Forum home› The potting shed
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Peony

ValaryValary Posts: 16
in The potting shed
I have a peony I planted temporarily in a pot, using multi purpose compost.  My intention was to plant it in the garden, when I found a suitable space.  I have now decided to keep it in a pot.  My question is what would be the best medium to plant it in?  I was considering John Innes no 2.  Any advice would be really appreciated.

Posts

  • ValaryValary Posts: 16
    43 views........surely somebody could help?
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    The views would be by scraping robots from search engines.

    I've had peonies in pots for years in multi-purpose compost, as long as you top dress a bit for some winter protection and don't plant them too deep they're a doddle to grow...
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • ValaryValary Posts: 16
    Thanks so much for your help.  Would I need to change the compost each year, spring?
  • ValaryValary Posts: 16
    Sorry to show my ignorance but what are scraping robots?
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    They're called robots...but really they're just the pieces of software used by search engines to keep an up to date inventory of the pages of any site. So they constantly look for new pages to add to their index. A good top dress of manure would be fine...give some liquid feed when they're actively growing in the spring too. A few people nowadays advise against using manure but mine have thrived with the top dressing and it was recommended by Christopher Lloyd, which is good enough for me. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • ValaryValary Posts: 16
    Thanks for that......I will take your advice.  How often do you change your compost?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If you refresh the top layer every year and give them some slow release food, that will benefit them. They like quite rich conditions, but well drained, and in as sunny a spot as you manage. Some multi purpose compost is pretty rubbish, so bear that in mind. 

    They can get quite large too, depending on variety, so you may need to move it into a biggerpot to keep it doing well   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ValaryValary Posts: 16
    Thanks for the help, feeling more confident now 😊
  • Patsy FPatsy F Posts: 53
    I’ve got three peonies,  planted about 3 years ago as small plants, in a sunny border. They have good leaf growth and look strong and healthy, but have not yet flowered. I’m hoping they will do so next year. In the meantime, I’ll buy an established one next year and plant it in a pot, as I do love them. Thank you for the idea, Valary. 🙂
Sign In or Register to comment.