How To Plant Peonies
By: Lindsey Poe on October 31, 2024 Of all the flowers I look forward to the most, peonies may just be it. Nothing quite beats The Queen of Spring in all of her beauty and heavenly fragrance. Each year as the weather begins to warm, I carefully watch my peony bushes. Patiently, I wait until the first bloom appears. When that special moment arrives, I quickly grab my snips and head out to make a cut. Then, I run back to the house with my most prized possession. There on my mantle, the first peony bloom of the season sits. She greets all who enter the room with her lovely fragrance and showy petals. In addition to being such a beautiful bloom, peonies are relatively easy to grow. Check out our tips and tricks below for the best blooms possible! What Variety Should I Grow? Peonies have been a garden favorite for a very long time. With so many varieties and colors available it can sometimes be difficult to decide what is right for you and your growing space. These beauties grow and bloom differently in different places. There is a lot of information out there, but it tends to be area-specific. My best piece of advice is to do as much research as you can on what varieties grow best in your climate. Your local Cooperative Extension is a great place to start. Most peonies do well in areas with long, cold winters. For this reason, many home gardeners assume that they are not suitable for growing in the south. While it’s true that they do generally perform better in cooler regions, quite a few varieties will tolerate climates with mild winters and hot summers. Planting Peonies: Once established, peonies will bloom for many years. They require full sun and appreciate loose, fertile, well-draining soil. You may want to do a soil test before you plant and possibly amend your soil with compost or organic matter to improve its quality if needed. Peonies do best when planted as a bare root. There are many reputable places to source your plants, just be sure to do adequate research on which varieties grow best in your area. Bare Root Peony Dig a hole about 2-3 times as wide as your root in an area that receives full sun. Peonies benefit from soil that has been amended with compost and a phosphate-rich fertilizer. Here on the farm, we space each peony plant 3 feet apart. This gives them plenty of room for good air circulation. When planting the bare roots, position them with the eyes facing upwards. Be sure to cover them with no more than 1-2 inches of soil. If planted too deep they will grow foliage but won't flower properly. We use landscape fabric to block weeds, but you can easily use mulch instead. Just be sure to leave a few inches of mulch-free space around the base of your plant to prevent root rot. Harvesting: It is said to wait to harvest your first blooms after the plants have been in the ground for 3 years. Now, I know this is a hard rule to follow. But if you pick too early, you may affect your plant's future growth. Cutting the flowers is not really the issue, the problem is when you cut the foliage. Every leaf on the plant plays an important role in photosynthesis, helping the roots store nutrients for next year's growth. With that said, knowing how to care for your plant until your first harvest is essential. You want to help the plant grow to its fullest potential and eventually bloom in abundance. As with all things farming, each grower has their own method for doing what works for them. Some growers let their plants bloom the first couple of years, but deadhead them before they go to seed. Others, choose to pinch the buds off their plants as soon as they begin to form. With this method, no energy is wasted on flower production and the plants can focus on leaf and root production. I tend to cut the flowers as they develop (you won't get many in years 1-2), but I don't cut any foliage with them. My stems are very short, but they still look and smell nice in the house. You should choose what you think will work best for you. When it is time, you should harvest buds when they are in the "marshmallow stage". This means that you are harvesting the blooms when they are still in the bud form. The flowers will be showing colors but will not be fully opened. They are ready when you gently squeeze them and they have that squishy marshmallow feel. If picked at this stage, they generally last about a week in fresh, clean water. Maintaining Your Plants: Peonies require regular watering, so water deeply and thoroughly every 10 days or so. This will help the plant become established with a deep and healthy root system. After the peony is established, they are drought-resistant and will not need to be watered as often. Peony plants develop their eyes for next year's growth in late summer/early fall. This is a good time to fertilize with a low-nitrogen fertilizer if desired. After your first frost hits, all your foliage should be dead and you can cut your stems to the ground. The following spring when the plant starts to wake up, you can give it another round of fertilizer to boost its growth. I'd love to hear about your experiences with "The Queen of Spring". Do you look forward to peonies as much as I do each year? What are your favorite varieties to grow?
Happy Planting! XOXO
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AuthorHi! I'm Lindsey. I love all things gardening and nature. My days are spent enjoying my family, my pets (dogs, cats, chickens, goats, and ducks!), good books, homemade kombucha & sourdough everything! -XOXO Archives
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