I just inherited 4 peony plants that were next to a back porch and about to be dug up and trashed in a deck building project. For now I potted them in a good organic lightweight potting mix in about 3 gallon pots and stuck them in the shade on the north side of my house. I have never had any success with peonies in North Texas. Only know about them because my grandmother raised them in Michigan. Does anyone have any tips?
Peonies in Texas
They will survive in shade, but that's all they do – survive. I had one planted under a weeping tree – didn't realize it was there. When I cut the tree down and saw the Peony planted there, I about fainted. I also know you can't plant them too deep or they won't bloom.
It now gets six hours of sun a day, that is shaded from the burning late afternoon sun. Good luck!
Patti
well hmmm. North side of my house is perpetually shaded right up against the foundation. Or a pot for a "raised bed" effect?
I don't know about a pot. Maybe?
Hopefully somebody will jump in here and give you some better direction. I just know that mine is doing a whole lot better in the sun.
Patti
They were on the east side of the house they were next to, my east side gets a nice 6 or 7 hours of daylight that is full sun, there is more room there. Hoping someone who knows Texas dirt
will pipe in. Thank you very much Patti
This message was edited Sep 11, 2015 12:52 PM
You are very welcome. I wish I could be of more help. However, the longer I'm on here the more I learn. (grin)
Gypsi, this is what happened to me.
I had a peony in full sun for two years. Then I moved it to shade. The first year it bloomed about the way it had the year before - but it didn't get better, which it normally would have done.
The following year, nice foliage, no flowers. I moved it.
So they will possibly bloom the year after being moved from sun to shade if they were in sun all season. But that is all that you will get, and you are better off moving them into a sunny area..
Donna
ok. well right now they are almost certainly in shock so they are in pots in shade. When I plant I will put them on the east side of the house, not killer afternoon heat, but decent morning sun for over half the day, and that bed gets watered. (not everything in my yard does). Any idea if they are picky about soil Donna?
Peonies have survived, and bloomed for 50 years in cemeteries with no care, but...
I just dig up the existing soil, mix it with a blended compost and put the mixture back in. It worked beautifully in extremely high ph soil at my former home (7.9, eek!) and it works here with a ph about 7, which is close to neutral. Blended compost tends to have a few goodies added to basic compost. I just throw in a couple of handfuls.
The plants on the east side of my yard sing and dance. In your heat that would be best for them, since that would be morning sun. That is a preferred location for red roses because it helps to keep them from fading.
I had several peonies in pots for months during the transition from one house to another. They were fairly young, so I got intact roots, and they did very well in the ground once they were returned to it.
there were big tuberous roots under these, I got a few but many were broken off, so basically I got the peony crown itself and I'm guessing those big ones were like sweet potatoes - feeder roots for next year? I do not know much about peonies. Bought one from Michigan bulb 15 years ago, buried it too deep I guess, only one year and did not return in spring
Gypsi - I can tell you zip about growing peonies. Just thought I'd tell you that a lot of people in the Dallas area grow them. Was kinda surprised to learn that but the person who told me gave me the old, 'Oh. Everyone grows them. They're very common in the older neighborhoods.' Aside from being a little snarky, she definitely was serious. I had commented on the gorgeous peonies on her desk which is what started that chat. Keep trying and sooner or later you'll find someone in DFW that grows peonies.
what I don't know is with the damage to the tuberous roots (NHG speaks of "bulbs") should I put the pots in the greenhouse or leave them outdoors in winter? I do periodically have rats get in the greenhouse and dig up roots, it is a magnet for them in the cold, and my rat traps don't keep up fully.
Gypsi, I just divided a peony last week. The intent was to transplant it, but it pretty much divided itself. I would go ahead and stick them in the ground. I put mulch around mine but of course not right up to the foliage. Once they were nestled into the soil, I whacked the foliage off. I'm pretty confident in their future. I'm pretty confident in the future of yours too!
Patti
Thank you Patti! will clear the east flowerbed and plant them there..
Gypsi, how are your peonies doing? It might be hard to tell if you went ahead and cut the foliage off. I was just wondering if they were showing any signs of life. Texas weather might have allowed them to green up a bit? ( that really is a question LOL)
Patti
I left them in the pots, not having time to clear the flowerbed yet, and it has rained rather thoroughly. I see brown leaves on top of 3, one has green leaves and one they were all broken off in potting. If they did like the dahlias I'd just lose them I'm afraid, so for now all is waiting, for me to have time, for the bed to be the right moisture between dry and moist. I am going to put them on the east end but set them high so eyes are at the surface?
