Plant Profile: Peonies

Key Features There are three types of peonies grown here. These are: - Herbaceous peonies, which have non-woody stems and flower in mid-November to late November and include cultivars like P. lactifolia ‘Coral Charm’. Normally propagated by root division. - Tree peonies, which grow about 1m x 1m and are ‘guaranteed to flower’. Propagated by root division, cuttings or seed. - Itoh or Intersectional peonies are hybrid plants first developed in the 1940s that cross the giant flower and colour range of herbaceous peonies with the sturdiness of the tree peony. They are great flowerers, and one five-year-old plant in the US was recorded to produce 150 flowers. Propagated by root division. Ron’s planting tips: Peonies grow best in areas with cooler winters, like Tasmania and Victoria, but will even grow in Queensland in the cooler mountain areas. When dividing herbaceous peonies Ron recommends removing the top 75% of the plant and 50% of the root system. Ron says that the usual rules don’t apply to peonies. The cold in autumn activates their root system, and they feed through winter ready for spring flowers. When planting tree peonies dig a 1 metre wide hole that’s 30cm deep and dig through about 3-4 litre of lime or twice that amount of dolomite. Add a generous amount of pelletised chicken manure and some cow manure then plant. Be careful not to damage their roots or bury too deep in the ground. Then backfill and water well with a whole bucket of water. Ron’s favourites include the Japanese Tree Peony Paeonia x suffruiticosa ‘Tamafuyo’, which means jewelled lotus and is a flush of pinks, ‘Shujakumon’, which has serrated flower petals with perfectly blended colours. The Itoh peonies are incredibly popular in bride bouquets and make an excellent cut flower. He also recommends using them in float bowls or individual bud vases. The yellow flowering tree peonies and popular in Asian communities and Ron supplies many into the Melbourne Flower markets, as well as selling potted plants through a select range of retail nurseries. (Poyntons of Essendon, Acorn Nursery, Dicksonia Rare Plants, The Australian Bulb Company, Sylvan, and Chinoiserie Mittagong). Watch Gardening Australia on ABC iview: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/gardening-australia SUBSCRIBE: http://ab.co/GardeningYouTube About Gardening Australia: Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content. Connect with other Gardening Australia fans: Like Gardening Australia on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gardeningaustralia Follow Gardening Australia on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gardeningaustralia Visit the Gardening Australia website: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation YouTube channel. ******** Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC's Online Conditions of Use http://www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3).

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