How To Plant a Peony Step-by-Step (& The Big Mistake To Avoid)

A few years ago , one of my dear supporter sent methis stunning book on peonies(written by Jane Eastoe and splendidly photographed by Georgianna Lane ) for my birthday .

We ’ve been friend for more than twenty twelvemonth and we share a making love of gardening . Let ’s just say we bed each other middling well and this was a very well - received gift

During the gray moth-eaten months of later dip and winter , when horticulture is off the table , I ’ve taken to browse the peony - replete pages , just to encourage my eyes to soak in the vibrant colors . My soul demand some gentle reassurance that the commencement of blossom time of year is not that far aside .

If you love peonies, I guarantee you’ll love this book.

After spend so much time look at peonies in a book , I ’ve decided to bring in some into my garden this year . I ’ve grow them before , in late gardens , and I ’ve really been missing their sugared fragrancy .

And I want to take you on a peony plant - along and hopefully convince you to bring this gorgeous perennial into your garden as well .

When is the best time to plant my peonies?

As with most perennial , we can plant peonies either in the fall or in outpouring .

There is a difference in what we have available in either season though .

If we ’re plant peonies in the fall , what we ’ll usually find in store or with online suppliers are unornamented roots . This means that we ’re plant abeyant peony root stocks that will overwinter in the ground and come out the following springiness .

When we ’re institute peonies in spring , they ’re usually only available as a potted plant . In early spring and former winter , you might be able to detect bare rhizomes for sale ; but later than that the theme will be taken off the shelf because they would already go to break quiescency .

Which choice is better?

I do n’t think it ’s a question of salutary , butit isa question of timing . In the first couple of old age , we have to focalize on firm root development , not on flowering .

What is the good time to get the tooth root in the ground ?

If you ’re plant in the fall , the good time is several weeks before a strong freeze . This will allow the source to convalesce and align to their new environment .

If you love peonies, I guarantee you’ll love this book.

In spring , the best time is once the basis is sufficiently warm . This will depend on your gardening zona , of course . In my area , that usually bump anytime between mid - March and mid - April .

Let me take you along while I plant my peonies this spring.

I have a few tip that might prove helpful to get these gorgeous perennial off to a good commencement .

But before we move on to getting the peonies in the ground , here ’s what you should take into account first .

Peonies NEED full sun in order to thrive!

I ’m afraid there ’s no workaround for this prerequisite . If we want our peonies to bloom and not just wilted along , they NEED to be in full sun . This translates to about six hours of sun a mean solar day .

If you are in a gardening zone that gets sear sunlight in the good afternoon ( such as zones 8 and 9 ) , then some afternoon shade may be good for peonies . But only in this scenario .

Peonies NEED well-draining soil in order to thrive!

Of course , the downside of the full sunshine requirement is that we also have to ensure that the dirt does n’t dry up too quickly , which is so often the casing with fate of the garden that get this much direct sunlight .

And the kicker is that we have to strike the balance between not too juiceless , but well - drain enough . If there are pools and puddles linger around after it rain down , or after we water the plant , that ’s not good either . It may direct to root putrefaction and fungal job for the peonies .

Peonies needconsistentmoisture , but notconstantmoisture . So we have to irrigate them regularly , but avert overwatering them .

A sight for winter-weary eyes while waiting for the garden to come out of hibernation.

That ’s why I like to take charge of the health of my soil class around . So in bound , I add a layer of compost to encourage the nutrients in the soil and also improve its water - contain property . I also tot extra compost to the planting site every single clock time I get a new perennial in the ground .

Now that you know when and where to plant your peonies , allow ’s go out in the garden and put some in the ground .

I ’m planting my peonies in spring . But if you ’re doing this in the fall , I ’ve also append some information on that at the death of the clause .

If you’re planting in the fall, bare roots (rhizomes) are a more common find.

Step 1: Prepare your peony planting site.

I take this footstep very seriously because peonies are expensive plants . They wo n’t smash me , but compared to other perennials at the garden centre , they seem to command quite a mellow cost for such young plants .

So even though it may seem like an spare footstep – and an extra expense – I always seek to do whatever I can to give them a rise decent at planting time .

I ’ve started adding a soap of mycorrhizae right before I get my perennials in the earth . I like to refer to it as “ nurseryman ’s magic dust ” because it solve out of peck to boost the strength of the rootage and thus the size of it and seniority of the plant .

In spring, potted peonies are more common in garden stores.

You canread more about how this stuff aid your plant at planting sentence here .

The mycorrhizal fungi make a symbiotic relationship with the industrial plant , a relationship that better nutrient consumption , grime structure and the flora ’s resiliency against pests as well as environmental stressor .

This is really strong stuff , so I only employ a small max of it for every works , according to the instructions on the purse .

