When it comes to fall peony care, what you do with your peony bushes before the cold of winter sets in can play a big role in just how well they perform next year. Not just for their overall health and vitality, but also in how well they bloom next year – or if they bloom at all!
Peonies are usually front and center in early to mid spring. Not only do the bushes produce some of the first foliage in the landscape, they also happen to be one of the earliest perennials to bloom – bursting forth with some of the biggest and most aromatic flowers of all perennials.
But although the peony bush might be at its height of blooming beauty in the spring, much of that flower power is actually a result of how the bush is grown and maintained in late summer and fall.
As you will see below, autumn is a very important time for peony bushes. And for a variety of reasons. For starters, fall is the ideal time for planting new bushes. It also happens to be the best time for digging up and dividing overgrown peonies in your landscape as well. See: How To Divide Peonies In The Fall
But perhaps most important of all, late fall is also the time peonies need to have a little pre-winter care. Not only to prepare them for dormancy, but more importantly, to help them get ready to bloom better than ever the following spring.
Fall Peony Care – What To Do With Peony Bushes Before Winter
When it comes to fall peony care, the mantra “less is more” couldn’t be more true. In fact, over care causes far more issues for the bush than anything.
One thing is for sure, when peonies fail to bloom in the spring, the issue can often be traced back to improper fall care. And nowhere is that more apparent that when it comes to pruning peonies back. Or, more to the point, the exact timing of when gardeners prune their bushes back to the ground.
Pruning Bushes Back In The Fall – Fall Peony Care
First and foremost, it is extremely important to cut your peony bushes back before winter arrives. Allowing a peonies foliage to remain can cause a lot of issues for the bush.
Peonies are highly susceptible to blight and other disease. They also have a fair amount of pests that can cause them issues as well. By leaving the plant’s foliage up through winter, both can establish and cause major problems next spring and summer.
The cool, wet fall weather makes it easy for mold, mildew and blight to infect the foliage of a peony bush. Although the bush will grow a new canopy of leaves the following year, disease can remain in the soil to come back in full force.
In addition, allowing the foliage to remain also creates a great environment for pests. Decaying stems and leaves are a great food source for pests. Even more, the dying foliage also provides great winter cover. Both for the insects and their eggs that can hatch next spring to feed again!
But even though cutting back a peonies foliage is a must – it’s when to cut it back that causes the most issues for the plant. Especially when it comes to how well it will bloom the following spring!
The Early Pruning Mistake – Fall Peony Care
One of the biggest mistakes gardeners make with their peony bushes in late summer and early fall is to cut them back too early. Although peony bushes bloom in the spring, it’s actually in the fall when they build power for those blooms.
Peonies store the energy and fuel they need for the following seasons blooms in their roots. And they gather that energy by absorbing the sun’s rays through their foliage in the late summer and early fall.
Unfortunately, when the foliage is cut off too early, the plant can’t save and store enough energy in its roots. And without power, the peony simply doesn’t have the oomph to produce blooms the following spring.
At best, cutting off foliage too early will result in fewer blooms. But quite often, it can leave the plant with no flowers at all. That is why allowing the bush to grow as much as possible in the summer is so important.
For starters, always avoid heavy pruning after a peony bush completes it’s blooming cycle in late spring or early summer. Deadheading old flowers is good for the plant as it helps it conserve energy. But beyond that, leave as much of the growth on the bush in tact to help absorb energy. See: How To Care For Peonies After They Bloom
The Right Time To Cut Back Peonies
So when should a peony bush be cut back? Once the leaves of a peony bush turn a full shade of yellow in late fall, it signals that the plant is no longer absorbing power to it’s roots. At this point, they can be cut back safely.
It is always best to allow the plant’s leaves to lose nearly all of their green coloring before cutting back. This will ensure the plant is ready for the winter. As for pruning back – it’s quick and easy. Simply cut the stems and foliage back to within a few inches of the soil’s surface and remove cuttings.
Fall Mulching, Fertilizing & More – Fall Peony Care
All that is left is to prepare your peonies for the long winter ahead. And again, less is more. In fact, all they really need is layer of insulating mulch!
A few inches of mulch around the base of your plants will help keep moisture into the roots. It also helps limit the constant freezing and thawing winter weather can bring, which is more harmful to plants than extreme cold.
When mulching, one of the best things you can do is to first apply an inch of compost around the base of your plants. Compost is teeming with slow-release nutrients that will trickle down into the soil over the winter. And when spring comes – they will be ready to power the roots with even more energy.
On top of the compost, finish mulching with three to four inches of hardwood mulch, straw or shredded leaves. This will protect the plants well and have them to roll come spring.
Never Fertilize In The Fall
One thing you do not want to do is fertilize your peonies in the fall. Too much power at this point can cause unnecessary growth that can make them highly susceptible to winter damage. Even more, all of that excess energy can actually cause the plant not to flower.
Now it’s time to let the plant head into full dormancy – and wait for those big beautiful blooms to come again next spring!
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