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Cutting back peonies fall


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.

Time Your Pruning to Help Next Year's Blooms

After the first spring bulbs appear, the blooms I look forward to with the most anticipation in the spring are peonies. I love when I finally spot those big flower buds getting ready to burst open and reveal all the frilly petals they’ve been holding in. Knowing when to cut back peonies will ensure those beautiful blooms reappear next spring. Luckily once the flowers die back, you’re left with nice, strong foliage that will provide a backdrop for subsequent blooms.

Peony season, which can be anywhere from April to June, depending on where you live, can be fleeting. Those blooms that bring such colour and personality to the spring garden sure don’t like to hang around for long. But when shopping for peonies at the garden center, you can find early-, mid-, and late-season bloom times. Check the plant tag for details. I have a few peonies and luckily they don’t all open at once. They are staggered about a week or so apart, so I get to enjoy peony flowers for longer.

Peonies are a beautiful addition to a spring garden. Knowing when to cut back peonies—both the flowers and the foliage—will help to maintain a healthy plant (and encourage those blooms!) for the following season.

When to deadhead peonies

Hopefully you get to enjoy the flowers before a spring storm makes a mess of them. I’m often picking up sad-looking, bruised petals after a storm, lamenting the fact that the flowers seem to have just opened. Rain can make quick work of them, turning the petals into a bit of a mushy mess. If you find your peonies flop from their weight (or from a heavy rainfall), try placing a peony hoop over the plant, early in the spring, while it’s still easy to do so.

If your peony blooms don’t make it inside for cut flower arrangements, you can deadhead the faded flowers once they’re past their prime. This step, unfortunately, doesn’t encourage more flowers, like on other annuals and perennials.

It’s also worth noting that allowing the seed heads to form on spent blooms will affect next year’s growth. Deadheading right after the plant blooms allows it to redirect all of its energy into next year’s growth and blooms.

If you don’t snip all your peony flowers for vases, deadheading will help to redirect the energy into the plant for next year’s foliage and flowers, instead of forming seed pods.

To deadhead a peony, use a sharp, clean pair of pruners to snip the flower stems where they meet the leaves. As for the foliage, you’ll want to leave it standing in the garden well into autumn. The rest of this article will explain why you should leave your herbaceous peony foliage until fall.

When to cut back peonies

Throughout the season, your peony leaves may start to look less than stellar. And though it could be tempting to cut them back, the plant relies on the energy from the leaves for the following year’s new growth. That’s why you need to wait until fall to prune them back. Cutting them back sooner could affect next year’s flowers.

Peony foliage is susceptible to fungal diseases, like powdery mildew (shown here). It won’t kill your peony, but it doesn’t look great. This plant was placed in an area that gets part shade. Full sun and lots of air circulation around the plant will help it to thrive—and look better throughout the growing season.

For example, peony foliage can be prone to powdery mildew, which won’t kill the plant, it just looks unsightly. Full sun and lots of space to promote air circulation can help to prevent powdery mildew. Other afflictions can include botrytis blight, verticillium wilt, and Japanese beetles.

Knowing when to cut back peonies in fall is key. Timing-wise, wait until a hard frost has finished off the foliage. (Where I live, that’s usually around October, but some years it’s November.) Until that point, peony leaves are quite lovely in early fall, changing color—usually to a golden hue—like other trees and shrubs.

Using a sharp pair of pruning shears, prune back all the stems right to ground level. Be gentle with the soil around the base of the plant. You want to be careful not to damage the crown at the soil level.

Even when peonies have flopped over, the foliage is still attractive in the garden. Consider plant supports to prevent peonies from falling under their weight or in a heavy rain storm.

