I've never heard of pinching back buds. I have a young 3 year old peony which came up with a huge number of flowers this 3rd year. Thank goodness because I got this plant on those end of season type sales. it looked like it was dying.. so I took pity on it. Now it rewards me with a terrific spray of flowers. I also purchased a brand new peony as a root earlier this year. To my surprise it actually gave me a bud this year - and it's beautiful. I am looking foward to it's next show. ianna

Thanks! I wasnt sure since the leaves looked fine. But I don't know much about peonies, just stick it in the dirt and water it. lol I googled it and it does sound like it. So I will assume this is what the problem is and use the suggestions I found online. I know our soil is very hard as well, I might try to move it this fall

Break the shoots off in the short term. Long term solution should involve increasing the depth that the herbaceous root stock resides. You can do this by either increasing the grade by ~2" or digging up and replanting ~2" deeper. The tree peony will begin to grow its own roots and the herbaceous stock will be deep enough that it doesn't send up shoots.

It has been out in the cold throughout, aren't they the ones that need winter chill to bloom? I guess I will have to wait another year or two. The previous couple of years, it was less than half the hight it is this time around. so, it's making progress. Meanwhile, I have Shirley poppies growing in there so not a complete waste of prime growing spot I guess.