Perennials - Peony
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  (February) I want to share some peonies with a friend. Is this the right time to divide them and what is the best way to divide the plant without digging it up? Also, my son-in-law wants to prune our Bradford Pear trees, especially on the top. Is this advisable & should it be done now?

  The best time to dig and divide peonies is in the fall--the season opposite of bloom. Disturbing them now would interfere with their spring bloom. Division is best done by digging up the whole plant, and separating. As for pruning Bradford Pear, topping is never recommended. These trees tend to grow larger than most people realize, and they do have a very top-heavy shape as it is. Thinning cuts to lighten the load are best, but should be done following bloom in the spring. The two main reasons for planting Bradford Pears are the spring blooms and the fall foliage, so you may as well enjoy the flower display and then prune.

  (May) When is the best time to move peonies? Also, what are the best conditions for them to grow?

  Perennials that bloom in the spring should be divided in the fall. Those that bloom in the fall, should be divided in the spring, and summer bloomers can be divided either spring or fall. Peonies bloom very early in the spring, and often begin to decline fairly early in the fall, so anytime from late summer through fall should be fine. They don't like to be moved, so find a permanent location to move them to. They like a rich site that is well drained. The more sun the better. Be sure to plant them shallow.

  (June) Please help!! I have four large peonies planted in my west bed with azaleas. Three have never bloomed and one had several blooms three years ago and only one bloom this year. When can I transplant them? Are there any specific instructions on replanting? I also plan to put them in full sun when I replant. Is that o.k.?

  Peonies need at least 6 hours of sun a day to bloom, and more would be even better. If they are growing in the shade, or if they are planted too deep, they often won't bloom. The proper time to transplant peonies is in the fall. Make sure you don't plant them too deep when you transplant them. Plant them shallowly in a well drained, well amended site in full sun. They may not bloom next spring while they recover from transplanting, but hopefully they will every year thereafter.

  (June) I have tried to raise peonies for two years now. They are planted in a fairly shaded area with plenty of water. A few of the plants did bloom this year but only had one or two blooms. I fertilized them twice this year. Why won't they have any more blooms? I live in southern Arkansas. Do I need to move them or not? How do I care for the plants?

  I am surprised you had any flowers if they are in a fairly shaded area. Peonies like sun -- the more the merrier. I would suggest moving them this fall or late summer, when the plants begin to die back. make sure you plant them shallowly, and put them in a well prepared site, in full sun. Give them lots of organic matter, and water as needed. Fertilize them next spring, and every year after bloom. Peonies often pay you back by not blooming for a year or two after the move, so be patient. In time, they should be spectacular.

  (August) We prepared a flower bed in April this year with potting soil and manure fertilizer and planted two camellia and two peony plants. They were all approximately the same size. The camellias have grown beautifully, tall and shiny leaves with new buds. My peonies have sat and "sulked", leaves turning brown and drying up - absolutely no new growth. These plants are on the north side of our house with mostly shade but afternoon sun. We have tried to keep the plants watered, but not over watered and have used Miracle Grow fertilizer through the spring and early summer. I need to revitalize my peonies - they are my favorite flower. Please help me know what I can do to save these plants or how to plant them properly if I have to buy new ones next season.

  Peonies do best in full sun, a minimum of 6 to 8 hours is a must. If they are in too much shade, they would have nice foliage, but few blooms. Shade, however, should not cause them to die or even decline. Check the drainage where they are planted. It is not unusual to have a weaker than normal first year while the plants are getting a root system established, but the foliage should have stayed green at least throughout the growing season. Because peonies start growing so early in the season, it is not unusual for them to decline earlier than other perennials, so if the browning of the foliage and the decline has recently started, that may be the normal progression. I don't think you will have much of a chance to revitalize them this late in the year, but you might consider moving them this fall to a sunnier location, and then judge their growth habit next season. If problems still occur early in the season, then we need to look further.

  (August) I have several two year old peony plants in a permanent bed. They all bloomed beautifully this year and had beautiful dark green foliage after blooming. Is it normal for the foliage to start turning brown and looking dead now? I was expecting the foliage to last until frost. The vacant spots in the bed were planted with dwarf snapdragons two years ago. The peonies are now large enough that I want to clear the bed of anything else. Will it harm the peony roots to pull all the other growth out of the bed?

  Peonies often begin so early in the growing season, that they decline early as well. It is not unusual for the foliage to begin browning and dying back by August each season -- their growing season is over. Clean up the bed as the plants begin looking bad. I would suggest cutting the old foliage both from the peonies and the surrounding annuals, so you don't uplift the peonies in the process of cleaning up. Your peonies should come back and do beautifully again next spring.

  (October) I will be moving in the next 30 days and wondered about moving peonies. I haven't found much information about them and would welcome a site about all around care as I don't have a green thumb and sometimes end up doing more harm than good.

  Fall is the time to transplant and divide peonies, if needed, so it would be a fine time to move your peonies when you move. Make sure you replant them soon and put them in a spot with a well amended, well drained site in full sun. They should be planted at the depth they are currently growing or slightly more shallow. Peonies won't bloom well if they are planted too deep. They also may pay you back for disrupting them by not blooming next spring, but should bounce back and bloom the following year.

