Peony Love : Tips for Growing and Enjoying Peony

One of my first flowers I fell absolutely in love with was a peony. Our neighbour had a whole row of them on the side of their house when I was a child and I couldn’t get over the beautiful display of colours. My mom wasn’t much of a a fan because she said they were always full of ants. So I would enjoy them from the side lines wishing I could just cut one stem to enjoy in the house but I was too shy to ask my neighbour. When I grew up and got a house of my own, a peony was one of the first perennials I bought and I still have it and it’s been blooming for me for well over 20 years. It was only recently in my cut flower studies that I learned how to properly collect these beauties so they would last longer in a vase. Now I’m totally hooked. Definitely my most favorite flower. I know I say that about most flowers I talk about, but I really am in love with peonies. So enough about me, and my love of a flower, let me tell you how to grow and collect blooms.

Growing Tips

If you live in zone 3 like myself, peonies love it here so they truly thrive in this area, so honestly I didn’t do much with my peony plants throughout the years and they just keep growing and producing blooms.

Peonies need to get close to freezing temperatures for at least 6 weeks so you can grow in zones 3 to 8. If you are ordering peonies for the first time, it is ideal to plant them in the fall as a bare root. Plant the peony roots in full sun with the eyes about 2 inches below the surface. If you plant them too deep or too shallow, they will not bloom. Space the peonies about 24 inches apart or more up to 30 inches if you live in a damp area. Weed them, feed them and water them. Especially in the first year. You want to make sure they are well hydrated or they won’t produce the next year. Try to water the soil and not the foliage to prevent fungal growth. Use a peony cage to support the blooms if you are wanting to enjoy the blooms on the stem in your yard. A cage may not be necessary if you are collecting all the blooms before they open. Fertilize with bonemeal in the spring before the plant comes up, then use a balanced fertilizer once in the summer as well.

If you are wanting to cut stems from a plant make sure you give your plant at least 2 winters before you attempt or the plant will die. It may even need an additional year depending on the size of the plant or how many eyes it had when you planted it. Buying roots with 3 to 5 eyes will allow you to harvest a year sooner than one that only had 2 to 3.

What about those Ants?

The ants actually help to eat the sap off the buds, so the buds will not be sticky and hard to handle if you are cutting them. So let those ants eat! If there is a bunch of ants on the flower when you pick it, you could dip the flower in water to get them off.

The ants won’t hurt your peonies, in fact the ants are helpful because they eat

Marshmallow Stage: Ready to harvest.

Harvesting the Blooms

If you want to get the most vase life, cut the stems before the flower opens. But not too soon either or the flower won’t open. When the bud first forms you will notice it is hard. Do not cut it at this stage! When I see the buds starting to get bigger I will go out morning and evening to give them a squish test. If they feel like a marshmallow, that’s the ideal time to pick them.

Cut the stem only as long as needed. The plant needs as much leaves as possible to bring nutrients to the root. So be sure to leave some of the leaves and stem on the plant.

You can store the flower in water in the fridge to extend the time if you are wanting to display them or sell them within a week.

If you are hoping to collect a bunch to use in a few weeks you can actually store them dry in the fridge. Collect the stems and wrap in paper. Then store in a closed container in the fridge until you want to use them. They will last around 1 month in the fridge before they may start to dry out. When you pull them out of storage cut about 1 inch off the stem and pull some leaves off then hydrate them in water for a couple of hours before handling them or arranging them.