Growing Peonies in the Garden. When and How to Plant
Florists and markets are overflowing with peonies this time of the year. If you’d like to have your own bushes with this spectacular flower that has such a seductive perfume, this is what you need to know about growing peonies in the garden.
When can you plant peonies
The best time to plant a peony bush is at the beginning of fall, from September til mid-October, if you get your plant from an older bush. If you have the plant in a pot, you can put it in the garden any time form May til October.
Growing peonies in the garden. The spot
Peony bushes need to be in full sunlight and have their space to develop. The bulbs should be at 2 inches into the ground and 30 – 40 inches spacing in-between, if you plant several bushes.
Growing peonies in the garden. Soil quality and fertilizing
The best soil for peonies is the one with clay enriched with vegetal fertilizer, well rotted. The soil should have normal drainage and not retain water.
You should fertilize it annually with vegetal fertilizer. The bushes will grow stronger and, even if you’ll have more weeds to pluck, it’s worth the effort.
Keep the soil around the bushes free and loose.
Growing peonies in the garden. Dos and don’ts of caring for them
Don’t move them or interfere with their roots in any way before 4 – 5 years and, even then, only if it’s a must.
When you see the floral buds, you’d better install some support for the flower stems, because they will bend otherwise. You can easily make an efficient support out of a metal ring fixed with two legs into the ground.
Make sure the bushes get enough water while in bloom and afterwards, especially in July and august, when they start forming the floral buds for next year.
Don’t under any circumstances cut the foliage after blooming, because the leaves are the one who keep feeding the roots, making the plant stronger. Just remove the withered or damaged parts.
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