Peonies are just as popular today as they were m our great-grandmother’s day. Their continued esteem by gardeners is easy to understand when we consider the following:
- The beauty of their flowers
- The fragrance possessed by many varieties
- Their good foliage
- Their performance when properly planted
Soil Preparation
Given their sterling, long-lasting qualities, peonies pay extra attention to site selection and soil preparation.
Select, if possible, a location in the full sun well away from the competition of tree and shrub roots.
Adequate under-drainage of the soil is essential. Prepare for planting by digging a hole 2’ feet wide and 1’ feet deep.
Spread 2” or 3” inches of rotted manure, compost, or peat moss in the bottom and fork it into the subsoil.
Mixing Pulverized Limestone
If peat moss is used, mix pulverized limestone with it, 1/2 pound to a bushel. Tramp the loosely tied soil firmly, and mix 1/2 pound bone: a meal with the excavated soil.
Put enough of it in the hole, and tramp down so that when the root is placed on it, the growth buds or eyes at the top of the root are 2” inches below the finished grade.
(The object of all this tramping is to prevent the root from sinking as the soil settles.)
Then pack the soil firmly in between and over the roots, barely covering the buds, pour in a pailful of water, and, when it has drained, fill in the remaining soil.
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