The biggest mistake people make with peonies is not supporting them. Because, almost as soon as the buds open, inevitably the heavy flowers will crash to the ground. It is a very common and frustrating problem.
Adding supports at the right time will keep your peonies from falling over. It’s easy to do, and worth it to help your gorgeous blooms last longer.
In this post I’m going to tell you how to prevent it from happening by adding supports. I’ll also tell you which types to use and when to add them. Then I’ll show you exactly how to stake them up, step by step.
Why Do My Peonies Fall Over?
Peonies fall over because the stems aren’t strong enough to support the huge blooms. They may be able to handle the weight for a few days while the buds are opening.
But once they’re fully open, they become too heavy for the stems. Add in a rain shower or two and… timber! The flowers quickly flop to the ground.
If you leave them on the ground, they’ll only last for a few days, and you won’t get to enjoy them in their full glory.
How To Keep Peonies From Falling Over
You need to support your peonies to prevent them from falling over. That way the blooms will last several days longer, and more of the flower buds will be able to open on the bush.
Just make sure that the type of support you use is the right size for your plant. Small ones can easily be contained with a grow-through cage. But a large peony bush will require something stronger and wider.
If the supports you use are too short, it’s not going to do much good. The flowers will simply collapse right over the top of them.
When To Add Peony Supports
The best time to add peony supports is either in very early spring before the stems get too tall, or in the fall after you cut down the plant.
I prefer to add mine in the fall so I don’t forget about it, and to prevent damaging the tender new growth in the spring.
Don’t worry if you do forget, you can stake your peonies at any time. Just be careful not to get too close to the plants when you pound the stakes into the ground.
How To Support Peonies
In this section, I’m going to tell you all about the best types of supports to use for your peony plants, and how to install them properly.
The Best Types Of Peony Supports
Peony supports come in many forms, and the type you use will depend on how large your plant is.
Ideally, the diameter of the support should be larger than the rootball so that it can hold up all of the stems. Also, if it’s too small, you could damage the roots when you install it. Here are the best options:
- Grid supports – A grow-through grid hoop can work for supporting small or young peony plants for the first few years. But once they become taller, wider, and more mature, these usually end up being too short for them.
- Cages – As your plant matures, you will need something bigger, like a plant cage. Or you can simply use standard tomato cages like these heavy duty ones or convenient foldable ones.
- Staking – Once your peonies get really large, they will need a much stronger support. Usually, at this point, staking is the best option.
How To Install Them
If you’re using wire cages, or another type of grow-through support, position them so that the plant is centered in the middle of the hoop. Then you can simply push the wire legs into the ground.
If the soil is too hard, try soaking it with water and letting it sit overnight to soften it. Otherwise you may need to dig small holes to install it.
As the stems begin to grow each spring (and they grow fast), help them by gently guiding them through the center of the support. Be very careful though, because if you bend them too much, they will break really easily.
If any of the stems are too long to bend back into the cage, you can tie them to it using twine, plastic stretch ribbon or select-a-size wire.
How To Stake Peonies Step-By-Step
If your peonies are too big for cage-type supports, then you can stake them instead. It’s easy, and you only need a few things to get the job done.
Supplies Needed
- Heavy duty stakes (the number of stakes you need depends on how large your plant is)
- Plant ties
- Hammer
Instructions
Step 1: Pound in the stakes – Position one of your plant stakes so it’s a few inches away from the rootball, then use your hammer to drive it into the ground.
Work your way around your peony plant, driving in one stake every 1-2 feet until you’ve made a circle around your peony.
Step 2: Position the plant tie – Tightly attach one end of your plant tie to any of the stakes. Be sure to position it so that it sits just below the base of the flowers to give them the best support.
String it to the next stake, wrapping it around the outside of your peony plant. Make sure it is very taught, then either wrap it around that stake, or tie it on to secure it.
Step 4: Make a full circle – Repeat step 2 to secure the plant tie to each of the stakes one by one until you have a full circle around the entire bush.
If your peony already has drooping flowers, then gently lift them up as you work your way from stake to stake.
There, now you’ve basically made your own DIY peony cage! Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect or you think it looks ugly.
When the plant fills in and is full of gorgeous, upright flowers, you won’t even notice it. Plus once it’s done blooming, you can simply remove the stakes.
Getting into the habit of supporting your peonies properly, and at the right time, will make it much easier to keep the flowers from falling over every spring. And you’ll be able to enjoy them for much longer.
More About Flower Gardening
Share your tips for supporting or staking peonies in the comments section below.
Marybeth says
Hello! After my peonies bloom and the petals fall to the ground, you’re left with a bud of some sort. Do you know if this can be cut off? Or is it best to leave this bud to dry out?
