Care Of Peonies

The care of peonies starts with the planting. If you start off in a suitable spot, then you will be well on your way to growing these plants successfully. Peonies are best suited for climates that have a winter season. They work best in full sun but will be tolerable of some afternoon shade. They like a well drained soil and can benefit from adding a bit of compost into the hole when planting. Plant in early fall with the eyes being no deeper than 2" in to the soil.

Once you have them planted, the care of peonies is rather simple. It might take 2 years for them to bloom if you planted them from roots, but if you plant from a plant growing in a pot, you could see blooms that year. Fertilize in early spring and mid summer. A low nitrogen fertilizer is best and try to keep the fertilizer away from direct contact with the plant.

Apply mulch in the spring and water frequently in summer. Remove the side buds for larger flowers on the ends. Peonies tend to grow long stalks and can break or bend over almost to the ground if not staked -avoid letting them touch the ground as I have found that ants like to eat them and ruin the flowers! Remove the flowers as soon as they fade - they make a wonderful and fragrant bouquet in a vase!

The care of peonies after the growing season has ended is easy but necessary for hardy plants the next year. Remove the mulch and add loose straw or fresh mulch for winter protection. When all the foliage is died, cut the stems to 3".