I've left my peonies after they finished flowering, to let them die back naturally - been noticing this is getting worse, and I don't know if this is what they look like when they 'die back' or if it's some kind of leaf burn. Not sure what to do about it, if anything. Thanks for your help!

Mary, my peonies did a similar thing too. I just got them this year, so I didn't know anything about them. Anyway, Weezie said perhaps I'd gotten thier leaves wet.. need to "water thier toes, and not thier nose". My peony seems ok, other than some of these dark marks. I'm still not sure what it really is.. but the plant seems to be ok, otherwise. Also, I'm not entirely sure, but I *think* the peony is an evergreen. I'm looking it up now, just to be sure..

Meg

It does look like leaf burn. Mine does that sometimes too, but in my neck of the woods peonies are not everygreen.

I may be wrong about the evergreen bit. I thought I'd read that somewhere, but I can't find it now that I go looking for it.

But yea, I think it may be just a bit of leaf burn.. but so far, mine's doing ok other than the few spots it got.

Meg

Thanks Meg & Sheri!

Confession time - I never water them. Ever! it's been a really dry summer, and they are in hot hot afternoon sun. May be this fall I'll move them - they're kind of in a really harsh sun area of the yard.

*Hey, I know where I can get some really cheap broken umbrellas* (My qvc load arrived yesterday)

They're definitely not evergreen - not mine, or here anyway...I remember them coming up, wondering what in the world they were. When my SIL told me they were peonies, I figured she didn't know what she was talking about because they didn't look like peonies to me!

Mine are in the full sun too. I think they like it there. Think about it before you move them.

Hmm... so, what do I do about leaf burn? I mean, as a permanant solution? Or is this just one of those things that happens, and you just kind of let happen? Sorry if that's a stupid question.

After mine bloom is when the leaf bloom happens, which is usually the hottest part of the summer. I've never thought to do anything about it and this is the 4th year they've come back. Last year I got something called thrips that messed up the blooms but I sprayed this year and they were beautiful.

Cool, so I'll just let it happen and hopefully they'll be okay. I hope I remember to stake them next year so the flowers aren't laying on the ground the entire time they're blooming!

I cut mine and bring them inside. They're so beautiful and smell so good so mine don't get a chance to droop over. Good luck.

Our were mowed over and grew back once we realised what they were but this year a hail storm took out all my buds and wrecked the plants. I am hoping I have better luck with them next year. They were full and lush before the storm and I never water them cuz they arent in my regular garden area or in an area where we water the grass.

The cemetery here (Wiley Cemetery at Colfax,IL) has many beautiful Peonies most in full sun, they never get water unless it rains and they do great.
John

I didn't even think of taking them in when they started blooming Next year I might take em in - if I can get all the blasted ants off! I'm having a very anti-ant year this year

May be this fall I'll move them - they're kind of in a really harsh sun area of the yard.


I would not move a peony, it's not recommended b/c of their hardy root structure. They do not tolerate being moved. It says so on the info thingy on this website!!!

I wonder if that is why the peonies I moved did not bloom this year. They are looking really healthy though, just no flowers.

ohhhh really? Hmm thanks daisy - guess if I can't bring the peonies to the flower bed, I will bring the flower bed to the peonies!

Triss, I would estimate about 1/3-1/2 of my peonies bloomed...they all looked green and lush too, but I didn't move them, and doubt the previous owners did. They didn't do anything but throw stuff in the ground and let it go! Anyway, I seem to remember someone saying, or reading somewhere that peonies don't bloom for a few years after being planted...so I'm guessing there's a period of time after the tubers/corms/bulbs reproduce that it takes to mature, so it doesn't flower. of course I'm just guessing all this stuff - but it sounds right to me

It really stinks too cuz the place the rest of the peonies is awful. It is right in the middle of the grass and in a walking area. I am planning on moving them too. I am just going to revise my plan and dig up a much larger patch around and under them to try and not disturb the root system.

The ones I did not move, but dug up and around to get what I did move had tons of buds on them but they all got smashed by a hail storm we had. Not a single bud on them nor my irises survived, so I was out two kinds of flowers this year!

geesh- hail? good grief. That was a late hailstorm. My peonies are in the same type of place - out in the middle of the grass, though not exactly a walking area, so that's why I think I can build a bed around them... I'm just a little concerned about the fire ant colony I think took residence nearby, where we had a wild rosebush, that completely died all of a sudden, when I noticed they were there. So many little battles to be won!

Ahaha I was looking on google to see how to divide/replant peonies to help ya out Triss and I found this site LOL So here's the link

peonies

Interesting..."(It is not a good idea to plant them in the same place where they were previously growing.)" I wonder why this is?

Thanks for that info. I saved it and will have to put the moving on my calendar for Sept/Oct.

We get hail often right into July here. The storm that got my plants was so bad it made national news and we rarely make national news.

I guess anything is evergreen if you bring it in for the winter, ha ha!

I don't have any of these - I had some once and they didn't do well - I might have a go at it again sometime. I know they're nice plants once you get them going nicely.