PEONY PLANTS MUST BE PLANTED INTO THE GROUND, THEY WILL NOT SURVIVE IN DECORATIVE CONTAINERS. PLEASE PLANT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Growing Zones 3 thru 8 for Peonies Only. Anything over Zone 9 will not survive.

Plant Guarantee

We take pride in our peony plants by providing you the root system from the start that we can. We guarantee our peony plants to be satisfactory at time of pick up. Each variety is different and grows at different rates. Free of any plant diseases. We do not assure the plants will live and grow for you the way they do for us. There are too many circumstances beyond our control such as soil condition, planting placement, sun, water, how long it was in the container. It is your responsibility to plant following our suggested planting instruction.

***Plant Guarantee

We take pride in our peony plant by providing you a healthy bareroot with at least 2 eyes. We strive for 3/5 size. Each variety is different and grows at different rates. Free of any plant diseases. We do not assure the plant will live and grow for you the way they do for us. There are too many circumstances beyond our control such as soil condition, planting placement, sun, water, etc. It is your responsibility to plant following our suggested planting instruction.

*These directions are guidelines but not a guarantee that your plant will survive/perform where you plant it. We urge you to ask us questions for recommendations on how to get the best out of your plant*

REMINDER: The soil must be free of rocks, debris before planting. No mulch or bark should be placed within 12-14” diameter from the center of the peony plant.

Leaf Browning in summer: This is completely normal. This does not mean the plant is dead. This can be from the heat extremes or possibly a fungal disease.

Planting Your New Peony Plant

*Peonies can grow in many different types of soil. Well-drained with full sun (8 hours) are the most important. *

Item's Needed before planting:

"Good" top soil/compost mix, shovel, water can/hose

*“Good” topsoil is clean topsoil from your garden/bed with no clay or rocks, debris and away from HVAC units & dryer vents. You can add amendments to enrich your soil.

These are not required but can help new plantings (Garden Lime, Bone Char/Bone Meal, Azomite)

In Ohio the South facing side of your property is the warmest, with the North being the coldest. Although peonies will grow on the north side. Choose your new planting area accordingly to get the best results

Step 1: Prepare your site for your new plant:

1. Peonies need full sun, well drained soil and good air flow

2. Dig a hole 1 ½ times the container size and remove any rocks or clay clumps from the site

3. Add a few inches of "good soil" back in the bottom of the hole but leave enough room for your peony to be planted at the original soil level or slightly higher

4. Remove any weeds on the surface of the soil. FREE OF ROCKS & DEBRIS

Step 2: Planting your peony:

1. It's important to plant your new peony plant contents (Plant the entire container’s contents) at the same soil level (not lower in ground) with the leaves up. A little higher out of ground is better because new soil will settle a little

*(Peonies planted too deep will cause your plant not to grow properly or may not survive) *

2. One your plant is in the new hole, mix equal parts of topsoil or a compost mix with the original soil and fill 50%around the plant

3. Add 1/2 cup of minerals and mix with the remaining soil if you have them

4. Finish filling in soil around the new plant(s). Lightly push soil down around the new planting area then finish filling in around the plant with your remaining soil. Lightly push down soil but not to compact. *Soil will settle and may need to add a little later. *

5. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of minerals in a circle around the planting surface but not directly over the crown of the peony and lightly mix with your figures

6. Hardwood mulch is not recommended as it too acidic for the plant crown. PLEASE DO NOT MULCH

Step 3: Watering:

1. You will want to water the plant evenly, deep enough to wet the root and allow the soil to settle around the new plant

2. Repeat with watering with a low volume to get a good soak, but not to wash away the additional soil that may have been applied. Add soil if any washed away from watering or rain

3. How Often: You will need to water your peony once a week during the warm/hot weather, especially if it hasn't rained. If rain is frequent and the ground looks wet, you can skip watering during those times.

4. A good way to tell if your plant is wet enough is to put your finger into the soil and an inch or two. When you pull you finger out and soil stick to your finger then it has moisture or you can feel it being wet. Peonies do not like to have too much water or have standing water around them. This can cause your plant to rot & not survive.

Step 4: "Dead Heading" the Blooms:

Late Summer: Once your blooms are done for the year they will have expired flowers, some look like seed pods. These can be cut off below the pod and discarded. Any blooms that did not open/bloom can be cut off at the base of the bloom as well. This happens so do not be worried! Leave as many leaves on the plant as possible to help build energy for next year

Step 5: Fall Cut Back/Winter Over Tips:

1. In the Fall, once the first frost has hit and the foliage of your peony plant has browned out (may be crispy), it is time to cut the foliage off for the year

2. Cut the stocks of the season off leaving 1-2 inches above the plant crown. The red tips are the “eyes" which is next year’s blooms. Be careful not to cut them or step on them or the crown. Do not store anything heavy/solid on top of the plant other than light organic matter listed below

3. Apply a thin layer of leaves or leaf compost to cover the plant crown "top". A few inches (1-2") is plenty. This protects the plant from the cold Ohio winters. Hardwood mulch is not recommended as it too acidic for the plant crown

4. The new stems for the year will grow through the cover layer. You should not need to remove it unless it is too deep

General Maintenance

1. Keep your peony weed free around the base

2. Peonies are known to have Botrytis, which is a fungus/rot. We recommend regularly using an organic fungicide spray from April thru June for the best results, during the growing season. You can get this from any garden store or even on Amazon. Search for a Broad Spectrum Fungicide.

3. Late Summer: Once your blooms are done for the year they will have expired flowers, some look like seed pods. These can be cut off below the pod and discarded. Any blooms that did not open/bloom can be cut off at the base of the bloom as well. This happens so do not be worried! Leave as many leaves on the plant as possible to help build energy for next year

4. It takes about 3 years for the peony plant to produce blooms.

5. Watering!

REMINDER: The soil must be free of rocks, debris before planting. No mulch or bark should be placed within 12-14” diameter from the center of the peony plant.

Leaf Browning in summer: This is completely normal. This does not mean the plant is dead. This can be from the heat extremes or possibly a fungal disease.