A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 peonies

What is the best way to propagate peonies? My son has a large plant and we would like to take a cutting or do whatever is needed to grow one of our own. Thanks!

If you are saying it is a large plant is it a tree peonies? I mean one stalk and many blooms. If it is I would ask him not to dead head and allow the seeds pods to form if the variety is one that produces good seeds. From seed it takes about 4 years to get a plant mature enough to bloom. Once planted they do not like to be disturbed but they can live for up to 100 years so they are well worth the wait.

On the other hand if you mean that the clump has many stems then the best way is to take a root division. This is the best way to propagate peonies. Make sure each division has between three and five eyes on it. And again it should take anywhere from 3 to 7 years to see the first bloom. Although I did have one of mine bloom at the end of the second year.

Other than that make sure that you plant them in a wind protected area since the blooms will shatter under windy or heavy rain conditions.

Good luck, I love my peonies. Next year will be my third year with them and I can't wait to see them bloom.

My understanding is peonies can only really be propagated with any certainty by root division or seed and most seed will not come true.

i agree with john, i don't think they can be propagated other than by dividing the rhyzome.

geez, i just transplanted some from a neighbors plant...i hope i don't have to wait 7 years to see them bloom!!

How best to propagate a peony is up to your own judgement; by far the easiest way is to go to a nursery and buy one.

Now if you have a sentimental attachment to your son's plant, have a young healthy buck dig it up and separate a couple of tubers. If it's a vigorous and well established clump, mucho work is involved, requiring a pick, or mattock, and spade.

Best done in early autumn, it may bloom for you the next year.

I mail-ordered one, and set it out last October,and here's how it looked last week. This one is marketed as "Janice":

Hey thanks for all this info'.

I was wondering why my peony wasn't blooming, this is the second year since I moved it. There is one bud, but..... I just hope I don't have to wait 7 years.

Oh well it's still a beautiful bush.

if you have a bud then you should get a bloom!!

Some buds go away. I had that happen on one of my smaller plants this year. I'm hoping that it's a sign that I'll have flowers on it next year. Which explains why I spent my rare dollars on the pellets. I love my peonies.

oh, i didn't know that.

I didn't propagate my peony, but I did move it three years ago. It didn't bloom the first year after it was moved, but it did bloom last year and it was beautiful this year!

Peonies need winter to bloom.......

Mine are gorgous this time, but I can"t remember when I did them..........

took a while because of the dry springs.

dodge

zone 5