A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Peony questions...

I finally bought my first peony I know I'm pushing it with my zone but I do see some people with peonies in their yard here so I'll plant it in the warmest spot tucked into the back of my house, where it'll get lots of sun...and good winter protection.

The tag says "Paeonia~Gay Paree honestly thats what it says."~shows a pink flower with a cream colored center.

I have no clue how big it gets or what to do to even plant it, so I'm looking for some help. Can anyone throw me some tips and tricks? thanks

A deep hole with a lot of good composted (rotted) manure. and a high phosphorus fert. If you can give it a rest before planting for a few days is best. Then set the plant with the 'eyes' no deeper than 2 inches below the soil line. If they are deeper they won't bloom.
Mulch after the ground has frozen. My mother in Chicago said to lay the cut tops over the crowns. In your zone maybe mulch even more than that. They need winter chill. So they won't grow here. But tree peonies will.
They may not bloom the first year but should every year after. Fertilize after blooming and again in fall.

Hmm, the plant was in a 1 gallon pot, so do I plant it level with the pot? Maybe I'll dig down to see where the 'eyes' are to see how deep it is already. It had already bloomed Tina..that's why the store sold it half price, I laughed over that because usually I will cut the blooms off a new plant the first year anyway to help the roots grow.

Thanks Tina , now the funny part, I own a farm but will have to go buy a bag of manure no old stuff left, DH spread it all on the hay fields.

Now that is sad, Tamara.
You got it, dig down to see where the growing eyes are. But gently. The least you can disturb those potted roots the more likely you are to cintinue to get blooms next year.
Great job on half price!

Ya the peony is already 2 and 1/2 ft tall and I only paid $7.

Plant it the same level it is in the pot . Just turn the pot over an kind of dump it.

sounds good. What color is it?

b

All planted...

Its pink with a cream center, borrowing a pic of it from someone to show ...

..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3331/3559035816_b2f967f890.jpg

Purty!.
On the depth, 2 inches deep is for the colder climates. One inch for milder climates and for nursery growing where they can control the temperatures. So this is one where Tamara may not want to plant at the same depth as it was in the nursery pot.

Maybe she can look it up on her zone map.

My zone is 3B and most peonies are for zone 5 so I am pushing it, I planted it 2 inches deeper.

It will probably die then, Tamara. Even if it lives, too deep means no flowers, ever. It is much better to raise back to the 2 inches and then mulch heavily in the winter. Pull the mulch off as early as you can in spring.
I had peonies in Rochester, NY. That is less than zone 5.

Oh Tamara--such a pretty peony. yep--do as Tina suggests-----I would love to see yo uhave a peopny live.
I have none here and it is likley that I will not ever---so
fix her up...I wanna a peony----I wil live vicariousl;y thru you on this.....

herbaceous and Itoh peonies are hardy throughout most of Canada while tree peonies are hardy to zone 5 and possibly zone 4, with protection.

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How to Grow Peonies
A little care goes a long way ...

The better the growing conditions the healthier the plant and the better the flowering performance.





When to Plant Where to Plant How to Plant Maintenance

When to Plant

Peony growers dig their peonies in the fall and this is definitely the best time of year to plant them in your garden!

A peony planted in the early fall will have the opportunity to put out a good number of feeder roots before the following spring. I've noticed in my garden that fall planted divisions that have had several weeks of growing time before the ground freezes, do better the following year than those that have had less time to develop new roots. This is particularly important if the spring is hot and dry.



Peonies can however be planted right up until the ground freezes if necessary.



A word on spring planting….peonies purchased in the spring more than likely have been held over winter in cold chambers. Planting them in the spring without letting them have the benefit of fall feeder root growth puts the plants under severe stress. Peonies being the tough plants they are will usually recover, however they have suffered a set back and will likely not establish as quickly as those planted in the fall.

A few garden centres will pot up peonies in the fall for sale the following spring. Though containers are not ideal growing environments for the bulky roots of peonies, at least they have had the opportunity to put out some feeder roots in the fall. This is not the case for those peonies potted up in late winter or early spring.

If you are buying peonies from a garden centre, ask a) what size of plant is in the container i.e. a 2-3 eye or a 3-5 eye division for herbaceous and Itoh peonies and 1, 2, 3 or 4 year old plant in the case of a tree peony and b) when was it planted i.e. last fall or recently. Plant containerized plants as soon as you can get them into the ground.



Cooperate with nature and plant peonies in the fall!



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Where to Plant

Herbaceous and Itoh peonies generally prefer cooler climates and are easily grown from USDA Hardiness zone 3 through 8. Gardeners in zone 2 and 9 however have reported success with some peonies.

In general, herbaceous and intersectional peonies require a sunny, well drained location. They will however accept, and perhaps benefit, from some light shade in areas that have very hot dry summers. In my area, Southern Québec, the rule of thumb is that 6 hours of direct sunlight a day will ensure maximum flower production.

Tree peonies have a slightly different growing range. They can be grown in USDA Hardiness zones 4 through 8 or 9 but require winter protection in zones 4 and 5 to bloom reliably. Tree peonies will also support more shade. Deep shade however will reduce flower production. The best shade is that provided by a high, light foliage canopy.

At our farm most of the peonies are grown in full sun with no shade whatsoever. We do however have peonies growing on the eastern side of the house. These peonies are in full sun only until the early afternoon and they perform as well as those in the field.



Standing water is the number one enemy of a peony!



If water is allowed to stand on the crown or around the roots, rot quickly sets in and the plant declines and can actually die. Peonies, like roses, are heavy feeders and enjoy a heavy fertile soil. They do well in heavy soils however the trick is to ensure that drainage is impeccable.



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How to Plant

Peonies are heavy feeders and do not appreciate being moved so it is important to ensure they are planted in good, fertile soil. If the soil needs to be amended it is best to use compost or very well rotted manure. Fresh manure is reputed to burn the plant and spread pathogens.

If you are opening up a new area for planting consider having soil tested for pH and nutrient levels before planting. I believe peonies prefer a pH of between neutral and slightly acidic (pH 6.0 to 7.0) but they seem to tolerate a wide variation. The soil testing facility will usually make recommendations as to fertilizer requirements to correct any imbalances. Though soil testing is not a necessity, it can be useful to know your exact growing conditions, not just for peonies, but for all your plants.

Herbaceous and Itoh Peonies
The bare root division should be planted in a hole sufficiently deep that the highest crown bud is about 5 cm (two inches) below the surface.

Planting too deeply will frequently prevent the plant from flowering. A too shallow planting puts the buds at risk of mechanical or winter damage.





Once planted the addition of organic mulch will help retain moisture in the soil as well as keeping down the weeds. It is important however not to put the mulch directly on the crown. Wet mulch on the crown can cause crown rot.

They are sold here but when I bought mine, I have 2, I was told they probably wouldn't produce flowers because of our heat BUT they do. I get lots of flowers since the first year. They don't last long though so I'm not planning on anymore.

Tina..I'm gonna give it a good try and hope for the best, I have successfully grown a zone 5 and 6 plant here..

Why do you not have one?


Thanks Dodge for all the info

Sheri, it seems we always want the plant that doesn't want our zone

well I dont have one because Rod is pretty well at his saturation point---HE cuts the grass and he will only do so much trimming.
so, since I will not cut nore trim the grass--no peony for carol.

That explains it

I say go for it. You never know until you try.

Dodge, the other two perennials were a 'Rudbeckia triloba' and a 'Pasque flower', never seen them before.