Care for peonies after blooming

For herbaceous peonies, the foliage will completely die off once a few hard frosts or a hard freeze hits them. Once this occurs, it’s time to cut your plant back to the ground.

Leaving decaying foliage, stems and branches in place is an open invitation to pest and disease. Simply cut the plant down within 1/2″ of the soil level, and apply a few inches of mulch, and get ready for more blooms next spring!

Here is to getting the most from your peony bushes with a little after-blooming care! For more great articles on perennial flowers and care, check out our Perennial Section on the website.

This Is My Garden is a website dedicated to spreading the love and knowledge of gardening around the world. We publish two new garden articles each week. This article may contain affiliate links.

How To Care For Peonies After Blooming: 6 Essential Tasks

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Peony flowers are undeniably stunning, looking wonderful in a vase and just as good out in the garden. With the right care and attention, they will put up masses of blooms that are short-lived, but no less beautiful.

These plants are known for their long lifespans. You can even visit a tree peony today that was planted over 400 years ago, still blooming strong. But this long lifespan requires consistent care, especially at the end of the flowering season.

Post-flowering care for peonies is not difficult. As long as you don’t forget about them at the end of the season, you should have no trouble keeping them going with these easy tasks.

About Peonies

Peonies are part of the genus Paeonia and are the only plant in the family Paeoniaceae. This family contains around 33 species, although scientists continually debate that number. Their native habitats extend across the northern hemisphere – from America to Europe and Asia – usually found along the coast in mountainous habitats.

One of the most sought-after cut flowers, peonies are widely grown as ornamental plants. Their ability to withstand cold weather – and in fact, their preference for cold weather – make them ideal garden plants for cooler regions that can’t grow many of the popular ornamentals.

There are three different types of peonies, separated by their growth habit. Herbaceous peonies are the most commonly grown, including the popular species Paeonia officinalis and Paeonia lactiflora. They are also called bush peonies.

Tree peonies have a different growth habit and are more tolerant of warm weather. They also don’t die back in winter unless temperatures are too cold for the leaves to handle. Intersectional peonies are a combination of the two, producing the most flowers and blooming for the longest time.

Peony Flowering Season

The peony flowering season is one of the shortest of all the ornamental plants. These lovely blooms appear for about a week each year when growing herbaceous types and around two weeks when growing tree peonies.

The season is impacted by climate and variety. Some bloom earlier than others in mid-spring, while others may appear as late as mid-summer. But, their very short blooming time is consistent across all herbaceous types.

As blooming is only for a short period each year, post-flowering care tasks are important to keep your peonies in good shape for the next year. These tasks are essential if you want to improve blooming and get the most flowers possible in this short amount of time.

As tree peonies don’t generally die back or need much cutting, these steps will focus on the most commonly grown peonies – herbaceous peonies.

How To Care For Peonies After Blooming

Deadhead

During the flowering season, regular deadheading is important to preserve the energy of the plant – not only for this season, but also for the following season. The less effort it takes for the plant to put out and maintain blooms, the more effort it can put into flowering the next year.

Deadheading also makes the plant look tidier and allows the remaining blooms to grow bigger and better. Although it won’t encourage repeat flowering, it does still have many benefits that make the practice worthwhile.

As soon as flowers begin to fade, hold onto the base of the bloom and cut off the stalk down to the first set of leaves. Trim regularly until all the faded blooms have been removed. You can enjoy the lush foliage for the rest of the season.

Fertilize

Although it may seem strange to fertilize as soon as the plant is finished flowering, this step can greatly improve your flowering the following season. (You should still be fertilizing your peonies in spring for big blooming plants.)

Flowering takes up a lot of nutrients and the soil is generally lacking soon after flowering. To replenish these nutrients and improve the soil health before the tuber goes dormant, fertilizer is a great help.

Apply a fertilizer designed for bulbs and other blooming plants. They generally have higher phosphorus and potassium values and lower nitrogen to direct the plant toward flower production over leaf and stem growth. Follow the directions on the packaging to avoid overfertilizing and damaging the roots at this critical time.

If you fear your soil is deficient in nutrients, you can also apply another light dose of fertilizer at the very end of summer. This gives the roots some time to absorb more nutrients before the plant begins to die back.

Check For Pests and Diseases

Most peonies will have finished blooming by the middle of summer, leaving glossy green foliage behind for the remainder of the season. Many tend to forget about their plants at this time, instead enjoying the cut flowers they brought indoors. However, keeping your plant healthy over summer is important if you want your peony to flower again the following season.

