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Spent some time at one of my favorite places in th Spent some time at one of my favorite places in the world earlier this week, with some of my favorite people, and it was so dang good for the soul 🌸 more flowering tree and shrub content comin at you this week just because! Also...⁣⁣⠀
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🌿 Mini Gifting 🌿⁣⁣⠀
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A little thank you for supporting me!! I’m gifting a personally curated gardening package to one winner, all you have to do is follow me @christinemcovino and my other account @christineandcoliving, then head to my stories for the rest of the entry instructions 🥳
Happy national gardening day 🌱🌸 may you have Happy national gardening day 🌱🌸 may you have a bountiful crop this year, whatever you grow! ((Peony tip: feed early-emerging shoots with a high phosphorus fertilizer for strong, lush blooms!)). Find more gardening tips on the blog, link is in my bio 🌿
Liam ♡ In an alternate universe we would be cele Liam ♡ In an alternate universe we would be celebrating your first birthday. You should be crawling around, playing, laughing and eating too much cake today.⁣⁣⠀
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You should be here.⁣⁣⠀
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My sweet boy I miss you more than words, I ache to hold you. We walked the orchard and planted flower seeds in your memory. We got winks from you in the form of the earth waking up, all the yellow blooms, including your magnolia which couldn’t have had better timing. It’s comforting to see you say hi.⁣⁣⠀
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And still, you should be here.⁣⁣⠀
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He was here for a time. He existed. He mattered. He deserves to be celebrated.⁣⁣⠀
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I loved him from the second I saw the +test. I fell deeper in love every time I saw his energetic body bounce around on the ultrasound screen, I have all the blissful bump photos and I have the memory of his sweet little kicks. God I miss those kicks.⁣⁣⠀
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My love did not end when he died.⁣⁣⠀
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Liam’s ashes, a few scan photos, my memory and an index card with his footprints are all that remains. I both hate that this is all I have left and am eternally grateful that I have them at all.⁣⁣⠀
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I found some comfort today but these anniversaries are also hard. I relive the trauma. The terror, shock, fear, disbelief, agony of being told your baby is dying. So deep and so crushing. Part of me died in that moment, part of me will never be the same again.⁣⁣⠀
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There is nothing in this world more painful than living without your baby. You feel the heaviness, the absence, the longing for them constantly. The grief is always there, it ebbs and flows but it changes you to your core. You adapt to feeling the constant emptiness, your aching heart, your soft but heavy eyes, the shortness of your breath, that lump in your throat.⁣⁣⠀
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And yet, I feel immensely fortunate to have carried you for every moment of your life. I will never regret the time we spent together, loving you, carrying you, feeling you, celebrating you and envisioning the life you would have had. I will carry the insatiable longing to hold you until the day I die. You will always be my baby. You will always be missed. I will never stop loving and mothering you, my sweet Liam James ❤️
How did we do with the bow!? It’s growing on me How did we do with the bow!? It’s growing on me I think 🥰😍
April 3, 2021 • just us this Easter weekend 💗 April 3, 2021 • just us this Easter weekend 💗
I’m not quite sure how she turned 5 months in th I’m not quite sure how she turned 5 months in the blink of an eye 🥺 My Elora. We are doing great ❤️ we’re nursing and bedsharing and babywearing and contact napping and I’m literally soaking in every moment with her. Months 4 and 5 have been the best yet. My body knows what to do and I follow her cues. We’re super in tune and I feel like it’s making both of us happier humans.⁣⁣⠀
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There is this unspoken narrative in our society that somehow attachment between mom and baby is a weakness, a crutch. I say f that, it’s one of the most beautiful strengths that exists in this universe. Period.⁣⁣⠀
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Mama if you’re reading this and need some validation or reassurance, I got you. It’s ok to cuddle and rock and nurse and sing your baby to sleep. Follow your instincts, tune out the noise, feel empowered in your motherly intuition and find your confidence in that. It is so incredibly liberating.⁣⁣⠀
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I know it’s a confusing landscape out there for new moms, I hear you, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stress that you’re not doing something “right” or that your baby is “broken.” I’m not saying motherhood is easy for me, it’s the hardest (and best) thing I’ve ever done, but when women have the support they actually need and feel empowered in motherhood, that’s next-level world-changing stuff.⁣⁣⁣⠀
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Mama knows best, never forget it ❤️
Pregnancy after loss (PAL). Wrapping up this month Pregnancy after loss (PAL). Wrapping up this month of #pregnancyafterloss awareness by answering my two most asked questions ——⁣⁣⠀
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How did I know I was ready to try again and how did I survive my PAL?⁣⁣⠀
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Well friend, I have no definitive answer for you. I don’t know how I knew I was “ready,” I just knew I desperately wanted to be pregnant again, and I do not know how I survived.⁣⁣⠀
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Contrary to what I thought prior to having my own PAL experience, I was not “better” or “healed” or “over” my baby’s death once pregnant again. I think the only thing I could do was lean into the conflicting feelings and accept that they coexist for me (grief and joy, for example).⁣⁣⠀
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I want to share with you the two thoughts that did help ——⁣⁣⠀
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1. We were not replacing our baby (Liam), we were adding a sibling. Luca would be a big brother, as would Liam. My heart would expand for another child, not an “instead” child. Truly believing and accepting this was very helpful to me in my moments of guilt.⁣⁣⠀
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2. This was the most profound realization for me: That I would love this baby whether she lived or died. How did I know this? Because the grief I feel for Liam is love. I love my babies from the moment I know they exist. So during my PAL I thought, if this baby died too it wouldn’t change that love. I embraced and accepted that. I think it’s actually what allowed me to take these maternity pictures two weeks before she was born. It wasn’t hope, it was that I loved her and would want to remember our time together either way.⁣⁣⠀
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So maybe that is how I was able to survive. One day at a time, one thought at a time, facing the hard truths, embracing the pain of loss. Because, I’ll be honest, hope was hard for me.⁣⁣⠀
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Do I have magical advice? No. PAL was hard, it was a shitstorm of emotions and I feel like I just held on for dear life. Do whatever you have to do to survive, just know you are not crazy for the feelings. You are human 🤍

