Peony Plants - Landscaping Perennial Favorite

Peonies are a good landscaping perennial that produces large luscious flowers in the spring. The colors can add a rainbow of color to your landscaping endeavors.

Okay, the above statement, I can attest to being true. However, it took a lot of convincing by my husband to plant these perennials in our yard. Why? There is one element to the mix I was not fond of, and that was ants. I was not particularly relishing the possibility of 1000s of country ants (in my mind, they are bigger and harder to get rid of) marching into my house and overtaking the kitchen. I fought off all the moaning and groaning that my husband made for several years, and finally agreed, with one stipulation. The peonies had to be placed far enough away from the house so as not to draw ants. We planted the peonies between two trees, which were open to the sun at the bottom of the hill.

I found this solution to work not only for me, but also for the peonies. Now I look out my office window and take in the beautiful flowering blooms. Occasionally, I will wonder down to the flowers to see if the ants are present. Sure enough, I see them currying about the bulbs eating the sweet resin. Then, as an afterthought, I look back at the house and I have to smile. I have the joy of these wonderful blooming flowers without ant troops marching in my house.

Peonies seem to grow best with full sun exposure, with only a light amount of shade. You will need to give the flowers enough growing room, if you plant the flowers between trees or shrubs. If you do not give them enough room, the flower size will decrease due to the competition from the nearby roots.

The best time to plant peonies is early fall, with September and October being the best months to plant. Please note, if you plant the flowers in the spring the flowers may not bloom for a year or two.

1. Purchase a plant that has 3 to 4 "eyes". If it only has one or two eyes, it will take from three to 5 years to flower. (This was what happened to us.)

2. Check the divisions for rot. In addition, trim away any soft spots with a sharp knife.

3. Dig a hole 12 to 18 inches deep by 18 inches wide for each plant.

4. Space the plants 3 to 4 feet apart.

5. Incorporate compost, pine bark, or manure (well aged) in the hole.

6. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fertilizer into the bottom of the hole.

7. Fill the hole half full of soil than place the root division into the hole with the eyes facing upward.

8. The eyes should be no more than 2 inches below the soil surface.

Since peonies are perennial, it is best to give them the best start possible. Thus, the initial planting is an important step to the flowering success of the peonies.

If you have tended to the planting of the peony properly, maintenance and care is relatively simple.

In the spring:

1. Mulch the peonies each spring with a 2 to 3-inch layer of compost.

In the fall, you will need to do several things:

1. Remove the old mulch. This helps to aid in keeping the plant healthy.

2. Do not mulch the plants during the winter months.

3. Peonies are potassium and nitrogen hogs. Thus, each fall it is advised to replenish what the plant has taken from the soil. Replenish the plants with nitrogen (manure), phosphorous (bone meal) and potassium will help to both enhance flower size and keep the stems healthy.

Peonies and Producing Large Flowers

There is a practice known as disbudding, that can help produce large blossoms for your peonies. Disbudding is the practice where the terminal bud on each stem tip is left and all other side buds are removed. This should be done as soon as the buds are visible.

When the flower begins to fade, you should remove it just below the flower, leaving as much foliage as possible. It is advised to cut no more than one-third of the flowers, or it could reduce the flowering in future years.

After the first frost in fall, you should remove and destroy the stems of the peonies down to 3 inches from the soil surface. This will help to prevent a developing fungal disease.

Many people believe that ants are responsible for helping to open the flowers of the peonies. However, they do eat the resin from the buds, the flowers can and do open without the help of the ants.

To conclude, peonies and ants usually go together. However, if you plant them in a location that is away from the house, you can enjoy these luscious looking flowering plants without your house being bombarded with ants.