It’s time to boost your peony bushes with a little spring care – and get them to bloom bigger, brighter and better than ever!
It’s easy to see why so many gardeners love peonies. Their flowers are not only beautiful, but wonderfully fragrant as well. Peony bushes produce some of the most intricate, colorful and showy flowers around – and in a wide range of colors. But they are also loved for how easy they are to care for.
Once established, peony bushes are a relatively low-maintenance perennial plant. They also happen to have quite the long lifespan. Many varieties can survive without issue for decades, with some varieties lasting as long as 50 to 60 years or more.
But as amazing as this flowering bush can be, it can often frustrate home gardeners when it comes to getting it to bloom as it should each and every year. The good news is that with just a few tips and tricks, you can have your peonies full of massive flowers year after year!
How To Boost Your Peony Bushes This Spring
Fertilizing Peonies For Big Blooms
Providing timely energy to your peony bush is one of the most important factors in keeping it blooming. But the key word here is timely! Peony bushes need to be fertilized two times each year. And they are both important to help keep the bushes healthy – and flowering!
The first application of fertilizer needs to go n in the spring – before they begin to grow from the ground. The second application then needs to be applied just after their buds form and before they flower. This one-two combination helps the bush to set more blooms – and they unfold them with gusto.
When fertilizing, apply around the edges of the plant and not on the root stock as this can burn and injure roots and stems. As for what fertilizer is best, select one that is more balanced and not higher on the nitrogen side.
Too much nitrogen will cause peony bushes to grow big but produce little blooms. Look for N-P-K ratios in your fertilizer in the range of 5-10-10. Bulb fertilizers work well for peonies for this very reason. Fertilizers designed to help plants bud and bloom are also good choices. Affiliate Product Link: Dr Earth Bud & Bloom Fertilizer
You can also use a 10-10-10 N-P-K basic fertilizer if you happen to have it on hand, but the key is to stay away from fertilizers that have any type of higher nitrogen compilation compared to the potassium and phosphorous. It simple will grow the bush bigger in place of more blooms.
Helping To Boost Peony Bushes That Bloom Poorly
Beyond fertilizer, there can also be a few issues that keep peonies from flowering strong – or simply being healthy. When peony bushes struggle to bloom or fail to bloom all together, the problem can usually be traced back to one (or more) of the following issues:
- Trying to grow the bush in too warm of a climate
- Improper planting location
- Improper planting depth
- Failing to cut back the bush in the fall
Obviously, if you happen to live in an extremely warm area, there isn’t a whole lot you can do to remedy that specific issue. Although peonies can survive in growing zones 3 through 8, they prefer to grow in climates with more frigid winters.
The cold of winter helps peonies to create stronger and more bountiful buds for the following season. Peony bushes use the winter chilling period to gear up for spring blooms, storing energy in their root system below the soil.
Unfortunately, if winters are too warm, the roots struggle with the process, making it nearly impossible for them to flower. If you are fortunate enough to have cooler winters and your peonies are still not blooming, fixing the issue is as easy as making sure all of the four remaining requirements are met.
Are Your Peonies Planted For Success?
Planting peony bushes in the right space and location is the first step to long-term success, and to making sure your plants will flower year in and year out. Peonies need sunlight, but when (as in what time of the day) they get that sunlight can be vital to better health and producing more blooms.
Peonies perform best when they receive light early in the day. When planting, the best location you can select is one that receives more morning sun than anything else. In total, make sure your peony bushes will get at least six to eight hours of total sunlight each day.
In addition to sunlight, keep your peonies away from other large trees, shrubs and bushes. Large plants with extensive root systems can drain the nutrients peonies need to flower out of the soil. Planting with a single tree or bush nearby, or along with other perennials and annuals will be fine, but keep them away from mass tree and shrubbery plantings.
When planting, also keep future growth in mind. Peonies bushes can grow large over time. In fact, mature bushes easily reach three to five feet in diameter. As you plant, allow plenty of space for future growing.
Make Sure Your Peonies Are Not Planted Too Deep
How your peony is planted can play a big role when it comes to its blooming habits. If the roots of your peonies are too deep in the soil, they simply won’t bloom. When the plant’s roots go too far below the soil, they can’t properly chill.
When planting or replanting, always start by amending the soil with a generous amount of compost. This will help loosen the soil. It also makes it easy for the roots to establish quickly. Next, set the plant in the hole making sure the top of the plant’s soil is at the same level as the top of the existing soil.
This will keep the roots (root ball) near the top as needed. As you plant, always be careful not to cut or sever any roots. Finish by mulching with a few inches of mulch extending out to the edge of the bush. Mulch is critical to keep soil temperatures regulated, and keep moisture in the soil.
Boost Your Peony Bushes In The Fall By Cutting Back!
We have saved the most important secret for last! To keep blooms coming back in full force each spring, it is vital to cut back the foliage in the fall. Cutting back allows the peony bush to concentrate its energy into the following year’s blooms. See: What To Do With Peony Bushes After They Finish Blooming.
If you allow the foliage and stems to remain, the plant simply can’t and won’t generate power to create a big spring show of flowers. As the plant dies off in the fall, take a sharp, clean pair of pruners and cut the plant back all the way to the ground.
Fall is also the time to divide and split if you are looking to create more plants. When digging up, split apart the root ball into sections with at least three or four roots to each transplant. Simply replant with the roots in the top level of the soil. Again, be careful not to plant too deep as it will keep it from blooming.
It is actually better to plant or transplant peonies in the fall versus the spring. Planting in the fall will allow the bush time to establish in the soil before going dormant. But more importantly, it also allows the roots to chill and store up energy for the following year’s blooms.
Here is to giving your peony bushes a boost this spring with a little fertilizer – and helping them to grow healthier and stronger than ever.
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This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!