FALL IS THE TIME TO PLANT PEONIES

The cooler days of early fall is the best time of year to plant peonies.
Peonies are long lived perennials and so it is worth the effort to prepare the site well before you plant.
Peonies prefer a sunny, well-dranied site. Dig a hole larger than the root and amend the soil with compost or bonemeal.
The crown buds of herbaceous peonies should be no more than 2 inches below the surface of the soil. If planted too deep, they may not flower for several years. If you mulch your garden, do not put mulch over the crown.
Once your peonies are mature, it is a good idea to cut the foliage off in mid-September/October and remove it from the garden to prevent the spreading of any disease or fungus.
I am embarrassed to admit that I do little to deserve the beautiful peonies that grow in my garden. A generous helping of mulch and an application standard fertilizer seems to prompt repayment well beyond what is owed for such a minimal amount of effort.
I don't even stake the big floppy blooms. When they droop with the weight of early summer rains, I ruthlessly cut them instead. I bring the flowers inside, fill many wide mouthed vases and shamelessly enjoy the very subtle fragrance drifts up from each cluster of flowers.
Three Dogs in a Garden
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Maria Celeste Ribeiro Maria Celeste Ribeiro on Oct 07, 2015
    Beautiful!!!
  • Gcirelli65 Gcirelli65 on Apr 23, 2016
    I have peonies for years that never get any flowers just pretty green stalkss
    • Three Dogs in a Garden Three Dogs in a Garden on Apr 24, 2016
      Several things could be going wrong. Before you try anything drastic, I'd give them a good to dressing of some compost. Perhaps all they need is a good feed. If that doesn't work, I'd move them in the fall. They need full sun to bloom well. Also be careful not to plant them too deep. See my hints in the post about planting peonies.
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