More resources can be found in my PAL highlights, reels and on my blog (link in bio) under ‘baby loss.’
This sweet babe is growing so fast!⁣⁣⠀
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Our beautiful @shoplovedua bassinet has been one of our most used baby items this time around! Functional and timeless, it is an item that grows with your babe, AND it’s discounted 25% today — head over to their page to shop 🥳⁣⁣⠀
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📷: @mymotherhoodstory
Growing through it 🌿 I was thinking back and re Growing through it 🌿 I was thinking back and reflecting on the past 365 days this morning. It’s been a rollercoaster to say the least.⁣⁣⠀
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Early March 2020 I found out I was pregnant again after back to back losses. I was hopeful and relieved but also doubtful, disconnected and terrified. I spoke in “ifs” not “whens.” I felt guilt and resentment and anger but also was so incredibly grateful.⁣⁣⠀
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We were quickly approaching Liam’s edd in April, a time that I deeply dreaded, and not even one week later went into full lock down pandemic mode.⁣⁣⠀
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I was a total wreck. Things felt veryyy out of control and uncertain.⁣⁣⠀
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I did the only thing I could do, I focused on what I could control. I continued therapy, started using tools like essential oils to help me stay grounded + present and threw myself full force into gardening.⁣⁣⠀
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I quite literally and physically GREW through my anxiety, pain and grief last year. My garden kept me grounded and sane and helped me feel connected to my body and my heart, out in the garden was one of the only places I felt safe letting my mind wander and imagine a living baby in my arms.⁣⁣⠀
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Growing veggies and flowers for my family was within my control and was exactly what I needed in this situation of heavy uncertainty — uncertainty both within myself and in the world.⁣⁣⠀
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March 2020 and March 2021 Christines are very different, I’ve realized the journey isn’t TO healing, healing IS the journey, it’s doesn’t ever end. I’m proud of where I’m at and humbled to think about where I’ve come from 💗
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Christine Covino

- The Blog -

A Complete Guide to Growing and Harvesting Peonies

June 7, 2019 / Gardening

This post may contain affiliate links.

