Okay, I did the big mistake, potted a peony in a 12" pot while we waited to buy a house. It sprouted, not a lot, and set 2-4 buds this spring, I was ecstatic. They turned black, fell off and some of the foliage even wilted. It was in full sun, and watered every day. (Maybe rootbound?) I have full sun in my yard, is this where I need to dig the hole and amend the soil. I manure, peat humus, a 13-13-13 fertilizer, and some really fine (almost composted) bark mulch to add to the red georgia clay. I know it's the wrong time of the year, but want to get this baby out of the pot. Also have "Dancing Butterflies", should it go in the sun as well?
Buds Turned Black
That bud burning black thing is a definite fungus or virus. Lemme go look a minute and see what it's called again.
Okay- here's some info for you.
www.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/00001025.html
www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/diagnostics/mainflowers.html
www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/askext/flowers/1235.htm
This message was edited Aug 22, 2004 8:02 AM
No one has been able to address my peony problem yet. Just in case it was a fungal thing I just now went out & cut them all back, 3 of them, anyway. The 4th is still mostly green & relatively healthy looking. I just hope I haven't killed them. But the stems grew-its their first year here-& got about 1 1/2 feet tall then the leaves turned brown & dried up. The stems remained upright & when I cut them they still showed some green. But they are all the color of dead. There is just a little green in the stems & leaf centers.
They are in full sun, good organic soil in containers 5-15 gal size. Watered daily.
Any ideas, please??
Did you read the first link above? There's quite a few diseases discribed there... I had one bush all of a sudden wilt and die about a month ago. It's only 3 years old - I'm trying to figure out which disease may have caused it. Seems like some have about the same symptoms but they all say get rid of it so I think that's what I'll do.
Hi All,
Chances are you're peony buds turning black are "bud blast" or botrytis blight. I had problems with this on several of my bushes in 2003 and ended up having to cut several back to the ground before they could bloom. It was due to too much rain and cool weather in spring when they're trying to get ready to bloom, although it can occur just about any time.
I now have 20 peony bushes of various cultivars that I raise to use in dried flower arrangements. BTW - peonies are absolutely beautiful when dried, but you have to have the double peonies for them to be effective. Anyway, back to the botrytis problem.
It's a fungus, and it survives in the soil over the winter, so make sure you cut your foliage to the ground in October or before winter sets in, and burn it - or get rid of it somewhere. Don't compost it, or you might be putting bad things right back into the soil. You can purchase a fungicide and spray it on the peony stalks after you cut the leaves down, and then again when they emerge from the soil in spring.
I had a couple late buds turn black this year with all the rain, but for the most part, most of the peony bushes looked healthy and bloomed well this year - even with all the rain! Of course it was a lot warmer this year than in 2003!