful central roots, which are subject to division into parts. In most cases, when propagating, it is recommended to make 2-3 fragments, each of which should have several buds left.
During vegetative propagation, the root is divided into 2-3 fragments with buds
The root of the Yellow Crown peony is very strong, so it is almost impossible to cut it with a regular knife. For this, a jigsaw is used, but very carefully so as not to damage the buds and leave the necessary part for them to take root and develop well. If, when dividing the rhizome of itopion, there are cut remains, they must be saved. Having planted them in nutritious soil, you can wait for new seedlings.
It is recommended to propagate Yellow Crown peonies at 4-5 years of age in spring or autumn. Unlike the spring division, the autumn division is more favorable. This is explained by the fact that the time between propagation and planting is minimal, since the fragments of the “cut” grow very quickly. Therefore, even the slightest delay in the spring when planting part of the Yellow Crown peony can lead to its poor survival rate, or even death. But in the fall, such behavior of the shoot will be very appropriate. Before the winter cold, it will have time to take root, grow stronger and grow a root system that will help it withstand frost well.
Landing rules
In order to comply with all the conditions and time for proper planting of the Yellow Crown peony, it should be planted in the soil in early spring or late summer-early autumn. It is necessary to carefully choose the location of permanent planting, since this bush grows in one place for many years.
Yellow Crown peonies prefer soils that are mostly loamy, lush, and rich in nutrients.
Planting stages:
- Having selected a well-lit area, protected from wind and direct sunlight, it is recommended to dig a hole about 20-25 cm deep and wide.
- At the bottom it is necessary to lay drainage consisting of sand, broken bricks and earth with rotted compost. The layer must be at least 15 cm.
- Wait 10 days for the drainage layer to settle, and only after that should you start planting Yellow Crown.
- Next, pour up to 5 cm of soil and lay a fragment of the root with the stem. It is desirable that there are at least 2-3 buds on it, and better - 5 or more. Moreover, it is necessary to plant not vertically, but horizontally, so that the buds located on the roots and on the trunk of the Yellow Crown peony are located next to each other and not under each other.This technique is applicable when a root is planted with a sufficiently long section of the stem on which the buds are located.
- Then sprinkle the planting material with 5 cm of soil, no more. This is a requirement. Otherwise, the Yellow Crown peony may not bloom. This planting depth will provide the ito-hybrid seedlings with minimal temperature changes, air availability and protection from drying out.
When planting, pour 2-3 buckets of humus into the hole
Planting is also possible in the standard way: arrange fragments of the Yellow Crown root with buds vertically. The remaining landing conditions are similar to the previous one.
Aftercare
Ito hybrid, like other varieties of peonies, is unpretentious to grow. They only need minimal care to feel comfortable and enjoy long-lasting flowering.
The list of procedures that must be carried out with the Yellow Crown peony includes:
- Moderate watering of ito-hybrid, which should be increased in dry weather.
- Periodic loosening. This process must be carried out carefully to avoid damage to the root system of the bush, since the roots of this type of peonies are located not only deep in the ground, but also close to the soil surface.
- As necessary, apply fertilizers and root dressings in the form of ash or dolomite flour. The main thing is not to overdo it.
To avoid damaging the integrity of the roots by loosening, it can be replaced by mulching. To do this, use various available materials available in the same area: grass, weeds, tree leaves.
Preparing for winter
When winter cold sets in, the part of the bush located above the ground dies off, so it is recommended to cut it off to avoid rotting of the stems.
It is advisable to fertilize the peony in the fall with another portion of dolomite flour or wood ash.
Due to its acquired frost resistance, this ito peony does not need shelter in winter and tolerates frost well.
If there is a possibility of very severe frosts, it is recommended to cover the soil around the bush with a thick layer of mulch at a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the width of the hybrid.
Pests and diseases
Thanks to the efforts of breeders, the ito-hybrid peony “Yellow Crown”, along with resistance to cold, has acquired strong immunity against diseases and pests. In extremely rare cases, the bushes of these hybrids can be damaged by them. And infection with rust fungus is almost impossible.
Conclusion
The Yellow Crown Peony blooms for the first time after 3 years. If this does not happen, then the location was chosen incorrectly and errors in care were made. It is better to peel off the first buds, so the flower will become stronger and more resilient.
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