Iowa’s AMES — Peonies can live for up to 100 years if they are properly cared for. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists respond to inquiries on peony maintenance, including when and how to divide the plant.
When is the best time to transplant peonies?
The ideal month for peony transplants is September. Cut the peony stems at or just above ground level to start. Next, thoroughly excavate each plant’s perimeter and its base. Keep as much of the root system as you can.
Large peony clumps can be separated now if desired. Section off the clump using a sharp knife. A strong root system and three to five buds each division are ideal.
When transplanting, make sure the hole you dig can hold the peony’s whole root system. Put the division or plant in the hole with the buds 1-2 inches below the soil’s surface. Completely saturate the earth in the hole with water.
Is it necessary to periodically divide peonies?
It’s not necessary to divide peonies on a regular basis. Peonies can be left in the garden unattended for up to 50 years. Large peonies can be divided, though, if you want more plants.
When is the best time to divide peonies?
The ideal month to divide peonies is September. Peony plants can store enough food in their roots for the following year by the month of September. In addition, before winter arrives, the newly planted divisions have a few weeks to settle in at their new locations.
What is the proper way to divide peonies?
Cut the peony stems at or just above ground level to start. Dig the plants up with care, then wash or gently shake off the soil. Section off the clump using a sharp knife. Three to five buds (eyes) and a sound root system should be present in each region. It could take two or more years for divisions with fewer than three buds to blossom.
When planting, make a hole big enough to fit the peony’s root system. Put the peony in the hole with the buds 1-2 inches below the surface of the soil. (Plants may struggle to blossom if the buds are deeper than 2 inches.) As you backfill the hole, compact the soil around the plant as you fill it with soil. then thoroughly rinse. Peonies should be spaced 3 to 4 feet apart.
What is a good site for peonies?
The optimal conditions for peonies are full light and well-drained soil. Choose a planting place where there will be at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Avoid standing in the shade next to big trees and plants. Compost, sphagnum peat moss, or leaf mold used in significant volumes can typically improve poorly drained soils.
Peonies should be divided when?
Herbaceous peonies (Paeonia lactiflora), which are graceful and fragrant, add a charming touch to gardens in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 through 8. Peonies are one of the first perennials to bloom in the early summer, and you can divide them whenever they’re dormant. The optimum time to divide peonies is in the fall, when the plants have gone into dormancy, as working early-spring soils can be challenging in all of these zones due to residual winter cold. However, early spring is also a successful time to divide them.
How are peonies divided and transplanted?
Peonies can be left in the garden unattended for a long time. But on occasion, it’s important to relocate established plants. To improve flowering, move peonies that are sheltered by tall trees or shrubs to a sunny location. The peony may need to be relocated in order to redesign a perennial bed or border. Plants that are large and robust can be dug up and divided for further growth.
The ideal month for transplanting established peonies is September. Cut the peony stems at or just above ground level to start. Next, thoroughly excavate each plant’s perimeter and its base. Keep as much of the root system as you can. Replant the peony right away in a sunny, well-drained area.
Large peony clumps must be divided in a number different ways. Shake the clump carefully to remove any loose soil from the root system after you’ve dug up the plant. Section off the cluster using a big knife. Each division needs to establish a strong root system and at least three to five buds (eyes). Smaller divisions will take longer to mature into beautiful plants.
The optimal conditions for peonies are full light and well-drained soil. Choose an area that receives at least six to eight hours of direct sun each day when choosing a planting site. Avoid standing in the shade next to big trees and plants. Compost, peat moss, or leaf mold used in significant quantities can typically improve poorly drained soils.
When planting a peony, make sure the hole is big enough to fit the plant’s root system comfortably. With the buds one to two inches below the soil’s surface, place the peony plant in the hole. (Peonies frequently don’t bloom successfully if the buds are deeper than two inches.) As you backfill the hole, compact the soil around the plant as you fill it with soil. then thoroughly rinse. Peonies should be spaced three to four feet apart.
Apply a four to six inch layer of mulch over the newly planted peonies in the late fall (mid-November to early December). Pine needles and weed-free straw are great mulching materials. Mulching keeps the soil from repeatedly freezing and thawing in the winter, which could lift the plants out of the ground. Early in the spring, before growth starts, remove the mulch.
Peonies that were transplanted might not bloom well the first spring. However, by the third or fourth year, the number of flowers should increase quickly.
Planting Location
When planted in the appropriate spot with the suitable soil conditions, peonies are rather simple to grow.
The majority of cultivars thrive in zone 38 and favor a sunny location with good drainage.
