Chinese Mudan have a wide ecological adaptability so that their cultivation is easy and conveniently

managed.They can be grown both in gardens and in pots in all parts of China with the exception of Hainan,the

southermost province.

1.Selection of Appropriate Cultivars and Sites:The four cultivar groups of Chinese tree peonies have ecological

characteris-tics and soil conditions that suit them best.Before planting,suitable sites or the properties of a

cultivar group and its individual varieties should be considered for future cultivation and management to ensure

success.

Chinese peonies are classified as temperate plants.They tend to trive in cool,dry and sunny places.As they

have prominent fleshy roots,the best choice for their cultivation is a dry and airy site on higher ground,with

lateral shading,good drainage and deep porous fertile soil.Uncultivated or sticky or saline earth and poor

drainage are best avoided.But different cultivar groups,and cultivars in a group,can to some extent be suitably

matched with the ecological environment.In addition,land that has been cropped continuously with peonies shuold

be replanted with peonies after one to two years rotation.After the site has been selected,a generous quantity

of manure should be applied and deep digging and leveling shuold be repeated several months of half a year

before planting. The ideal soil for planting in pots is also loose,fertile,well-aerated and well-drained.Future

developments in pot cultivation are likely to involve artificial nutrients and an inert medium such as perlite.

2.planting:Autumn is the best season for planting peonies, because it helps early development of new roots and

thus early recovery of plant vitality for normal growth in the next spring.If a peony is divided and planted in

spring,its root system cannot recover before the onset of rapid growth and development of the parts above

ground.Planting should take place during the period from mid September to the end of December. The earlier part

of this period is better,because the soil temperature is still high then and this benefits the early growth of

new roots from divided plants,which enensures their winter survial and development the next year.If possible

,planting should be carried out promptly after division.The planting space should be broad and deep.Well-rotted

manure dug in with the bottom soil will encourage the root system to distribute evenly.The correct planting

depth is with the collar the same level as or slightly below the earth surface.Soil shuold be trodden in layer

by layer.Finally the plants are thoroughly watered.