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2021 May

PEONY TIPS & TRICKS FOR MAINTENANCE

Light Requirements. Herbaceous: Full Sun / Tree: Dappled Light

Fertilizer 1/4 C NPK 5-10-5 worked in a ring AROUND the crown when Foliage is one foot high. Rose Fertilizer, Bone Meal, Compost, Fish Emulsion. High Nitrogen only creates leaf growth. Best times to Fertilize: Spring with shoot emergence, After bloom, After Fall cleanup.Tree Peonies benefit from Iron Sulfate (Espoma Iron Tone)

Mulch but be careful not to add a thick layer as this increases the planting depth and reducing bloom.

Well Drained Soil They do NOT like wet feet, becoming waterlogged or watered by a daily sprinkler. Planting annuals or plants that need daily watering near them is not a good idea.
Dividing Peonies late August through early October to allow for some root growth. You CAN move a peony during the growing season realizing it may be 1-2 years before it blooms. Division of a peony will need 3-5 ‘eyes’ to be planted. Do not just dig up and totally move it to another area. It needs to be split. NOTE: Peony ‘eyes’ must not be buried more than one inch below the ground surface. Staking with chicken wire, fencing, frames if needed.

Disbudding Herbaceous peonies in early spring in an effort to maintain one strong main bud.

ANTS are NOT needed to open the buds of peonies. Dunk flowers in water to remove ants. Gently knock peonies upside down against lawn chair to remove ants.Cutting peonies, leave 3 sets of leaves. Cut stems in the vase everyday for flowers to last longer. Pick buds the size and softness of marshmallows for longest lasting flower bloom.

Cutting back in Fall. Cut after fall has killed leaves clipping stems as close to ground as possible. Gather plant debris and place in trash.

Storing Peonies in refrigeration can last up to three weeks. Place ‘marshmallow’ stems in dry plastic bags and tie stem tightly to maintain moisture. Wrap with ‘bouquet’ with newspaper for protection.

Dry Peonies by cutting when partially opened, remove foliage and hang upside down in dry, dark area.

Diseases: Botrytis Blight, Red Blotch (measles) and Powdery Mildew

TYPES OF PEONIES

Peonies that DO NOT NEED staking:

Mandarins Coat,

Dandy Dan,

Paula Fay,

Green Halo,

Friendship Illini Warrior,

Bowl of Beauty,

Miss Congeniality

Most Fragrant Peonies:

Eden’s Perfume (soft pink),

Duchesse de Nemours (white),

Madame Calot (soft pink),

Philomele (lavender pink),

Moonstone (white, strong stem),

Myrtle Gentry (soft shell pink),

Cora Stubbs (raspberry pink),

Henry Bockstoce (red),

Festiva Maxima (white with flecks of red), Hermione (pink)

Gansu Tree Peony - with purple flare

Paeonia Rockii, Shimane Chojuraku

Lutea Tree Peony:

Kinkaku Lutea (yellow),

Black Pirate Lutea (red)

P.ltenuifolia Herbaceous Fern Leaf Peony small, red

Coral Herbaceous Coral Sunset

True Red Herbaceous Mackinaw Grand

Intersectional Itoh Bartzella (yellow)

NOW IS THE TIME TO SAVE SOME OF YOUR PEONY FLOWERS

Storing Peonies in refrigeration can last up to three months.

Place the soft “marshmallow” buds with full stems on newspaper and wrap each stem with the leaves still on them

Then put the wrapped stems in a paper bag and tie tightly so maintain their moisture. and place in your refrigerator (do not let them freeze in your refrigerator)

Storing Peonies in refrigeration can last up to three months.

When you are ready to enjoy your blooms take them out unwrap and give the stems a fresh cut of a few inches and place in water. So you can enjoy them in JULY AND AUGUST.