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Peonies are a great addition to any garden, whether as a focal point or part of a busy border. As perennial plants, peonies live for more than two years and can come back year after year with an impressive flush of flowers. But if you’ve found that your peonies haven’t always lived up to expectations, perhaps producing fewer blooms than you’d like, there’s a simple trick you may be missing.
As gardening expert Mickey Gast, from Blooming Backyard, explains, using organic compost at the right time can make a huge difference. “Once your peonies are established, there are two main periods when you should fertilise them: pre-bloom and post-bloom,” he said.
Mickey added: “In most climates, this translates to early spring and late summer.”
Come spring, peonies focus on producing new foliage and buds, so by feeding them at this time, you can help ensure they have the nutrients they need to thrive and produce gorgeous flowers in the summer.
If you’re planting peonies now, you can simply sprinkle a handful of finished compost around each one, making sure not to bury the crown.
Be careful, though: peonies don’t do well when planted too deeply, so try not to compact the compost or pile it directly onto the stems.
If the plant is already established, meanwhile, the compost can be used as a thin top dressing, ideally just as the shoots begin to grow from the soil.
This provides a steady source of nutrients without overwhelming the plant with too much nitrogen, which can lead to lush foliage but poor blooming.
Gast cautioned against overzealous use of commercial composts, warning that added fertilisers might not always be beneficial.
“When they start setting blooms, they need a lot of food readily available,” he said, emphasising the importance of using organic matter rather than synthetic options.
For the eco-conscious gardener, homemade compost that’s thoroughly decomposed and devoid of fresh waste is recommended.
By simply applying organic compost at the right time, your peonies will produce “bigger showstopping blooms” that will catch the eye.
There are many ways to improve the look of your garden, but when it comes to peonies, the Royal Horticultural Society suggests following six simple rules.
For those new to growing these beautiful flowers, the first step is to buy a well-established plant. This sets you up for success – and a beautiful floral display.
Peonies should be planted in a sunny or part-shade position with soil that is free-draining.
The RHS says: “Plant at the correct depth (for herbaceous peonies, this means 2.5–5cm below the surface)”.
For the best results, feed once a year with a slow-release and well-balanced feed and cut back dead foliage in the autumn, ready for the plant to shoot the following year.
