How to Fertilize Peonies for More Blooms and Longer-Lasting Flowers, According to Garden Pros

Key Points

Fertilize peonies in early spring and fall if growth is poor or soil tests show nutrient deficiencies.

Plant peonies in partial sun and stake them early to prevent flopping and extend bloom quality.

If you want peonies to bloom over a few weeks, plant early-, mid-, and late-season varieties.

Though peonies are exceptionally long-lived perennials that may last for more than 100 years, their bloom period—7 to 10 days—is rather short. While plant breeders have been able to coax other garden plants into re-blooming, this is not the case for peonies.

To ensure that peonies bloom to their full potential, here are peony expert recommendations for fertilizing peonies, as well as other tips to extend the blooming season of these gorgeous yet ephemeral flowers.

Meet the Expert

Dan Furman is the co-owner of Cricket Hill Garden.

How to Fertilize Peonies

Although fertilization is an important part of peony care, more is not always better.

“Many home gardeners may not conduct soil sample tests to determine nutrient levels, so it is advisable to evaluate the previous season’s growth when considering fertilization,” says Kady Adelman, manager of Adelman Peony Gardens. “If the plant did not perform optimally, applying fertilizer could enhance its growth.”

When to Fertilize Peonies

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If peonies need fertilizing, Adelman recommends feeding them twice a year: early spring when the red shoots start emerging from the soil, and again in the fall when you prepare your garden beds for winter.

“Peonies do not necessarily need to be fertilized annually,” says Dan Furman, co-owner of Cricket Hill Garden.

He encourages gardeners to do a soil test to see where the garden’s baseline is, both in terms of nutrient levels and pH—for peonies it should be around 6.5.

This will also reveal if the soil is too acidic and needs lime or is lacking potassium, which, according to Furman, may result in smaller blossoms.

What Fertilizer to Use

“Generally the plant’s nitrogen needs can be met with annual application of compost around the drip line of the plant,” says Furman.

To add phosphorus to the soil, he uses bone meal or superphosphate.

“The best time to add this is in early summer after the peony bloom,” he says. “Peonies have a new flush of roots in late summer and early fall when they are gathering nutrients for the following spring.”

Granular bulb food, the same that is used for tulips or daffodils, is Adelman’s choice to fertilize peonies because it contains all the necessary nutrients. He cautions against applying a general-purpose or vegetable fertilizer for peonies.

“These can contain excessive levels of nitrogen which promote lush, green foliage rather than healthy bulb development,” Adelman says.

How to Make Blooms Last Longer

Giving your plants the ideal atmosphere will help their blooms stick around for longer, even if it’s just a day.

Plant in a Suitable Location

Giving the plants a suitable location is key.

“An area where they get morning sun for about 6 hours and afternoon shade is ideal. They can take full-day sun, but the blooms will fade away faster in direct sunlight all day,” Adelman says.

Water During Hot Weather

In cool temperatures, the peony bloom lasts longer than in hot weather, which can cut the peony bloom short. While there is nothing to be done about the weather, watering your plants when it’s hot can help flowers last longer.

Stake Peonies

With their large, heavy flowerheads, peonies are notorious for flopping, especially in rainy or stormy weather. Staking them early in the spring with grow-through grids or cages helps to keep them upright so the bloom isn’t getting short by mechanical damage.

Plant Varieties With Different Bloom Times

There are early, mid-season, and late peony cultivars, and planting some of each type stretches the peony bloom up to several weeks.

At the upper end of their zone spectrum (USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8), opt for early to mid-season varieties such as ‘Early Scout’ and ‘Alexander Fleming’ to avoid hot weather later in the spring.

Do You Have to Deadhead Peonies?

Credit: Alexander Shapovalov / Getty Images

Deadheading peonies is important, but this doesn’t help to extend blooms as it does with other flowers. If you leave the spent flowers on the plant, it will eventually form a seed head.

“Deadheading sends all the energy to the root system for next year’s bloom. As the petals start to fall away, trim them back under the bloom to the first leaf,” says Adelman.

Furman adds that deadheading peonies will also help prevent and protect against fungal diseases.

Read the original article on The Spruce