Peony Tree
How to Cultivate the Lovely Peony Tree
Take time to select and prepare a good site where you wish to plant your peony tree. This is time well-spent, because the tree will give you many years of enjoyment. Within the first ten years, most of these plants will grow to roughly four feet tall and four feet wide. If you are planting more than one peony tree, be sure that you allow at least five or six feet between each tree and the next. In addition, don't plan them within ten feet of a large tree whose roots might interfere with their growth. Select a location that offers about four to six hours of direct sunlight per day, or partial sun all day long. Do not plant in a location that gets uninterrupted full sun, because full sun will cause poor growth and rapidly fading flowers.
Many people assume that their new peony tree needs watering, like some other flowers do. Tree peonies originated in China, and they only receive about thirty inches of rainfall per year. So they do not need watering very often. If you have adequate rainfall in your area, you may not need to water them at all, once they are established. Water them when needed when they are newly planted, though. If you over water an adult tree, the extra, unneeded water could suffocate the roots. This is the number one cause of plant failure with this tree. If you live in an area that does not receive much rainfall, you can water the plant if the soil is dry four to six inches below ground level.
If your area suffers a cold and damp spring, you may use a copper spray to prevent your tree from contracting a fungus that would discolor its leaves later that season. You will need three treatments for your tree, about ten days apart. If you have this fungus one year, treat it every spring thereafter.
In the heat of the summer, the peony tree goes through another dormant stage, much as it does in the winter. There is not much leaf growth at all. At this stage, your tree is building up an energy reserve so it can make buds for its next season. Water the plant only if the soil is dry four to six inches below the surface.
As the first seasonal frost arrives in the fall, you can remove the leaves so that they don't develop any fungus over the winter. Be careful not to cut the woody stems, since they will harbor new growth. You can also take this time to give your tree some compost and agricultural lime. The best pH level for this tree is close to 7.0. That's what type soil it grows in, in its native China.
After your tree has been growing for several years, and it has a lot of branches, this is a good time to prune it back a little. Remove some of the weaker-looking branches, so the plant can focus its nutrients and water on growing onto the stronger branches. A little work here and there will make your peony tree happy and healthy for years to come.