Peony drooping

I have a Tree Peony var Kinshi. It took a couple of years to become established, but this spring it bloomed quite nicely. Like the rest of the country we are in a massive heat wave and setting near records, with the expectation to get worse. We had set a record for spring (the wettest in history) and now we have not had rain for weeks (none in the forecast). The plant is drooping severely, but still has "new growth buds". I have to water by hand and have been deligently giving the plant at least 2 buckets at the roots. Does anyone have suggestions?

I would get an umbrella -- don't laugh. I have three that I got from Crickett Hills Peonies. I use them on my larger flowering peonies so when it rains they don't load up on water and collapse. Peonies can desiccate especially tree peonies, although I worry more about that in the winter than in the summer. But the sun will dehydrate the plant. Give it a break with an umbrella. It might do the trick. Certainly you are flooding it enough. I wonder if you are over watering. Sometimes the symptoms look the same. Anyone else??

Hey garden, I'm sorry to hear about your Peony, Mstella might have a point about the umbrella Here's a couple of site's I found that sells patio umbrella's.

http://www.patioumbrellas.com/patio-umbrellas/aluminum-umbrellas/coralcoast6x6footsquarepatioumbrella.cfm
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Patio-Umbrellas-Shades/3631/cat.html

I hope you can find a cure for your Peony
Good Luck

I think we are going to hit with a storm so I better get off from here

Just do not water during the heat of the day. Most plants peonies included will draw the moisture back from their leaves into the stems as self protection. Look at plants early in the day, before or shortly after sun comes up to see if the leaves have rebounded. If they have no worries. If not water. Too much water in the leaves during the heat can cause the cells to expand and explode which causes damage to the leaves.

Thanks for your suggestions. I don't think that I am overwatering and definitely do it early a.m. or late p.m. I think I will try the umbrella. It is just one of those plants that I hate to lose.

When I had this problem, I just moved the tree peony plant to a shadier location. Even though it meant cutting into lots of healthy white roots, it still did much better in its new spot.

I'm no expert about plants but if you do transplant anything I would do it very early morning, if no emerency I would wait until cooler weather.

Speaking of moving plants. I dug up, rototilled, and replanted a large bed last year only to discover that I misplaced (not lost, just put in the wrong place) many plants. I was thinking I could / should move them earlier than in the fall?? I have to dig them up now, but do you think it would benefit them to be moved now while they have time to develop new roots? Heat is no problem, believe me.

Stella, I'm happy to hear that the heat their is no problem. It's so hot here I think we could fry egg's on the sidewalk, that if they were clean, I mean sidewalks.

Yeah. You are all getting hammered. I think I just read that the heat is spreading (hopefully moving) to the west. Sorry for the west, but you guys really really need a break. Heat is pretty much never an issue here. If we see75 it's a scorcher.

Sorry, I'm so stupid but I just realized your from Alaska no wonder you don't have to worry about the heat.

Oh, we worry. Just usually about the lack thereof....

Oh, yes I would like to be there right now, but I don't think I would like it there in the winter. I'm one of those people that likes it around 65 degree's all year around.

amen....well, with the occasional +70 or +75 with a mild breeze --- as long as we are dreaming..

Sounds like a perfect dream.

There seem to be lots of trade offs about when and whether to move a tree peony.I'm waiting a week for the heat to let up before i plant any plant , at present. I moved mine in mid summer last year precisely because the sun was too hot on its spot, and I feared it would perish, so I moved it in the late evening. After that it didn't waste any time putting out new roots into its fertile and partly shady new spot by a fence. In general, I've concluded that given the right growing conditions, they are very resilient. You do have to water it faithfully especially while it is growing its roots, and watch to see if it needs more shelter, in any case. Please let us know what you decide and how it works out.

I decided to pot up the peony and move it to a cool place for awhile. I figured I had nothing to lose at this time. The roots were definitely viable, so I am hoping that something positive will happen.

Sounds productive. I have a ton of potted plants, including peonies from clearance sales waiting for a home. Having them in one place makes it easy to keep them watered. Don't know why this year I'm not seeing tree peonies on sale, but I did the same thing with some of them last year and they didproduce a few blooms this spring.

Tree peonies have been featured in several magazines. People want to buy what they see especially in Martha or Good Housekeeping type mags.

Yes, I agree there are some stunning pictures in the magazines. I saw Gauguin tree peony in one, so its root is ordered for this fall. Since this thread is about drooping peonies, does anyone who grows species peonies have that problem? Seems my new japonica plants are pretty peaked as they sit in their shaded pot until fall. I can't even find my peregrina although i've watered it regularly in its planted spot. Seems i've read that they do fade, unlike our lovely lactiflora bushes.

Many of the species will dry up early.

Just shows that every kind of plant (read peony) has its place in the garden. I'm hoping the species peonies will flourish on the edge of a wooded area where the lactifloras wouldn't bloom. If they fade, the the rhodies and trees behind them will grab attention.