In order to protect their plants from the heat of the noon sun, growers in hotter climes may wish to choose a position that receives some partial shade. Peonies will thrive in a sunny location all day in cooler climes.
Carefully choose the location where you will plant your peonies since roots may rot if they are placed in poorly draining soil. Raised beds can aid with drainage problems, and substantially altered clay soils are needed for good drainage in clay soils.
Soil Preparation
For every growing project, including producing peony, the quality of your soil is crucial. Spend the time necessary to ensure that the soil’s pH is close to neutral (6.0 to 7.0) and that nutrients and organic matter are dispersed throughout the soil column before you plant.
Although a professional soil test may seem intimidating, it is actually quite simple to obtain and will provide the finest information for improving your soil. Your local Cooperative Extension agency may evaluate the soil test results and offer guidance on how to supplement any nutrient deficits and how to modify the pH of the soil.
Here’s how to take a sample of soil:
Obtain a “slice” or boring of the soil profile from various locations inside your cutting garden using a clean trowel or shovel and a bucket.
To create a composite soil mix, thoroughly blend each boring in the bucket.
Take about 1 cup of dirt from the composite mix, put it in a bag, and send it to the lab.
Depending on the size of your peony cutting garden, it can be finished in under 30 minutes.
To test samples, there are many excellent soil labs accessible. After choosing a lab, make a plan to continue using it for all future soil samples; this will guarantee that your tests will be similar one year to the next. Most of the growers in our peony cooperative send their soil samples to Brookside Labs in Ohio since we have found them to be prompt, friendly, and reasonably priced.
Take your soil report to your neighborhood Cooperative Extension office for interpretation if you’re having trouble understanding the data when studying it.
They will evaluate the findings and provide you advice on the precise number of amendments required to increase your soil fertility. Before planting peonies (or any other flower or plant you choose to include! ), take the effort to improve the quality of your soil. Your future self will thank you for it.
When to Plant Peonies
The general practice for gardeners has been to order peonies in the spring and receive them in the fall, when planting season is. Depending on your growing zone, there is considerable leeway when it comes to planting time.
Warmer climate growers might wish to stay with fall planting because it enables the peony to establish itself during the winter before the summer’s strong heat sets in.
Many farmers have had success with planting peonies in the spring or the fall in milder climes. If you’re unsure, try planting in the spring and the fall; over time, the health of your plants will show you which is ideal for your microclimate.
Planting Depth & Peony SpacingHow to Plant Peonies
You’ve probably heard that when planting peonies, you shouldn’t plant them too deeply since you risk getting a lot of foliage instead of blooms. On the other hand, you shouldn’t put them too shallow either (or they may not survive winter).
Ideally, the root should be planted so that the “eyes” (or buds, which are found on the root at the base of each stem) are just 12 inches below the surface of the soil, giving them some protection without being buried too deeply.
A potted peony should be easy to put at soil level when being transplanted into the ground because it should already be planted at the right depth in the pot. With bare root peonies, it’s a little more difficult. Every root will appear different, and the eyes might not always be placed on the root as precisely as you might think.
Do your best to get the majority of the eyeballs in this situation at the proper level; mother nature will take over from there. Additionally, it’s critical to backfill the soil as needed around the peony roots to prevent air pockets from forming there, which could otherwise lead to rot from standing water or the plant sinking too far into the ground.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both techniques of planting peony; some gardeners choose to use single rows and others choose to use double rows. Double row plantings increase the yield from the available space, but they are likely to produce rows that are tightly packed and probably more susceptible to foliar disease because there is less air movement around the plants.
Depending on the width of the walkways between each row, peonies grown in single rows benefit from better ventilation but require less space overall.
Additionally, single row plantings may make it simpler to collect cut flowers because the entire plant can be reached from all cutting angles; yet, double row plantings have a fullness that is attractive to look at if you plan to have visitors to your cutting garden.
Plant peonies in a row with at least two feet between each plant because, although this seems like plenty of space, it becomes very close as the plants get older. When planted in two-foot increments, the green leaves of healthy peony will undoubtedly touch within the first few years of growth.
Consider spacing your peonies farther apart as available, and when growing in double rows, consider offsetting each plant to improve air circulation between plants. Raised beds should be at least three feet wide to allow room for roots to spread out throughout the growing area.
Irrigation for Peonies
Peony plants are quite vulnerable to some diseases, especially botrytis sp., which flourishes in conditions of poor airflow and heavy humidity.
Drip irrigation of your peony plants is therefore one of the best preventative steps you can take against foliar disease.
Numerous farmers are unfamiliar with the concept of establishing irrigation, but there are many readily available, inexpensive, and user-friendly systems that may be rapidly installed and endure for many years. The time you invest in implementing drip irrigation will pay off later on in terms of time saved and potential disease mitigation.