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

Looking to grow the biggest, blousiest, most beautiful peony blooms? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have the most gorgeous peonies year after year.

Christine has completed hours of horticulture courses with the New York Botanical Gardens for her Certificate of Gardening. She has also run her family’s farm store and garden center for 10 years and has home-gardened alongside her mother since she was a little girl. To say she has a passion for plants is an understatement!

A Complete Guide to Growing and Harvesting Peonies

PEONIES! The Queen of Spring. Few flowers can contend with the beauty of peonies – their large, billowy blooms, some with hundreds of petals, and colors ranging from whites to pinks to purples to burgundies to corals to yellows. As a cut flower, they can last over a week in the vase, many also carry a sweet and subtle scent. They’re the most requested flowers for weddings and special events but their season is fleeting – depending on the variety you can find them at the florist during May and June, but as a grower, bloom and harvest time is only a couple weeks.

In addition to being widely beloved and excelling in the vase, peonies are actually very easy to grow and look beautiful as a landscape plant, PLUS the deer don’t eat them! If you’ve been following my stories on Instagram you know I am quite the fan of these beauties so I thought I would round up all my peony tips into one comprehensive post for your present and future reference!

Join me below as I share all my tips for growing and harvesting peonies that will LAST year after year!

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

How to Grow Peonies

Everything you need to know about what peonies need in order to grow big and healthy including my recommendations for sunlight, soil, water, fertilizer, seasonal tasks!

Sunlight, Soil and Water Requirements for Peonies

Peonies need a TON of sun (think 8+ hours per day of uninterrupted, bright sunlight).

As for most plants, well-draining soil is best for peonies. If your soil is too dense (clay-like) and holds too much water, you run the risk of rotting the tubers. So good drainage is definitely key! You can amend most problematic soils by adding compost, it really is magical. It can loosen up dense clay and can tighten up loose sand-based soil! The compost is also beneficial because it provides key nutrients plants need in order to grow big and healthy.

Newly planted peonies will need water on hot, dry days until they become established (after being in the ground for a few months). But once established they just do their thing and extra watering is no longer necessary!

Definitely be careful with watering peonies, their bulbs are notorious for not loving wet soils and will rot easily if they stay too wet for too long. So again well draining soil and not over-watering is key for peonies!

Staking Peonies

Once established, peonies will flower abundantly for years – the ones we have at the farm are close to 20 years old and healthier than ever! Sometimes when they have big, blousy flowerheads the plant will need to be staked, especially double-flowered types because their blooms are so massive and heavy.

There are specific peony cages that can be super helpful in this; if you have a very established plant just make sure the cage is sturdy and can hold the weight of the plant. If you have a smaller bush you can use a tomato cage as support by turning it upside down and cutting it down to size with a pair of wire cutters.

Additionally you can use bamboo stakes and some roping for staking as you see we did in the photos above! The roping is just going around the outside of the bush to help keep the stems from splaying outwards.

A heavy spring rain can flatten your plants in a matter of minutes so it really is important to provide proper support for the stems!

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

Planting Peonies from Containers

Potted specimens can be purchased at your local garden center and planted in the spring. Add a generous dose of compost and phosphate-rich fertilizer before you lay your plant in the hole, bonemeal is a great option for this. Try to refrain from cutting flowering stems during the first, second and even third year if you can. It will give the plant the energy it needs to establish and grow profusely for years to come. I know it’s difficult to resist the urge but the payoff will be a fully mature plant that will reward you with years of many healthy blooms!

You can get instant gratification by planting a potted peony but planting bare-root tubers in the fall will give you even better results. This is also a more economical way to plant peonies because the rootstock is a fraction of the price of potted peony plants!

How to Plant Bare-Root Peonies

  1. Dig a hole 2-3 times as wide as the tuber.
  2. Amend your soil, make sure it is well-drained by adding compost.
  3. Add a phosphate-rich fertilizer like bonemeal and a handful of mycorrhizae fungi to promote root growth.
  4. As far as depth, tubers should lay just below the soil surface. Pay special attention to this, if tubers are planted too deeply they won’t flower properly!
  5. Space roots about three feet apart to give room for when the plant reaches its mature size.
  6. During early spring, before foliage starts to emerge, top-dress the soil with a light sprinkle of bonemeal and no more than 2in of compost. This will feed the plant during its growing season!

