I need a Peonies expert??

I'm not an expert but I have many peonies.

The first thing I will say is that they are very picky or can be extremely picky. They need to be happy.

But once they find that happy place, you'll be so happy with them.

Mine are in full sun. As far as the happy place, you may have to move it a time or two. You'll know when it's happy.

Another thought, sun through tree limbs and leaves may not be enough. They do like sun.

They do not like their "feet" too deep.

If they were newly potted when you bought them, most of their strength went to building up a root system.

Just a few thoughts that may help you in your quest for these spring beauties.

Good Luck!!

My peonies do go somewhat dormant after bloom and tend to die down. Some people just mow them off eventually in the summer. As a perennial, remember the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap. Mine receive morning sun from the east, and are shaded from the hot western sun in the summer.

I am afraid that if you move them, you will set them back to the first year, and any little root left behind will eventually make a plant.

I heard this year from a co-worker that peonies need ants on them in order to open their buds. The ants have to chew off the leaves covering the bloom. I don't know if that is true or not, but peonies are always covered with ants.

I love the fragrance of peonies, almost as much as roses.

On 9/11/2014 sweetpea53 said:

I'm not an expert but I have many peonies.

The first thing I will say is that they are very picky or can be extremely picky. They need to be happy.

But once they find that happy place, you'll be so happy with them.

Mine are in full sun. As far as the happy place, you may have to move it a time or two. You'll know when it's happy.

Another thought, sun through tree limbs and leaves may not be enough. They do like sun.

They do not like their "feet" too deep.

If they were newly potted when you bought them, most of their strength went to building up a root system.

Just a few thoughts that may help you in your quest for these spring beauties.

Good Luck!!

This and you need ants, to cross pollinate. No ants, no peonies.

I also am not an expert. I planted peonies in the full sun. And until a month or so ago they were thriving. I looked at them yesterday and the plant is covered with gray ""stuff"". I am now in a panic. I hate to loose them. The plant is almost 3 feet wide and was quite a beautiful plant - until now.

I had a hedge of peonies in our yard in Pa - they were on the south side of the house so in a lot of sun and they bloomed gorgeously every year for 28 years. They do only bloom once and then go dormant - at the first frost the green leaves will die off. We generally mowed them down before that.

They don't need ants to pollinate-- that is an old wives' tale. They do like at least 6 hours of sun (it could be a total of that or 6 straight hours of sun). Mine are sited on a Southern exposure and they do take at least 3 years as someone mentioned to establish.

Use mulch around the roots so you don't have to water frequently and they are one of the few perennials that thrive on neglect!! Once the red shoots come out of the ground in the spring, use peony hoops around the plant so the stems do not bend from the weight of the peony flowers.

Plant their red eyes (on the bare roots) at least 1-2" below the soil surface. Any deeper and they won't bloom for you.

Info on peonies which I wrote for our county extensions service.

On 9/11/2014 drizzellla said:

I also am not an expert. I planted peonies in the full sun. And until a month or so ago they were thriving. I looked at them yesterday and the plant is covered with gray ""stuff"". I am now in a panic. I hate to loose them. The plant is almost 3 feet wide and was quite a beautiful plant - until now.

Just mow them down and they will come back next spring.

On 9/11/2014 drizzellla said:

I also am not an expert. I planted peonies in the full sun. And until a month or so ago they were thriving. I looked at them yesterday and the plant is covered with gray "stuff". I am now in a panic. I hate to loose them. The plant is almost 3 feet wide and was quite a beautiful plant - until now.

The gray stuff is powdery mildew (a fungal disease). Only thing I can say is give more air circulation to them-- do not plant against a foundation or a solid fence if possible. When the leaves start to turn brown you can cut them back to about 3 inches and once the ground freezes in your area, apply mulch over the centers to prevent the crown from freezing. But with the awful cold winter the Northeast had, the peonies did beautifully and said 'Bring on the cold, we love it!'