Peonies are perennial bushes that lose most of their leaves during winter and return for a beautiful bloom in the spring. They produce large, brightly-colored flowers in red, white, and yellow. To maintain their health and shape, peonies need to be pruned at the right time. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss provides tips on pruning different types of peonies, including herbaceous and intersectional peonies, which should be pruned in autumn after bud removal and deadheading have taken place throughout the season.
Herbaceous peonies can be easily pruned by cutting everything back to about 2cm above the ground, assisting with good hygiene and mitigating against disease the following year. Tree peonies respond well to pruning, and after the first hard frost in fall, cut back peonies to about 3 inches (8 cm) high or all the way to the ground. After the first hard frost, remove the dead foliage.
The best time to prune a tree peony is right after it blooms, as it responds well to pruning. Cut back the entire diseased branch to get rid of it, holding pruners just below the diseased part of the branch. Trim the stems back at or near ground level after a hard frost in the fall and once the plant has died or yellowed. In the spring, prune from the base, cutting out all dead and broken stems and removing a few to most of the biggest, oldest ones.
To improve the shape of your tree peony or reduce its size, cut a few stems back to new buds at soil level or within 15cm of the ground. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your garden’s peonies continue to thrive and produce beautiful blooms.
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