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Cut back peonies in fall


for show-stopping blooms next year |

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Knowing when to cut back peonies is essential if you want to keep your plants in good health and ensure maximum blooms next year.

Learning how to grow peonies is one of the most rewarding gardening pursuits. Few other plants offer such a vast range of forms and colors, from purest white, through lemon yellow, softest pink and deepest red.

‘Renowned for their oversized blooms, peonies are a prized landscape plant often used for cut flowers,’ says Lindsay Pangborn, gardening expert at Bloomscape . 

‘Cutting back peonies is a critical to-do item, but it’s important to think about timing. It’s a careful balance of aesthetic and plant health considerations.’

As well as knowing when to cut back peonies, it's also important to know when to plant peonies if you're adding new varieties to the garden. Plus, if your peonies are not blooming, this guide will help.

When to cut back peonies – expert guide

Your local climate can affect when to cut back peonies as those in warmer zones will flower earlier than those in cooler zones – check your USDA plant hardiness zone . Peonies can be grown in zones 3-9, depending on the variety.

‘Depending on where you live, the growing season for peonies can be anywhere between April to June,’ says Gabriel J. Croteau, master gardener and consultant at Juliei Salone .

‘It may be tempting to prune peonies as soon as the leaves start looking bad, but you ideally need to wait until fall to prune them. That's because the plants are still relying on getting their energy for the following year's growth – and so cutting them sooner could affect next year's flowers.’

When fall sets in, and the peonies' leaves change color to yellow or brown, then it’s time to make the cut. 

‘Take them right back to about 1 inch (2.5cm),’ says Jennifer Green, botanist and expert at Positive Bloom . ‘If the plant is severely damaged or overgrown, you should cut it as close to the base as possible. 

'You can also remove healthy branches that touch each other, taking away the less developed branch with fewer buds. ’

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Can I cut my peonies back in August?

August is not the best time to cut back peonies, as it doesn’t allow the foliage to absorb as much energy as it needs for the following year.

‘The foliage of peonies tends to decline, beginning in August, since this is when the plant naturally starts diverting energy away from growing leaves and instead to underground tubers. These tubers allow the plant to store energy for the next season,’ explains Pangborn.

‘Though the leaves may not look great, it’s best to allow them to remain so that they can continue to photosynthesize and gather energy for the plant.’

Cutting back peonies in spring

Unless you are trimming old growth left over from the previous year, you must not cut back your peonies in the spring, as this could harm the plant and prevent it from flowering.

However, there is one exception to the rule. ‘The only peony you should trim in the spring is a tree peony,’ says Croteau. ‘You wouldn't cut it back in the fall like you do a herbaceous or Itoh peony. 

Early spring is the best time to prune tree peonies.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Do peonies need to be cut back for winter?

It’s best to cut back your peonies before winter in the fall, and discard all dead plant matter. 

‘Peonies are susceptible to foliar fungal issues, and allowing infected foliage to remain on the plant through winter can expose new growth to damaging pathogens that have overwintered on the old leaves,’ says Pangborn.

Pruning peonies before winter also keeps your garden tidy. ‘If you don’t cut them, the leaves and stems deteriorate, become mushy, and fall to the ground,’ says Green.

Can you cut down peonies after they bloom? 

‘You should not cut back peonies after they bloom, since the leaves do a lot of work over the growing season gathering energy for the plant. However, you should deadhead peonies after they bloom,’ says Pangborn.

Always use clean, sharp pruners to remove spent flower blooms, to avoid the risk of disease transference. 

‘Allowing the old blooms to remain can contribute to fungal growth on the plant, along with being unsightly,’ adds Pangborn. ‘It’s also best to remove any stems that are declining throughout the season in an effort to keep disease from spreading.’

What happens if you don't cut back peonies? 

If you don’t cut back peonies, the old foliage will become unsightly over the winter and into the spring – but they should still flower the following year.

‘Bear in mind this increases the chance that any old fungal issues are transferred to the tender new growth in the spring,’ adds Pangborn.

