Herbaceous peonies need to be severely pruned back to the ground in the fall. Pruning is unnecessary for tree peony. In the fall, all that is required is the removal of the faded seed heads. In the autumn, resist the urge to remove the withered leaves; instead, let it fall off naturally. Tree peony should not be severely pruned because they are sometimes grafted onto herbaceous peonies.
Try to avoid walking on the herbaceous types’ newly emerging buds when weeding borders.
Peonies occasionally develop suckers at the plant’s base. David Hurrion discusses what to do with them in this passage:
How to propagate peonies
Herbaceous peonies can be multiplied in the fall through division. Lift the plant with a garden fork after trimming back the wilted foliage. Cut off pieces of the crown with a knife after removing as much of the garden soil as you can. There should be plenty of root in each part and at least three buds. Replant as soon as possible in the garden.
Try not to split tree peonies. Alternatively, you might be able to attempt sowing seed or stacking a flexible stem.
Growing peonies: problem solving
Ants are drawn to the peony buds. It’s common to witness ants swarming around the buds. They won’t harm the plant, so don’t be concerned.
Peony wilt is by far the most prevalent issue. The stems decay as a result of this botrytis. Planting peonies too closely together is best avoided. Remove any leaves with dark spots on them to help stop the fungus from spreading. To prevent reinfection in spring, remove all the foliage before trimming back herbaceous plants in the fall.
In this Gardeners’ World video clip, Carol Klein provides a practical guide on identifying and treating peony wilt as well as advice on how to clean secateurs to prevent reinfection:
Can peony be grown from a cutting?
Before resetting, most roots benefit from a trim. To prevent congestion and encourage new growth, trim roots to lengths of approximately eight inches.
The peony family is diverse. hybrids have some “roots that may be separated from their rhizome and planted to produce new eyes are known as adventitious roots. After two or three years of growth, these root cuttings can be spread out in rows at a depth of two inches and lifted in the fall.
Knives, scissors, and spades used to cut rhizomes, roots, and foliage should all be sterilized. Fungi and viruses can be killed by a 10 percent or 70 percent solution of rubbing alcohol and water.
Utilize a dipping solution of a “Bordeaux mix, an alternative to fungicide dust, is a mixture of copper sulfate and hydrated lime. Both call for the wearing of thick gardening or rubber gloves.
On fresh plants, don’t compact the soil too firmly. You run the risk of breaking or pushing eyeballs deeper than two inches. When in doubt, overfill the hole and place your eyes as close to the surface as possible.
If you cut the stem sufficiently deep, you can use cuttings to spread soft-stemmed perennials like peonies. Peony stems emerge from “eyes that appear from rhizomes just below the soil’s surface. The most dependable methods of propagating these perennials are by rhizome cuttings and seedling growth. Unlike plants developed from seeds, rhizome cuttings typically blossom one to two seasons after planting and always give rise to a plant that is identical to its parent. For flowers in the spring, take cuttings in the fall.
Fill planting holes with a bushel or two of adjusted soil by mixing equal parts garden soil, peat moss, compost, and manure. For every bushel of filler, mix a small amount of bone meal, superphosphate, or another low-nitrogen fertilizer. For each, create a hole that is one foot wide and two feet deep “To determine how many you will have, divide or plant additional plants. Unused holes can always be filled with dirt. On either side, provide each plant about three feet of room.
- If you cut the stem sufficiently deep, you can use cuttings to spread soft-stemmed perennials like peonies.
If peony roots dry out, the plant will be set back and may not bloom the following season, so pick a day when the soil is damp rather than dry to start. In the fall, after removing the summer mulch and trimming back the dead foliage, dig peonies. Lift the entire root ball by making a deep cut underneath the roots with a spade or garden fork all the way around. Once the ball has been raised, use a hand cultivator or trowel to remove as much dirt as you can. If you are excavating more than one peony, focus on one plant at a time.
Remove any remaining dirt from the roots, fleshy root, and rhizome with care. On the top part of the rhizomes, look for the tiny eyeballs. Avoid breaking any buds at any costs. These stem bases serve as the foundation for fresh peony growth, and once broken, they cannot regrow.
- If peony roots dry out, the plant will be set back and may not bloom the following season, so pick a day when the soil is damp rather than dry to start.
- Lift the entire root ball by making a deep cut underneath the roots with a spade or garden fork all the way around.
Use a sharp knife to cut each rhizome into numerous pieces. Each component needs a set of roots and three to five eyes. Apply an anti-fungal powder, which is readily available at most garden centers, to each portion of the rhizome. If the peony you are dividing is particularly huge or old, use a spray bottle to keep the roots moist as you cut the rhizome.
Trim older or damaged roots on divisions and discard any pieces that are rotted or discolored. Eliminate soggy roots; they can contain nematodes or root rot. Spread roots while suspending the rhizome over the hole and amending the soil in the holes. When the hole is filled, position the rhizome so that the eyes are only a few inches below the surface. More than two inches of eye burying will probably prevent blooming. In southern growth zones, plants should be placed no deeper than 1.5 inches. Water the new plant thoroughly once the hole has been filled.
