05/24/2023
Here is some general planting and care info for those interested in buying full plants
HOW TO PLANT PEONIES
Peonies are usually sold as bare-root tubers with 3 to 5 eyes (buds), divisions of a 3- or 4-year-old plant.
Space peonies 3 to 4 feet apart to allow for good air circulation between the plants. Stagnant, humid air can be a recipe for disease to develop.
Dig a generous-sized hole, about 2 feet deep and 2 feet across in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. The soil will benefit from the addition of organic material in the planting hole. If the soil is heavy or very sandy, enrich it with extra compost. Incorporate about one cup of bonemeal into the soil. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Set the root so the eyes face upward on top of a mound of soil in the hole, placing the roots just 2 inches below the soil surface. Don’t plant too deep! (In southern states, choose early-blooming varieties, plant them about 1 inch deep, and provide some shade.)
Then, backfill the hole, taking care that the soil doesn’t settle and bury the root deeper than 2 inches. Tamp the soil gently, making sure there are no air pockets under the plant.
When planting a container-grown peony, cover it no deeper than it grew in the pot.
Water thoroughly at the time of planting.
HOW TO CARE FOR PEONIES
Peonies are relatively easy to grow when planted in the right location with proper soil conditions. Most cultivars grow well in zones 3–8 and prefer a sunny spot with excellent drainage. Growers in warmer climates may want to select a location that receives partial shade to shield the plants from the heat of midday sun. In cooler climates, peonies will enjoy being in a sunny spot all day long.
Peony roots may rot if planted in soil that does not drain well, so select your planting site with care. Raised beds can help alleviate drainage issues, and clay soils will need to be heavily amended to encourage good drainage.
Peonies thrive on benign neglect. It will help them to keep weeds pulled to prevent them from taking nutrients the peony needs. Unlike most perennials, they don’t need to be dug and divided every few years.
Spare the fertilizer. Work the soil well before you plant, mixing in compost and a little fertilizer, and that should be enough.
If your soil is poor, the time to apply fertilizer (bonemeal, compost, or well-rotted manure) is early summer, after the peonies have bloomed and you have deadheaded the flowers. Don’t fertilize more than every few years.
Help the stems: If peonies have any structural weakness, it is their stems, which are sometimes not strong enough to support their gigantic blossoms. Consider three-legged metal peony rings or wire tomato cages that allow the plant to grow through the center of the support.
Deadhead peony blossoms as soon as they begin to fade, cutting to a strong leaf so that the stem doesn’t stick out of the foliage. Cut the foliage to the ground in the fall to avoid any overwintering diseases.
Don’t smother peonies with mulch. Where cold temperatures are severe, for the first winter after planting you can mulch VERY loosely with pine needles or shredded bark. Remove mulch in the spring.