As editor of Period Living, Britain's best-selling period homes magazine, Melanie loves the charm of older properties. I live in a rural village just outside the Cotswolds in England, so am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful homes and countryside, where I enjoy exploring. Having worked in the industry for almost two decades, Melanie is interested in all aspects of homes and gardens. Her previous roles include working on Real Homes and Homebuilding & Renovating, and she has also contributed to Gardening Etc. She has an English degree and has also studied interior design. Melanie frequently writes for Homes & Gardens about property restoration and gardening.

When to Cut Back Peonies

When it comes to caring for garden peonies, one of the most frequently asked questions is how to prevent the tall perennial plants with their large, heavy flowerheads from flopping over. However, cutting back peonies is just as important for proper peony care. 

Here's why, when, and how to cut back and deadhead your peonies to get the most out of these garden favorites. 

Is Cutting Back Peonies Necessary?

In addition to the aesthetic considerations, the main reason for cutting back peonies is plant health. Peony diseases can be controlled by removing diseased foliage during the growing season, and by cutting back the entire plants after the end of the growing season in the fall.  

The Spruce / Colleen & Shannon Graham

Deadheading Peonies

Cutting back peonies is different from deadheading, which is the removal of the spent flowers after the bloom. If the flowers stay on the plants, they will produce seeds instead of storing all the plant energy in the roots, which ensures plant health and next year’s bloom. It does not matter how much you trim the flower stalks. However, for a neater appearance, it is best to cut them below the foliage so they don’t stick out.

Deadheading also extends the bloom time of Itoh peonies, which bloom later than garden peonies, but are deadheaded the same way. 

The Spruce / Colleen & Shannon Graham

Removing Flower Buds

Newly planted peonies benefit from removing the flower buds entirely before they open in the first spring. Not every gardener eager to see the peonies bloom is willing to make that sacrifice. But preventing the peonies from blooming in the first year after planting helps the plants get established, and the reward is a fuller bloom in the subsequent years.  

The Spruce / Colleen & Shannon Graham

Removing Peony Foliage

Cutting back peonies during the growing season is optional; it should be done as needed to prevent the spread of disease. Cutting back peonies in the fall, on the other hand, is always required. 

The Spruce / Colleen & Shannon Graham

Pruning for Disease Control

Two common fungal diseases of peonies are peony leaf blotch and powdery mildew. The spores of both fungi survive in dead leaves and infected plant debris through the winter. Good sanitation, which consists of cutting back infected plant parts during the growing season and disposing of the plant material in the trash, helps to control the spread of disease. 

Peony leaf blotch is caused by the fungus Cladosporium paeoniae. Because of the typical glossy purple or brown spots or blotches on the upper surface of the leaves, it is befittingly also called measles or red spot. As the season progresses, older, bigger leaves may also become distorted, and the stems show reddish-brown streaks.  

The other fungal disease affecting peonies is powdery mildew. Unless it is severe, the chalky residue on the leaves from powdery mildew is more of an eyesore than a disease that affects the plant. Still, to keep it under control, cut off infected leaves and collect any infected leaves that have dropped to the ground to prevent reinfection. 

When pruning out diseased leaves, have a bucket filled with one part chlorine bleach and nine parts water on stand by to disinfect your pruners. Dip them in the mix and wipe them dry with a clean rag, so you don’t spread the fungal spores from plant to plant. 

Lack of good air circulation in combination with moisture buildup can also worsen the spread of fungal disease in peonies. If the foliage of your peonies is healthy but very dense, it’s a good idea to thin the foliage a little to let more air and sunlight in. 

Powdery mildew on peonies

SBSArtDept / Getty Images

Fall Cleanup

In the fall, cut the peonies back but wait until the foliage has died or fully yellowed after a hard frost. If you cut the peonies back too early, you reduce the time during which the foliage is absorbing sunlight to build the plant’s energy reserves. This will result in reduced bloom the next year. 

Tip

Unlike garden peonies, tree peonies, which are woody perennials, require very little pruning other than deadheading and pruning of any dead branches.