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

Fertilizing Peonies

Most plants, especially during their active growing phase, like a little extra food. When peonies are first emerging from the ground during late winter/early spring I like to hit them with some all purpose fertilizer, like this 4-4-4 Dr. Earth organic fertilizer. Feeding your plants early is like giving them a little extra gas and helps give them the best start possible to the season.

When I see the foliage of the peonies is growing nice and big and healthy, I know buds will be coming soon. At this point I start to feed each plant some fertilizer with high phosphorus, geared specifically towards buds and blooms. This means when you are reading the three numbers on the packaging you’re looking for a high middle number.

Fertilizer 101 Lesson:

If you (vaguely!) remember the periodic table from high school chemistry, you know that N stands for Nitrogen, P for Phosphorus, and K for potassium. These nutrients are key to plant health and represent the three numbers seen on fertilizer bags. They are listed in order (N-P-K) so, a fertilizer that contains 5-10-10 means it has 5 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorus, and 10 percent potassium. A “complete” fertilizer contains some of all three.

These three nutrients are the major three that all plants require in order to grow strong and healthy (they need other nutrients as well but not in as high of quantities). Nitrogen boosts green leafy growth (that’s why you’ll see high N in lawn fertilizers!). Phosphorus helps the plant form a strong root system and therefore also strong buds, blooms and fruit. Potassium helps promote vigorous growth and hardiness, so a deficit may result in wimpy fruit or spindly plants that fall prey to pests and diseases.

Back to peonies…

At the first sight of shoots in the early spring I go in with a high phosphorus fertilizer. I will regularly (once every other week) feed them this Bud & Bloom Dr. Earth fertilizer (3-9-4) until buds look established and additionally hit them one time with Triple Super Phosphate. TSP gives my plants that extra boost them need to set those big, blowsy blooms year after year!

Shop Peony Fertilizers Here

Disbudding Peonies

Looking for the bigest, lushest blooms ever? Then I highly recommend disbudding for peonies as their buds are developing. This means I remove any side/secondary buds to the main, big one. This will allow the plant to send more energy to that main stem/bloom and will produce a bigger, more impressive flower! I disbud about 2-3 weeks before bloom time so for me early to mid May.

In the photos above I am pointing out the buds I remove! I only leave the main, center bud!

Ants on Peonies

Ants are our friends when it comes to peonies!

Please leave the ants on your peonies and let them do their work! They are GOOD, and some say even ESSENTIAL, for the health of the blooms.

They help peony buds open by chewing away the sugar on the green casing which allows it to open! Ants and peonies actually have a symbiotic relationship – the ants eat the sweet and sticky nectar on the bud for food and the peonies rely on the ants to release the bud casing for a bigger bloom.

If you’ve watched before you’ve noticed that the ants leave once the flower is open, but if any linger I just gently shake them away and thank them for their work!

Pests & Fungus on Peonies

First things first, in case I haven’t mentioned yet, peonies are deer resistant!! This is one of the main reasons I have so many planted at our home, our property is like a deer thruway! And really in all my years growing them no small animals or insects bother them either!

Fungus on the other hand…

Botrytis Blight and Powdery Mildew are two of the most common fungi found to affect peonies. Both have a signature gray mold look, the blight however produces brown/black spots and can totally kill buds. It’s imperative to understand first why these fungi are present and second to take measures to one, stop the spread and two, prevent it from happening again.

The main thing to remember about fungi is that they become present in more damp and cool conditions. Sometimes we have no control over this due to climate and the weather season but other times we can actively help our plants be the healthiest and strongest they possibly can so when a fungus or disease shows up they don’t want to bother with our strong plant! (Weaker plants are always an easier target and pests/disease know that!).

