Blooming Peonies
/
One of the peonies that wasn’t blooming - but now does. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
“Charlotte your peonies are lovely. I have some from my mother’s garden but none have bloomed, how long does it take? Any other suggestions to get them to bloom?” - Madison
Blooming Peonies
Hi Madison,
How wonderful that you have peonies from your mother’s garden.
The biggest challenge with getting peonies to bloom is how deep you planted them. If you look at the roots, the growth comes from dark pink growth nodes, or eyes. Those should be planted no deeper than 2 inches below the top soil level. The eyes should also be pointed up.
If your peonies are planted deeper, you can dig them up either in fall or early spring and reposition the root to the 2-inch depth.
Peonies also spend their first few years growing roots, then leaves. I don’t know how long your peonies have been with you but depending on your soil type they can also take a number of years before they have enough energy to develop flowers.
To give your peonies a little help, fertilize them in early spring with a product that’s low in nitrogen so the plants spend time growing flowers. Look for fertilizers with 10-20-20, you want the phosporous and potassium levels to be higher to encourage blooms.
If you have to move them, give them a little space so prevent developing diseases. Hope this helps!
