From our perspective as peony plants, the ideal time for you to cut our stems is when our flower buds have softened and are in what you call the "marshmallow" stage. The tight, green bud has colored up, and the outer petals, or sepals, have begun to loosen and separate. You should be able to feel a slight give when gently squeezed, much like a soft marshmallow. Cutting at this precise moment is crucial. If you cut us while the buds are still hard and tight, we may never open in your vase. If you wait until we are already fully open, our glorious but fleeting bloom will be over far too quickly indoors. Harvesting at the marshmallow stage allows us to complete our development using the stored energy in our stems, ensuring a spectacular and longer-lasting display for you.
Please use a pair of sharp, clean pruning shears or a knife. A clean cut is a kind cut; it minimizes damage to our stem tissues and helps prevent the introduction of pathogens that could make us sick. Make the cut on the stem at a 45-degree angle. This angled cut increases the surface area for water uptake, which is vital for sustaining the heavy bloom. Cut the stem to the length you desire for your arrangement, but always try to leave at least two sets of leaves on the remaining stem of the parent plant. This is not just for our aesthetics; those leaves are our solar panels, essential for photosynthesis to create energy for next year's growth and blooms. Cutting too low and denuding us of foliage weakens us for future seasons.
Once severed from the plant, our connection to our water source is instantly lost. We begin to wilt rapidly. Therefore, you must get us into deep, lukewarm water immediately after cutting. Do not let us sit out in the air. Lukewarm water is absorbed more easily by our stems than cold water. Some gardeners recommend submerging the entire plant, bloom and all, in a bucket of water for an hour or two to rehydrate us fully before arranging. This "hardening off" process is immensely beneficial, as our large, multi-petaled flowers can lose a significant amount of moisture through transpiration.
Before placing us in your final vase, any leaves that would sit below the waterline must be stripped away. Submerged foliage will quickly decay, promoting the growth of bacteria that will clog our vascular systems and shorten our vase life. You can then recut the stems under water, if possible, to prevent an air bubble (embolism) from blocking the cut end. For the longest lifespan, consider conditioning the water. While we do not process commercial flower food in the same way you do, the sugar it provides can serve as an energy source, and the biocide helps keep the water clean, allowing us to drink freely and focus our energy on bringing you joy with our beautiful, unfolding blooms.
