Of all our favorite garden flowers, the peony is perhaps taken the most for granted. This is because it is so common and grows for years and years without care and attention.
Yet it is one of the most desirable perennials and has much to recommend.
It is extremely hardy and practically free of diseases and pests. It also blooms without being disturbed for years, provides good-cut flowers, grows easily, is permanent, and is available in various forms and colors.
Ideal Soil Conditions For Peonies
Peonies grow well in a wide variety of soils.
A slightly acid one is best, but if it is too acid, add lime at the rate of five pounds per 100 square feet several weeks before planting time.
For general purposes, rich, friable soil is desired. If it is sandy, add plenty of organic matter to improve it.
Likewise, clayey soil will need organic material to make it lighter and improve its drainage.
To get the soil ready for planting, dig it to a depth of 12” to 18” inches and add well-rotted manure, peat moss, or leaf mold.
Peonies respond to old manure, but it must be well decomposed.
Superphosphate, which is always recommended for bulbs and plants with tuberous and fleshy roots, should also be mixed in at three pounds per 100 square feet.
Tips On Planting
Peonies do best in full sun. However, they will flower in partial shade though not so well.
If possible, select a spot protected from strong winds. When setting plants, place them so that the crown from which the buds arise is 1″ to 2″ inches below the soil’s surface.
This is extremely important as deep planting is one of the most common reasons healthy peony plants do not bloom.
Since peonies do not like to be disturbed, find a place where they cannot be moved.
Plants may be left undisturbed for as long as 20 years. Some gardeners have had blooming plants in the same spot for more than 40 years!
Once planted, peonies do not require much care. Feed them once a year with balanced chemical fertilizer, such as 4-12-4 or 5-10-5.
This may be applied at four pounds for every 100 square feet in the early spring when plants are about 8″ inches tall.
What about planting time? This is very important with peonies and needs to be stressed.
FaIl is peony planting and dividing time—from September to November or until the ground freezes.
It is best not to wait too long since the sooner they are planted, the more time your peonies will have to establish well before the ground freezes.
Since peony blooms are large and heavy, the plants need staking. Otherwise, their heads will bend to the ground after heavy rains and strong winds.
It is advisable to stake early, but just before the buds break is not too late.
The commonly used circular wire rings are excellent, as they permit plants to maintain their natural and graceful shapes.
Common Peony Problems
Gardeners are often troubled with ants which crawl over the buds as they begin to open.
These do not eat the buds but simply feed on the sweet syrup that the buds give off.
A strong solution of nicotine sulfate or chlordane will take care of them.
Speaking of diseases, the most troublesome is botrytis blight.
To control, cut, and burn all leaves in the fall and spray plants with Bordeaux mixture in the spring, starting when they are 18” inches tall.
Do this every 10 days until flowering time.
Reasons Why Peonies Fail to Bloom
An often asked question is to explain why peonies fail to bloom.
One of the common reasons is that already given: they are probably planted too deep. If that is the case, lift plants and reset them as directed.
Other failures to bloom may be due to too much shade, lack of food, insufficient moisture, frequent dividing, and diseases.
Also, do not cut away foliage after the flowering is over. Leaves are needed for good root growth and the formation of next year’s flower buds.
Peony Varieties To Consider
There are several distinct types of peonies. They are:
- Single
- Japanese
- Anemone
- Double
The single has five or more petals, with showy, fertile stamens in the center.
The Japanese are similar, having a single row of large petals, but the enlarged stamens have little or no pollen.
The anemone resembles the Japanese except for the enlarged petallike stamens, which bear no pollen.
The double kinds, with the many petals that make them look like large roses, are the most familiar and loved of all.
Double Peony Varieties
The beginner can well start with time-tested double varieties. These have proved their worth over the years, and one can’t go wrong with them.
Among the white are:
- Festiva Maxima
- Duchess Willard
- Baroness Schroeder
Excellent pinks are:
- Sarah Bernhardt
- Mons. Jules Elie
For the reds, try:
- Mary Brand
- Felix Crousse
But some newer sorts and gardeners have some of the others might consider, including:
- Nimbus and White Beauty; double white
- Walter Faxon, Myrtle Gentry, and Mrs. F. D. Roosevelt; double pink
- Richard Carvel, Cleopatra, and Louis Joliet; double red
Yellow-Flowering Peonies
Do you know that there are yellow-flowering peonies too?
These are species with pale, lemon-yellow, single flowers that appear early with the tall May tulips.
They are known as the Caucasian and Persian peony, respectively, and if you like something unusual, they are worth a try.
They are not showy like the other herbaceous types, but they are good to add to collections.
44659 by George Taloumis