Poenies are the divas of the garden world, they’re big, showy and in high demand when peony season rolls around. If you show peonies the right care, they will return reliably year after year, but if your peonies aren’t blooming, it could be down to three super easy mistakes to make.
Growing peonies is extremely rewarding as you’re treated to these gorgeous frothy pink heads once a year. However, before we get into the reasons why it might not be blooming, it’s important to note that peonies can take 1 to 3 years to bloom for the first time after planting. This is especially true if you’ve bought a cheaper, less established plant.
‘If you buy an inferior plant, there are some that won’t flower and you’ll be waiting years for it to mature properly,’ explains Martin Rouse, plantsman and grower at Border Peonies.
You can speed up the process by investing in the most established plant you can afford. However, that is only part of the non-blooming puzzle. If you have a healthy and mature plant that’s not flowering, it is likely down to one of the following reasons.
1. Planting too deep
There is one crucial rule you have to follow when it comes to how to plant peony bulbs or a more established peony plant, and it’s all to do with the depth. Get it right and they will flourish, get it wrong and it can have disastrous results.
According to Kate Turner, expert horticulturalist at Evergreen Garden Care, if your plant isn’t flowering, it is likely down to this mistake. ‘If your peony has been in the ground for a few years and is producing foliage but not blooming, something’s not right.’
‘Often, it’s planted too deep – peony buds (or “eyes”) should be just 2 cm (about 1 inch) below the surface. Too deep and the plant may survive, but it won’t flower,’ she warns.
Peony buds are the next season’s growth, and these should be easy to identify as they look like sharp points. If you’ve made this mistake, you can try brushing some of the soil off, but you’re best off waiting until autumn to lift it up and replant.
‘That’s when the plant is dormant and least likely to suffer transplant shock,’ explains Kate.
2. Planting in too much shade
Peonies love sun, so if you’re plant isn’t flowering, it’s likely you’ve not chosen the best place to plant a peony for full sun. Full sun translates into more than 6 hours of direct sunlight.
‘The peony is like a rose and wants full sun,’ points out Martin. ‘So if someone’s planted it in shade, it’s not going to flower. If it’s in semi-shade, it will flower, but with fewer flowers,’ explains Martin.
If you do find you’ve planted it in too shady a spot, again, you’re best off waiting to move your plant until autumn. ‘In that autumn, as you dig that up, you’re going to see next year’s growing points,’ explains Martin, which you’ll need to work out how deep to replant it.
It is important to note that when moved with care, an established peony will bloom next year after replanting, but some plants might take longer to recover.
‘Peonies are not keen on being moved and may take a year or two to get comfortable and bloom again. This is the same for young plants,’ adds Andrew Bowler, manager of Arrington Garden Centre. For the best result, use a sharp spade to lift the plant like the Kent & Stowe Rounded Digging Spade for £30 at B&Q.
3. Over pampering
By over pampering, we’re talking over watering, over feeding and generally loving your plants just a bit too much. While all that lovely care will get you an abundance of glossy leaves, it’s not conducive to lots of flowers.
‘The phrase I use is that plants tend to flower better on the edge of despair,’ says Martin. ‘We have 12,000 peonies [at Border Peonies] and I’ve never watered one of them. Peonies are drought-tolerant plants, so overwatering and overfeeding will cause more leaves, but less flowers.’
When it comes to fertilising your peonies, don’t get carried away as it’s a job that only needs doing twice a year. ‘The feeding regime of a peony is very simple,’ confirms Martin. ‘It’s a low nitrogen fertiliser, like bone meal, twice a year in spring and autumn.’
If you haven’t fertilised your peonies yet this season, you can pick up bone meal from B&Q for £9.
Peonies are a glorious sight in spring so make sure you get the most out of yours by taking care when planting and giving them their space to just grow.
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