Yes you must be sure and plant shallowly ( is that even a word? LOL ) or they won't bloom.
Let me know how they do. Good luck!
Thank you, I will. I am pretty sure it will be next spring though. It may be warmer here but the days are getting shorter and the plants seem to know frost is coming.
Never got the peonies in the ground, they are sprouting in their pots (fortunately rather large pots). Since the ground is saturated with water I am considering leaving them in those pots and burying the pots in garden soil, would prevent future flooding. Good idea?
I don't think I would do this- the pots still must have drainage holes in the bottom, so water would still get in, but you have now limited the root run of the plant. If the spot is not traditionally soggy, it will probably be OK.
well should I move them now that they have sprouted?
I would plant them as soon as the soil is no longer saturated with water. I have kept peonies in a pot here in cool Seattle. They survived. I used to live in Dallas and I think it would be super hard to keep them watered enough in a pot, in all that heat.
ok, will do, thank you
they had to stay in pots, no choice. Went from total soggy to total bake in 100 degree temperatures. Hope to get them planted this fall, I think I need to raise this bed and lighten the soil first.
Well they say fall is the best time to plant them. I love my peonies.
I discovered I had 6. And the one that was dead has a sprout (you know the hard knobby sprout things that I do not know the name of) so indeed all are alive and in the ground. I loved my grandmother's peonies. I have never seen these bloom. Looking forward to it.
well they are planted in the ground on the east side of my house, here's hoping!
Yay! I hope you get some blooms this year.
I have a bag of super phosphate that says I should sprinkle it over them in january, good idea?
I don't know. Here the soil has adequate phosphate without any fertilization, I am not sure about Fort Worth. One way to find out is to buy a little soil test kit, usually available for $12 or so. A fun thing to do one afternoon. Adding too much of an unneeded nutrient can sometimes be toxic.
I will check that out. Thank you
I tested the soil. pH actually about 6.5 (blame the pine bark mulch a few years ago,) potash is normal to high - yeah I probably added a couple of years ago, nitrogen and phosphorus very low, phosphorus nearly non existent. guess there wasn't any in the pine bark. Feeding... I have bone meal or super phosphate. The buds are about half inch above ground and rain is due so thinking super phosphate and then a longer term slow release nitrogen/phosphate fertilizer to get them through the early summer, like bone meal.
I usually toss a little epsom salts out because my soil isn't strong on magnesium, test kit didn't actually test that either. But I probably added when I added potash a couple of years ago.
This message was edited Feb 19, 2017 2:32 PM
Well I think (not 100% sure) that pH of 6.5 is considered fine for peonies. Sounds like you are going to have a great year. Just be real careful not to put too much fertilizer on at once and cause "fertilizer burn".
I spread it to the sides and dug it in, hope it wasn't too much, don't think it was, and we got a good half inch of rain afterward.
My grandmother grew huge peonies in western Michigan, soil pH there was probably around 6.5
my peonies are coming up The reddish leaves
I saw some peonies in bloom last week. They were not as surrounded by wildflowers as mine are. (I didn't plant the buttercups, I did pull a lot of them)
No idea why my picture is upside down
This message was edited Apr 15, 2017 2:38 PM
I am a former Texan living in upstate NY, so I see a lot of peonies now. A couple things I have learned about peonies: they don't like to be moved, so they may not bloom for a couple of years after you do so. It doesn't necessarily mean they don't like the new site, they just take some time to settle in. Also, they are picky about how deeply they are planted. I have had success planting them so that the growing 'eyes' are just visible at the soil line. If they're too deep, they won't bloom either. Otherwise, they're pretty easy care. Your pH sounds good. I think you're on to a good thing planting where they will get nice morning sun, but some shelter from the intense afternoon heat. I wish you much success growing these flowers in Texas!
Well thank you. I am pretty sure I will not have blooms this year, but that's fine with me. Enjoy your cooler weather, it is going to 90 here Friday I think
I left them on the east side. Out of 5 plants 3 have one bud each. And the buds are getting larger. I didn't feed anything this year. Got coffee grounds but haven't had time to apply.
I have blooms
