Planting, Growing and Caring for Peony Flower

 

PEONIES

ABOUT PEONIES

As spring arrives we turn our attention to the flower garden and one of the first flowers we notice coming to life in the spring is the PEONY

Modern plant development has recently given us some new choices between the bush and the tree form creating new color variations is also of interest to peony breeders.

Peonies originate from mountainous areas in Asia, China, and Japan.

There are about 13 different species of peonies, and underneath that, there are about 27 subspecies and through hybridizing 7,500 different registered peony names. Through hybridizers seeing corals,  yellow, and purple are the colors never seen before.

Type of Peony Bloom

There are basically five different bloom types:

        Single. Single has a stiffer stem and does not have much fragrance; the flower may not last long.

          Japanese bloom has an outer guard petal with a little tuft of different colors in the middle.

       Semi-Double  They have five to seven outer guard petals. Carpels, Stamens, and  Staminodes are all the good stuff.

      Double Most of us is probably familiar with doubles those are the ones that provide more fragrance.

        Bomb The bomb doubles are huge they have a large ball in the middle with one outer guard petal.

Ants love peony buds for their sweet stuff prior to opening.

Types of Peony Plants 

Tree peony

A tree peony has a woody stem that does not die back to the ground. They grow 4 to 5 feet tall with huge blooms. They have up to 8’’ blooms.

Herbaceous Bush Peony

They are typically shorter in height and die back to the ground. Buds are held above the foliage. Many needs staking to prevent flopping.

Intersectional or ITOH Peonies

Intersectional peonies are a cross between bush and tree peonies. They start new each spring. 

Peonies-Where to grow?

Most peonies are able to tolerate below 40 degrees Celsius.

They are fully hardy and need no winter protection.

In the U.S., zone 2,3,4, and 5 are the ideal climate for peonies.

 Peonies-When to Bloom?

Peony bloom starts from spring to early summer. 

Peonies would have flowers for six to seven weeks. Bloom can bear hail storms and heavy winds and have a stiff stem. 

How to grow peony tubers?

The optimum time to sow peony tubers is in the fall. Before freezing, peony tubers need at least six weeks to become established in the ground. 

Pick a sunny location because peonies adore the sun. Make sure the hole is significantly larger, wider, and deeper than the tuber's size. 

Make nice room for the roots to start spreading by chopping up the soil. 

Compost and phosphate fertilizer should also be added, and the tuber should be buried 2 inches above the crown.

Give the tuber light mulch and avoid burying it too deeply. It can become very deep with heavy mulch.

Do not anticipate stunning blooms during the first spring. Poeny is given a few years to heavy blooms.

Peonies Care- To produce more flowers. 

In the early spring to early summer, peonies begin to blossom. 

They require an extremely sunny location with at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight every day. 

They require little maintenance. Ensure that there is sufficient space between them.

For healthy roots, the soil shouldn't be too dense.

If the bush has expanded significantly, it can be divided in August or September to give the roots time to establish before the cold weather arrives.

Poor drainage and dry soil could be the reason for poor blooming.

What should do to peonies in the fall?

Cut back Herbaceous peonies and Intersectional peonies in the fall. Peonies have a tendency to get fungal diseases like powdery mildew, and botrytis. 

They typically develop fungus when the weather starts to get really rainy and chilly at night.

 To solve this problem, remove the stems and leaves, only leave 2 to 3 inches of stems above the soil, and add some mulch to protect the roots. 

Mulch should not be piled high since peonies dislike having their roots buried too deeply. 

Fall is not the time to fertilize peonies.

Treat the peonies with a fungicide if you have fungal problems in the spring; it will benefit them for the remainder of the season.

Ants on Peonies- Is it bad?

Ants on peonies are a good thing because they help open up the buds.

Recommended Varieties

1. Butter Bowl Peony
2. Shirley Temple Peony
3. Karl Rosen Peony
4. Red Charm Peony
5. Raspberry Charm Peony
6. Coral Charm Peony
7. Duchess of Kent Peony

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