Use irrigation line with pressure compensating emitters if you are watering on a slope to ensure that your plants receive an even distribution of water. If you’re on level ground, simple drip tape may be bought for a very low price and, although being thin, may last for several seasons if holes are patched every spring.
Our peony cooperative’s farms get their irrigation equipment in large part from Dripworks. For smaller growers, Dripworks also offers a variety of pre-made kits and can offer guidance on an irrigation plan tailored to your growing setup.
Young Peony Plants: Years 13
A peony cutting garden takes time to grow, and the plants must be given time to stabilize before being harvested. Within the first three years, it is typical for a peony plant to flower very infrequently or not at all.
The plant may benefit from having time for root growth rather than the formation of flower buds, which are theoretically for reproduction, notwithstanding how disappointing this is to the grower. In an effort to promote the strong development of the roots, many seasoned growers would remove all the buds from their plants during the first few years of growth.
Having said that, there is a case to be made for allowing one blossom to open on each young plant to ensure that the root you received is the same cultivar as the one you ordered from the seller (if not, make sure to let the root supplier know so they can correct the issue).
Mature Peony Plants: Years 4+
Many growers say that their peony plants truly take off in the fourth year of growth. It’s an exciting time because the plants are now showing the attention that has been given to them.
Once planted, peony plants are typically simple to manage; just keep in mind to carry out the following essential tasks each season:
Instead of assuming, work amendments into the soil as the soil analysis suggests.
Maintain weed-free and well-watered peonies (note: although they do not like to have their roots in standing water, peonies do need to be watered thoroughly and regularly).
What’s up with ants on Peonies?
People frequently inquire about the connection between ants and peonies at our peony cooperative. In reality, ants visit closed peony buds to gather the nectar that oozes out of the peony bud’s exterior, just like bees do. Although the nectar provides the insects that collect it with carbohydrates, peonies can blossom on their own without the help of ants or any other kind of insect.
Which peony cultivars are right for my area?
How can a grower know which of the numerous lovely peony cultivars available are ideal for harvesting? In a nutshell, it necessitates investigation and testing.
Look for cultivars that grow tall, have strong stems, and may already be recognized for producing cut flowers. Plant features are typically indicated on the websites of root producers.
Double form peonies are suitable for beginning gardeners since they typically produce consistent blooms both on the plant and in the vase.
Planting a variety of bloom types and cultivars of peonies might be a wise move because some peonies are a little more temperamental or delicate than others.
Early flowering types may be preferred by growers in warm locations so that the crop is finished before the summer’s extreme heat sets in. Growers can experiment with a combination of early, mid, and late blooming cultivars in cool areas for a prolonged harvest season.
Our peony cooperative’s eleven member farms collaborated this winter to create a guide that lists the peonies that have served us best throughout the years. The guide specifically highlights 24 cultivars that reliably yield a large number of harvestable stems, can attain the required stem length required to meet USDA criteria for commercial stem production, and are the kinds that florists have told us they enjoy.
In addition, we provide advice on harvesting, cooler storage, and vase life as well as descriptions of bloom size, color, and form. The Passionate For Peonies Guide is available for free download, and we hope it will serve as an invaluable resource as you try to create your very own peony cutting garden.
Where can I buy roots?
Depending on the size of your cutting garden, there are various possibilities for buying peony roots.
Peony roots are widely available online and at nearby greenhouses for a compact and varied peony collection. This is a great approach to uncover roots that are not typically supplied by wholesale root merchants because these enterprises frequently have outstanding variety, including new arrivals.
Our peony cooperative frequently receives calls and emails from growers looking to buy roots, which we do not sell. Nevertheless, we are happy to recommend our preferred retail vendors, particularly those companies that have large collections of high-quality rootstock and offer excellent and prompt customer service.
Here is a list of our preferred retail partners. Aside: After the spring planting rush has subsided, many retail plant nurseries will offer discounts on their perennials, so now could be the ideal time to find locally grown potted peonies in your area.
A sizable peony cutting garden enables the producer to take advantage of greatly reduced wholesale root prices.
Depending on the size of root bought, wholesale peony roots are offered by the crate, which typically holds roughly 5060 bare roots.
In Alaska, we deal with wholesalers like Oregon Perennial Company, DeVroomen Garden Products, and Peony Shop Holland, to name a few, who are prepared to negotiate the convoluted logistical process needed to deliver high-quality roots to the far north.
You may probably locate a wide variety of wholesale growers who are willing to ship to your location if you are a grower in the lower 48 states.