Once you have found the right location for your peonies, the care required for the plants is low. Just don’t forget to fertilize.
Perennial and shrub peonies open their large flowers from May. This is all the more lush if the plant is in a sunny, wind-protected location and the necessary annual pruning measures are carried out depending on the species. In order to form many magnificent flowers and get a stable growth to carry them, the plant also needs a lot of strength and nutrients in the form of fertilizer.
Fertilize peonies in good time so that they bloom profusely
In contrast to many other garden plants, the peony needs very little fertilizer, so it is sufficient to fertilize it once or twice a year. This is best started in early spring, before the first shoots, when the first stalks appear. The first fertilization of the year provides the peonies with enough nutrients to produce flowers, the second serves to regenerate the plant and is optionally done in summer after flowering. However, not too late, as the peony is quickly over-fertilized.
There are several options when choosing fertilizer. Organic fertilizer is preferable, as artificial fertilizer with a high mineral content will occasionally result in yellowing of leaves. The fertilizer should be low in nitrogen, but high in potassium and phosphate, the latter in particular promotes flowering.
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Compost or home remedies such as coffee grounds are good biological fertilizers, especially animal components in horn shavings or bone meal contain important nutrients. If you come across horse manure or sheep or goat manure, you can also feed the plants well with the easily rotted material.
Be careful when spreading the fertilizer
The fertilizer is easily worked into the soil, but care should be taken not to damage the sensitive roots of the peonies. To do this, first remove the weeds and loosen the soil around the plant a little. Then you carefully work in the compost & Co. well distributed, for example with a cultivator.
