Planting Peonies
Some Useful Pointers for Planting Peonies
If you want to add color and longevity to your garden, planting peonies may be the way to go. They have been grown in private gardens for over six hundred years. They are hardy, long-living, and bear beautiful flowers, in season. They've been a favorite for a long time!
Clumps of peonies can live up to fifty years, so you'll want to prep your site quite thoroughly before you plant. After they are established, they don't have many diseases, and they are easy to care for.
Peonies grow to their fullest potential in cooler climates. They need a period of winter cooling to go dormant, or they won't produce blooms very well. The best place for peonies is in full sun, but some light afternoon shade is usually tolerated with no issues. They aren't fussy about their soil types, but they can benefit from your addition of compost and organic matter into the hole when you're planting peonies for the first time.
Once planted, peonies need a soil with good drainage, and they prefer a neutral pH balance of about 7.0 or so, just a bit acidic. Be sure not to plant them too close to other plants, and especially be wary of planting them too close to large trees, because then they fight the peonies for water and nutrients. You can transplant peonies if you have to, but they thrive better if you don't. So select a good spot for them, to save both you and the plants the hassle of transplanting down the road.
The best time for planting peonies is early in the fall, from early in September through the middle of October. In this way, they will have time to establish their root system before the arrival of winter. When they are mature, the plants may reach up to three or four feet across, so it's essential to give them room to grow.
Your planting hole should be at least a foot and a half deep, and about the same measurement across. It's a good idea to add about four inches of organic matter like pine bark or compost at the bottom of the hole. Then fill the hole about half full with potting mix, and put your peony in, making sure to spread the roots out so they can grow naturally. Make sure that the eyes face upward, and then water thoroughly, making certain that the eyes won't be any deeper than two inches into the soil.
If you are planting peonies from pots into your garden, plant them at the same level in the soil as they are in the pot. After you place the plant in the soil, work the soil all around the roots. Finish filling up the hole with potting mix, and then water it again.
If you plant root divisions in the spring, it may take them up to two years to bloom. But if you're using potted peonies, and they're already growing, they might bloom the first year if you plant them early in the spring.
Peonies take very little extra care, and they will provide you and your family with lovely, fragrant blooms for many years.