Tips for keeping healthy plants and preventing disease/pest infestations (this goes for everything!):

  • Watering Tips 101: Water evenly and only when necessary, don’t let your plants stress from either over or under-watering. When watering try to just get the water on the soil at the base of the plant, wet leaves attract fungus! Also, water in the morning to allow the plant to drink during the day. Watering at night can also invite fungus because the moisture lingers while temps are cool and the sun is away. Usually, there is no need to water established shrubs and perennials (when they’ve been in the ground over a few months)!
  • Trim away dead/dying foliage and stems regularly (definitely don’t let it rot on the soil surface near pants!).
  • Feed your plants appropriate fertilizer (follow the instructions on the label).
  • Make sure they are getting enough sun (8+hours for peonies!).
  • Keep weeds at bay – we use mulch as a control and good old hand-weeding (this tool helps tremendously though!).
  • Check your plant daily and address any pests/fungus as early as possible with organic methods.
  • Use beneficial insects when possible both as a preventative and combatant!

Back the Botrytis Blight and Powdery Mildew…

For both of these my recommendation is first to physically trim out any infected plant material. Use clean pruners and disinfect (rub with an alcohol wipe) between plants and definitely give them a good sterilization when the job is completed. DO NOT compost the removed plant material, it can be transferred to other plants in your yard or into the soil which would be a big problem! Dispose of the infected material safely and away from other plants.

Next you’ll want to spray with Neem oil. Neem oil is my preferred fungicide and I always have it on hand because it actually combats both fungi and most insects, plus it’s completely safe and organic! Another good option is any fungicide containing potassium bicarbonate, or try making your own with this simple recipe:

  • 4 teaspoons potassium bicarbonate
  • 1 tablespoon horticultural oil
  • 1 gallon water

Just mix these ingredients together and using a garden sprayer apply to the infected plants!

For much more information and amazing resources on peony disease check out these sites:

Common Peony Problems by The Missouri Botanical Gardens

Controlling or Eliminating Powdery Mildew by Growing a Greener World

Deadheading Peonies

If you are letting some flowers stay on the plant, don’t forget to deadhead. This idea with this is that you want to tell your plant to send energy back to the roots. Tubers start their process of energy storage right after they bloom, if you do not remove the spent flower stem you are telling the plant to send energy to make seeds. This is kind of pointless because it would take YEARS for you to grow a peony from seed and because they are cultivars, you would not get that same peony, you would get stock ones which are just not as cool!

 

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

What to Do With Peonies in the Fall

Cutting Back Peonies

Much like general bulb plant care, you can remove all the old stems on herbaceous peonies in late fall after the first frost turns the foliage yellow. This means the plant has been successful in sending all its energy to the roots where it will overwinter and use next spring to grow into a hearty and healthy plant. I would discard all the cut foliage to prevent gray mold, a fungus that affects peonies and can survive the winter months in composted old stems.

Transplanting Peonies

Fall is also the best time to dig and transplant if you wish to move the location of your plant. Carefully dig around and then clear under the roots, take care not to damage the fleshy tubers. Lever the tuber clump out of the ground with a wide spade or pitchfork, disturbing the root mass as little as possible. Transplant it in the new location, which should be in full sun with well-draining, rich soil. Plant just beneath the soil level, and water it well.

Dividing Peonies

Now is the time to divide and multiply your plants if desired! Large, well-established peonies can be divided in the fall to renew growth or to make new plants (although tubers can actually grow for 40-50 years successfully and undisturbed!). To divide a plant, cut back the foliage, and then carefully dig up the root system and shake or dust the dirt off of the tuber clump. Use a sharp knife cleaned with rubbing alcohol and cut the clump into sections, each holding three to five eyes and several roots. I will update this post in the fall when we plant our peonies and provide photos of what I mean, but to give you a visual, eyes are the buds on top of the crown that grow into new stems. Replant each piece in its new garden location, placing the buds 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface. Water the new tubers thoroughly.

Providing Winter Protection for Peonies

If you’re growing peonies in a colder hardiness zone you’ll need to protect them from the winter cold, especially in zones 3-5. In late fall, give them a mulch layer 2 to 3 inches thick, using an organic material such as shredded bark or straw. This will help them stay nice and cozy until they emerge in the spring!

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

SHOP THE POST

How and When to Cut Peonies

Picking peonies definitely requires some prep and basic knowledge for the best results. Here are my recommendations!

