Do THIS to Your Peony Before October 20th (Most Gardeners Make This Fatal Mistake!), by Urban farming on YouTube. 17 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 17 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Wait until the foliage has died back and turned brown, usually mid to late October. Cutting while leaves are still green weakens the plant and costs you next spring's flowers.
Cut herbaceous peonies down to about 2 to 3 inches above soil level. On tree peonies, leave the woody framework and only remove dead or damaged stems. Clear all fallen leaves from the ground.
Check the depth. Scrape back soil at the crown and find the pink buds, called eyes. They should sit no more than 1 to 2 inches below the surface. Deep planting is the most common reason peonies refuse to bloom.
If the eyes are buried deeper, lift the whole clump with a spade and reset it higher. Firm the soil around it and water well so there are no air pockets.
To divide, lift an overcrowded crown and wash off the soil. Cut through it with a sharp spade so each piece has at least three healthy eyes and a good set of roots.
Replant the divisions at the same shallow depth, spacing them about 3 feet apart. Water them in and label each one so you remember the variety.
Feed the roots, not the leaves. Scatter a low-nitrogen fertilizer or a couple of inches of compost around the drip line and scratch it into the surface. Keep it away from the crown.
Leave established crowns bare over winter. Only newly planted divisions need a light mulch, and it should go around the plant, never over the crown.
Tips and common mistakes
Never pile mulch over the crown, because buried eyes stop the plant flowering.
Divide peonies only every few years, as they resent being moved and may skip a bloom season.
Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer in fall, which pushes soft leaf growth instead of strong roots.
Sterilize your pruners between plants to avoid spreading disease.
Questions
When should I cut back peonies?
Cut herbaceous peonies once the leaves have died back in mid to late autumn. Cutting earlier while foliage is green weakens the plant and reduces next year's flowers.
Why is my peony all leaves and no flowers?
The usual cause is planting too deep, with the eyes more than 2 inches under the soil. Too much shade, excess nitrogen or mulch over the crown can also stop flowering.
Can I divide peonies in fall?
Yes, fall is the best time. Lift the clump, cut it so each division has at least three eyes, and replant shallow with the eyes just below the surface.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
