PEONIES, TIPS AND TRICKS

These lovely plants produce large flower heads that seem to be too heavy for the stalks. When it rains the flower becomes heavy with water, like a sponge. Then the entire stalk sinks to the ground. If left unstaked, the plant will sprawl in the soil.

IMO the best way to prop up a peony is to start with a large cage. I place it upside down with the three wire spikes pointing up. The peonies will grow much taller than the cage and need the extra inches these spikes give. I then drive a long metal stake into the ground just inside the cage. This will prevent the plant from tipping the entire cage as it grows. The stake is also useful in the tying up process.

The plant grows inside the rungs of the cage and soon grows outside them. Soon the flower buds emerge growing on their own stalks higher than the leafy branches. At this point, I use light wire, like picture wire, to enlarge the cage. (note: you can get picture wire in the Dollar Store). I cut off a long piece of wire, twist one end around the spike at the top of the cage and make loops of wire to hold up the heavy peony flowers. Light wire is easy to work with and much less fiddle than tying individual stalks up with twine. You can use the same wire year after year.

If necessary, I use more long pieces of wire to make loops part way down the cage to catch up any stalks growing outside the cage. Of course, I do not wrap wire closely around the stalks; I use the wire to make loops that the stalks can lean on. The wire is almost invisible and even the cage cannot be seen once the plant grows around it.

Some of my peony plants are so big, they tilt the cage over even though the cage is staked to the ground. A few times, I have had to put a couple of bricks or rocks on the bottom rung of the cage to hold it in place.

After a few weeks, peony blooms shrink and desiccate. In some varieties the flower opens to show the red heart in the centre. The petals turn brown at the edges and curl. If you give a petal a gentle tug, it comes away in your hand. At this point, it is a good idea to cut the blooms off. Peony blooms are composed of hundred of petals. When the bloom dies away, the petals are released. Most fall into the plant. They stick to the leaves and turn an unsightly brown. They create a brown mat on the ground. It is best to get the fading blooms off before this happens.

A word about stakes. I originally purchased bamboo stakes because I thought they were the most aesthetic looking. However, they break easily. I switched to the dark green metal stakes but I don’t use many. I also have a collection of sticks and bamboo lengths for propping up leaning plants.

Watch for tips on caging and propping.