How to Cut Back Peonies

1.   Cut off the stems at or near ground level after a hard frost.

2.  Thoroughly remove all plant debris and dead foliage regardless of whether the peonies have been infected with a disease or not. The dead foliage might contain fungal spores that are not visible to the human eye. If the plants were diseased, safely depose of them in the trash; do not compost it under any circumstances.

When to cut peonies for the winter: signs and terms

Many flower growers, especially beginners, are concerned about the question of how to properly prepare peonies for wintering, whether they need to be cut, and if so, when and how best to do it. To remove unnecessary worries, we answer in order all questions about pruning peonies of different types.

Despite the fact that peonies almost ceased to occupy your attention by the beginning of autumn, you still need to take care of them before the onset of winter cold if you want to see a lot of lush inflorescences next spring. After all, the root system of plants continues to develop, forming new thin suction roots, peonies accumulate nutrients and lay flower buds for the new season. Care and support during this period they simply need. One of the mandatory procedures in the autumn care of peonies is pruning the stems with leaves.

Why prune peonies

Pruning before wintering is necessary for peonies for several reasons.

Firstly, by the end of summer, the leaves usually show signs of infection with some fungal disease (and sometimes several at once). By this time, pests are firmly established in the flower beds: aphids, ants, thrips, bronzovki, which probably took care of the offspring. All this "property" cannot be left for the winter, so as not to propagate fungal spores and insect larvae throughout the garden.

Secondly, the leaves left under the snow for the entire cold season will rot by spring and can cause gray mold, rust and other diseases to infect the soil and other plants. Therefore, pruning and cleaning from the site of leaves and stems in the fall is the easiest and most reliable way to maintain the health of not only peonies or other perennials, but the entire garden in general.

When to prune peonies

The first pruning is necessary for peonies immediately after the end of flowering - during this period, wilted buds and seed pods are removed so that the plants do not waste energy on seed maturation.

Some inexperienced growers are in a hurry to cut off the aerial part of the bush immediately after flowering, but this is a wrong approach. Peonies need green mass for photosynthesis and continuation of vegetation - it is due to the leaves that the bush is nourished, the root system develops and the stock of substances necessary for wintering is accumulated. In addition, peonies cut too early in warm autumn weather can release young shoots that are guaranteed to die in winter. For these reasons, full pruning should be postponed until a later time.

The timing of autumn pruning depends on the type of flowers growing in your area. Herbaceous peonies in the middle lane should be cut from mid-October to early November - with the onset of the first frost. ITO hybrids can (and even recommended) be pruned later - from mid to late November - because. peonies of this group are considered more resistant to cold and adverse conditions.

When choosing the time to prune herbaceous peonies, it is best to focus on the condition of the stems and leaves - after the stems fall down, it's time to start the procedure.

How to trim peonies

Apart from some differences in terms, in general, the pruning algorithms for herbaceous peonies and ITO hybrids are the same.

The procedure is quite simple: the entire aerial part of the bush is cut off at the very ground, leaving stumps no more than 2-3 cm high. It is better to do the work on a dry, fine day to avoid moisture from rainfall on the sections of the stems, which is fraught with rotting of the root collar.

After pruning, the hemp should be sprinkled with wood ash: two or three handfuls of sifted ash are scattered on each bush - this will help disinfect the cuts and give the plants additional nutrition before wintering.

Pruning tree peonies is not so easy, because it is on the shoots of last year that they develop young growth and buds form. In autumn, you can carry out sanitary cleaning - remove diseased, dry, insect-damaged leaves. Formative pruning, if necessary, is performed every few years, and annually the tops of too long lignified stems are cut off, leaving them 70-90 cm high from the ground. This helps the plants in the new season to enhance the growth of young shoots and stimulates flowering.

Healthy leaves can be composted after pruning. If the bushes have been affected by rust, powdery mildew, rot or insects, then such stems and leaves must be burned or removed from the site so that they do not become a source of infection for the garden.

Caring for peonies after pruning

The stumps of young (up to 3 years old) herbaceous peonies and ITO hybrids remaining after pruning should be insulated with spruce branches for the winter to protect the fragile root system from severe frosts. It is enough to mulch mature plants with compost, humus or lowland peat. The thickness of the layer, depending on the winter weather in the region, is recommended to be 8-10 cm (for a temperate climate) or 20-25 cm (for northern latitudes).