How to tell when peonies are ready to be cut

Have your bucket of room temperature, CLEAN water ready with flower food already added so you can put the stems directly in them. When I am using my stems right away I give them an immediate drink, if you need to pick but are not using them right away scroll down for my tips on delaying them from opening and instead preserving them in the fridge! I also did a tutorial on this now saved to my Instagram highlights!

You can pick your peonies as open as you like but I prefer to cut them when they are in a specific bud phase called “soft marshmallow.” What does this mean? Basically, if you gently squeeze the bud and it feels like a squishy marshmallow, it’s ready to be picked! If it feels harder than a marshmallow, let it ripen a little more but keep your eye on it. Peony buds are known for going from hard to soft marshmallow in a matter of hours!

I pick them at this stage because it gives me the longest vaselife and they actually open. If you pick buds too soon and the petals haven’t finished fully developing you’ll get a wonky looking half-bloom if anything at all. If you pick the flowers too blown out and open it’s no big deal, they are still gorgeous, you just won’t get as long of a time out of them in the vase.

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

Cleaning Peony Stems

Remove ALL foliage and minor buds right then and there immediately after cutting from the plant. I know it seems counterintuitive to remove potential flowers but these minor/side buds are only sucking life away from your main bloom and will cut its vaselife down significantly if left on the stem. They also won’t open in water because they are not developed enough.

It is imperative to remove all foliage not only because if it sits in water it will rot (this is true for all cut flowers, by the way!), but also because again these leaves are sucking energy from the main bloom and will cut down its vaselife. I cut all foliage and unnecessary buds of my blooms immediately – right after I cut them from the plant, before I put them in the water bucket.

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

Extra Peony Harvesting Tips

As far as stem length, I suggest cutting as long as possible! I tend to cut them at about 24″ long so that I have wiggle room for whatever height I want them to be in their final vessel. Another trick I’ve learned it to give the stems a second cut while under the water. So the initial cut is when they are taken off the plant but give a second cut, under the water, as you put them in your bucket. You should be using CLEAN and sharp snips (I use THESE by Felco or THESE by Fiskars) to get the best cuts, just spray or dip the blades in rubbing alcohol prior to use. Cutting at a 45-degree angle is best for water absorption.

That said, when harvesting, be sure to leave at least 2 sets of leaves on stems that remain on the plant so that it can continue to grow and store food over the summer.

It’s best to cut peonies in the early morning or late in the afternoon/evening.  Cutting them in the heat of the day will only stress them out, make them open faster and shorten their vase life. This is true for cutting pretty much all flowers – do it either in the cool morning or evening!

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

How to Make Your Peonies Last Longer in the Vase

Peonies can last 2-3 weeks if you want them to and have the proper storage. Just one of the many reasons I love them!

Once cut, different peonies will open at different rates.  For example, Coral Charm, Festiva Maxima and Karl Rosenfeld are quick, while Sarah Bernhardt (my FAVE!) is slower. Regardless, cooler temperatures will always extend their vaselife. If you want to really slow down the opening, keep your cut blooms in the fridge in a vase of water, you can just take them out when you’re ready to display or use them.

If you do not have the space for a vase of peonies in your fridge don’t worry! You can store them by bunching the stems together, drying them off with a clean towel and slipping them into a plastic bag with a few paper towels wrapped around the base of the stems. The paper towels will both absorb excess moisture and keep the stems just moist enough to live. Take care to make sure there is no moisture on the blooms or leaves though!

Looking to grow and harvest Peonies? Here is your complete guide to growing and harvesting Peonies so that you can have a beautiful garden year after year.

Preserving Your Peonies in the Fridge

Additionally, you can wrap the entire bouquet (bare stem) in either a few sheets of tissue paper or newspaper and preserve them in the fridge. Lay your bunch flat and check them every day for signs of mold; change out the paper towel if you see mold and trim away any brown (rot) on the stems.

Make sure to keep the blooms away from moisture and also fruits and vegetables (in or outside the fridge). These naturally give off ethylene gas which will speed up the aging of your blooms. You can keep peonies out of water in a refrigerator for up to two weeks! Once you’re ready to use them, just follow the steps below to hydrate them.