- Use a sharp knife to cut each rhizome into numerous pieces.
- Spread roots while suspending the rhizome over the hole and amending the soil in the holes.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Peony stems can be multiplied by cuttings if the stem is cut sufficiently deep.
To lift the entire root ball, use a spade or garden fork all the way around.
Within a season or two of planting, peonies blossom, and each plant is identical to the parent.
Yes, cuttings can be used to reproduce soft-stemmed perennials like peonies as long as the stem is cut sufficiently deep.
Yes, peonies can be multiplied by cuttings if the stem is cut sufficiently deep.
Do peonies root well in water?
No, the fragments in water won’t grow roots; they will instead perish. For herbaceous peonies, the tuberous roots are the only part I am aware of that can grow from root divisions. I believe that all tree peonies are grafted or rooted cuttings. But they don’t simply have roots in the winter; they also have woody stems all year.
Do my peonies need deadheading?
One gardening activity that has several advantages is deadheading peonies. Look at these!
- Increasing Plant Quality These hardy perennials may concentrate their energy on growing the plant itself as they don’t have seed heads or discarded blooms to worry about. This might comprise:
- expanding the tuber
- storing up energy for the coming year
- Putting down stronger roots
- Cleaning the Garden
- Once the peony plant has finished blooming, the unattractive part can be removed by simply snipping away the spent flower heads. Keep the greenery to help you conserve energy for the following season.
- Simple, quick, and satisfying
- Peony deadheading is a quick, simple, and satisfying yard task. When you next just have five or ten minutes to spend in the garden, this project is ideal.
- Future Blooms will be larger
- Do it even though it’s unlikely you’ll see more peony flowers this year. Peonies will produce more and better flowers in the future if deadheading is done.
- Increasing the Plants’ Compactness
- Our peonies are allowed to grow until they die back in the fall, so removing the deadheads helps the plants become a little more compact. This gives us some room in the garden to grow other flowers in front of or behind them, such as hyacinths, sunflowers, or zinnias.
Do you know of any more advantages to deadheading peonies? These are my favorites and make spending a bit more time with these plants worthwhile.
Peonies may produce seeds.
We save the seeds from our Northwest Cultivar Group (rockii) tree peony every year. You can place an online order for them or mail us $12.50 to get 25 freshly picked in late August. (Postage is included in price.) A small number of different peony seeds are also available for purchase. Please visit our website for further details. Send in your requests as soon as possible because we can only offer a certain quantity of seeds per year.
Many of the seeds from the hybrid tree peonies in the Northwest Cultivar group p.rockii will grow into plants that produce these stunning white blooms with crimson flares (blooming in about four years). This flower’s shape and color closely resemble those of the P. rockii wild species.
The period to gather the peony seeds for this year will be in August. Try your hand at growing a harvest of peonies from seed if you left the pods on the plant throughout the summer because the vast majority of peonies produce viable seeds. Peonies grown from seed do not look exactly like their parent plant, despite possible striking similarities. Nearly all cultivated tree and herbaceous peony are hybrids that are very different from their predecessors in the wild. Seeds gathered from a single peony species that did not cross pollinate with other peonies are the exception to this rule.
Peonies that are intersectional hybrids (Itoh) are sterile and do not produce viable seeds. Sadly, other popular garden plants, including the high-tech herbaceous hybrids “Coral Charm” and “Lois’ Choice,” are also infertile. Most ‘lutea’ hybrid tree peony from Europe and America, such ‘Leda’ or ‘High Noon,’ hardly ever produce viable seeds. These, however, make up a relatively minor portion of the entire peony population; the vast majority of Chinese and Japanese tree and herbaceous peonies all produce copious amounts of healthy seeds that are quickly ready for harvesting and sowing.
The lovely star-shaped pods are currently growing and starting to change from a leathery green to a brown hue. When the seedpod has turned a dark tallow-brown, the seeds are ready to be picked. Between the first and third weeks of August, we often harvest our tree peony seeds here.
The seeds are ripe and prepared for harvesting when the seed pods have turned a dark brown hue and are just starting to crack open. Carefully pry open each section of the seed pod to release the seeds. Seeds with damage won’t grow.
Peony seeds go into a twofold dormancy when fully ripe, consisting of a hard outer seed coat and a dormant embryo. When water and air can get past the seed coat and into the embryo, germination happens.
Starting peony seeds can be done in a variety of ways. Some are based on the seed’s natural state, or degree of dormancy, while others are determined by the grower, namely whether to sow the seeds outdoors or indoors.
Freshly harvested seeds that have not yet had a chance to fully form a hard outer coat may germinate during the same growing season (late fall) and sprout the next spring as a tiny green stem above the earth. It may take two growing seasons for seeds with stiff, dry seed coats to break their natural double dormancy when planted directly.
Each beautiful pearl contains the embryo of a peony that has never bloomed before and has the potential to astound spectators for many decades to come. Plant some peony seeds this fall to make the world a more lovely place.