Peonies are not fans of high temperatures and become more stressed in hot weather. This stress makes them more vulnerable to pest and disease problems. The hotter weather is also appreciated by many pests and creates the ideal conditions for fungal growth.

Regularly check the foliage for signs of pests and diseases, even when there are no flowers around. Remove any debris around the base of the plant to stop any pests from finding shelter there. If you live in a humid area, give the plant plenty of space to prevent the development of fungal problems like powdery mildew.

Also continue to water the soil as usual, avoiding overhead watering. Peonies are not majorly susceptible to diseases, but problems always have the potential to creep in. Treat any issues as soon as you find them as these plants need all the foliage they can get in fall.

Wait For The Foliage To Brown

When temperatures begin to drop in fall, the leaves will start to wilt, yellow, and then turn brown as the plant dies back. This process, as untidy as it looks, is needed for the tuber to reabsorb nutrients and gain some energy to sprout again next spring.

Never cut peonies back before the leaves have begun to die back, or worse, right after flowering. The tuber won’t have time for storage, making it difficult to grow again the following season. Wait until they have begun to brown before you get your shears ready.

Cut Back

While it is important to wait a while before cutting back the leaves, don’t leave dead foliage around the plant for too long. This debris provides a safe haven for pests and diseases, not only affecting your peonies but the other plants in your garden.

Trim the leaves and stems down to the ground, removing all the growth above the soil line. Use sharp shears to make the process quick and easy.

Mulch

After cutting back, apply a layer of organic mulch around three inches thick over the top of the soil. This insulates the soil, protecting the tubers from any damage during severe cold. They need a period of cold to trigger flowering later in the season, but will become damaged if left unprotected in Zones 2 down.

After mulching, the hardest part is waiting until the weather warms before these gorgeous plants begin growing again. With consistent care, they can last well over 20 years and may even outlive their owners.

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What to do with peonies after flowering - pruning and maintenance

Peonies - plants are quite unpretentious. They grow on almost any soil, easily tolerate transplantation, and bloom beautifully. However, in order for the flowering to be plentiful, the plants need a little help. Moreover, care for peonies should begin immediately after flowering.

Many consider the rose to be the queen of flowers. But, for example, the Chinese call the peony the king of flowers. Peony is not inferior to rose in beauty, and is more fragrant, and less demanding to care for. Although it cannot be left unattended.

Peony has faded: what to do next

The lush flowering of this beauty does not last long - only a few weeks. And what to do with the plant after flowering?

This period is very important for the peony. What and how you do in these few months after flowering will determine the quality of your plant's flowering next year. After all, it is at this time that the bush restores strength and prepares for wintering. Moreover, just during this period, renewal buds are laid in it at the base of the stems, from which new shoots will appear in the spring.

Work after peonies bloom can be divided into several stages. Let's start in order.

Stage 1 - cleaning

After flowering, the whole ground around the peonies is covered with their numerous petals. These remnants of beauty must be removed immediately, because they can become breeding grounds for fungal diseases. It is also necessary to remove all dry inflorescences from the plant.

Step 2 - Watering

Peonies need moist soil to develop flower buds. However, many gardeners immediately stop watering after flowering plants. You should not do this, because. the flower in this case will experience stress, which will lead to the formation of weakened buds. Because of this, next year the peony will not be able to please you with lush flowering. Watering is especially important if there is a dry summer. The amount of water should be reduced gradually. If you poured, for example, 25 liters under a flowering bush, then after flowering, begin to reduce this volume. First, reduce the dose to 15 liters, then to 10 liters, etc. until complete cessation.

Stage 3 - loosening the soil

This simple plant care routine should not be neglected. Heavy rain or watering leads to the formation of a crust on the surface of the soil, and this prevents the access of air deep into the soil. In this case, loosening will help. This will also save the peony from unwanted neighbors - weeds.

To make life easier, the soil around the peony can be mulched. Grass cuts, sawdust, and humus are suitable as mulch.

Stage 4 - feeding

Despite its relative unpretentiousness, peony loves top dressing. The plant needs them both in spring, during the period of active growth, and during flowering. But, perhaps, in the period that follows after flowering, he needs them most of all. How to feed peonies after flowering?

We recommend the first top dressing after flowering with organic fertilizers, such as mullein. Make a circular furrow around the bush. Pour the mullein solution (1:10) into it. Fertilizer will promote the active growth of the root system, the formation of stems and renewal buds.