I also did a quick tutorial on this method now saved to my Instagram highlights!

If you do not have a fridge available, the next best thing is to keep them in the coldest and dimmest room possible. That could be a closet, bathroom, basement or better yet, a garage. Just make sure it’s not SO cold that they freeze – around 41 degrees is ideal!

The flowers will look limp upon removal from the fridge but give the stems a fresh cut and put them immediately in a vase of warm water with flower preservative. They will perk up and open beautifully within the next 24 hours. They should last about a week in fresh water!

For more of my tips and tricks on how to keep ALL blooms lasting longer in the home, stay tuned for my free downloadable guide!

 

PHEW! Thank you so much for reading my post and checking out my peony tips! I am a big flower lover and I would LOVE to hear from you and see photos of your peonies and gardens! Leave me a comment below 🙂

Looking for more gardening posts? Check these out!

Gardening Supplies Favorites

How to Map, Plan & Plant Your Veggie Garden

9 Tips for a Low Maintenance Veggie Garden

DIY Raised Garden Beds

Cut Flower Garden Planning

Seed Starting for  Beginners

Quick Tips for Long-Lasting Lilacs

Mums Tips and Tricks

And more coming soon! Sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date on new gardening posts!

 

SHOP THE PEONY POST

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Comments

  1. Sandra says

    June 11, 2019 at 12:42 am

    Reading through this post and I just want to buy my tubers now!!! Can’t wait to plant in the fall! Do you sell tubers from your farm? Also can you do a dahlia post as well?!

    Reply
    • Christine Covino says

      June 20, 2019 at 3:01 am

      Ahh! Thank you so much for reading!! I’m so glad you found it helpful, seriously makes my day! We do not sell tubers from our farm but I’m looking into buying some from Eden Brothers. And YES, Dahlia post will be coming later this summer!! I’m just as obsessed with dahlias as peonies haha!

      Reply
  2. Anna says

    April 26, 2020 at 11:47 pm

    Can a peony survice in a large pot? I live in Atlanta and my herbs (like mint, rosemary, sage) all survive the winter in pots. It’s the only place that I can insure they get a full day of sunshine.

    Reply
  3. Esther Hill says

    August 18, 2020 at 5:26 pm

    Hello,
    what are the types of peonies you have? They are beautiful! I am looking for a nice red, white and blush color to add. Any thoughts on what is gorgeous? I have sarah bernhardt, duchessess de nemour and mons jules elle.
    Thanks!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. QUICK, EASY & INEXPENSIVE DIY RAISED GARDEN BEDS - Christine Covino says:
    April 3, 2020 at 5:54 pm

    […] PEONIES: The Complete Guide to Growing & Harvesting Beautiful Peonies […]

    Reply
  2. How To Plan An Organic Cut Flower Garden - Christine Covino says:
    May 27, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    […] PEONIES: The Complete Guide to Growing & Harvesting Beautiful Peonies […]

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  3. How to Map, Plan & Plant Your Vegetable Garden - Christine Covino says:
    June 18, 2020 at 3:41 pm

    […] Complete Guide to Growing and Harvesting Peonies […]

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  4. Fall Garden Prep & Tasks To Do Now - Christine Covino says:
    August 14, 2020 at 10:44 pm

    […] any shrubs and perennials as well! I was talking to many of you about peonies – now is the time to dig, divide and […]

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  5. Grow Like a Pro: Seed Starting for Beginners - Christine Covino says:
    March 1, 2021 at 9:44 pm

    […] Complete Guide to Growing and Harvesting Peonies […]

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  6. 5 Tips for Planting a Vegetable Garden - Christine Covino says:
    March 11, 2021 at 2:04 am

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  7. 9 Tips for a Low Maintenance Vegetable Garden - Christine Covino says:
    March 12, 2021 at 3:19 am

    […] Complete Guide to Growing and Harvesting Peonies […]