When seedpods are left to mature, they will turn a dark brown, and the seeds inside will turn black. In addition, the seedpods will break open. Black seeds may surprise you next spring, but they are likely to take two seasons to germination and growth. Tan colored seeds have a higher chance of producing sprouts the first spring after planting.
Fresh (tan or black) seeds should be sown immediately in sandy loam, garden soil, perlite, or aged bark nuggets for drainage. The pH should be close to 7.0, which frequently requires adding garden lime to make the soil more palatable. Either plant directly in a seed bed or use 10–12 diameter pots with sufficient drainage holes. For seeding, plastic pots are acceptable although we prefer clay pots or root control bags.
If everything is in place, the seed will sprout in the warm late summer weather, and the cooler fall temps will encourage root growth until the weather turns icy. Nothing will emerge above the soil until the next spring. Some seeds won’t begin to sprout until the next spring. Do not rush anything.
When the ground has thawed in the spring, remove the mulch from the pot and submerge it in the garden. By May, look for any new growth. During the growing season, which runs from April to September, young sprouts need to be watered and fed a moderate liquid fertilizer, such as Neptune’s Harvest fish-seaweed fertilizer, every other month. Young sprouts are around two inches tall.
Only transplant young seedlings in the fall. Till September of their first year, let them develop unmolested. After the first year, the garden should be spaced about six apart.
The tree peony seedlings reach a height of over 6 inches when they have genuine leaves by their second year.
In the fall of their third year, young plants may be relocated once more to a more permanent site. For each plant, allow at least 4 to 5′ (3 for herbaceous peonies), and select a well-drained location with 5 to 6 hours of sun. Usually, tree peony seedlings begin to blossom in their fourth year. Herbaceous plants occasionally bloom in their third year. Remember that peonies occasionally display their mature form after several years of immature blossoms.
The Northwest Cultivar group Chinese (P.rockii) tree peonies, such as “Snow Lotus,” and herbaceous peonies respond exceptionally well to this “direct” sowing technique. The benefits of the processes outlined below may make it easier for seeds from different hybrid groupings of tree peony to germinate.
As previously said, crack open newly gathered seed pods. Some gardeners choose to let seed pods cure in brown paper bags for a week in your garage or another dark, dry, and cool area rather than opening the pods right away after harvest. Carefully open the seedpods after a week.
Put the seeds in a zip-top bag with vermiculite or fine sand that is just slightly wet. Place the bag in a warm location (around 80 degrees). We make use of the refrigerator’s top. The sprouted seeds can be planted outside as indicated above or placed in a refrigerator for a period of cold stratification of 3 months at 40 degrees when root growth begins, which may happen in 4-12 weeks (the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator is a good spot).
seedlings of the herbaceous peony. If it’s still early in the fall, you can either plant these outside or store them in the refrigerator for a period of cold stratification.
The sprouting seeds can then be put in pots and nurtured either indoors with lights or outdoors gradually exposed to natural sunshine. The projecting rootlet should be handled carefully while planting because it is quite delicate. Repeat the three months of warm treatment (at or near 80 degrees), followed by the three months at 40 degrees, if seeds don’t germinate after the first cycle of hot/cold stratification.
Peony seeds with a hard, dry seed coat and a black or dark brown tint are fully dormant. It will probably take two growing seasons for the ideal mixture of water, heat, and bacteria to break down the seed coat and allow water and air to access the embryo if these seeds are sown outdoors without any particular care.
Dry, black seeds need to experience warmth followed by a winter frost (either real or simulated) in order to germinate without extra care.
The seeds could be scarified to hasten germination. This is a technique for physically dissolving the seed coat’s outer layer. We work with a rough file.
Give the seed 2-3 light passes with the file while holding it between your thumb and forefinger.
It only takes a few of gentle passes with the file; going too far will harm the embryo. You have gone too far if you file the seed all the way to the point of the white inside. Filing to get rid of the outer layer of sight is generally sufficient. Only a little portion of the seed needs to be filed. A significant quantity of seeds can be scarified using a diluted sulfuric acid solution.
All that is required to let air and moisture to reach the dormant embryo and begin germination is to fill in just below the shiny external covering.
Seeds can be sown soon after scarifying if it’s still early in the fall and the ground is suitable for planting.
If planting indoors, adhere to the warm/cold stratification guidelines in the section on planting new seeds.
Other things to think about while buying peony seeds:
- Flowers that are single or semi-double typically produce more seeds than intricate double varieties.
- If you can’t plant straight away, store in a cool, dry place.
- It’s possible that the seeds you collect from a single tree peony specimen that’s not close to any other tree peonies won’t grow.
We have grown some of the lovely tree and herbaceous peonies from seed. Although we claim ownership of these Peony Heaven hybrids, we are really simply stealing the bees’ and the wind’s thunder!
Unnamed and brand-new Peony Heaven tree peony. 2011 marked the first year that bloomed.
We have raised herbaceous peony from seed for many years. Our open-pollinated seeds have produced some lovely new plants because we have a sizable collection of cultivars from numerous different species of herbaceous peony. View a few of our favorites from the test garden in the gallery below.