How to Grow Peony Shrubs
A peony shrub is a deciduous shrub, called a tree peony. Tree peonies grow slowly, but live for years and will lose their leaves in the fall. They grow between 3 to 5 feet tall, and have larger flowers than the peony flower. A peony shrub blooms with colorful flowers such as purple, green, yellow and maroon. Tree peonies don't take well to being moved, so the spot you pick should be its permanent home. Peony shrubs grown in colder climates will need protection in winter to continue producing flowers in the spring. Tree peonies that are planted with care will produce beautiful blooms for you to enjoy for years to come. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Peony shrub
- Shovel
- Garden fork
- Compost
- Organic fertilizer (all-purpose)
- Mulch
Instructions
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1
Pick an area with well-drained soil that is rich and moist. The area should get at least four to five hours of sun, especially morning sun. The peony shrub should have some partial shade, particularly during the hottest part of the day.
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2
Dig a hole that is 12 to 18 inches deep for grafted, bare root, tree peonies. Use the garden fork to loosen the soil around the side of the hole. Add a handful of organic fertilizer, a shovelful of compost and a shovelful of the original soil. Tree peonies that come in containers should have a hole deep enough for the rootball and twice as wide as the circumference of the rootball.
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Make a cone, or mound, of the soil mixture at the bottom of the hole. Set the tree peony on top of the mound of soil so that its roots are hanging off the sides of the soil mound. Be sure the growth nodes, also called eyes, are no more than 2 inches below the soil.
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Fill in the hole with some soil, water the soil and continue alternating water and soil as you fill in the planting hole. Doing this will help to eliminate air pockets around the roots.
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Fertilize the peony shrub once a year with organic fertilizer and a layer of compost. A peony tree planted in very rich soil doesn't need fertilizer.
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Apply mulch around the tree, but not around the base of the shrub. Covering the base of a peony shrub will result in the shrub producing few flowers.
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Tips & Warnings
Bare root tree peonies should be planted in the fall. This allows the shrub to quickly establish its roots for the best growth in spring when it blooms.
Tree peonies bought in containers can be planted in the spring or fall.
It can take three years before a tree peony will produce a large amount of flowers.
Do not plant a tree peony near a walnut tree because it will poison it.
You should avoid planting a peony shrub during the summer when it's very hot outside.
When growing tree peonies in a rainy area, avoid planting in a low-lying area or level ground. The shrub should be planted on a hill or have the roots elevated when planting the tree.
