Posted by steven on May 17, 19100 at 23:56:37:
In Reply to: peony posted by Jeff on May 17, 19100 at 23:24:13:
: 2 year old peony about 4 feet high, it only gets 1 bloom, its in full sun, well drained soil..any pointers?
Jeff,
Two years is young for a peony. It may take a few years yet to become well established and bloom to your expectations.
Be sure the peonies are not planted too deep. This is a common cause of no blooms.
My friend Gami wrote this great piece on peonies:
Herbaceous peonies need at least six hours of full sun. Afternoon
shade will protect the flowers from fading too quickly in hot areas.
Well-drained, loamy soil is best for good growth of peonies. Good
drainage is vital to avoid root rot and fungal diseases. If your soil
is heavy clay, amend it with compost, finely ground pine bark or
well-rotted manure to improve drainage and organic matter content.
Peonies prefer a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. You may need to add lime to your
soil to raise the pH for best growth of peonies. Peonies are
long-lived in the garden and are worth the extra trouble at the time
of planting, since they may stay in the same spot for many years.
Fall planting is best. Dig a hole 12 to 18 inches deep and 12 inches
wide. Replace part of the soil in the form of a cone and spread the
roots over it. Set the roots so that the tip of the eyes (swollen
pink or reddish buds) will be no deeper than 1 inch below the surface
of the soil. Most failures for blooms are caused by deep planting.
(This is crucial, I learned this the hard way!)
Firm the soil in well around the roots, eliminating air pockets.
Water thoroughly.
Divisions with three to five eyes will reach maturity sooner than
smaller divisions. If one or two eye divisions are used it may be
several years before the plant flowers.
Water peonies thoroughly and deeply once every 10 to 14 days. Deep
watering will encourage deep rooting. Once established, peonies are
very drought-resistant.
Apply a low nitrogen complete fertilizer such as 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 at
the rate of two to three pounds per 100 square feet in the spring
when the stems are about 2 or 3 inches high. Well-rotted manure may
be used to improve the soil if it is applied to the soil surface in a
1-to 2-inch layer. Never let fertilizer or manure touch the stems of
the plant.
Remove seed heads after flowering is finished to allow the plant to
store more energy for next year’s bloom.
In the fall, after frost, cut back the dead stems of herbaceous
peonies down to the soil surface. This is very important if you have
had any disease problems. Discard the stems. They should not be used
in the compost pile.
Good luck with your peonies. They are a great addition to a
flowerbed.
Gami