Friday, November 18, 2011

When peonies finish blooming, do I cut them back?

Due to all the rain this year my peonies bloomed beautifully. Now they are all 'spent' and just the bush remains. Can I cut this back to insure a larger bush next year?

When peonies finish blooming, do I cut them back?
You know..... I just asked my husband the same question today. He didn't know either.





I'll see what I can find in one of my garden books and be back to let you know.





Here is what my book says. The book is "The Well-Tended Perennial Garden", by Tracy DiSabato-Aust. On page 194 it reads:





"Pruning: Deadheading peonies will not prolong bloom, but it will greatly enhance the appearance of the plant, snce in most cases, particularly on double forms, the old flowers are so unattractive. ............The foliage on many forms becomes unslightly with the heat of August as plants are starting fo form eyes at that time and don't have much strength for a bush. It is best for the helath of the plant to leave the foliage on the plant as long as possible, even if it's unattractive, so that the foliage can continue to perform photosynthesis and provide food reserves. Peony experts recommend leaving foliage unpruned untl after the first of September in zones 3, 4, and upper zone 5; leave until the end of September in the rest of zone 5. Gardeners in zones 6, 7, and warmer areas should try to leave the foliage until early October. "


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So now we both know! Thanks for reminding me to look it up.


;-)
Reply:When the foliage of the peony has turned brown in the fall, after the first heavy frost, cut the plants down as near to the ground as possible





all the info you need here
Reply:You can do it now but its still ealry in the year and it might come back up. Wait till fall and mow it down to the ground on that last mow of the season.
Reply:Paeonia officinalis,ssp (or the Peony) is not really a "bush" or shrub; but a shrublike perennial. Meaning that it dies back(goes dormant) to the root in the fall. So prunning it back won't really insure a larger plant next year...That being said I would cut back the flowering stems to tidy up the plant a bit, and to stop the plant from producing seed. Not allowing the plant to produce seed will do more to insure a larger, more robust plant; seed production takes massive amounts of energy. By not allowing the plant to fruit, the plant will produce more flowers next year in an effort to produce seed...
Reply:just cut off the flower part (that's called deadheading), the nutrients from the stems and leaves need to go back into the soil %26amp; die off naturally. If you cut it back now it will try and grow leaves again.

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