Peonia Plant Care

Climate

• The peonia plant prefers a cooler climate with a winter dormancy period. The best growing zones for the peonia plant are U.S. hardiness zones 2 to 8. The plant needs partial to full sun; between four and eight hours a day is usually enough to keep the plant healthy. Peonias prefer well-drained soil, full of nutrients. Poor soil can be amended with compost, potting soil or other organic matter.

Planting

• Peonias are planted in the fall. This gives them time to become established before the first frosts of the year. The peonia plant is planted between early September and late October, depending on the hardiness zone where the bush is planted. The roots should not be covered with more than 2 inches of soil to allow the plant enough breathing room so that shoots can emerge in the spring.

Fertilizing

• After the shoots of the plant burst through the soil in the spring, apply a 10-20-20 tulip or daffodil fertilizer. Another application of fertilizer should be applied after the first blooms appear. Over-fertilization can be bad for the peonia plant, because too much nitrogen in the soil will cause foliage to grow, but blooms to become stunted and become unable to appear.

Watering

• The peonia plant requires little watering outside of what it receives from rainfall. If the leaves start to whither, purchase a moisture meter to place near the peonia roots. When the gauge on the meter turns red, water the peonia plant for about 1 hour. This should allow the plant to have enough moisture to survive to the next rainfall. The plant will need to be watered more in warmer climates.

Pruning

• Do not allow grass to grow near the peonia plant. Grass roots will damage the roots of the plant and stunt its growth. Remove side buds from main peonia flowering stalks. Pinch the side buds off when they are the size of peas. This allows more nutrients to reach the main bud. Cut the peonia stems to the ground after the first frost occurs. This will allow the plant to focus on new root growth.