All the 11 flowers on my beautiful peonie are blooming, but 1/4 of them are wilted and falling off when only 1/2 open. Does anyone know why? The plant itself is healthy as are most of the blossoms.
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The Master Gardeners will know!!
Many thanks to Milner Gardens & Woodland’s Gardening Advice line (a partnership between Vancouver Island University’s Milner Gardens & Woodland and the Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association) for the following response:
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Thanks so much for your question to VIMGA’s Gardening Advice Line.
We’ve looked at a lot of online resources (some are listed below if you’d like to do more research) and there is not much information regarding your specific peony problem, i.e. blooms not fully opening before wilting and falling off the plant.
From the research, peonies “thrive in full-sun locations (8 hours or more a day) and will tolerate part shade (such as 5-6 hours of daily sun) although they may produce fewer blooms. Peonies prefer fertile and well-drained soils. They do not like to have wet feet as the roots will rot quickly in poorly drained soil so heavy clay soils are a poor choice. Conversely, soils that are proportionately high in sand will drain too quickly. The best growth is in soil with a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5, deep and rich in organic matter.”
We wonder if, over the course of the peony’s lifetime in your garden, an adjacent tree or plant has grown to the point where the peony is in shade for a longer amount of the day?
In the Cowichan Valley, we had quite a wet spring and then some hot sunny days towards the end of May. Similar environmental conditions in your area may have affected some of the blooms on your plant. You write that ¾ of your plant’s blooms were successful and the plant looks healthy, so whatever is at play has not been detrimental to the overall health of the plant. We were looking into whether we ought to suggest you divide your peony to increase vigor, as some other perennials respond well to division – however the advice is peony plants should not be divided more than once every 10 years, and that if the plant fits the space, no need to divide unless you want to propagate to increase your collection.
You may already do both of these things, but if not, may we suggest you look at: applying a layer of rich compost around your peony plant in late winter/early spring next year to provide additional food while the plant creates its blooms; and help the blooms stay upright by using a peony cage.
Happy gardening!
Online Resources:
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