Want to ensure beautiful blooms next spring?
Here’s what it’s crucial that you know about pruning your peonies' foliage in the fall.
It has come tothe Grump’sattention that many of youlove, love, lovepink peonies.
Credit: Juliette Wade/Getty Images
You think about them night and day and worry yourselves sick about their health and welfare.
Here’s what you better know about pruning these booms and when to cut back peonies.
“They are over 50 years old and beautiful when in bloom.
Credit: Piero Intraligi / EyeEm / Getty Images
They’re not so pretty after the blooms are gone, though.
Can I trim down the foliage now?”
Grumpy’s heart just skipped a beat.
It takes a lot of reserves to produce the dozens of eye-popping blooms you’ve come to expect.
Peony foliage needs to bask in full sun from spring until fall.
Cut off that foliage beforehand and a bodacious bloomer becomes a flowerless flop.
You’ll be left with fewer blooms next year and plenty of disappointment.
So When Should You Prune?
Cutting away dead foliage also helps control insects and diseases.
Mostly, though, during the summer, put away those pruners for now.
Wait until the leaves yellow in the fall.
That’s your sign that the peony’s larder is fully stocked and it’s okay to trim.
Pruning can typically occur in October or November.
Be sure to use clean, disinfected shears.
Throw out the foliage with the trash to double-check it doesn’t harbor diseases and insects over the winter.
Types Of Peonies
Thoughgrowing peoniesin the South has its challenges, it can most definitely be done.
Herbaceous peonies are the familiar varieties whose foliage dies back in winter.
They can grow inZone 8, from Texas to Alabama to North Carolina.
Hybrids boast large flowers and handle the heat, with foliage that dies in winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peonies only require a little winter maintenance.
Cut peonies to the ground to avoid plant diseases.
Powdery mildewis a fungus that commonly appears on peonies.
It looks like a white film on top of the leaves.
Some flowersneed to be deadheadedand will grow back after their blooms have been snipped.
Published June 11, 2019.
