From our perspective, finding the right home is everything. We peonies are long-lived perennials, and we intend to stay in one spot for decades, so proper placement is crucial. Please choose a location where we will receive at least 6-8 hours of full sunlight daily. While we can tolerate very light shade, insufficient sun will weaken us and result in fewer, if any, blooms. The soil must be well-draining; our roots absolutely despise sitting in water, as it causes them to rot and leads to our demise. Ideally, you should prepare a generous planting hole, about 18 inches wide and deep. Amend the native soil with plenty of compost and a handful of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or bone meal to give us a strong, nutritious start in life.
How you plant us is non-negotiable for our future health and flowering. For us herbaceous peonies, the most critical factor is planting depth. Our eyes—those small, reddish buds on the root crown—must be positioned no more than 2 inches below the soil surface. If you plant us too deep, we will stubbornly refuse to bloom, putting all our energy into leaf growth instead. If planted too shallow, our tender eyes could be damaged by winter frost. Gently place our roots in the hole, spreading them out and ensuring the eyes are facing upwards. Backfill the hole carefully, firming the soil gently to eliminate large air pockets, but avoid packing it down too hard.
Immediately after planting, we require a deep, thorough watering to help settle the soil around our roots and provide essential hydration. After this initial drink, we are quite drought-tolerant, but we will need consistent moisture during our first year and through any extended dry spells as we establish ourselves. Please refrain from mulching directly over our crown, as a thick layer of mulch can trap too much moisture and effectively bury us too deep, leading to rot and inhibiting blooms. A light layer of mulch away from the crown is acceptable to help suppress weeds and retain moisture.
Our life cycle is tied intimately to the seasons. We grow vigorously in spring, bloom gloriously in late spring to early summer, and then spend the rest of the summer gathering energy through our foliage for the next year's growth. Please do not cut our leaves back until after the first hard frost in autumn has turned them brown. This allows us to photosynthesize and store energy. We require a period of winter chill (dormancy) to trigger bud formation for the following spring. This is why we thrive in cooler US garden zones. Come spring, as we begin to emerge, you can support our large, heavy blooms with a peony ring to prevent our stems from bending to the ground after a rain.
