(Fwd) Re: Paeonia seedlings
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: (Fwd) Re: Paeonia seedlings
- From: N* T*
- Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 09:48:48 CST6CDT
- Priority: normal
> Please could someone advise me on the care of my Paeonia cambessedesii
> seedlings. One is in its 2nd year of growth, the others in their 1st
> year.
> All are presently in individual 3cm (1.5 inch) tubes. When should I
> transplant them to larger pots? I would be grateful for any additional
> tips in caring for them whilst in pots. --
If you keep the tubes in a shady, sheltered spot until they start their
third year of above-ground growth, then you can plant them out into their
permament positions. I grew many species peonies from seed in the U.K.
during the late '80s and early '90s, planting one seed per 3 inch (7 cm)
plastic pot. If, for example, you sowed in autumn 1999 or spring 2000, you
could expect to see a shoot in early spring 2001, though they may well have
produced a root during the first year (I never tipped one out to check). I
sowed one seed per pot to avoid root disturbance, which peonies don't seem
to appreciate much. The pots sat in a shady cold frame, protected from
heavy rain, cold winds, and hot sun. After two seasons of leafy growth,
they seemed large enough to hold their own among other plants in the
garden. Some of them started flowering in their sixth year, e.g., P. clusii
from Crete. If you have plants in 1.5 inch tubes, then they might
appreciate larger pots before you plant them out, to avoid them being
stunted, if you can repot them without disturbing the root systems.
Nick
Nick Turland
Flora of China Project, Missouri Botanical Garden,
P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299, U.S.A.
E-mail: Nicholas.Turland@mobot.org
Phone: +1 314 577 0269 Fax: +1 314 577 9438
MBG web: http://www.mobot.org
FOC web: http://flora.harvard.edu/china/
