@helmut-dorner informed me about some interesting video footage which was shot at Adelman Peony Gardens in the USA. It consists of two videos actually. The first below is like a visit to their show garden, highlighting some peony varieties in bloom at that time. They are shot name plate first and then the whole plant so you get a good idea about…Read More
All peony roots have been planted. I hope everybody can say the same as Autumn is the best time to do so 😃
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Read MoreThe best growing substrate for peony seedlings Last year we tried to find out which was the best germinating substrate for peony seeds. This year we've tried to find out in which substrate those germinated seedlings would grow best. We...
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Read MoreA hybridizing program for peonies I've been hybridizing peonies since 2009, so with 15 years of trials and errors I think the time has come to give a short overview of where we're heading. We've registered a few peonies which...
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I must say that I grow all my seedlings in potting soil, 24 seeds to a #3 pot. I keep them in pots for two seasons, before planting them out in the fields. My working space makes it convenient for me to do it this way.
I’m not sure that my results show anything different than you have discovered. Other than, much like yourself, I’m not a big fan of perlite. It seems to me that perlite is abrasive, and that tender roots don’t like that, particularly when used as an initial medium to start bagged seeds.
I’m glad to see that you got relatively good results with all of your medums though. For myself, I like the idea of “live” soils, which is one reason why I use potting soil. It would seem that one might get more soil organisms using it ? If one thinks that that might make a difference.
Also I think it’s reasonable to look into the clay grains you mentioned. My sense has always been that seedlings get a certain amount of shock, when transferred from the open medium of their seedling pots, into the much more closed clay soils of the fields. That first year in the fields seems to be a bit of a struggle for them, foliage increase-wise, when compared to their increase rate in the pots, and their subsequent years of growth in the fields.