It is not necessary to protect tree peonies from frost - mature bushes can survive temperatures as low as -30°C. However, during thaws, plants of this species may awaken their buds ahead of time, which will lead to their natural death after the return of cold weather. Therefore, experienced flower growers still prefer to cover tree peonies for the winter. To do this, the remaining leaves are removed from the stems, the bush is tied with a rope and covered with burlap or dense white agrotextile, leaving a hole in the lower part for ventilation. As an option, you can make a "hut" from coniferous spruce branches or cover the plants with cardboard boxes.

If you haven't fed peonies in September, it's still not too late to do it at the same time as pruning. For the final feeding, it is recommended to use superphosphate (15-25 g) and potassium sulfate (10-15 g). The earth around the bush is gently loosened and a shallow groove is made in it, where fertilizers are applied. Then the groove is sprinkled with soil and the near-trunk circle is watered. Of the industrial complexes of mineral fertilizers, Fertika Autumn is suitable for this top dressing.

Autumn care and preparation for winter peonies: pruning, top dressing, shelter

Autumn is the time to prepare perennials for winter. It is in autumn that you must carefully take care of the peonies so that they can successfully winter and release many beautiful buds again next year.

Next, let's talk about how to properly care for peonies in the fall, when to feed, how to prune and whether to cover for the winter.

Please note! Ignoring autumn care and preparing peonies for winter often leads to the fact that the plant stops blooming .

Contents

What to do with peonies in autumn

As a rule, among the basic measures for plant care after flowering and when preparing peonies for winter, include the following:

You can also transplant the shrub to a new location (previously dividing), of course, if there is a need or need for this.

By the way! About how to properly divide and transplant peonies in autumn and spring there is a separate article .

Feeding peonies in autumn: terms and fertilizers

Feeding peonies is usually done a couple of weeks after they have faded and pruned. In other words, the approximate timing of autumn fertilization for peonies is August-early September, and specific ones already depend on the climatic conditions of your region.

Interesting! Many flower growers combine top dressing with autumn pruning of stems.

As for what fertilizers peonies need during this period, it is, of course, phosphorus and potassium, for example, a mixture of the same superphosphate and potassium sulfate or bone meal and wood ash . Alternatively, you can use any fertilizer marked "autumn".

Important! Never use 9 in autumn0064 nitrogen fertilizers that stimulate the growth of green mass.

There are the following ways to feed peonies and other plants:

If the autumn turned out to be dry, then it is better to dilute phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in water according to the instructions and apply directly under the roots. A liter of such a solution is enough for each bush.

In rainy weather, it is better to use granular fertilizers, which gradually enter the root system of the plant. Usually, dry fertilizers are scattered in the near-stem circle of the plant, slightly embedding them in the ground.

By the way! The site has a separate article about how to properly feed peonies in spring, summer and autumn for abundant flowering .

When and how to prune peonies after flowering and in autumn (for winter)

Why prune plants after flowering and in autumn (for winter)

Many flower growers are wondering whether it is necessary to prune peonies for winter in autumn.

Naturally, not all novice flower growers know and understand why it is necessary to cut the foliage on this perennial shrub in the fall, because often they (leaves) at first glance are not affected by any diseases or pests, but only turn yellow and dry, because. completed another cycle of development of this flower.

Interesting! Some summer residents advise not even to cut peonies in the fall, but, on the contrary, leave them like this for the winter in order to remove rotten leaves in the spring.

However, it should be understood that the withered leaves left uncut are an ideal place for wintering various pests and their larvae. Pathogenic microorganisms (fungi) can also “hide” there.

That's why it's highly recommended to prune peony leaves in autumn: it's a kind of sanitary measure.

By the way! Of course, if the leaves are clean and you are 100% sure that the plant is healthy, then you can not cut it until spring , especially if it is already deep autumn, and the leaves are still green. Otherwise (if the leaves are clearly affected by something), in addition to pruning, you should also treat with a fungicide (spray with a remedy for diseases) the stems and the ground around the peonies remaining after pruning.

