My peonies gets many buds, but most just turn brown and don't develop. Do they need digging up and resetting or do they need fertilizing? Are they considered a bulb?
buds don't open
I just read a whole chapter on peonies and tree peonies. I'll reread and see what she says, ok? :)
Very good! Thanks, Doris
Grrr-rrrr-rr-r! I just typed a bunch and I don't know what I did but it disappeared on me! Second attempt:
-rich, well drained soil; full sun for half a day or longer; dig beds deeply, 2 feet if possible; mix in manure liberally but beyond the immediate range of the existing roots; Let an area of loose, sweet soil, either clayey or sandy, surround the crowns and existing root system. Manure, so important to perennial vigor - is thus kept from direct contact because it seems to be connected with the presence of botrytis blight. Leaf mould is good to combine with the soil around each crown. (I believe this would not be a problem with composted manure? That's what they stressed at the MG seminar- for all plantings) To continue...
In Oct., as a sanitary measure, cut off all peony foliage and stems and burn them. Then work a trowelful of bone meal into the soil around each crown. Except for the first year, provide no winter covering.
In the spring, as new growth appears, spray with ferbam or Phaltan every ten days from the time the shoots are a few inches high until the buds appear, or use your duster for a dose of all-purpose dust - that is, if your plants have previously been a disappointment. This spraying or dusting seems to be a reliable check for the blight which results in the drying up or blasting of buds.
Why They Don't Bloom
Perhaps you are not nearly so keen as I am on peonies because for you they have been plants which simply will not bloom. Don't give them up on this account. There is probably a simple reason for this condition which you are sure to be able to remedy.
If plants are in deep shade or growing where they must compete for food and moisture with tree and shrub roots, by all means transplant them to an open, sunny location where very likely they will start to bloom after a year's residence. If you suspect that they have been planted deeper than the allowed two inches, reset them. If they are very old plants in a starved condition, you might try to revive them with generous spring and autumn doses of plant food, but replacing them with a few stalwart new plants will give you a lot more satisfaction.
If buds drop prematurely and stems discolor or rot off at the base, or if buds turn brown while small, suspect botrytis blight and spray accordingly. Then in fall, cut stalks at ground level and burn them. A further precaution would be to remove carefully the soil from around the crowns to a depth of two to three inches and to replace it with new. And then to prevent the spread of trouble in the spring, cut off and drop into a paper bag all imperfect beds as well as any open flowers just before they shatter. Then burn it.
Sometimes failing plants reveal, on examination of roots, galls or knots which pathologists say are caused by nematodes. If such roots are dug up and immersed for thirty minutes in water heated to one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit, they may be saved. Crown and root rot can be similarly checked; sterilized plants are reset in fresh soil and preferably in a new location. Only I confess if I had to do all this I'd just throw the plant out and either get a few new ones or conclude there were other perennials for me.
Finally your peonies may not bloom because they are too small and young. The first year after they have been planted, flowering is always meager. If the divisions you set out included less than three eyes, there may be no bloom for a year or two.
This is taken from the book "The New Perennials Preferred" by Helen Van Pelt Wilson. It was published in 1961 but other than the names of the fungicides, has a lot of relevant information.
Hope this helps! Laura
edited to add: Not bulbs, I believe they're herbaceous perennials. She also says that large peonies or ones being reconditioned can use three times as much food.
This message was edited Mar 8, 2004 7:19 AM
I am going to copy all of this. Tomorrow if I get to the nursery I will pick up some of the ferban or the other and spray. These peonies were put on the south side of the house 35 years ago. The little clump only expanded to about a foot and a half around in all that time. It does have a lot of foliage and at one time did have maybe 10 flowers that bloomed, but now all I get are the buds that do not get large enough before they turn brown. I've got to go over that article slowly as there are many tips that I can check out. I am excited, thanks so much. Doris
Doris, did this peony ever bloom in the past 35 years? Other than the 10 flowers? Do you pick all the flowers when it does bloom? You've got me curious...I love it! Bev
Years ago I picked a few of them, but it seems in the last 10 years there many be 3 or 4 at the most and last year one bloom and about 8 buds that turned brown. I wish it would at least spread a bit more also. Maybe I need to introduce new soil around it???
hmmm. I think it would be a good idea to (this fall) did it up, perhaps divide it and plant it so its eyes are 2 or less inches below the surface of the soil...it may just need to be divided and it was planted too deep initially. Its worth a try. Bev
Best to wait til fall then. OK, I will do that. It's worth a try
and a simple solution! thanks very much, doris
Good plan, Bev. Be sure and check the roots for rotted parts, etc. Might be an idea to move it to a different area too. I think I'd go with a fungicide this spring, too. Good luck with it and I hope you'll get some blooms - trouble with resetting, no blooms for sure next year! bummer, eh?
Yeah, but since I only got one last year, I guess I will have to wait and I will reset them in a little different place and perhaps they will be happy. Oh, to finally have blooms and no brown buds!!! ( I could threaten to replace them!)