Why it’s important to cut back peony plants

On this site, we talk about the reasons why gardeners should save the fall garden cleanup until spring. Peonies, however, are exempt from this rule. They’re one of those plants you should cut back, especially if you have had disease issues throughout the growing season. Cutting back a peony will help to prevent pests and diseases from harming the plant. Be sure that once you’ve pruned everything back, you remove all the plant debris from the area, including any leaves that may have fallen. Discard the trimmings—diseased leaves or insect-ravaged stems—right into the garbage, not the compost pile.

If you live in an especially cold climate, add a light layer of mulch (such as shredded bark or pine needles) at the base of the plant where you cut everything back. Be sure to remove your winter mulch in the spring. If you’re amending the soil around your peony with compost—plants prefer well-draining soil—don’t pile it on the crown, add it around the perimeter.

Pests and diseases, like botrytis (shown here), may be unsightly, but it’s important to leave the peony foliage intact until fall so that the plant can develop its leaves and flowers for the following season.

When to cut back Itoh and tree peonies

Itoh (or intersectional) peonies, which are a cross between the herbaceous peonies mentioned in this article and tree peonies, should follow the same pruning schedule. However in this case, prune the herbaceous part down to the woody party, which you should leave intact.

The best time to prune a tree peony is right after it blooms. Do not cut it back in the fall as you would an herbaceous or Itoh peony. You can do a light pruning in the spring before the shrub blooms. Use clean pruners to remove suckers around the base, as well as any dead wood.

To see how peonies should be cut back and hear about different timing options, check out this video:

More pruning advice

When and how to cut peonies after flowering

Contents

Peonies have long been known both in our area and far beyond its borders. Initially, they were cultivated very far in China, where they worshiped him and believed in his magical power. Peony sat only near sacred places where there were areas of worship to the gods. The contemplation of the splendor of flowering plants near Chinese temples and monasteries is already breathtaking in itself. The Chinese believed that with the help of this flower they scare away evil spirits. True or not, it is very difficult to prove. nine0003

We traditionally plant peonies in flowerbeds, summer cottages, you can meet them in the park area. The variety of the flower strikes with not too many colors, but nevertheless, the light structure of the plant, its delicate petals create the effect of weightlessness. The aroma of a peony is very subtle and delicate, it will appeal to those who do not like very strong tastes.

If you have been admiring the beauty of these flowers for a long time, but still did not dare to plant them on your site, then you can go to the store, we will tell you about how to properly care for this plant, how to plant, cut and water, so that your buds turned into the most magnificent flowers. nine0003

Basic rules for caring for peonies

In order for your peonies to grow well and please everyone around them with large and bright flowers, you need to take care that the place of your future flower bed is the most suitable for a flower. Peonies differ in that they do not like too much water, or prolonged drought. In this regard, the place should allow the plant to receive a sufficient amount of water, without exceeding or shortfalling the established norms.

It is best to choose a lighted place, next to which tall trees will not grow. It is important to plant peonies so that they receive a sufficient amount of light, which also plays an important role. If the place for the flower bed is almost completely in the shade day after day, then the flowers will not grow, and they will remain sprouts. nine0003

When you have chosen a place where your flowers will be most comfortable, it is worth digging holes for them. The depth should not be great, but sufficient to pour the prepared soil inside. It is important that the applied soil be nutritious and give the flower everything it needs for the first days of existence. When planting a peony, you should know how to properly place the sprout in the hole. Its root should be high, above the middle of the pit, but from the top layer of soil it is worth lowering it by four centimeters. The peony root system has the ability to grow rapidly if it is in the right conditions. Development goes up, and therefore it is important to leave a few centimeters for its growth. nine0003

In order for the flowers in the garden to have a beautiful appearance, their greenery would be buoyant, and the flowers would bloom large and thoroughbred, it is necessary to fertilize the greenery from time to time. For each flower, there are fertilizers, in order to saturate them as accurately as possible with what is missing, what they will begin to need in the very near future.

