Herbaceous paeonies are the only bloom that truly reflects the gentleness of the early summer. They are robust and gorgeous at every stage, providing years of enjoyment. With careful selection, you may keep peonies in bloom for at least 4 to 5 weeks until their lavish coppery foliage takes over. The idea that they cannot be relocated is a complete misconception. Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist who was in awe of this potent panacea, maintained this urban legend that dates back to the first century AD. The Ancients, who were dazzled by the peony’s magical abilities, didn’t want to abuse them and face the repercussions thus they named the plant after Paeon, the gods’ physician.
Variety guide
The May-flowering cottage garden peonies (types of Paeonia officinalis), which had ephemeral flowers that dropped their petals within days, fading as they went, are a good example of the need of choosing good varieties. Choose the options indicated here rather than these “short times.” There are early, mid, and late kinds of these that will offer you at least three weeks of flowering. Any variant with a solitary flower will bloom earlier and be more tolerant of the shadow.
A fragrant Chinese species known as Paeonia lactiflora was imported into Europe around the end of the 18th century. French nurserymen recognized the potential right away and started breeding, providing numerous cut flowers to Paris’ magnificent residences. Because of this, several of our greatest peonies have 150-year-old French names. Particularly when it comes to softer pinks, creamy whites, and deeper pinks, these industry veterans continue to be the best. They have shown to be durable and garden-worthy by persisting for such a long time.
Without the lemon-scented, light cream “Duchesse de Nemours,” created by Calot in 1856, no garden is complete. The yellow tint of the globular flowers softens them in the garden environment. Moreover, the foliage is greener than usual. One of the best three herbaceous peonies in the entire world, I believe. ‘Festiva Maxima’ (Miellez 1851) is another excellent cultivar with buds that open pale pink, suffuse to creamy white, and display an annual variation in the strength of a red flash. Additionally, it has a robust stem and is aromatic.
Because they were developed in China (and Japan), two countries where summer rainfall occurs in large spurts, these big-headed peony can withstand summer rain. Strong plant supports are recommended, or you can use canes and string when the blooms are fully opened because they will swoon when they get wet. By the time the stems are 30 cm tall, both should be in position. The totally double apple-blossom pink peony “Sarah Bernhardt” (Lemoine 1906) needs to be staked to keep the petals from flopping. Despite still being widely grown and valued, it has weak stems.
‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ (Crousse 1888) features a rose-pink cup full of divided petals in the same rose-pink if you prefer your peonies less full and hefty than the Japanese do. Hoogendoorn developed the Dutch variety “Bowl of Beauty” in 1949; it features a fuchsia-pink cup with creamy thin petals inside. The complete blush-white variety “Shirley Temple” (breeder unknown) falls in between full French doubles and petal-filled cups.
In contrast to the conventional French pinks and creams, American breeders wanted more vibrant colors. They crossed the earlier flowering P. officinalis cottage garden peony with another variety to produce a deep red. “Buckeye Belle” is the greatest of all (bred by Walter Mains of Ohio in 1956). It contributes to extending the peony season by blooming two weeks earlier than the lactiflora hybrids. The mahogany-red inner petals of the semi-double red flowers contain a tint of black, which makes the golden boss of stamens glow. The phrase “Buckeye Belle” gained notoriety in 2009 at Chelsea through to Luciano Giubbilei’s usage of it in his renowned Laurent-Perrier Garden, designed by Crocus. In the garden, he pairs beautifully with smokey fennel (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’). Buckeye Belle, a slow fuse plant, received the Award of Landscape Merit in 2009 and the American Peony Society Gold Medal in 2010.
‘Coral Charm’ (Wissing 1964), another American breeding innovation, glows from peach to a sunset orange. It was developed using the red P. peregrina cultivar “Otto Froebel,” and it clashes with the more conventional pink, cream, crimson, and deep-pink peonies. It prefers a warmer environment as well and can be planted with blues like Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’ or with a swath of Carex testacea, a sedge with fine-tined, honey-colored leaves.
Perfect partners
Because both have early-year foliage that is copper-red, peonies and roses go well together. Rose and peony borders benefit greatly from the fragrant, lily-flowered tulip ‘Ballerina’. This well-liked tulip has warm-orange flowers that bloom in late April when the peony and rose foliage is still new and vivid. The reddish pink peony “Karl Rosenfield” contrasts beautifully with the bluest rose of all, “Rhapsody in Blue,” especially when combined with Nepeta “Six Hills Giant.”