Peonies need full sun for about six hours. They’re no getting around this requirement.

By my computation , it cost less than a dollar to add a sprinkling of mycorrhizae every time I plant a young perennial . The middling damage for a peony is around 35 dollars , with some cultivars going for as much as 79 one dollar bill . I think the one buck investment funds is definitely worth it !

I verify to mix it around in the soil evenly . This is also when I add some excess compost or leaf mold to meliorate drain .

One mistake when planting peonies…

Speaking of protecting our “ investment , ” permit ’s avoid this one mistake that could set back our peony . Namely , planting them too profoundly .

We need to imbed them at the same depth as they have been plant in their baby’s room pot . That mean ascendant underground , crown right at ground grade , the entirety of the stem above earth .

( You ’ll see that the same is honest when plant bare root paeony , if you understand till the end . )

I usually amend the soil with fresh compost to improve drainage.

When I peck up this potted paeony at the store , I thought there ’s no means it ’s planted that deeply . The nursery pot seemed agency too tall for a paeony . I do n’t know whether they apply such magnanimous throne for ease of merchant vessels or if it was just a merchandising determination to accommodate the oversized label sleeve .

Step 2: Get your peony in the ground.

It turned out that my mistrust was right . The bottom third of the nursery pot was just extra potting soil . I think they used such a large container because the rootstalk were quite large and jammed in .

Honestly , the hardest part of this planting project was getting the peony rhizomes out of the sens . I did n’t want to tear intemperately on the stems because they are quite tender and breakable . And since it ’s smart growth , they ’re also full of weewee and would have snap like celery stalk .

So I had to dig around the bound of the bay window and pull out the peonies by the crown .

The mycorrhiza mix is super potent, so you don’t need a lot per planting.

I make a second nervous , but look how gorgeous these rhizomes were . So salubrious and sturdy . I definitely made the right option with this cultivar called ‘ Longlife Red . ’

Adjusting the rhizomes and getting them in the ground was a morsel tricky because the fore had been growing a spot lopsided in the baby’s room pot .

But that ’s perfectly normal and it will even off itself over the first growing season as the industrial plant fills up and leans towards the sun .

One small scoop per plant is enough to start creating fungal connections that nourish the soil.

The essential rule: Don’t bury the peony crown.

I could have been tempted to bury the rhizomes deeper and use filth to shore up them up a bit and make them look erect . But that would have been a mistake .

It ’s essential that we always transplant peony at the same profoundness as they were planted in the baby’s room pot .

The jacket needs to be at ground level once you ’re done with planting . No roots exposed . No stems buried .

We should never plant them deeper than they are in the nursery pot.

I then backfilled the planting pickle with the remaining potting soil from the greenhouse sens , and surplus compost from my own compost ABA transit number .

Step 3: Water, stake and mulch the peony plant.

I finished by watering everything really well ( avoiding water the leaves and just focusing on mysterious - watering the roots ) . Then I top up the soil again , just because the water had settled it a mo too downhearted and I was afraid it would go even low after a heavy rain .

hazard is an special whole tone that I would n’t normally bother with when I ’m planting perennials . But when planting peony , staking right from the get - go is crucial . specially for a baby peony as improbable as the one I ’ve just planted .

First of all , because it ’s tender and I would n’t require it to sway in a windstorm and bust . And secondly , because peonies produce really large prime . The flower often get too heavy for the stalks , so they will need stake later in the season anyway .

But look how tall the nursery pot is!

I ’m using a orbitual living for corral the peonies . This will keep them upright , yet keep them free enough to allow for strain flow . It may look a bit silly now , but it will fill up over the rest of the growing season . This cultivar is fairly compact , so even though I might need to go up a sizing in circular wager , this apparatus should be enough for the next yoke of months .

As usual , I ’m end up the transplanting process by applying a bit of mulch around the perimeter of the plant . you’re able to utilize wood chips , dry leaves , leafage mold or fresh compost .

Is the process the same when I plant bare root peonies?

That ’s correct . Most of the steps are exactly the same whether you ’re planting pot paeony or bare root ace . You have to prepare the land just as well and always pay off attending to how much sun the plant will get .

When you ’re institute spare roots , you ’ll want to make trusted that you ’re getting them in the earth the right-hand side up , with the “ eyes ” facing up . Then cover up everything and give it a good soakage .

The only slim difference is that there ’s a mo more urgency to get unsheathed roots in the ground . You ’ll have to plant them as soon as you get them , because the rhizome are prostrate to dry out faster if we leave them out of the ground for too long .

I dug all around to dislodge the peony rhizomes.

I go for my guide to peony planting has given you a bit of intake – and confidence – to lend these gorgeous herbaceous perennials into your garden this year .