Easy Peony Care - Grow Peonies That Bloom For Decades

[@DJ-wk5up]

I'm also a lover of peonies. I have 3 varieties of herbaceous peonies , a deep red, a dark pink and a white that were a weeding gift to my grandparents in 1922, Proud to keep them flourishing in my gardens

[@ramonaearnest4709]

I have white peonies from my grandma's house that my Aunt had at her house so I'm not sure how old they are but I n know more than 25 years! They bloom every year! Now I am obsessed and have planted more different types and can't wait to see how they look next year! I started sharing some of mine with friends and family! I also have pink ones that I bought when I bought my house 17 yrs ago. I don't do anything special to mine but cut them back in the fall that's it! They smell so good and I wish they would last longer!

[@Gardeningknowhow]

It sounds like your landscape is filled with petals and fragrance! Sharing our favorite plants with friends and family is a perk of being a good gardener.

[@stoppin2look]

Peonies are a wonderful flower. My own (white blooms) peony cluster dates back to at least 1968 -- part of some my mom gave me. Drought that made our bored well go dry (staying dry for years) limited my ability to water plants for a time -- drought so harsh it eventually required the drilling of a deep well. That drought killed off a lot of the peony cluster but I was able to save some and it just finished blooming again this year.

[@richardw3470]

Easy to care for. My father (farm boy) said my grandmother just threw a bucket of cow manure on them every spring. Thank you for info.

[@jacquelinewilliamson8265]

Mine didn’t do well the last two years so this year I made sure to give them Miracle Gro for flowers and they are glorious again this year.

[@Gardeningknowhow]

So glad to hear they are doing well!

[@sharonwatson4085]

I used Miracle Grow on my peonies in proper proportion and killed them.

[@Dovekitty]

Gosh I never realized I needed to do anything bit cut them back in the fall, however after 14 yrs I have yet to yield more than 3 flowers, I will definitely give the bone meal an mulch a go an hope for better results in the following years ( I am new to anything gardening)

[@RajiTripathi]

Precisely my situation. 😉

[@perennial-garden]

Love love love peonies. We have 2 in our garden.

[@jessieyork4508]

I live in Southern Louisiana. I love peonies but I was told they didn't do well this far south because our winters don't stay cold long enough. I was more than a little shocked to hear you say they grow in zone 9.

[@connieiverson522]

We just inherited a piece of a peony plant that is over 100 years old. The relative is selling their house so she is giving us all a part of their peony plant. I shall have to see how many eyes it has. I had no idea how to care for it or when to plant. This video really helped me figure it out. Here's hoping I can find the perfect spot and plant it correctly so it will grow!

[@Gardeningknowhow]

I am so glad to hear our video has helped. I am sure you are looking forward to it's sweet smelling blooms next year!

[@normacelendano6785]

Thank you for the beautiful tips. They are gorgeous flowers. I just hope when I try to grow them they’re just gorgeous. I’m going to name them Suzanne Somers.

[@qtay5355]

Beautiful thank you 🎉

[@rivertrees4733]

Beautiful! Thank you !

[@pollyganz2776]

Thank you for discussing you do not need ants to help peonies bloom and that is a myth!

[@rsnell22]

I have three which have not bloomed since they were planted about 5 years ago. They may be simply planted too deep. Thinking about digging up the tubers this fall and replanting at the proper depth. What depth should I plant them ? Thanks to all.

[@CuckooLolo]

so informative

[@GDworker]

Great video. I have two the same peony bushes but unfortunately for the past 3 yrs they only produce a few buds on each bush. They are approx 30 yrs old. They used to get about 6 hrs of direct sun but now with mature trees they only get roughly 3-4 hrs daily. Could this be the reason for little budding? The plants themselves are always large, healthy and green. Thank you for any advice you may have.

[@Gardeningknowhow]

Yes, a change in light conditions could impact bud production. If shade isn't the issue, there are a few other reasons why your plants are not developing flowers. One of our garden writers recently wrote a blog about this exact subject and I will share that link here: blog.gardeningknowhow.com/backyard-stories/battle-with-peonies/

[@GDworker]

@@Gardeningknowhow Thank you! After reading the link you provided I believe the culprit is lack of sun. I am curious if you know of any varieties that would bloom in this situation or do they all require approx 6 hrs of direct sun per day? The reason I'm asking this is I have no where to move the current bushes and peonies are one of my favorite flowers! Any further info would be greatly appreciated.

[@georgiawilliams10]

@@GDworker Try digging them up , planting in a container you can move out in the sun for 6 or more hours daily or every other day !! Good Luck !!!

[@EldersTree]

Great

[@annettenoga6182]

Excellent video with good information. I have 3 plants that are double bloom varieties and they're amazing when in bloom. Had them for years.This year I've noticed that one plant has no blooms at all. What can I provide for blooms to return? Thx.😀

[@Gardeningknowhow]

Peonies can sometimes succumb to a blight that could kill off the flower buds, especially in cool, wet weather. However, sometimes there is no known cause for a lack of blooms. I had an Iris that took a break one year and did not bloom yet this year it is full of flowers. Add a bit of organic mulch such as compost and be sure to watch for any changes in the foliage. If the leaves brown or blacken or if the plant gets powdery mildew, be sure to remove and destroy the foliage in the fall. I found an article from our website that may help further - www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/peony/peony-plants-recovering-from-damage.htm

[@annettenoga6182]

Thx. I'll add some compost. Leaves look great, lush green color...I'll try to give more air circulation around the stems as other plants are closeby and give some organic fish emulsions.

