How to Mulch Peonies

Few flowers are as eye-catching or as easy to grow as peonies. Because peony plants prefer rich soil with lots of vegetative matter, they will produce healthier, more vibrant foliage and flowers when mulched. Spring and after the first frost are the two best times of the year to mulch peonies. Mulching after the first frost protects peonies from winter weather damage. Mulching in the spring helps provide a barrier against weeds and keeps moisture in the soil.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• • Mulch
• • Gardening tools

Mulch Peonies

1. Mulch peonies in the winter. Cut them back after the first frost by removing all the yellow and unproductive stems and foliage. If you live in cooler parts of the United States, the entire peony and surrounding area need to be mulched to prevent frost heaving, a type of weather damage caused by the soil’s rapid freezing and thawing. Frost heaving can injure the peony’s crown and roots, and the plant itself may be lifted partially out of the ground.

2. Remove any weeds that would be near the peony plant.

3. Choose a mulch. Three popular choices are straw, compost or dry leaves.

4. Apply two to four inches of mulch to the top of the soil. Spread the mulch on top of and around, the peony plant. It is very important to mulch peonies well their first year to prevent winter damage.

5. Remove this mulch in the spring when the peonies have begun to bud.

6. Mulch peonies again in the spring. Weed the area around your peonies when they have begun to produce stems and foliage.

7. Choose a mulch. Some popular spring mulches are shredded bark, pine nuggets or straw. Mulching in the spring will help keep the area around your peonies weed free, reducing or eliminating the need for commercial weed killers. Mulching will also keep the soil moist and the temperature of the soil moderate.

8. Apply two to four inches of mulch to the top of the soil around your peonies. Avoid placing mulch on the peony plant.

Tips & Warnings

• It is very important to mulch peonies well their first year to prevent winter damage.
• Steps 1 through 4 may be ignored if you live in the very southern United States. Some growers in warmer climates do not mulch peonies after the first frost because peonies need some exposure to the cold.
• Remove any mulch that is preventing your peonies from budding or growing.