Another root dressing should be carried out in August. This time we recommend using not organic, but complex mineral fertilizers. Since peonies do not need nitrogen in autumn, use phosphorus-potassium top dressing (30-40 g per plant) and apply it in the same way as mullein - into the groove around the bush. After applying dry fertilizer, the groove must be moistened and covered with earth.

In addition to root, after flowering, it will not be superfluous to carry out one foliar top dressing with microelements. To do this, in dry weather, spray the bush with a solution of trace elements. You can use, for example, liquid mineral fertilizer Agricola (dissolve 5 ml of the drug in 1 liter of water).

Stage 5 - cutting

Inexperienced flower growers rush to prune a peony as soon as its buds have fallen off. Do not do this! Everything has its time.

The process of photosynthesis takes place in the leaves, thanks to which the plant receives the nutrients it needs. Consequently, it is the stems with the leaves located on them that are the source of nutrition in peonies, as in other flowers. If you remove them, you will deprive the bush of these substances. The plant, of course, will not die from this, but you should not expect lush flowering from it.

If you want to cut a bouquet of peonies when the bush is in bloom, take no more than 1/3 of all shoots. Otherwise, along with the flowers, you will take away the leaves from the plant - and with them the components necessary for photosynthesis.

Prune immediately after flowering the peony has only bare inflorescences. They are removed to the first healthy leaf.

If the autumn is warm, a peony cut too early will start to sprout. The first frosts will cause irreparable harm to your bush.

When can peonies be cut after flowering? It is impossible to name the exact time, because. it depends on weather conditions. We recommend focusing on the ambient temperature. After the first frosts, when the stems of peonies "fall down", they need to be cut off. In herbaceous peonies, the entire aerial part is removed. Remove the stems as close to the ground as possible, leaving no more than 2-3 cm.

Some gardeners cover the plants with cut foliage for the winter. We do not recommend doing this, because. stems can become a favorable breeding ground for pests. Cut plants are best collected and taken to a compost pit or burned.

Caring for tree varieties of peonies is somewhat different from caring for herbaceous varieties. Do tree peonies need to be pruned after flowering? Shrub peony species have strong tree-like stems (hence the name of the species). In no case can you cut them, because the flowering of these plants mainly occurs precisely on last year's shoots.

Such bushes need only sanitary pruning, which is best done in the spring. Dry, broken or weak branches should be removed from the peony bush. If necessary, formative pruning can be carried out every few years.

What else to do with peonies in autumn

In addition to the above-mentioned types of work that a peony needs in autumn, one can also name a transplant. If you have a large bush (at least 4-5 years old) or if it grows in an inconvenient place, it is better to transplant it. The best time for this is autumn.

Well, of course, you can't forget about protecting your pets before winter. We recommend mulching the ground around the bushes, for example, with a layer of peat or humus. The thickness of the layer varies depending on the weather conditions in your area - from 8-10 cm in temperate areas to 20-25 cm in places with more severe winters.

If you give your pet at least a minimum of attention, your unpretentious handsome peony will thank you next year with gorgeous blooms.

pruning, maintenance, fertilization . Photo — Botanichka

Peonies are the most beautiful perennials that bloom in late spring and early summer. Their large, brightly colored flowers are a welcome sight when summer finally arrives. But in order for the bushes to bloom well year after year, the plants need a little care after they finish flowering. What to do with your peonies after they bloom, our article will tell.

Peonies can be found in almost every yard, but even with their huge popularity, there is often confusion about how to care for them during the season, especially after they have faded.

Before we move on to this issue, it is worth clarifying that there are two varieties of peonies: herbaceous and tree-like.
Tree peonies are larger perennial shrubs with lignified stems that produce more growth each season than the previous year.

Herbaceous peonies are herbaceous perennials that die off to the ground every year (they also include ITO hybrids, since their shoots die off completely). They are by far the most popular of all peonies, and that's what today's article is about.

Do peonies need to be trimmed after flowering?

As soon as the peony flowers begin to fade, they should be removed from the plant. Removing dead flowers not only keeps the bush clean and tidy, but also helps keep the plant strong for flowering next year. If the seed heads are left in place, the bush will continue to use resources to set seeds. In addition, removing the main flower on the stem allows the smaller side flowers to get all their energy from the root and bloom faster, keeping the bush in bloom for longer.

