Planting Peonies for Decades of Landscape Interest and Cut Flowers

Choose a sunny spot with good drainage. Peonies need full sun (6-8 hours) and dislike sitting in soggy soil or being blasted with wind. But they do need good air circulation to reduce mildew in late summer and fall; try to keep them 3-4 feet away from other plants. 

Prepare the soil by digging a hole 18 inches deep and 18 inches wide and amend with compost, bone meal, and sand. 

Place the bare root with the eyes pointing up and positioned no more than 1-2 inches below your natural soil line. Buried any deeper, your peonies will turn blind and stop flowering. I find it helpful to build a little soil mound so the root can sit on something for the correct height. 

Tamp down the soil and water well after planting to ensure roots have good contact with the soil. If after doing this, you find your roots sunk down well below the 1-2 inch guideline for blooms, repeat the step above. New peonies benefit from regular light watering once per week to help them get established, we do this for our first and second year plants. Once your peony becomes well established in their new home, you can taper off watering and only water them during dry spells.

For landscaping with peonies, place peony supports in early spring to help heavy blooms from drooping and damaging the plant. Deadhead spent peonies to prevent seed formation which takes away from recharging the root system. If you want to use mulch to reduce weed pressure, make sure to keep them away from any stems. 

For enjoying as cut flowers, harvest peonies buds in marshmallow stage while leaving at least 50% of the foliage so the plant can recharge for the following year. With proper dry storage, you can have peony blooming in your home in July and maybe even August.

Looking ahead, add a light dressing of compost annually after the flowering season. In the fall, cut off foliage to an inch above the ground to reduce mildew spread. 

Enjoy the blooms for decades to come. Don't forget to share your blooms by tagging us on Instagram @GrowingTkaronto