Pre-bloom Prepping Your Peonies.
How about a short entry this week? As the growing seasons approach, I suspect many of my southern neighbors have already seen their peony shoots spring up from the garden, hidden eyes becoming the richly colored crimson of fresh stems now fleshing out to green. I suspect many eagerly anticipate the May blooms; terminal buds are swelling and preparing for the big show.
Well, fine and dandy; enjoy your flowers first; we can wait a few more months up north! However, I suspect you may be eager to ensure your peonies perform at their peak potential this May — who wouldn’t? So, let us review a few handy techniques to get those blooms bursting with color and fragrance at their peak capacity.
Remove lateral buds
Step one: we need to remove those lateral buds BEFORE the terminal buds begin breaking. Lateral buds? Terminal? If you’re unfamiliar with the terminology, the terminal buds are the primary blooms on top of the stem; they are the central flower. These are the things you want to feed, fuel, and pamper for maximum bloom output. Now, that means the lateral buds are those considerably smaller blooms forming along the side of the stem, typically just above a lead terminal; they are the side-buds. Why do you want to remove these before blooming gets underway? Because they compete for nutrients, your peony plants should be dumping into the primary terminal buds. Also, they are almost vestigial and will not perform to the same capacity as your terminal buds. Third, they will begin blooming well after your terminal buds when your peonies recover from their splendid spring display; if allowed to remain, your peonies will not perform at their peak capacity next year as the laterals will zap fuel your plants should be storing away. And finally, they run a higher risk of contracting and spreading disease, something avoidable in any situation.
Fertilize
Okay, the laterals are out of the way; your blooms are swelling, and the plant is preparing to bloom — what’s next? Usually, I apply some variant of fertilizer two weeks before the buds break. How do I know when this is? Best guess and nothing more. Be approximate; watch your buds; feed them when they look two weeks out. If I use synthetic fertilizer, it’s usually in the 10-20-20 range or similar (ensure the N is well below the K and P). If using organics, a bone meal mixed with potash and a TOUCH of blood or fish meal works well. I tend to avoid composting during the growing season due to the potential of burning.
Staking
Generally, it would help if you staked up your peonies before they bloom. Buds are light; the stems remain upright until the flowers bloom. That is when the more weighty varieties will stress the stems and drag them down. I harvest the flowers before they fully bloom, so this is less of a concern for me, but the typical gardener will likely be more inclined to leave their blooms intact and allow the peony to run its entire course. If so, you’ll need to stake up the plant while the buds are still light and the stems have not been bent. Baboon stakes and twine work well and can be easily hidden by foliage, or if so inclined, a peony cage can be purchased to add an aesthetic appeal to the landscaping.