Amy Andrychowicz says
If you’re talking about additional flower buds, then you can leave those on the plant and they will bloom. Just remove the flower that’s done blooming. Otherwise, once they’re all done, you can deadhead your peonies after the flower petals fall off. That will help the plant generate more energy through the summer to use for next years blooms, and also keep your peony looking nice. 🙂
Martha hill says
I really enjoyed your tips on the. Peonies, as this is my first time to have them,
Martha hill says
Do they ever need fertilizer, I’ve never had Peonies before?
Martha
Amy Andrychowicz says
I never fertilize my peonies, and they grow great! If you do end up fertilizing them, I recommend using a natural fertilizer, like compost tea or fish emulsion.
mike says
I saw an idea for staking flowers that might work for larger area plantings. The staff had put stakes in around the perimeter of the group (which was several feet wide), and tied a string around the outside, as well as randomly across the bed. This formed a sort of ring, and a grid. Good luck all.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great idea, thanks for sharing!
Nancy HOWRD says
my peony leaves get dark black spots after they bloom what is the problem and what can I do for them?
Amy Andrychowicz says
It sounds like your peony may have peony leaf spot disease, or some other fungal disease. Take a leaf and put it into a plastic baggie and bring it to a local garden center (not a big box store, an actual nursery). They should be able to identify the exact problem for you. Many times fungal diseases can be treated by simply pruning the plants to allow for better air circulation around the leaves. Also, be sure to clean up the foliage in the fall and destroy it to so that the spores can’t overwinter on the plant.
Jay says
I finally got my hands on peony bulbs this year and planted them in the ground. I will definitely stake them after this crazy weather is over.
Will they flower this year? I planted peonies one year in my other garden but didn’t see any blooms until year 3.
Amy Andrychowicz says
If you just planted your new peony bulbs this spring, then they probably won’t bloom until next year at the earliest.
Vicki Bolduc says
I have a lot of peonies in my garden and wondered if there is a way to slow down or delay their blooming? – having a big garden party in late June (UK)and I’d love them to be all out then. Some years we have peonies flowering that late, other years they are done by begining of June.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I don’t know how you could slow it down yourself, but maybe you’ll get lucky and have a late spring that will naturally delay the bloom time of your peonies this year. Fingers crossed.
Angela Westfall says
The squirrels keep digging and eating my bulbs. How can I stop this from happening?
Amy Andrychowicz says
The squirrels are eating your peonies? I’ve never heard of that before, crazy squirrels. I would try putting a some chicken wire over the ground, or using a deterrent spray.
Ena Parcher says
When I lived on my farm, I used to stack 2 or 3 old auto tires over the peony plants. That gave them full support. The overhanging leaves hid the tires. Or, I used dark paint to make them
less obvious.
Shailja says
Hi, I have a question. I love my peonies and like to cut them and bring inside. But every summer when I cut them I notice earwigs inside the bud.what can I do to prevent earwigs..I can’t enjoy my flowers Pl help…
Amy Andrychowicz says
I have the same problem with ants on my peonies! 🙂 I shake the flowers or gently tap them on the ground before bringing them inside to get the bugs off. That usually works just fine.
charlene crawford says
how do i divide my peonies? someone said fall but i do not know how to divide them or exatly when,, also one of my peonies got mildew so i sprayed it will it come back? should cut it down and hope for the best or?? thank you
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, fall is the best time to divide and transplant peonies. Wait until the heat of summer is over before transplanting them. Just be sure to plant the divisions at the same depth as they were growing in their original spot, and they will be good to go. Your transplanted peony plants may not flower for the first year, and it may take a few years before they bloom in their full glory.
Are you saying your peonies died after you sprayed them? If so, that is concerning and I’m not sure if they will come back. It depends on what you sprayed on them.
Debi says
I have also got a peony that has plenty of foliage but no flowers……it has not flowered for the past 3 years, i will have to find a sunny spot in the garden for it but I’m not sure about planting it, i recently brought another peony and have planted it although the planting instruction said to plant it 2.5cm in the ground which i have done but to be honest it doesn’t look too good, have you any advise on what i should do, does it need to be deeper in the ground?
Amy Andrychowicz says
If peonies are planted too deep, they won’t bloom. And yes, they do need full sun in order to bloom their best too. So, I would definitely move the ones you have to a full sun location. As for the new one, 2.5cm sounds like a good depth. They usually say to plant them just under the surface of the soil, and less than 2 inches deep.