[@bettyboop1524]

Can you do anything about the ants? Sprinkle some DE?

[@kevinmiller8942]

I have a similar problem as Ransom Coates. I planted a peony bed with several colors of double bloomers 15 years ago. Two varieties of white, and 3 varieties of pink. The planting starts white on one end and then shades to deep pink on the other end. After about ten years I noticed that some of the pinks were faded. The next year they were lighter, and progressively every year they are all fading to white. This year they were all white. The plants appear healthy, and in the spring, I still see each individual plant. Is there something I can add to the soil to restore their color? Local gardeners are at a loss. Could it be soil pH, or mineral deficiency? Thanks for any tips.

[@Gardeningknowhow]

Many factors can cause a peony to change color. A mutation, a virus or a change in it's environment could have had an impact. However, it is very difficult to determine the exact cause. The white varieties may have also set seeds and slowly taken over the area once occupied by the pink variety.

[@katt9402]

Hope someone can help. My once beautiful peony hasn't put out more than 1 flower in several years despite everything I tried. Now this year not a single bud! It is an old well established plant so I'm wondering if the soil level has become higher than it likes from years of adding compost and mulch around it. Can I lift and replant? If so what's the best season for zone 7? Thx in advance

[@GardenDoodles]

If the plant is getting enough sunlight (at least 6+ hours a day), then yes it is to deep. Just dig up and plant higher up. On peony farms, they almost just place the peony tubers right on top of the soil like with bearded irises. It’s also a myth about them not liking to be moved. They don’t care. How do you you think it got to the store? It was dug up and bagged and sold to us. We’ve moved and dug up peonies from spring to fall and they’ve all survived. Just water them well after transplanting and feed them with good compost.

[@katt9402]

@@GardenDoodles Thanks for your advice. I'll give it a shot. 😉

[@GardenDoodles]

@@katt9402 You’ve welcome. That’s just our experience but we’re in zone 5. If your soil is well amended they will thrive and yes don’t plant too deep, 2” max. Ours have even bloomed the same season after transplanting in early spring. You might be able to divide yours in the process and get many more. That’s what we usually do during transplanting. Good luck!

[@katt9402]

@@GardenDoodles Good to know. I'm in south Jersey and wonder if it's too late to proceed now. Wonder if I should wait until fall???

[@GardenDoodles]

@@katt9402 It might be better in your case/zone because you’ve already missed the blooming season already anyway so there is no rush to move it so just enjoy the foliage and move and divide in the fall. Less stress and you will most likely get lots of blooms next spring. We’d recommend mixing in some bone meal and composted manure during transplant if you have that on hand. Don’t go overboard with it but that seems to help them get established pretty quickly. We moved one a week ago and he’s putting on lots of leaves already when he only had a couple stalks and a few leaves earlier. Good luck!

[@SarahPutnam-q1h]

Can they grow in pots ? 😊

[@Gardeningknowhow]

Yes! However, I suggest protecting the root system over the winter months.

[@judytaylor7128]

If i cut spent flowers, will my peonies make more blooms?

[@Gardeningknowhow]

No, they are not a re-bloomers. However, they make terrific cut flowers for bouquets!

[@CherylsWorld.63]

I really like these alot. I didn't get what was said about cutting back to 3" though (does that mean cut the entire bush down to 3" above ground level)? I like the variety in the video best.

[@Gardeningknowhow]

Yes, you can and should cut down the entire plant to roughly 3" above ground level in the fall. Do not compost this foliage as peonies often succumb to powdery mildew.

[@mariannel6560]

​@@Gardeningknowhowdo you need to water them after cutting and throughout while dormant?

[@TRANGPHAM-xl1dy]

Can peony grow in container, zone 10 please ?

[@Gardeningknowhow]

Many peonies require a lengthy winter dormancy period which would be hard to achieve in zone 10. However, there may be some tree peony or intersectional hybrid peonies that may grow in zone 10. I would check with your local garden center to see which varieties they would suggest.

[@ransomcoates546]

I have a strange phenomenon with about a dozen peonies. They are 32 years old and were moved once from one house to another. The colors were originally a range from dark red to white, all singles or Japanese type. Over the last years all the colors have met in the middle and the flowers are now a kind of medium pink - every one of them. They bloom profusely but all pink. Is this color homogenizing recognized? Thanks.

[@debsf9724]

The color of the flower has to do with the soil.

[@ransomcoates546]

@@debsf9724 I think you are talking about hydrangeas.

[@SpudIs2]

Could it be that the red and the white slowly died out and the pink plant took over?

[@ransomcoates546]

@@SpudIs2 One plant could never occupy the space of the whole dozen. No, I definitely have named varieties of plants bought, I think, originally from Wayside Gardens, and they are now all dirty pink.

[@guypaul]

I love the instruction, but the music in the background makes it stressful to focus and is a distraction.

[@goutamkumarpati5989]

How can I get Peony plants to India,please inform me, thanks.