The light-pink “Bonica” rose could be another healthy rose mate. Even though it barely grows to a height of slightly more than 3′ (up to 1m), it is one of the best roses for poorer soils. You can plant the pillar rose “Aloha” on a tripod or the 2013 Rose of the Year, “You’re Beautiful,” which is clean and bushy with gorgeous sugar-pink blossoms. This rose has large petals and will bloom all summer and into the fall. Its salmon-pink overtones will wonderfully contrast with the bronzed leaves.
Growing guide
Peonies should be moved in October, when dormancy is only starting. Replanting the hefty tubers at 5 cm beneath the surface of the soil is the key to success. Any further and they will mope around forever. Peonies can also be divided in October, but larger clumps can produce up to 40 flowers if left unattended. Although it will offer you more plants, division is not required.
These extremely hardy perennials do best in fertile soil that holds moisture and can withstand freezing winters. Additionally, they benefit from a feed, and Vitax Q4 pellets are great for peony and many other plants. Vitax Q4 should be given in April to moist soil if at all possible. When planting organic matter, such as well-rotted compost, if your garden is on lighter soil, add it. After feeding, immediately cover damp soil with bark, but never cover dry soil. Like all tuberous plants, peonies detest wintertime soil that is too wet or heavy. Trim the stems as they wilt in the autumn and remove any wilted leaves you spot along the way. Peonies favor strong illumination.
Propagation
Before splitting up huge clumps, wait until the autumn foliage has died back. Lift the plant, chop through the roots with a clean, sharp knife, and check that each area of the crown has at least four or five dormant buds. After the plant has been out of the ground for a few hours, it may be simpler to work with. After applying a fungicidal powder to the wounds, plant the divisions’ buds 5 cm below the soil’s surface.
Pests and diseases
There are a several illnesses that could harm your peonies, but peony blight is the most prevalent of them all. This normally occurs more frequently in damp weather and results in the top growth turning dark brown and wilting. By using a proper fungicide or by making sure that any infected growth is quickly removed and dead foliage is removed in the fall, it is readily handled.
When can peony be divided?
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.
How are peony divided and replanted?
You must thin out peonies every 10 to 15 years to prevent the plants from becoming too crowded and suffocating one another. Other justifications for transplanting a peony include moving and the desire to bring portion of the plant with you. Or perhaps you want to give a gardening friend a peony. Early fall is the ideal time of year for transplanting and dividing peonies. This is the procedure.
- Trim leafy stems to 2 to 3 inches tall, close to the ground.
- Under the peony clump, dig with a sharp shovel. About a foot away from the stems, start digging. Try to cut as few roots as you can while digging around and beneath plants.
- Lift the peony clump from the hole after loosening the soil. Put it over a tarp. Shake the peony plant gently to allow soil to drift away from the roots.
- The peony roots should be divided into parts or divisions using your hands. There should be three to five eyeballs, or growth points, in each division. The areas on the roots known as eyes are where stems and leaves are produced.
- To reduce the likelihood of root rot after planting, let the root portions dry out and callus, or form a hard layer. This will require several days.
- Replant as previously advised.
- Don’t count on your peony to bloom the year after you move it because peonies detest being moved.
What happens if peonies aren’t pruned back?
In the winter, you don’t really need to do anything to or for your herbaceous bush peony plants. However, if you discover that you neglected to remove the stems in the fall, you still have time to do so.
Herbaceous (bush) peony, such as the intersectional Itoh peonies, eventually lose their leaves and stems when the plants hibernate for the winter. The stems will tumble to the ground and turn “mushy,” and the leaves will begin to decay. That is normal. The plant’s roots are not perishing; instead, new shoots and stems will appear in the spring. People may panic and believe their peony has perished, but this is simply the bush peony’s natural development cycle.
Be careful not to cut any exposed peony ‘eyes,’ which are typically pink or crimson buds and serve as the stems for the following year, while cutting off peony stems that are close to the ground. Put the stems and leaves in the trash after disposal. Peony stems and leaves shouldn’t be composted since they can harbor botrytis, a fungal disease, especially in moist environments. Each peony plant’s surrounding area should be cleaned up.
