How to grow Peony

Paeonia lactiflora · garden peony, Chinese peony

Herbaceous peony is a long-lived perennial grown for its large, often fragrant flowers in late spring and early summer; each plant blooms for about a week to ten days. It dies back to the ground every winter and regrows from its tuberous roots. Toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Quick facts

Type	Flower
Family	Paeoniaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	6–7
Frost	tolerates light frost
Germination	165 days
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Plant in autumn, about a month before your first autumn frost, so the roots grow before winter; it flowers or crops the next season.

Dates for your city are on the frost dates page.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), 9 days into the stage

Growing notes

Light

Does best in full sun, 6–8 hours of direct light a day; it tolerates light shade, but in too much shade it may not flower.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil improved with compost, pH 6.0–7.0. Grows in clay too, as long as the ground is not waterlogged in winter; standing water rots the roots.

Care

Plant divisions in autumn with the buds (eyes) no more than 2.5–5 cm below the surface — deeper planting is a common reason for no flowers. Give each plant about a square metre. Water in dry spells during the first year; established plants rarely need watering. Feed with a general fertiliser in spring and again straight after flowering, avoiding excess nitrogen. Stake heavy flowers and remove them when faded. Cut the foliage to the ground in autumn and remove it to reduce disease.

Pests and diseases of Peony

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.