As for peonies, they are fed when the sprouts grow about ten centimeters from the ground. As for the second series of fertilizing work, it is recommended to carry it out at a time when the buds began to tie, but the flower itself has not yet opened. During this period, the plant needs help most of all, because all the forces go to expel the bud, and then open it. When the bud flowering process ends, the bushes are fed again. This option is needed so that the peonies can move away from the previous difficult stage, rebuild and grow further. Forces are needed for such a life step, therefore top dressing will be most favorable. If you do not feed the peonies, they will grow and even bloom, but the size of the bushes will be many times smaller, and the flowering of the buds will not please as much as they could. nine0003

It is worth mentioning separately about the green part of the peony. Not only flowers matter, but also the leaves on them. When you cut flowers for a bouquet, it's important to do it right. When cutting a flower, you need to leave at least two leaves on the stem so that flowering continues in the same spirit. It is important to know that cutting all the buds at a time is very harmful, more than half should remain on the bush and continue their natural biological existence.

Peony pruning features

Many garden and horticultural crops need pruning from time to time. In order for the flowering to be more extensive and long-lasting, it is necessary to prune the flowers. In this case, it is important to carry out the procedure after all the flowers have closed and faded. It is best to wait a couple of days from the moment when the last flower bloomed. If you do the procedure earlier, then the bushes simply will not have time to recover and give birth to new buds.

In gardening, everything is important so that flowers and other plants please their owners, you need to know and be able to do a lot of things. For example, cutting pions has its own characteristics. A flower that is still active and open in full force can be cut to put it at home. Even picking a bouquet has its own rules. When cutting flowers, it is important to cut off the stem at the place where the first leaf begins, but the incision itself is made before it. nine0003

Depending on how many or how big flowers you want to have next year, work on the buds of a young plant. In the first year, the peony may bloom in different ways, but you can lay its subsequent crops now. If it is important for you that there are a lot of flowers, no matter what size they are, you need to immediately cut off the bud after flowering. This procedure will shape your future garden.

If you appreciate only the largest and most colorful flowers, then you should pay attention to the top buds, which in this case remain intact and are not cut off. nine0003

In the process of cutting the buds, it is important not to touch the leaves of the bush, they must remain on the flower. Thanks to them, photosynthesis processes take place, the flower grows, develops and, as a result, pleases us with its bright colors and bizarre shapes. If you get carried away and start cutting leaves that you don’t like, this can cause a chain reaction and the bush will not survive. Foliage pruning is possible only in one case, if the plant is sick with something and this manifests itself on the foliage.

If you still have to get rid of the leaves, then about half of the most healthy leaves must be left on the bush so that it can function normally. It is important to hold this event at the right time. For those who do not know when to prune peonies, we will say that this definitely cannot be done in the middle of business or in the spring. In summer, growth processes are active, all the bushes bloom and smell, therefore it is important to maintain the bush, which you will cut in the fall in the most comfortable conditions. nine0003

As for spring, this period is strictly forbidden for pruning leaves, because everything begins to come to life, gain strength and energy, and at this time you will not be able to cut all its leaves without damaging the peony, but already in autumn, doing it gradually.

October is considered the most favorable time for peony pruning. This month is still relatively dry and warm, so that young bushes can relatively easily survive this procedure. Do not forget about the peculiarities of your region, because in some parts it is still hot in October, and somewhere it is already cold. nine0003

As for care, it is worth saying about such a property of peony foliage, it is that at the time of flowering plants, they begin to fall off a little. This process is constant, but stable. Its disadvantage is that the foliage, which falls in large numbers, covers the soil, thereby creating a layer where mold develops, rot may appear. In view of these factors, very often the flowers suffer from the disease gray rot, from which only special spraying helps. This process is not one-time. Spray peonies three times per cycle of flowering and development. The first time you need to treat the flower with a solution after it sprouts. The second time this happens when buds begin to form on the bushes. Well, the final one comes immediately after all the flowers have finished blooming. nine0003

Unlike shrubs that are not pruned for the coming winter, peonies are those that need to be pruned in order to get big and strong bushes with beautiful flowers next year. It is important to know exactly when to trim the bush. If you have never encountered peonies before, then you can make a typical mistake and cut them off by the time coolness sets in.

