EUGENE, Ore. – Peonies are known for their large, fragrant flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer, but getting those big blooms requires some preparation right now.
KEZI 9 News visited the guest house at Cobra Gardens with Caleb Johnson from Johnson Brothers Garden Market to learn how to care for the popular plants. Johnson shared several tips for growing healthy peonies with impressive blooms.
“The one thing you definitely want to do is you don’t want to fertilize them too much, which seems kind of counter intuitive, because you want a bigger plant fertilize more,” Johnson said. “With peonies, you do want really good soil and some good nutrients in there, but you don’t want to over feed them, because you’re going to get really big floppy peonies with lots of green leaves, but not a lot of bloom.”
Johnson said now is a great time to put down a slow release fertilizer. He recommended using less fertilizer on peonies than on other flowering plants.
For planting location, Johnson said full sun is best. Peonies need six hours or more of sun, though partial sun and filtered light also work well.
“You don’t want to plant in heavy, thick, not very well drained soil that will definitely cause your peony to be stunted or rot out, and you won’t have these nice, big, full peonies with lots of blooms,” Johnson said. Soil with a neutral pH is ideal.
Johnson also recommended using support rings to prevent tall peonies from flopping over when their large buds develop. The best time to put cages on is when the plants are just coming out of the ground.
“Not all peonies get floppy, but they do have a tendency, especially if we get like a heavy late spring rain, sometimes, unfortunately, it makes the peonies a little floppy,” Johnson said. “But having the ring supports a great safety net for that.”
Chelsea Deffenbacher joined KEZI 9 News as a morning news anchor and reporter in January of 2024. If you have a story idea for Chelsea, you can email her at: chelseadeffenbacher@kezi.com.
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