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I need more Peonie buds

georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
in Problem solving
I planted a 5 year old peonie plant last summer purchased from Primrose hall. Plant has grown but I can only see one bud. Will I get more buds? How can I encourage it to produce more? I have been patiently waiting for it to grow so you can imagine my disappointment but hopefully I'm just being impatient  :# I also made sure not to plant too deeply so I can't understand what's happened.
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  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    edited April 2021
    Really hard to tell, might just be spending it's energy growing roots and be better next year.
    Might not like where it's planted, I planted 2 Sarah Bernhardt within 6ft of each other, one had loads of flowers, the other just one or 2 each year.

    A photo might help though 

  • georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
    Ok it gets full afternoon sun and i specifically planted it there because they said it needs to be in the sun. Strange yours did that but at least you have one that's doing well. I will not be impressed with only one bud this year. Slowly realising that Peonies are not easy to grow. I have also sent a message to primrose hall so lets see what they come back with.
  • takhanatakhana Posts: 82
    I am not an expert, but is it possible you planted it a bit too deep last year? https://www.theenglishgarden.co.uk/plants/3-rules-growing-perfect-peonies/ This website talks about peony plants receiving just one bud the year after replanting, likely due to the depth. 

    FWIW though I have two peonies that I repotted last year - one has 3 buds on it and one only has 1, both planted with their eyes above the soil as recommended and not too deep; both have been kept in the same conditions and watered/protected as required. I have no idea why one has produced so much less! From what I can tell though peonies are a plant that takes a bit of time to get going. 
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Peonies take a while to settle, so even though the plant was 5 years old it's still new to your garden.
    Which variety is it ?
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    You didn't mention if it's a herbaceous peony, as a tree or an intersectional/itoh variety would behave in a different way. One easily made mistake when planting out is to plant them too deeply. The do love the sun reaching their rhizome so they are happiest when you can see their top ever so slightly. I did pot one too deeply a couple of years ago and it refused to flower whereas my three Coral Charm plants have at least 20 buds as we speak. At least rest assured they're tough plants and you will eventually be able to correct any issues and make them flower profusely. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
    takhana said:
    I am not an expert, but is it possible you planted it a bit too deep last year? https://www.theenglishgarden.co.uk/plants/3-rules-growing-perfect-peonies/ This website talks about peony plants receiving just one bud the year after replanting, likely due to the depth. 

    FWIW though I have two peonies that I repotted last year - one has 3 buds on it and one only has 1, both planted with their eyes above the soil as recommended and not too deep; both have been kept in the same conditions and watered/protected as required. I have no idea why one has produced so much less! From what I can tell though peonies are a plant that takes a bit of time to get going. 
    Thanks takhana I will take a look at that website. I watched so many videos before planting so I know I didn't bury too deeply and also left eyes above ground with some mulch ontop. 
  • georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
    AnniD said:
    Peonies take a while to settle, so even though the plant was 5 years old it's still new to your garden.
    Which variety is it ?
    Thanks Anna I definitely didn't think about that. The website just says 5 years guaranteed but as you said I only planted it last June. Still I was hoping there was something else I could do  :(
  • georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
    amancalledgeorge said:
    You didn't mention if it's a herbaceous peony, as a tree or an intersectional/itoh variety would behave in a different way. One easily made mistake when planting out is to plant them too deeply. The do love the sun reaching their rhizome so they are happiest when you can see their top ever so slightly. I did pot one too deeply a couple of years ago and it refused to flower whereas my three Coral Charm plants have at least 20 buds as we speak. At least rest assured they're tough plants and you will eventually be able to correct any issues and make them flower profusely. 
    Not quite sure it was a birthday gift from my sister, I just am waiting for her to get back to with the exact name so I can have a look online. It has a green and red foliage and died back in the winter so possibly its an intersectional but I can't confirm that yet. 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    georgiapetrou77 said:
    takhana said:
    I am not an expert, but is it possible you planted it a bit too deep last year? https://www.theenglishgarden.co.uk/plants/3-rules-growing-perfect-peonies/ This website talks about peony plants receiving just one bud the year after replanting, likely due to the depth. 

    FWIW though I have two peonies that I repotted last year - one has 3 buds on it and one only has 1, both planted with their eyes above the soil as recommended and not too deep; both have been kept in the same conditions and watered/protected as required. I have no idea why one has produced so much less! From what I can tell though peonies are a plant that takes a bit of time to get going. 
    Thanks takhana I will take a look at that website. I watched so many videos before planting so I know I didn't bury too deeply and also left eyes above ground with some mulch ontop. 
    It might be better with the mulch around the plant rather than on top of it.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
    I just went to take a photo of it and found a stem hanging off which looks like it had another bud 😩
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