PEONY CARE AND MAINTENANCE Herbaceous peonies are renowned for their large colorful flowers, fragrance, and abundant green foliage. These beauties are some of the longest-lived and most reliable of garden plants. Peonies will be the focal point of your garden when they bloom in late spring and early summer. They can be planted as an individual specimen, in large groups, as a low hedge, or for cut flowers. Peonies combine well with other perennials; there is a color to go with almost any other spring bloomer and their foliage makes a good backdrop for later blooming perennials. Peony colors include pinks, corals, whites, reds, and soft yellows. Plants will grow from about 15 inches to 3 feet tall depending on the variety. Where to Plant Peonies grow best in hardiness zones 2-8, these areas have cool enough winters to provide the chilling period they need. Peonies flower best in full sun, but will tolerate some shade. They are not fussy as to the soil, but do need good drainage. A pH of 6.0 to 7.0 is ideal. They should be planted away from large trees or shrubs to allow them to develop to their full potential. It is best to select a good site for initial planting since if they are moved they will need time to reestablish. Planting Instructions Space plants 3 to 4 feet apart. Prepare the garden bed by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to15 inches, mixing into the soil a 2 to 4 inch layer of compost. Plant container-grown peonies in spring or fall. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the container. Carefully remove the plant from the container and place it in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Fill in around the root ball and firm the soil gently. Plant bare-root peonies in fall, setting the roots so that the buds are two inches below the soil surface (about one inch in southern areas). After planting, water well. If you have a long, dry fall they may need additional light watering. Whether bare root or in a container, do not plant deeper than recommended or they may not bloom. The first winter, apply a 3 to 4 inch layer of protective mulch to prevent frost heave. Pull back the mulch in the spring when the ground thaws. Once your peonies are established, winter mulching is not necessary. The first summer, while the plant's root system develops, they may need additional moisture. Once established they are drought tolerant. Care Apply a thin layer of compost each spring (keep this away from tender new stems), followed by a 2 inch layer of mulch over root zone to retain moisture and control weeds. Before watering check underneath this mulch to see if ground is dry, if needed, water deeply. A well balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) may be applied in the spring. Fertilize lightly, over fertilization may reduce flowering. Remove the flowers as they fade to prevent seed development. In the fall when the plants go dormant, cut the stems back to ground level, remove them from the garden area, do not compost. Many of the newer hybrid Peonies have sturdier stems and do not need to be staked when blooming. If necessary, support tall varieties to keep them upright while blooming. Provide sturdy stakes and encircle plant loosely with twine or strips of cloth, or use two-ring peony supports. Shorter varieties and those with single and semi-double flowers are less affected by wind and rain than the tall heavy doubles. Transplanting and Dividing Peonies Peonies should only be transplanted or divided only when necessary, or when you need some to share with a gardening friend. An established and productive plant may not need dividing for 30 years or longer. Some plants have reached a hundred years old and are still growing strongly. If you do wish to transplant Peonies, they prefer to be moved in the fall when dormant, they can be safely moved in mid September in zone 5, or after a light frost. Cut stems to ground level. Gently dig around and under the plant to avoid damaging roots, remove the clump from the hole, hose the dirt from the root cluster. Let the roots sit in the shade for a few hours to become less brittle. Carefully cut the roots into sections with a sharp, clean knife, making sure there are at least 3 or 5 growth eyes in each new section. Trim away any soft or damaged spots. Clip off small thread-like roots. Cut large roots back to a size of about six to seven inches. As a precautionary measure, the cut surfaces can be dusted with a fungicide. Replant into a newly prepared area of the garden. (It is not a good idea to plant them in the same place where they were previously growing.) See notes above for replanting. What to Expected from a Newly Planted Peony Newly planted Peonies may or may not bloom the first spring, usually the second year they will have some blossoms, but they may be smaller than mature flowers, and the third year they will have multiple, full size flowers. Well worth the wait, Peonies are truly easy to grow, memorably gorgeous flowers!