Jackie says
How do I start a bear root with at least three eyes? Will I need to stratify it for how long in soil? I live in Texas…how many days in refrigerator should I keep it before I plant into ground in Fall?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Humm, I’m not sure. Are you planning to dig them up and stratify them every year? It’s tough to grow peonies in warmer climates, since they need a period of cold dormancy in order to bloom. I would recommend you ask someone at your local garden center, since they are more familiar with your climate. Sorry I can’t help you out with this one. 🙁
Holly says
I have always had a major problem with my peonies drooping. I have a peony support but the bush is much wider than the support. I guess I could buy a second one or maybe divide the plant. However, even for the ones it is supposed to support, it does not appear to do the job for the height of mine. My peonies grow over three feet high and just droop over the top of the support. Next year I will try the tomato cage or possibly try what I saw on a mini vacation. In a Rose Garden in Nay Aug Park, their peonies looked great. None were drooping to the ground. They had curved top green wire fencing placed around the bush which seemed to hold them in a nice display. I am not sure if their flowers were as tall as mine but it certainly made them look so nice, not messy like mine.
The other question I have is whether the peony bush can be pruned early in Spring to keep them from growing so tall. I have Montauk Daisy bushes that had the flowers drooping the first few years. I asked a local Botanical Garden person and was told I should trim the bush to half it’s size before the Fourth of July and the flowers will bloom to a manageabke height in September. It worked beautifully. I just came in from doing that. My next door neighbor never did that and the daisies would grow so leggy, they drooped over to my lawn. She tied them but that did not help. They also drooped as a bunch. So, is there any early Spring pruning trick for peonies or would that just remove all the buds?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, it definitely sounds like you need a taller support for them. I have a few peony bushes that are really tall too, and I use tall stakes and wrap twine all the way around the bush to hold the flower stems up.
No, if you trim them they won’t bloom. Some peony varieties are just taller than others. But now you have me wondering what type of peony you have. Are you talking about peony bushes, or do you have a peony tree of some sort? The reason I’m asking is because peony bushes die down to the ground every year, and they flower shortly after the leaves unfurl in the spring. So, spring pruning would definitely keep the bush from flowering.
Holly says
Hi Amy,
They are definitely bushes. I cut them straight down to the ground right after Halloween every year. I would need dozens of stakes to support them separately with twine. I must have close to three dozen flowers, maybe more. While I love how pretty the flowers are, they look so sad and messy once they droop over the top of the support ring. A local botanical garden has a peony tree. I love the way that looks.
Another websight mentioned de budding the central bud on each stem early in Spring when it is the size of a marble, leaving the smaller buds to bloom. They said it would lighten the load for the stem. I think mine would still droop. I will try again next year with different methods and let you know how I make out.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Maybe it’s time to divide them to make them more manageable? That’s another option to think about.
Hortencia Padilla says
One of my peony plants folage at a certain hight it starts to turn brown, any tips what it could be
Amy Andrychowicz says
Are the brown leaves dried out and burnt looking? Or do you think it could be caused by powdery mildew?
Hortencia Padilla says
Dried out crispy
Amy Andrychowicz says
It sounds like it could be peony wilt. Remove the infected leaves as soon as you can. Then be sure to always clean up the foliage (cut it down to the ground) in the fall to help prevent the fungus from overwintering on the foliage. Don’t put the diseased leaved in your compost bin. Either burn them or toss them into the trash.
Hortencia Padilla says
Should the eyes to the plant be how deep in the dirt, and how much water do they like
Amy Andrychowicz says
They should be planted shallow, only about an inch or two under the dirt. Peonies have average watering needs, just never soggy soil.
Melissa says
My mom is giving me all of her peony plants- I’m excited to plant them at my home BUT it’s late May in Michigan! I know the best time to transplant them is in the fall but the plants have to be moved now. How do I go about this without hurting the plant or future blooms?
Thanks!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
If they’ve already started to bloom, I would recommend waiting until after they’re done blooming before you transplant them. But, if you can’t wait, they’ll be fine. They’re pretty hardy. Before you transplant them, cut off the largest blooms and bring them inside in a vase of water to see if they will still flower for you.
Deborah S Lambert says
Andy,
I live in Kentucky. When I was moving in January someone said it would be possible to dig up the bulbs and put them in the freezer until I was relocated. Unfortunately, circumstances prevented me from being able to do so and I lost my grandmother’s peony. For future reference, do you think putting the bulbs in the freezer for a few weeks would be a plausable answer in this type of situation?.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I’ve never heard of doing that, and haven’t tried it myself. Here in MN, we would never be able to dig peonies up in January because the ground is frozen solid. LOL! Anyway, for future, I would pot them up in the fall, and then overwinter them in a cold garage rather than put them into the freezer personally.