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Spent some time at one of my favorite places in th Spent some time at one of my favorite places in the world earlier this week, with some of my favorite people, and it was so dang good for the soul 🌸 more flowering tree and shrub content comin at you this week just because! Also...⁣⁣⠀
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🌿 Mini Gifting 🌿⁣⁣⠀
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A little thank you for supporting me!! I’m gifting a personally curated gardening package to one winner, all you have to do is follow me @christinemcovino and my other account @christineandcoliving, then head to my stories for the rest of the entry instructions 🥳
Happy national gardening day 🌱🌸 may you have Happy national gardening day 🌱🌸 may you have a bountiful crop this year, whatever you grow! ((Peony tip: feed early-emerging shoots with a high phosphorus fertilizer for strong, lush blooms!)). Find more gardening tips on the blog, link is in my bio 🌿
Liam ♡ In an alternate universe we would be cele Liam ♡ In an alternate universe we would be celebrating your first birthday. You should be crawling around, playing, laughing and eating too much cake today.⁣⁣⠀
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You should be here.⁣⁣⠀
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My sweet boy I miss you more than words, I ache to hold you. We walked the orchard and planted flower seeds in your memory. We got winks from you in the form of the earth waking up, all the yellow blooms, including your magnolia which couldn’t have had better timing. It’s comforting to see you say hi.⁣⁣⠀
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And still, you should be here.⁣⁣⠀
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He was here for a time. He existed. He mattered. He deserves to be celebrated.⁣⁣⠀
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I loved him from the second I saw the +test. I fell deeper in love every time I saw his energetic body bounce around on the ultrasound screen, I have all the blissful bump photos and I have the memory of his sweet little kicks. God I miss those kicks.⁣⁣⠀
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My love did not end when he died.⁣⁣⠀
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Liam’s ashes, a few scan photos, my memory and an index card with his footprints are all that remains. I both hate that this is all I have left and am eternally grateful that I have them at all.⁣⁣⠀
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I found some comfort today but these anniversaries are also hard. I relive the trauma. The terror, shock, fear, disbelief, agony of being told your baby is dying. So deep and so crushing. Part of me died in that moment, part of me will never be the same again.⁣⁣⠀
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There is nothing in this world more painful than living without your baby. You feel the heaviness, the absence, the longing for them constantly. The grief is always there, it ebbs and flows but it changes you to your core. You adapt to feeling the constant emptiness, your aching heart, your soft but heavy eyes, the shortness of your breath, that lump in your throat.⁣⁣⠀
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And yet, I feel immensely fortunate to have carried you for every moment of your life. I will never regret the time we spent together, loving you, carrying you, feeling you, celebrating you and envisioning the life you would have had. I will carry the insatiable longing to hold you until the day I die. You will always be my baby. You will always be missed. I will never stop loving and mothering you, my sweet Liam James ❤️
How did we do with the bow!? It’s growing on me How did we do with the bow!? It’s growing on me I think 🥰😍
April 3, 2021 • just us this Easter weekend 💗 April 3, 2021 • just us this Easter weekend 💗
I’m not quite sure how she turned 5 months in th I’m not quite sure how she turned 5 months in the blink of an eye 🥺 My Elora. We are doing great ❤️ we’re nursing and bedsharing and babywearing and contact napping and I’m literally soaking in every moment with her. Months 4 and 5 have been the best yet. My body knows what to do and I follow her cues. We’re super in tune and I feel like it’s making both of us happier humans.⁣⁣⠀
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There is this unspoken narrative in our society that somehow attachment between mom and baby is a weakness, a crutch. I say f that, it’s one of the most beautiful strengths that exists in this universe. Period.⁣⁣⠀
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Mama if you’re reading this and need some validation or reassurance, I got you. It’s ok to cuddle and rock and nurse and sing your baby to sleep. Follow your instincts, tune out the noise, feel empowered in your motherly intuition and find your confidence in that. It is so incredibly liberating.⁣⁣⠀
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I know it’s a confusing landscape out there for new moms, I hear you, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stress that you’re not doing something “right” or that your baby is “broken.” I’m not saying motherhood is easy for me, it’s the hardest (and best) thing I’ve ever done, but when women have the support they actually need and feel empowered in motherhood, that’s next-level world-changing stuff.⁣⁣⁣⠀
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Mama knows best, never forget it ❤️

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