I recently wrote an article in which I wondered why peonies are so expensive compared to other perennials. I have seen baby peonies going for anywhere between 35 to 80 dollars.
Of course, as soon as I hit ‘publish’ on that article, a newsletter landed in my inbox explaining the reason.
It turns out that in the plant industry, peonies are what’s called a long-time crop, meaning they take at least three years to produce flowering stems. So that’s three years that commercial growers have to dedicate their resources to peonies before they get a sale. In turn, these sellers pass the financial commitment on to us, the gardeners who are keen to buy peonies.
What does this have to do with peony spring care, Mickey?
In my mind, it has everything to do with it. The better we care for our peonies in spring, the more likely they’ll be established for years to come. And the less likely it is that we’ll lose our “investment” and have to fork out even more cash to replace them with new peonies.
Couple that with the fact that it can take three to five years for a peony to reach blooming potential, and you can see why this perennial should get our full attention in spring.
Here’s what I’m doing this spring (and what you can do) to make sure my herbaceous peonies thrive for years to come.
1. Resume watering your peonies.
Normally when I write about spring care jobs for popular plants, such as roses and hydrangeas, I start by making a point that we need to clean them up a bit. That means either deadheading or pruning them. But if you followed my advice and pruned your peonies in the fall, that should be off your to-do list by now.
However, I will replace it with a gardening job that’s not usually top of mind: getting back into the habit of watering our peonies.
For me, resuming watering is easy to overlook because I garden in a zone that gets plenty of spring precipitation. But since the weather is getting more erratic, some years we have been getting no rain for three weeks at a time in spring. It used to be unheard of around these parts, but not anymore.
It’s important to keep an eye on the weather and adjust habits accordingly. Peonies coming out of dormancy need plenty of water to sustain the growth of new leaves and flowers.
Generally, the larger the plant, the more water it will need. And since peonies really love the sun, the more sun they get, the more water they will need to keep them hydrated and growing.
Water peonies as close to the base as possible. And if they’ve already started growing leaves, avoid watering this foliage. Peonies are very susceptible to powdery mildew. Even though they might still get this fungal disease later in the season, it’s best to avoid it when they’re still young plants.
2. Fertilize your peonies.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to fertilizing peonies.
The first one is that you should avoid fertilizing unless you have a good reason to do so. One such reason would be the peonies not blooming well or not blooming at all. (But here are a few other reasons why that might happen.)
The other school of thought is that we should fertilize our peonies twice a year. The first time we fertilize them is in spring, with an organic fertilizer that’s low in nitrogen. Then we fertilize them a second time after blooming in late summer. The theory is that this second fertilization is to get them ready for next year’s blooms.
I’m somewhere in the middle with my fertilizing philosophy. I think that peonies need extra nutrients, but rather than giving them the equivalent of energy shots twice a year, I like to work on the quality of my garden soil year-round.
In turn, this healthy soil will encourage not only beautiful peony blooms in May and June, but also a healthy, established plant for years to come.
I learned this strategy from professional farmers who grow peonies as cut flowers for florists. Yes, in the short run, there is an incentive to force larger blooms to boost production by using a topical fertilizer. (And growers do that, don’t get me wrong.) But in the long run, professional growers focus on the health of their soil because it is the most important factor in the health and longevity of the plant.
Two types of natural organic fertilizers that improve the soil for your peonies.
Kelp meal
Kelp meal is seaweed from the Atlantic Ocean that has been dried and ground to produce a powder. It is an excellent soil conditioner and a natural source of nitrogen and potash that promotes root and shoot growth. It’s safe for people and for pets.
I also see it sold as a liquid fertilizer, which is already processed into a very concentrated syrup-like viscous liquid. I’ve tried both successfully.
The powder version comes in larger quantities, so if you need it for a bigger garden, it might be the better choice. But I find the liquid kelp easier to apply. All I need to do is add a small scoop into the full watering can and water around the drip line of my peonies once a month in the growing season.
Recommended Kelp Liquid Fertilizer: Bloom City Organic Liquid Seaweed & Kelp Fertilizer
Recommended Kelp Powdered Fertilizer: Kelp Bliss Powdered Fertilizer by Plantonix
Alfalfa pellets
Pure alfalfa pellets with no additives (such as those sometimes used in animal feed) are the ultimate slow-release soil booster. In addition to being safe to use and safe for wildlife, alfalfa is a good source of nitrogen, potassium and a wide range of micronutrients. And the nice thing is that the nutrients remain available for the plant longer instead of leaching out.
Alfalfa is also a good source of triacontanol, which is a growth stimulant that promotes not just blooms, but overall plant health.
Sprinkle some pellets around the peonies – you don’t have to grind them. Mix them around to incorporate them into the soil. Then water them thoroughly to help them break down faster.
Recommended Product: Down to Earth Organic Alfalfa Meal Fertilizer
But Mickey, I keep reading that peonies shouldn’t be fertilized with nitrogen.
Reader, it’s true. If we’re fertilizing in spring for the sole purpose of obtaining large flowers in the summer, it’s absolutely essential that we choose a fertilizer low in nitrogen. That’s because nitrogen promotes foliar growth at the expense of flowers.
This tends to be a problem when we’re using synthetic fertilizers that are extremely concentrated. So the N-P-K marking on the bottle of fertilizer has to have a lower first number than the other two.
But keep in mind that synthetic fertilizer alone will not build up healthy soil. It’s the botanical equivalent of pumping yourself up with energy drinks without also holistically working towards a healthier diet.
Natural fertilizers rarely have that problem because they are more balanced. You will notice the three numbers are much lower on a bag of kelp or alfalfa pellets, for example, than on a bottle of fertilizer.
3. Mulch, baby, mulch!
Mulching peonies is essential because it locks in moisture below soil level. In addition, it prevents soil temperature fluctuation in the case of a hard frost or a heatwave. But it also helps reduce soil erosion and keeps weeds in check.
Can you tell I’m a real mulch advocate?
You can use wood chip mulch (but never use dyed mulch, please, it’s an abomination for the wildlife in your garden). You can also use shredded leaves, straw, pine needles or leaf mould.
I’ve also started seeing mulch made out of cocoa husks, a byproduct of the chocolate manufacturing industry. And let me tell you, it smells amazing for a couple of weeks after application. It’s like walking through Charlie’s Chocolate Factory when you step out into the garden.
Whatever natural mulch you choose, make sure you apply it around the stems of the peonies, not straight on top of them or in between them.
Remember that peonies need good cold exposure in the winter in order to develop next year’s flowers. So whatever mulch you apply now, you might need to remove in the fall. Don’t lay it on too thick!
4. Stake your peonies now.
Peonies are such big heads, aren’t they?
And I don’t mean stubborn. Just heavy bloomers.
When we grow them for their large flowerheads, we need to be ready to support those blooms as they develop.
It’s essential that we stake our peonies early in spring, way before they’ve had a chance to bloom. Proper supports don’t just make the entire plant look nice and tidy, but they also prevent flopping and broken stems and allow for proper air flow between the plants.
I like to use adjustable peony rings. You just stake them in the ground in spring at a lower height, then raise the ring part up the main stake as the peony stems grow.
As an alternative, you can also use tomato cages or weave some twine in a grid pattern around bamboo stakes.
What’s important is that we keep the flowers off the ground if we want them to last longer.
Overall, I really believe that it pays off to give peonies extra care in spring. Once they get truly established, they are one of the few perennials that will last for decades and reward us with amazing flowers year after year.
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