Bred in 1881 in France, a grassy peony continues to please the eye today. Peony retains its aesthetic appearance even after flowering ceases. A flower is planted in flower beds or rectangular flower beds, near the house or areas are zoned with it.
Peony Felix Crousse (Paeonia Felix Crousse) - what kind of variety, the history of creation
Felix Krauss is one of the most resistant to low temperatures, it fits perfectly into any decorative composition. Has the following description:
- height - 90 cm;
- flowering time begins in mid-July;
- flower diameter of about 17 cm;
- terry flower, red with a purple tint;
- the aroma is pleasant, slightly perceptible;
- leaves and stem are dark green.
The appearance of the peony Felix Krauss
Designers often use this variety, it looks great in the form of bushes on the lawn and gets along well with other perennials.
Growing a flower, how to plant in open ground
Most often, this variety is planted using cuttings, since seeds rarely take root.
Planting with root cuttings
The process itself is quite simple - you need to separate several cuttings with roots and buds from the mother plant. In this case, the mother plant must be at least 3 years old.
When a peony is planted
Planting varieties is recommended from August to mid-September. If later, then the plant simply does not have time to take root in a new place and will die during the first frosts. Often gardeners plant a flower in the spring, although this is not recommended.
Note! The spring period is the time when the peony begins to actively prepare for flowering, so the separation of cuttings can harm the plant.
How to choose a place
Since Felix Krause is a rather heat-loving flower, he will feel great in a sunny area protected from the wind. Soil is of considerable importance - it should be quite loose and have neutral acidity.
Adult plants greatly expand in breadth, so between the plots leave 1.5 meters of free soil. Otherwise, due to the overgrown root system, neighboring plants will not be able to receive normal nutrition and air access. This leads to the appearance of rot and various diseases.
How to prepare the soil and flower for planting
To make the soil suitable for planting, they dig it up and add river sand and humus to make it loose enough and enrich it with nutrients.
How to plant peonies with cuttings
Additional Information! Each stalk also needs to be prepared for planting. To do this, cut the leaves and stem, and sprinkle the roots with crushed tablets of activated carbon.
Landing procedure step by step
Like all cultivated plants, the milk-flowering peony Cruz needs to be planted according to certain rules:
- Dig a hole 60 cm deep and 50-60 cm wide.
- A thin layer of rubble is poured into the bottom.
- Prepare the soil: mix peat, humus, land from the site and sand in equal parts - and fall asleep in the pit.
- Form a small depression.
- The stalk is placed in it and the roots are straightened, being careful not to damage them.
- Sprinkle the stalk with earth: it should sprinkle the lowest buds of the plant.
- After planting, the peony is watered, and the ground around it is sprinkled with chopped dry grass.
Is it possible to grow a peony from seeds
Growing a peony from seeds is difficult. But for breeding purposes it’s worth a try. To do this, observe the recommendations:
- seeds for planting are selected immature and planted until they are dry;
- seeds are sown in soil to a depth of 5 cm and put in the cold (you can refrigerate);
- emerging seedlings are transplanted into the soil after 2 years.
How to care for a plant
Bushes Felix Krauss do not require special care. Like any other plants they need to be watered, fertilize, dig up the soil near the roots. Then the plant will appreciate the abundant flowering.
Watering and feeding
The plant is watered as the soil dries. But with the approaching flowering dates (end of May - beginning of June) and the laying of new buds (mid-August - early September), watering needs to be increased. Once a week, the plant is watered with 15-20 liters of water.
Peony is fed twice a year. In the spring, they feed with urea or nitrate for weight gain, in the fall - with nitrogen-free fertilizers.
Soil cultivation and mulching
When the soil dries slightly after wetting (rain or watering), it needs to be loosened slightly to a depth of 2 cm. Weeds must be removed with roots. In the spring, the bush is sprinkled with chopped manure.
Note! Many gardeners use sawdust or straw instead of manure - this should never be done. Sawdust and straw poorly pass moisture from the roots, which is why they begin to churn and rot.
Disease and Pest Prevention
During flowering, a pleasant aroma attracts many insects to the flower. To protect the bush from pest invasion, in the spring the leaves and stem are sprayed with special preparations (Fitosporin-M) or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. You can also water the soil with a solution of copper sulfate.
Blooming Peony Felix Krause
Variety Felix Krauss is characterized by abundant and long flowering time. Depending on the region, the bush begins to bloom in late June - mid-July. The process lasts a month.
Flowering Felix Krause
Flowering care
For a flowering bush to please its beauty as long as possible, gardeners need to remove all faded buds. This will save the plant from disease. They act cautiously: only wilted flowers are removed, the stems themselves remain in place, otherwise you can still damage unopened buds.
What to do if the peony does not bloom
If a peony does not release flowers for a long time, this may be evidence of disturbance or disease of the bush. Common causes of lack of flowering:
- lack of sunlight;
- soil acidity - most often increased;
- incorrect pruning;
- insufficient feeding or lack thereof;
- pests;
- plant disease.
Most often, the flowering problem is solved very simply - a peony is transplanted to another site and adjust care for it.
How to care for a plant after flowering
After flowering, the peony Felix Krause begins to recover and form new buds, from which new stems will appear in the spring. During this period, active preparation for winter begins.
How to transplant a bush
Felix Krauss bush transplantation is best done from late August to mid September. Later it is undesirable, since the plant may not have time to take root before the onset of cold weather. Transplant procedure step by step:
- Weather conditions are important for transplantation - it should be dry and warm.
- Leaves are cut to a height of 15-20 cm.
- The plant is extracted from the soil along with a root lump, without removing the soil from the roots.
- When transplanting, the same conditions are fulfilled as when planting cuttings.
Additional Information! After the transplant, the peony Felix Crousse will adapt in a new place for 2-3 years. During this period, it will not bloom. The first flowering will occur in the fourth year.
Do I need to prune a peony for the winter
For peonies, pruning for the winter is very important. Bushes are cut in the fall (October - early November). If you hold it later, the roots will rot and the plant will die.
Pruning a bush for the winter
How to prepare a flower for winter
Although this variety is cold-resistant, it is still recommended to sprinkle the plant (especially young) with soil and humus, and also cover it with dense material. In the spring, all shelters and embankments must be removed to give the roots access to the air and not to limit the evaporation of moisture.
Pests and diseases: how to deal with them
Most often, the bush is attacked by pests during flowering, but this can happen in another period. Most often, gardeners are faced with the following pests:
- bronze;
- aphid;
- ants
- thrips.
It is not difficult to scare away these pests: the bush is sprayed with insecticides or folk remedies, such as potassium permanganate and copper sulfate. From diseases, the plant is well protected by natural immunity. In some cases, the following diseases may occur:
- gray rot - a brown ring appears at the bottom of the stem, when the fungal disease progresses, the stem breaks off;
- rust - brown and yellow spots appear on the leaves, and on the underside there is a fungus with spores;
- ring mosaic - spots and rings appear on the leaves.
Important! Dead plants are destroyed as soon as possible to prevent the spread of the disease.
They fight diseases as follows:
- First of all, all infected areas are removed, the sections are sprinkled with wood ash or powdered activated carbon.
- The remainder of the bush is sprayed with preparations containing copper, for example, copper sulfate. You also need to water the soil, many diseases can remain in it.
- All closely spaced plants are treated with fungicides, for example, foundationazole or nitrofen.
Peonies are one of the most beautiful flowers in the garden. So that they please the eye, you need to properly care for them and protect them from diseases and pests.
