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- Planting An Herbaceous Peony
- Site Selection:
Choose a location in full sun, or at least six hours of
sun, to insure vigorous blooms. Plant in an area with very
good drainage. Standing water will suffocate the roots and
is the leading cause of plant failure. Raised beds or planting
on a slope are ideal. In a few years, your peony will become
a large green, perennial bush with a height of 36 in. so
allow a space of about 3-4 feet between other permanent
plantings. Annuals or perennials and bulbs can be inter-planted
with intersectional peonies while they are young.
- Planting Directions:
Keep the roots shaded and slightly moist until planting.
Herbaceous peonies can be planted any time in the fall before
the ground is frozen. Peonies planted in spring, unless
pot grown, sometimes fail because the root development does
not keep pace with the growth. Herbaceous peonies prefer
a humus rich, sandy loam with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Finished
compost and lime are two amendments that are always useful
to most soils. A very heavy clay soil will also require
the addition of sand for drainage. The site you prepare
should have good soil at least 18¡± deep and 2 ft. in diameter.
Herbaceous peonies have fleshy tuberous roots with buds
or ¡°eyes¡± that are planted buds up, NO MORE than two inches
below ground level.
- Care and Maintenance:
Peonies are low maintenance plants. Fertilize your plants
lightly with bone meal or a low nitrogen fertilizer such
as 4-12-4. The best time to fertilize is in early spring
when the stems are about 2 or 3 inches high or after blooming.
Over-fertilization, especially with nitrogen, usually results
in weak stems and reduced flowering.
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