In fact, the time when you need to cut the bush to the very bottom will be the moment when all the shoots themselves fall to the ground. In this way, the bush itself tells a person that it is possible to cover it for the winter. Everything that you cut off needs to be collected and taken out far from your flower garden in case of some kind of disease that you might have overlooked. The piece that remains from the bush must be covered with a small layer of peat. nine0003

There is another pruning that takes place in the spring. When the bush has risen, and you can see where healthy twigs and leaves are on it, and where not. Everything that should not be on the peony is cut off, and by the summer your bush comes up full-fledged, healthy and ready to give a large number of flowers. With proper and timely pruning, the bushes grow strong and healthy, and the flowers are large and lush, which pleases the eye of both the gardener and everyone around.

Do peonies need to be trimmed after flowering

Peonies are rather unpretentious perennial flowers. Even novice growers can easily cope with caring for them. But only compliance with certain cultivation rules allows you to get a beautiful, powerful flowering. Among these techniques, the point is important: is it necessary to prune peonies after flowering, even if a bush with dried buds does not look too beautiful.

Peonies have faded, what to do next? This is a big mistake, because in this case the plant will not die, but next year it will give few buds or not bloom at all.

After flowering, the peony regains strength in order to be well prepared for winter. In the green mass for one and a half to two months, there is an accumulation of nutrients that go to the roots. Even if the foliage has turned yellow, the roots of the plant vegetate until the frost. nine0003

Having received good nutrition, the roots form new buds of renewal, from which flower stalks will grow in spring. Thus, after the peonies bloom, in no case should you cut the foliage - early pruning will harm the plant.

In July-August, the peony begins to prepare for winter, stocking up on nutrients, and the amount of green mass plays an important role in this process. If some leaves have dried up and spoil the appearance of the bush, they can be carefully removed. nine0003

Young peonies bloom in the second or third year after planting. At first, the bush is gaining green mass and there are few flowers, but by the fourth year, abundant flowering begins. Experienced flower growers are advised to pick off the first buds on young bushes, which weaken the plant. But now the peony has increased in size, gained vegetative mass and bloomed magnificently. To make the flowers larger, you can remove the lower smaller buds when they are the size of a pea.

Flowers on a peony bush do not appear at the same time - some buds are just opening, while others have already faded, dried up and spoil the appearance of the flower bed. Pruning peonies immediately after flowering is to remove faded buds. With secateurs, carefully cut off the dried flowers at the very top of the peduncle, approximately to the first leaf. nine0003

After we gradually remove all dry buds, the peony bush will look attractive until autumn, delighting with lush greenery. By removing faded buds, we pursue two goals - we preserve the aesthetic appearance of the peony and take care of its health. The crumbled petals fall on the leaves and in wet weather can provoke fungal diseases. For the prevention of gray rot, we spray with a solution of copper oxychloride.

Preparing peonies for winter: pruning and feeding

Peony leaves die off in winter, so it is better to cut them in autumn. When and how to do it right? The optimal time for pion pruning is after the onset of a steady cold snap, almost before frost. The peony itself will give a sign - its stems will turn brown and lean towards the ground. nine0003

To prevent the development of fungal diseases, we cut the stems very low, leaving no stumps. At the same time, we place the secateurs almost at the very ground.

Some gardeners cover peony bushes with cut stems. This should not be done, all the green mass must be taken out and burned. For prevention, the ground around the bush can be watered with phytosporin. Next, we loosen the soil around the plant, at the same time removing weeds. In order for the peony to winter well, grow well in the spring, and give a beautiful flowering in the summer, it must be fed well. nine0003

How to feed peonies after pruning?

The simplest fertilizer is compost. On top of the bush and around it, pour about a bucket of compost.

Learn more