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What to do After Peony Blooms Die?

13 years ago

My beautiful peony flowers are gone and the ugly ends are left. They're really ugly. I'm never sure from year to year whether I should cut them off and, if so, where on the stem to cut them. Do any of you have peonies and know what to do, when, and how much?

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Comments (8)

folkvictorian
13 years ago
I always cut the stems off down close to a lower set of leaves. That way the plant just becomes a green shrubby-looking thing instead of having those ugly stems looking so shabby. Cut away!
sue_va
13 years ago
Right now my peony has bloomed and still looks like a nice green shrub. I leave it until it begins to get scraggly looking and then just cut it back from time to time.

Where you live may make a difference. I wish iVillage had not taken our States away!

Sue
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Consider the foxglove a biennial. You want it to go to seed, since they form a rosette the first year and bloom the second. Therefore, don't deadhead it. If you let the seeds resow from this year's bloom, you may not have any blooming the next year, but you will have perpetuated the line and you'll get bloom the next. That's why I let my foxglove form a little colony, as there may be some in rosette form and some in bloom mode and I'll always have some bloom each year. Peonies are true perennials and as long as I have gardened, don't ever remember seeing any volunteers come from peony seed, though it is theoretically possible. So, it doesn't make any difference what you do to the flower heads after they bloom, as far as them coming back the next year. They'll come back up from the eyes on the tubers. People deadhead certain perennials because they can rebloom the same season if cut back. Some veronicas will. Peonies won't. Others deadhead perennials for appearance sake. In an established peony plant the energy you 'send to the roots' would be negligible, but I have no idea how large your peonies were or if they're struggling and need all the help they can get. It won't hurt anything if you want to cut off the dead blooms. BTW, peonies resent transplanting. They may not bloom again for a year or two or five. LOL. Deadheading is more an issue with annuals, some of which want to croak after they bloom unless deadheaded.
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dilly_dally
13 years ago
Just cut the faded blossoms. The leaves need to remain to get energy from the sun to form a strong root system.
suzieque
Original Author
13 years ago
Ok! Thanks, ladies. I've just done as you've suggested, and now the plant looks so much nicer.

Suzieque
jannie
13 years ago
I agree the faded blossoms look awful, they turn brown and drop their petals. I cut off all flowers at about six inches. I have exactly nine peony plants. Eight blooms this year, zero last year. so I'm hoping next year will be even better. First year sleep, second creep, third leap.
sheilajoyce_gw
13 years ago
Faded blossoms? My mother's peonies never had faded blossoms, and she had numerous ones around her yard in 3 or 4 colors. We picked them, shook out the ants, and filled the large vases with the most beautiful bouquets. The leaves need to remain till they start to fade into brown so the energy is restored in the root system for next year's flowers.
sjerin
13 years ago
Wish I could get mine to bloom! Here in CA they don't do well; I have one in a pot that I'm scared to transplant because I'm thinking I don't have the ideal spot. Perhaps mine needs more sun than I've been giving it. "Hot head and cool feet," right? My shady areas don't drain well in the winter so I'm afraid it wouldn't make it there.
suzieque
Original Author
13 years ago
Sheilajoyce, not faded, gone. They bloom, then the blooms die and the petals fall off. At least with mine, that is; they don't fade, they die and fall off.

The bush looks so much nicer now that I've trimmed off the ugly stalks. I didn't take more than 1 set of leaves down the stalk; plenty of bush/leaves left.

S

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