Thus, autumn pruning is carried out to prevent fungal diseases that can affect peony bushes.

Worth knowing! The most common and dangerous fungal disease that affects peonies is botrytis (gray rot) .

When to prune after flowering and in autumn (for winter)

Timing is also important in this matter.

So, the first time peonies are pruned after flowering , and at this time only faded buds are removed (it is recommended to leave 3-4 leaves on the stem). So the bush will look much neater. Naturally, Leaves are not touched .

The fact is that after flowering, the process of photosynthesis continues in the leaves, which allows the roots (more precisely, root tubers) to accumulate useful substances necessary to restore the plant's strength after flowering, so to speak, preparing for future flowering.

Autumn pruning of peonies is carried out directly at the end of the season, i.e. before winter, when the leaves have already turned yellow and began to dry out.

Many gardeners agree that the later you trim the peonies, the better. So, peonies are pruned in autumn before or immediately after the first light night frosts, i. e. with the onset of a steady cooling, when the average daily temperature drops to 5-7 degrees, i.e. around October.

How to prune

It is very easy to prune peonies in autumn: you need to cut the stems almost to the level of the soil (level with the ground) , is better without stumps (like raspberries ), but you can leave 2-5 cm each (some gardeners even recommend up to 10-15 cm).

Important! All cut shoots, along with foliage, are immediately removed from the site and burned, and not left in the tree circle. Or they throw it into a compost heap, where, as mentioned earlier, pest larvae and pathogenic fungi can be found.

Video: peony pruning in autumn

Further care after pruning: loosening, mulching

2-3 cm) and weed out weeds that have appeared .

Why is it important to remove weeds in a timely manner?

If this is not done, then the weeds will take root and will simply take food from your cultivated plants.

After loosening the peonies, you can mulch the bushes with a little compost or humus. It will also be additional fertilizer, as well as shelter.

Is it necessary and how to properly cover peonies for the winter?

Fertilization and pruning of peony bushes are the main measures to prepare this flowering perennial for winter. However, if necessary, it is also important to properly cover the peonies for the winter so that they do not freeze (or rot).

For obvious reasons, this procedure (shelter) is especially relevant for those cold regions where there are severe frosts in winter and little snow falls (or peonies are planted in a place where snow simply does not accumulate or lingers, for example, it is blown by winds) .

Tip! In any case, you can insulate peonies yourself by throwing snow on them with a shovel.

How can peonies be insulated for the winter?

As a rule, most gardeners cover peonies for the winter with spruce branches (spruce branches).

Or lay a layer of mulch on top (5-10 cm) (so to speak, spud ), using rotted sawdust, peat, again humus or compost.

Remember! As a covering material, cut leaves of a plant, in which “harmful” insects and pathogens can remain overwintering, cannot be used.

However, do not overdo it, because the peony is a fairly winter-hardy plant that can quite successfully overwinter without shelter even in the conditions of the Middle Stripe (Moscow Region). But vypret still as best he can, so no films and similar shelters!

Important! In the spring, be sure to remove the cover from the peonies and / or unravel the bushes in time!

Peculiarities of tree peony pruning and preparation for winter

The procedure for autumn pruning of tree peony is somewhat different from grassy peony .

As you know, the tree peony was named because the shrub has main and skeletal branches. Therefore, if you cut the bushes completely, then the peony will not bloom until a new skeleton grows again.

Thus, tree peonies do not need to cut stems (unless you want to shape your "tree" in a special way), another thing is that you should cut off all the withered foliage .

Tip! However, if you want to enhance the growth of young shoots and thereby contribute to more abundant flowering of perennial next year, then you need to carry out a stimulating autumn pruning of a tree-like peony, namely, cut all lignified stems to a height of 0.7-0, 9m.

By the way! But it is very desirable to cover the newly planted or transplanted bushes of tree-like peonies for the winter, or rather, mulch them.

Thus, the preparation of peonies for winter is a very important process, the correct implementation of which determines how well they survive the winter and will be ready to bloom for the next season.

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