Peonies are back on Gaspardatable! From planting and care to harvesting, this guide gives you all the secrets you need to help your beloved plants thrive throughout their life cycle!
You can find all our peonies by clicking here.
Mid-October is the ideal time to plant bare-root peonies.
It is advisable to handle and replant them as they enter their natural dormancy period: from mid-September to November. This ensures that the plant's rhythm remains intact and that it retains maximum vitality. The peony roots you receive will then have time to make use of the summer heat stored in the soil to grow new, nourishing roots.
This will enable the plants to settle into their new location before winter sets in. This will provide the basis for vigorous growth the following spring and the possibility of first flowering in the first year. We generally ship our plants from mid-October onwards. We always recommend planting your freshly ordered peonies as soon as they arrive.
Peonies should always and only be planted in well-drained soil; they don't tolerate «wet feet». If peonies are planted in poorly drained soil, this will cause root rot and may result in death.
If you think your garden might qualify as «wet», we recommend two options. The first would be to set up a solid drainage system for your garden and secondly, plant peonies on raised ground, creating mounds for better drainage.
Peonies prefer a location with good air circulation. A sheltered location can create favorable conditions for the growth of fungi (such as Botrytis).
Peonies require a very sunny spot, although semi-shade may also be possible (preferably in the afternoon shade), especially in regions with a Mediterranean climate. The risk of planting them in a less sunny spot is that their growth will be stunted and their flowering poor and misshapen. For this reason, we advise against planting them in too much shade.
WARNING!
Be careful not to plant peonies near trees, as they may compete with shrubs for roots and nutrients.
Never plant peonies where peonies have already been planted. Peonies release certain chemicals that remain in the soil for at least a decade.
Peonies newly planted in this same soil will perform poorly. The risk of pests and diseases remaining in the soil is also too great to take.
Peonies can grow much larger than you might expect.
Set aside 75cm to 1 square metre per plant. When planting in groups, we recommend a planting distance of 80 cm.
We often make recommendations to people when they are considering planting peony borders in their garden. We're always happy to advise on the number of plants for your border, variety choices or even the order in which varieties should be planted. If you're thinking of planting a beautiful peony border, please don't hesitate to contact us for informal advice. We'd be delighted to help.
Planting depth is very important for your peonies. The upper eyes (from which the stems will emerge) should be just below the surface of the soil. When planted deeper than 5 cm, the plant will, at best, only produce leaves. Like all plants, peonies also want to survive. When a peony is planted too deeply, the plant will try to grow back on its upper side, to create a kind of «new plant» that will be at the right depth to flower. This process will take years, and will be far too long for any plant that has been purchased with high yield expectations.
Planting depth is very important for your peonies. The upper eyes (from which the stems will emerge) should be just below the surface of the soil. When planted deeper than 5 cm, the plant will, at best, only produce leaves. Like all plants, peonies also want to survive. When a peony is planted too deeply, the plant will try to grow back on its upper side, to create a kind of «new plant» that will be at the right depth to flower. This process will take years, and will be far too long for any plant that has been purchased with high yield expectations.
1Dig a hole in the ground twice the size of the peony plant you want to put in it.
2. Don't make the hole too deep (normally 10-15 cm) and loosen the soil at the bottom.
3. Place the plant in the hole. Roots can be placed vertically, but also horizontally. The eyes should always point upwards. Press gently on the plant, which should now be at a depth such that the upper eyes are between 2 and 5 cm below surface level. This depth is equal to the thickness of two fingers.
4. Close the hole and mark the spot with a stick. This way, you'll know not to plant anything too close.
Peonies can thrive in all types of soil. The general perception is that the heavier the soil, the slower the growth at first, the longer it will take to see the first flowering. This is far from being a negative, quite the contrary. In the long term, a heavy clay soil can be perfect.
On heavy soils, the color of the leaves and flowers is more intense. Generally speaking, sandy, peaty and dark clay soils are very suitable for peonies.
Peonies like soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Mix limestone through the plant hole if your soil is more acidic (pH below 6.5) and apply limestone every year to raise the pH. More alkaline soils (pH above 7.5) can be improved by mixing peat or other acidifying materials through the soil. The use of pH-lowering fertilizers is also recommended on these soils during the growing seasons.
Light sandy soils require the most work, but peonies can also thrive in this type of soil. First of all, on sandy soils, it's very important to keep a close eye on moisture and nutrition at all times of the year. It's best to improve the soil before planting peonies. A good method has proved to be digging a plant hole about 50 cm deep and 40×40 cm wide. Add about 25 cm of well-decomposed cow manure and/or bone meal to the bottom of the hole. In addition, add a mixture of clay, peat and your own sand in the proportion 60-20-20.
Simply adding clay is also a good method, but take into account a slower start.
If you can't plant a peony in the ground because you have no space in your garden or only a balcony, it's always worth trying to plant a peony in a pot. Always use a very large pot (more like a bathtub). One that's hard to move around in. Use heavy topsoil that won't stay too damp and will retain enough air (oxygen). Mix with compost and don't overfeed.
From a financial point of view, it's probably advisable to start with a more common variety before planting the exclusive peony of your dreams.
Keeping a peony flower planted in a pot is anything but easy, but for true garden lovers, it's a great challenge!
Good planting
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