Knowing When To Trim Peonies In Kentucky?

When pruning peonies, it is essential to look for the leaves, as they are still using sunlight to feed their roots. If the leaves are less than 50 green, it’s time to cut them back. Tree peonies are woody shrubs that go dormant over winter but new growth is renewed each spring on woody stems. They are not cut back to the ground in the fall, but after the season’s first hard frost or when the foliage turns yellow.

Herbaceous peonies (Paeonia lactiflora) are among the easiest flowering plants to grow. The best time to prune a tree peony is right after it blooms, not in the fall like herbaceous or Itoh peonies. You can do a light pruning in the spring before the shrub blooms and use clean pruners to protect against fungal disease.

Pruning can be done in fall or spring. In fall, remove spent flowers and cut back top growth by about a third. The best time to transplant herbaceous peonies is in September, when they’re past their summer growth and entering winter dormancy. Peonies usually do not need to be divided for 10 to 15 years. If you find your peonies or other perennials in need of division, start by pruning the foliage to the ground in the fall. Dig up the root and place a ring on the ground over the root in the fall after cutting back your peonies.

In the spring, let the plant grow through the grid and raise the grid. In the fall, divide peonies carefully, dig around plants carefully, and wash off the root ball. This will help protect against fungal disease and ensure abundant blooms next year.