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Cornell University : Cornell Cooperative Extension
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| Yates Association |
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Growing Peonies |
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Peonies are hardy flowering plants that need little care and live through severe winters. After becoming established in a garden, peonies will bloom each Spring for many years. They are a good choice for perennial borders and the blooms are excellent additions to cut flower arrangements. There are two types of peonies grown in home gardens. The garden or herbaceous type, has full bushy stems that grow two to four feet tall. Tree peony types often grow to eye-level height on woody stems with few branches. Garden peonies grow from tubers. The immature shoots are bright red and succulent in the spring. The mature leaves are dark green and shiny, remaining attractive all season after the blooms have finished. The plants die back to the tuber each winter. Tree peonies are shrublike plants grown either from seed or from grafts. The woody stems of these peonies stay alive all winter. Plant both types of peonies in early autumn so they will have time to become established in the soil before winter. You can also plant fully grown peonies in the spring. Plants need well-drained soil and grow best in slightly raised beds that provide good drainage. Peonies thrive in fertile clay loam, although they will survive in any good garden soil. They grow best where they are sheltered from strong wind, have good air circulation, and where they are shaded two or three hours each day. Plant the tuber in a well prepared bed, working compost or peat moss into the soil. Dig a hole approximately eighteen inches across and 18 inches deep for each tuber. Space the holes so that the plants will be at least 3 feet apart. Fill the hole about half full of soil. If you like, also mix in a handful of a balanced fertilizer, such as 5-10-5 at this time. Plant the garden tuber with the uppermost eye not more than 2 inches below the ground surface. A tuber planted too deeply will have difficulty producing blooms. Put a little soil around the tuber and water thoroughly. Then fill the hole with the remaining soil, and press down firmly. Water again to settle the tuber. Plant a tree peony tuber with 4-5 inches of soil covering the graft. You can recognize the graft by the ridging on the stem and the different texture of the bark. Mulch peonies both in winter and summer. Immediately after the ground first freezes, cover the clumps with 3-4 four inches of an organic mulch. Replenish the mulch in the spring. A few flowers will appear two or three years after planting and will increase each season after that. A mature bed of peonies is a stunning and valuable addition to any garden. Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association |