Most places don’t require mulching peonies. If you mulch your herbaceous bush peony plants, make sure to take it off in the early spring to avoid burying the roots too far. Years of mulching or applying bark dust around bush peony will eventually cause the roots to be buried too deeply, which could lead to fewer spring blooms. Just an inch or two of soil should remain above the roots of herbaceous bush peony after you remove that.
Additionally, it is normal for a mature peony’s crown to gradually heave up through the ground and display some exposed “eyes” in the winter. Don’t worry, peony plants enjoy the harsh winters.
Tree peony leaves must be removed from the ground and branches when they start to degrade. A tree peony’s branches are left hanging, barren and naked for the winter, rather of being chopped down in the fall. Don’t worry too much if you or a helper cuts a tree peony down to the ground and you panic or feel dejected. It’s likely that the roots have grown deeply enough to support spring branch growth. It might grow into a magnificent, revitalized tree peony in two or three years. I’ve seen it happen, so I know. In contrast to bush peony, tree peonies prefer more soil on top of the roots. Try adding a few inches of soil around the base of the trunk of a tree peony if it has lost its vigor. Yes, it is exactly the reverse of what is suggested for bush peony.
You can go outside again after the snow melts and it’s nice out to work on any “lost” stems.
Do peonies need to be divided?
A: According to my neighbor, peonies should be divided in the fall. Could this be true? Do I need to divide any more perennials at this point? Patricia branchburg, new jersey, christian
A: September is by far the finest month for dividing or moving peonies in your area and in zones 4 to 7, as well as for many other perennials. Although September technically falls closer into the late summer than the fall season, your neighbor is on the right track. Simply don’t procrastinate: All types of newly divided perennials require at least 4 weeks of growth. Even preferable is 6 weeks before the very harsh frosts start.
Perennials are typically divided in the spring, but waiting until after Labor Day, regardless of your climate zone, has significant benefits for many species. The window of opportunity is small: there are just a few weeks between when the plants sprout and before they reach taller than 2 or 3 inches. This is especially true in the spring when there are many other garden jobs competing for our attention. You have four to six weeks to do the work in the late summer and fall when there is less demand. The fact that you’ll obtain less flowers throughout that season is the most convincing argument against spring division. (Fall-flowering plants that are exceptions to this rule, such asters and chrysanthemums, are best divided in the spring so they have time to recover before blooming.) Take daylilies as an illustration. These perennials are so resilient that you can relocate them whenever the ground is not frozen; eventually, they will recover. However, seasoned gardeners strongly advise against transplanting and dividing plants in the spring. Digging up daylilies then will invariably reduce the number of flowers that bloom over the summer, no matter how early in the spring you start the process. Waiting until the end of summer, when blooming is complete and the temperature starts to decrease a little, gives the new divisions the maximum amount of time to grow new roots, leaves, and eventually flower stalks the following season.
In this sense, peonies differ slightly from the majority of perennials. Similar to Oriental poppies or Siberian irises, they rarely need to be divided; however, late summer or early fall is the perfect time to divide a mature plant into many younger ones or transfer an existing plant. The growth of peonies divided in the spring is quite low. Therefore, trim back the foliage and dig up the plants four to six weeks before the first harsh frost, when the leaves start to look ragged. You can observe projecting dormant buds (known as “eyes”) on the fleshy crown that will grow into crimson shoots in the spring. (The longer the leaves can carry energy to the roots, the more powerful these eyes will be. This is why you should wait until the leaves start to fall off.) Cut the roots into portions with at least three distinct eyes using a sharp knife. Each division should be placed in its new location with its eyes upward and no deeper than 2 inches from the ground. (Peonies planted too deeply will still grow, but their blooms will be subpar or nonexistent.) These three-eye divisions might need two years to get big enough to bloom once more. The plants will grow bigger plants and blossoms sooner if the roots are divided into larger portions. Other perennials range between the hardiness of daylilies and the fussiness of peonies on the scale of ease of division. However, at the end of the season, when the soil is warm, wet, and the sun is less intense, almost anything can be divided because these conditions are ideal for new root growth.
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