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Peonies Perennials Container Gardening

Most Peony buds stalling

getgoing100_7b_nj

last year

This is the fourth or fifth season of this peony from bare root with 3-4 eyes. The first year, it just grew some leaves/stalks, fairly short; next year it had flower buds on 3 stalks but they stalled fairly early. The next year it did not have any buds. I think it did not get enough chill that year. This year 6 of the 8 stems/stalks have buds but four stalled pretty early, one is a decent sized bud ready to bloom and another one is smaller but looks like it might bloom. There were ants on 3-4 buds initially but they have mostly concentrated on the two larger ones subsequently. It is not potted too deep- I can see the woody stem/root for the most part. My research suggests that it may be one of two reasons why the buds stalled - not enough sun, or a late freeze. Expert thoughts?

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getgoing100_7b_nj
Original Author

last year

So, I finally have the Sorbet give me one bloom after 4 years! But the smell is great, very familiar; can't pinpoint it; may have to go sniff a few spices and nuts to figure it out.

Comments (8)

gumneck 7A Virginia
last year
Hi. How much sun does it get? I have one in shade and it looks like your third photo with just one small bud. All my other peonies are in full sun and did well.
getgoing100_7b_nj
Original Author
last year
It depends on the time of the year. I suppose it has foliage only between mid March/early April and September/October. It lives on a NNW balcony and probably gets no sun in mid March and late September and 6 plus hours in June/July.
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Ang, I have found that this happens occassionally with peonies. I have a gorgeous Festiva Maxima from Parkland Perennials.....its been in the garden for several years...it started out big and just got bigger. Then last year all of a sudden, it wasn't doing well. Only a few stems appeared in the spring......and I think it had one or two flowers. I was moving things around and dividing everything last year....and decided to dig up this peony and move it to the front bed. What I discovered was that half of the huge tuber/root had rotted. I pulled it out and removed the rot and re-planted in the front new bed. This year it has 8 buds and what looks like some new shoots, about 4 inches tall, comming from the ground. So far it looks like its going to be a good peony year here......All but one seem to have buds. The one that doesn't is still very young. Oh and of course the baby ones that I started from seed, don't have buds. My lupines have been in the decline stage for the last couple of years. I started some from seed this year to replace. The only one I have blooming is a rose lupine right now. Sorry to hear about your bugs/critter.....I know how disappointing that is. Sierra
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Melissa...yup, that does happen unintentionally sometimes... I know some of my very own photos look nothing like the colors I've seen on some of my own garden flowers. My Cricket Hill tree peony ( https://www.treepeony.com/products/island-minister-japanese-tree-peony) has it's first flower buds now, just as they said it would after about 2 years after planting. I can't wait for buds to open...but in the mean time here are some photos below. I am amazed that nothing bothers it- groundhog and squirrels don't touch it (in the city so don't know about deer) It's been so hardy and trouble free and the foliage is pretty, and it really does well in the shady area I have it...doesn't need full sun like the other peonies I grow. I will share more photos of the color best as I can capture on my little camera when it opens.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
i think of peony as 30 to 50 year old plants in grandmas garden... been there forever ..

you garden on a balcony exclusively in pots.. i smell a rat ...

im wondering if you have a fert issue .. or lack thereof .. just something about pits causing this ...

ken
getgoing100_7b_nj
Original Author
last year
No rats on my balcony ὠ2...a rare squirrel maybe once in a half dozen years, just a few finches, pigeons, bees, wasps and lady bugs....Anyhow, so you don't think not enough sunlight might be to blame? Can one tell if it is getting enough sunlightby looking at the color of the foliage, spacing of leaves etc. As to fertilizer, I have been diligent in giving it fertilizer this year once it sprouted. The foliage is around only for about 6 months or so and is growing only for a month or two so it is hard to figure out fertilization and not overfertilize. As to it being in a pot, don't the garden centers have peonies blooming away in one and two gallon pots. Mine is in a five gallon and the roots do not seem to suggest it needs a bigger pot last I checked.
KarenPA_6b
last year
last modified: last year
It's very difficult to get herbaceous peonies to bloom when grown in pot. Peonies flowers need a lot of nutrients to produce blooms. When there are not enough nutrients, they will abort the buds in order to maintain the plant. You can try a bigger pot with very good potting soil that is well drain. Apply adequate bulb fertilizer so that the peony will have enough to take the buds to blooms. Also make sure the eyes are slightly jsut below the surface of the soil level of the pot.
getgoing100_7b_nj
Original Author
last year
Karen, I was at HD and Lowe's the other day and they had bud and flowers on peonies in 3 quarts square pots. I took some pics. In fact, Lowe's had one with 3 puny narrow leaves (indicating very young plant, not pictured here) that was happily blooming away!
getgoing100_7b_nj
Original Author
last year
Update, day 4

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