  (October) When is good time to divide and transplant cotton plant hibiscus? Is compost best to plant cotton plant hibiscus in & do they do best in full sun or shade? When is good time to divide and transplant peony? Is compost best to plant peony in and do they do best in full sun or shade?

  I assume you mean hardy hibiscus, since I have never heard them called cotton plant hibiscus. They are in the same family however, and thrive in hot weather. I would dig and divide them next spring as they emerge. They prefer a full sun location with ample moisture. They like plenty of organic matter, so should do well with the compost. Peonies should be divided now, and planted shallowly in a well amended site in full sun. Don't be surprised if they don't bloom for a year or two after the move.

  Can you please tell me what is affecting my peonies? I have enclosed some leaves. The black or brown spots completely covered them last year and they lost all their leaves. I was surprised this spring when they came back and bloomed. Especially on my younger plant. It is only two years old and had a flower. What can I do to stop this?

  You have a leaf spot disease on your peonies, but the tip burn is usually indicative of either a pesticide burn or possibly overfertilization. As long as your peonies have a good growing season after bloom, they can set enough energy for flowers for the following spring. They often begin to die back earlier than other perennials, but then again, they grow early in the spring. To control the leaf spot, spray once or twice now with a general fungicide, such as Daconil or Funginex. Next spring spray early in the season as the plants begin to grow. Hopefully, that will prevent you from getting the spots. This season has been great for blooms, but terrible for diseases on a wide range of plants.

  We have much to learn about gardening in northwest Arkansas, being Milwaukee transplants, but we have a real problem with our peonies. We transplanted them from Wisconsin and they came up so magically, we were astounded. They grew about ten inches then stopped. They aren’t dead, but there is no progress at all. They are on the east side of the house where they get morning sunlight. We water as needed. We grew peonies for 35 years in Wisconsin, but we can’t figure out what to do here. We have seen no insects. Should we fertilize? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, when do you plant mums in Arkansas?

  Peonies can be tricky to grow until they get established and begin blooming. Once that occurs, they should be set for life. Peonies like a well-drained soil high in organic matter, and low in rocks (if possible). They need to be planted shallow, with the ‘eyes’ no deeper than 1/2 to one inch. Planted deeply, they will grow, but never bloom. There are some ‘northern’ varieties that need a longer chilling period than we receive, and these may set flowers that don’t open. The more sunlight they receive the better. Fertilization should occur as the plants finish blooming or in mid spring. Because they begin growing so early in the season, they are often one of the first plants to begin dying back in late summer or early fall. This does not hurt the plants, but often alarms the gardener. Since this is their first season here, they may be getting a root system established, which could account for the limited growth. Fertilize lightly now, keep them watered and wait for next season. If you think they are planted too deep or have a lot of rocks hindering root growth, you can remedy this in the fall. Garden mums are typically available at local nurseries and garden centers in late August through September.

  I would like to know if you could tell me why my peonies won’t bloom. They put on little buds each spring, and then the buds never open, but dry up. I am wondering if you could tell me something that I could put on them or in the soil to correct this.

  There are several things that could cause this. There are some varieties of peonies that require a longer chilling period than we have before their buds can open. They set flower buds, but they don’t get chilled long enough to open. Planting southern varieties would solve this problem. There are tiny insects called thrips that can get into the unopened buds and prevent them from opening. Usually with this, some of the flowers will try to open, but they will be deformed. Disease is another possibility, but usually the flowers turn soft and mushy, not dry.

  With the heat and drought, my peonies are in bad shape. Can they be cut off/down now, and still bloom next year?

  Peonies often begin looking bad in August. They begin growth so early in the year, that they have completed their plant needs by then. Waiting for a killing frost before clean up isn't necessary. Whenever the leaves begin looking peaked, cut them back. They should do fine next year, provided you did give them some water earlier this season.

  My peonies have seen better days. They look so bad, they are taking away from the blooming flowers near them. What effect will cutting them back now have on the blooms next spring? If I have to live with the ugly foliage I will, otherwise I would like to prune them back. 

  Peonies begin growing so early in the spring, that they often begin to decline in late summer. By all means prune off the dead or damaged foliage and clean up your garden. They should have set flower buds for next season by now. As long as you watered this summer, you should still have a show next spring.

  I planted several peony bushes last summer. One had about 15 buds on it but only two opened. The others have just dried up. Several other plants did the same except they only had a few buds. One had two buds that opened partially and then stopped. What do I need to do? I would appreciate any help.

  There could be several reasons for the lack of blooms opening. One could be insufficient cold weather of chilling of the buds. Some varieties require more chilling hours than others. Insects known as thrips can invade flower buds and keep them from opening, and there is a bud blast disease that gets the flowers. since the bloom period has passed, prune off the damaged flower buds and destroy them. If the problem reoccurs next spring, take a stalk to your local county extension office for correct diagnosis.

  My mother needs to know when is the best time to move peonies? Spring or fall?

  The best time to move them would be fall--the opposite season of bloom. I would say, they may not bloom for a year or two after moving them, but if you plant them in a well drained soil in full sun, and plant them shallow enough, once they begin to bloom, they should continue for years to come.

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