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The exquisite peony of the Maxim Festival will become a real decoration of any garden. The variety amazes with its decorative qualities. Its delicate snow-white inflorescences not only fascinate with their beauty, but also exude a fragrant aroma. The variety was bred by French breeders in 1851. Since then, the peony of the Festival of Maxim has spread to many countries, gaining popularity among gardeners around the world.
Peony Festival Maxima mesmerizes with its large double flowers and fragrant aroma
Description of the herbaceous peony of the Festival of Maxim
Milk-flowered peony of the Festival Maxima is a long-term tall herbaceous culture. In one place, a flower can grow for about 20-30 years. The height of an adult plant reaches an average of 1 m, but some specimens can grow up to 1.2-1.3 m. The bush is spreading, with strong shoots covered with wide openwork leaves of a dark green color. The foliage gives the plant a decorative appearance in the fall. The leaves do not turn yellow during this period, but acquire an original burgundy-red color.
Thanks to its strong stems, the plant retains its shape even during lush flowering. Because of this, the Festival Maxima peony does not need to be tied to a support, especially in the first few years after planting. But sometimes bushes need support when growing in regions with frequent gusty winds.
Sprawling bushes do not need to be tied to a support
Peony Festival Maxima is adapted for cultivation in a temperate climatic zone, but it can be cultivated in northern latitudes, as it is quite frost-hardy. This culture is able to withstand significant drops in temperature, up to -40 ° C.
Flowering features
Peony Festival Maxima is distinguished by abundant flowering, which begins in May-June. It lasts for 14-20 days. The variety belongs to the large-flowered group of herbaceous plants. On one bush, a large number of large inflorescences are tied, the size of which reaches 20 cm. Flowers are double, consist of many tight-fitting petals.
Basically, all the inflorescences of the peony of the Festival Maxim are white, sometimes with a pink tint. But at the same time, pink or red strokes can be noticed on the central petals. This is a peculiar highlight of the peony of the Festival Maxim, in a special way shading its milky color. In addition to the bewitching beauty, the flowers also have a very pleasant and rather strong aroma.
A distinctive feature of the variety is the characteristic red markings on the tips of the central petals.
The main flowering phase of the peony variety Festival Maxima begins 2-3 seasons after planting. At first, the bushes bloom magnificently and smell incredibly fragrant. But every year the number of buds and the size of flowers are decreasing. Regular feeding and proper crown formation will help to cope with the problem. Lateral stems and buds must be pinched, while paying special attention to the central peduncle.
Application in design
Peony Festival Maxim is one of the most popular flowers among gardeners. It is widely used in landscape design - in solo and mixed plantings, in group compositions.
The peony of the Festival Maxima can occupy a central position among other garden plants, as long as they are not located too close to it.
Very often, peonies of the Festival Maxima variety are planted around the perimeter of fences and fences.
Reproduction methods
The most effective way to propagate a peony of the Festival Maxim is to divide the rhizomes. Saplings obtained in this way are called cuttings. They can be purchased at specialized nurseries or stores. You can also propagate the peony of the Festival Maxim yourself by separating the delenki from the mother bush. Each should have at least 2-3 well-developed buds. It is recommended to carry out this procedure in August or early September.
It is advisable to purchase seedlings in a nursery tested in a nursery.
Landing rules
The best time to plant a peony at the Festival of Maxim is autumn. It is recommended to transfer the seedlings to the ground as early as possible, so that they have time to take root before the onset of frost. The peony of the Festival Maxima tolerates the spring transplant worse. Plants take much longer to adapt and may not even bloom. The buds open very early, so they can fall off.
Peony Festival Maxima loves space and sunlight, which should be taken into account when planting. In one place, the bush will grow for more than one year, so it is necessary to assume in advance whether it will eventually have enough space and sun. You should not place seedlings near houses and other buildings. Rainwater flowing down from the roofs will destroy young shoots making their way through the soil in the spring. The distance between them must be at least 2 m.
It is not recommended to plant peonies next to large shrubs and trees, as they can oppress flower bushes, taking micronutrients from the soil. Drafts can also be fatal for the peony of the Festival of Maxim.
Peony soils of the Festiva Maxima variety prefers neutral or slightly acidic, with an acidity level not higher than 6.0-6.5. The soil must be sufficiently nutritious and loose. It is not recommended to plant bushes in sandy and waterlogged areas. The presence of excess moisture will provoke root rot, which will subsequently lead to the death of the plant. You can lower the pH of the soil by adding wood ash or lime.
Landing hole preparation rules:
- Dig a hole in advance, at least 70 cm deep. The root of the plant grows up to 60 cm in length, so it needs a place for further development.
- Equip at the bottom of the drainage from expanded clay, coarse sand or gravel.
- Mix the top layer of soil with humus and peat. Add 1 tbsp. superphosphate or wood ash.
- Return the prepared soil mixture to the planting hole.
- Allow the prepared hole to settle, at least 14 days.
Each seedling must be carefully examined before planting. They must be completely healthy. In this case, it is necessary to remove all dry, damaged or rotten stems, leaves and root processes.
It is necessary to place peony seedlings of the Festival Maxim at a distance of 1 m from each other. Do not deepen the plant unnecessarily when planting. The upper bud should be no more than 3-5 cm below ground level. A deeply planted bush will have weak shoots. The setting of buds will also be significantly reduced.
When planting, the upper buds of the plant should not be too deep.
Follow-up care
Peony Festival Maxima is a fairly moisture-loving culture, therefore, immediately after planting, the bushes need abundant watering. To keep moisture in the soil as long as possible, the trunk circle can be mulched with peat or hay.
The first year after planting the peony of the Festival Maxima is unlikely to bloom. During this period, the bush will build up its green mass. In the early years, the flowers do not need fertilizer.The seedlings will have enough nutrients added to the soil during planting. The main thing is to loosen the soil in a timely manner and remove weeds.
Preparing for winter
At the end of the summer season, mineral fertilizers and humus must be applied under each flower bush. Peony Festival Maxim is a fairly frost-resistant variety, so the bushes do not need shelter for the winter. Pre-winter preparation consists in cutting off the shoots. In this case, the height of the stumps should be 1-2 cm above the leaf buds. Pruning is carried out in the fall with the arrival of stable frosts. It is impossible to cover bushes with cut foliage, as this will provoke the development of gray rot. You can sprinkle the bushes on top with a layer of unripe compost or peat.
In October, the shoots of faded peonies are cut
Pests and diseases
Peony Festival Maxima is distinguished by its increased resistance to the occurrence of diseases and the appearance of pests. But sometimes ants attack the flower bushes. They crawl into the buds, thereby harming the plant. To combat ants, insecticidal preparations are used.
With an excess of moisture, flowers can rot. When the first symptoms appear, it is necessary to thoroughly loosen the soil, and also add dry soil.
Conclusion
Peony Festival Maxim is an unpretentious plant with large and fragrant flowers, which is loved by many flower growers. These beautiful bushes do not need any complicated care or a lot of sun rays. At the same time, the plant can decorate gardens and flower beds with its flowering for a single year.