When pruning seed heads, some of the resources are redirected to the growth of denser foliage, and the remaining nutrients are saved to ensure flowering next year. Therefore, do not leave faded flowers on the stems for more than one week.

Interesting : Have you ever wondered why ants love peonies so much and are always present on flowers? As you know, ants love sweets. And what could be sweeter than the nectar and aroma of these large flowers? For ants, peonies are a really sweet treat, and they use their pheromones to encourage other ants to "harvest" and protect their food source. So their presence helps to scare away other pests that may come to the flowers!

How to properly remove wilted peony flowers?

To remove wilted flowers, simply cut the flower, along with part of the stem, down to the first full leaf. It is important to use clean, sharp garden shears when doing this. Clean cuts heal more easily and the plant needs fewer resources to recover.

When pruning, it is important to remove only the first upper set of leaves near the flower. Never prune a peony to the ground after it has finished blooming! It is very important to keep as much foliage as possible on the plant, as it helps the plant get more nutrients and energy for the rest of the growing season. They will use them next year.

Feeding the peony after flowering

Peonies respond well to top dressing as they provide the plant with additional nutrients for strong growth and flowering. There are two critical periods for fertilizing peonies: in early spring and immediately after flowering. Never fertilize peonies later than August! Otherwise, the bush may begin to form young growth, and early frosts will destroy it.

Early spring fertilization promotes upcoming flowering. It should be applied at the beginning of the season, as soon as the plant starts to come out of the ground.
After the peony bush has faded, it is important to give it another boost. Feeding after flowering helps the plant to recover quickly and provides a supply of nutrients for growth and flowering next year.

When it comes to what fertilizer is best for peony, many experienced flower growers use a combination of compost and bone meal for top dressing. Bone meal helps nourish plant roots and is an excellent choice for peonies. And compost is balanced and has a wide range of plant nutrients.
If you are using a granular fertilizer, choose a fertilizer with a lower nitrogen content. Although peonies need nitrogen, they require potassium and phosphorus to a much greater extent. A fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 5:10:10 is an excellent choice for peonies.

Can peonies be replanted after flowering?

Although most perennials are repotted after they have finished flowering, peonies should not be repotted after flowering.

The best time to plant peonies is autumn. At this time, you can transplant old bushes, as well as divide them.

Although peonies can be planted in early spring, bushes are more difficult to establish and develop more slowly during the hot summer. As a result, the bushes lag behind in growth in the first year. Because of this, most peonies planted in the spring will take an extra year before flowering.

But when planted or divided in autumn, the roots have enough time to establish themselves in cool weather before leaving for the winter. This allows them to be more ready to bloom next spring.

Water peonies properly

Watering is an important condition for proper care of peonies after flowering. It is necessary that the soil around the plants is always slightly moist (but without stagnant water). Peonies can tolerate a little drought for a short period, but it's best to give them enough water on a regular basis.

On average, peonies need to be watered once every 5-7 days in the absence of precipitation. Sandy soils may require more frequent watering, up to twice a week. If your site has clay soil, then watering can be reduced to once every 7-10 days.

Always check soil moisture and water peonies if necessary.

Powdery mildew control

After flowering, peony bushes are weakened, as a result of which they can easily be easily affected by powdery mildew. Although they are usually very resistant to diseases and pests, powdery mildew can make the beautiful green leaves of peony dull, gray and powdery.

This fungal disease is named for the whitish-gray powdery spores that may coat the leaves. This is a common problem for many plants during wet summers and regions with high rainfall. June to July is the period when peonies can pick up powdery mildew, and it will look like the plant has been dusted with flour or powder.

Although this will not cause much damage to the bushes in the long run, the fungus prevents the plant from getting nutrients and this can cause the bushes to look weakened at the beginning of the next growing season. In fact, there are several types of this fungus, but their prevention and treatment are the same.

To prevent infection of peonies with powdery mildew, you should follow a few rules:

• Plant peonies in places with good air circulation and good lighting in the morning
• Always plant peonies in the sun
• Choose a well-drained area and use mulch around the roots
• Clear out garden debris in early spring
• Remove dead leaves and faded flowers regularly
• Water in the morning and always water the soil under the bushes, not the foliage
• Do preventive treatment with preparations based on hay bacilli (for example, Fitosporin, Alirin)
• In case of symptoms, immediately treat with antifungal drugs (Skor, Topaz, Vitaros, Copper vitriol, Oksihom and others)

Late autumn care for peonies

Herbaceous peonies lose their leaves completely after a few hard frosts.

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