Peonies
Support
Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, and the non-hybrid varieties smell heavenly. Once peony buds start to open, the flowers quickly become too large for the stems to support the heavy flowers, and inevitably they go crashing to the ground. Adding peony supports at the right time will keep your peonies from falling over.
If peony flowers are left unsupported, they will collapse to the ground almost as soon as the buds open.
When peony flowers are left on the ground, they will only last a few days and you won’t get to see them in their full glory. With the addition of a rain shower or two in there and… timber! The peony flowers quickly flop to the ground.
If you give peony flowers support, the blooms will last several days longer, and more of the flower buds will be able to open on the bush. You can purchase peony supports wherever plants are sold. Ideally, the diameter of the hoops on your cages should be larger than the diameter of the root ball of your peonies.
The best time to add a support to your peony bush is either early in the spring before the stems grow too tall, or late fall after you have cut down the stems for the winter.
Then as the peony stems begin to grow each spring (and they grow fast!), help them by carefully guiding them to grow through the center of the support. Be gentle though, because the tender new growth can break really easily.
Avoid the Common Problem of Black Leaf Spots
Critical to successful peony growth and appearance is to spray the plant as soon as shoots emerge. Black Leaf Spot, also known as botrytis, can do a number on these plants. Apply a fungicide spray as the red shoots push through the ground in spring. You may want to re-apply especially if your peonies are closely planted and if there is a wet spring causing botrytis to flourish. Taking care with this early culture will pay-off with avoiding black spot, bud blast, and other issues with foliage.
If you prefer to use a natural, homemade fungicide there are lots of “recipes” online. You can use things like baking soda, mild soap, apple cider vinegar, horseradish, cornmeal, and even aspirin!
Peony care & Growing Tips
Below are some quick tips that will help keep your peonies blooming as long as possible.
- Remove the spent peony flowers as the petals start to turn brown. This will encourage the other existing smaller buds to open, extending the bloom time.
- Trim your peonies after they’re done blooming to remove the dead flowers, and give the plants a nice shape for the summer.
- Don’t cut peony foliage down to the ground too early or your peony won’t have enough time to store up the energy it needs to bloom in the spring.
- Since they are such early spring growers, it’s best to cut down peonies in the fall after hard frost has killed the foliage. This also helps prevent pests and disease. Simply cut the plant all the way down to the ground.
Enjoy your peonies even longer!
Do you know the feeling when your favorite plant is in bloom? You admire it from the garden, cut the flowers for a vase in your home and try to soak it up as much as possible. If you’re a fan of peonies, here’s some good news. You can “hold over” peony buds in the refrigerator for several weeks! So even after the plant has finished blooming in late spring, you can have a vase of garden-picked peonies in summer. Here are the quick and easy steps to save your peony blooms for later.
How to save your peony blooms
After you have chosen your soft buds, use a pruners or garden snips and cut just above a set of leaves. Make sure to cut stems so that they are an inch or two longer than what you need for your vase because they will need to be trimmed again before arranging.
Place the buds inside a large plastic zip bag and seal it to preserve the moisture. Be careful not to bend stems or damage the buds in the process.
Nothing else goes in the bag! No additional moisture is needed, because too much moisture could cause mold to develop. You can plan to store them in the refrigerator for one to two months. Imagine pulling out a bouquet of your favorite peonies to enjoy in the middle of July!
What’s the deal with the ants?
Peonies do, in fact, attract ants—but why? Essentially, because they’re so sweet (as if we didn’t already know that).
Budding peonies secrete nectar that ants, in turn, rely on for food. As for the plants themselves, absolutely no harm comes if there’s an ant invasion. If you see them on your peony, they’re not going to destroy your plant at all.
There is a common myth that peonies actually need ants in order to bloom. Peonies have kind of a sappy coating and there’s been this thought for a long time that the peonies need the ants to eat the sap, which allows them to open. However, they will open regardless of whether an ant is eating or licking off the sap.
How To Avoid Bringing Ants Indoors
Getting ants off your cut flowers before you bring them inside really couldn’t be simpler.
Once you’ve removed the stalk, shake them off gently. If they’re refusing to budge, you can also rinse the flower in a bucket of warm water, or under a tap, taking care not to damage the delicate petals.
If you would rather not deal with the ants at all, you can pick the buds early and leave them to bloom inside. Pick the buds when they begin showing color and are soft to the touch (called the marshmallow stage).
Sources: Garden Gate Magazine Newsletter
The National Gardening Association
Get Busy Gardening
Minnesota Monthly Magazine
MN Dept of Natural Resources
Alamac.com
