Ohio ’s prolific soils , insensate winters and warm summers create a gardening surround conducive to growing peonies – both herbaceous and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree types . Situated in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 and 6 , peonies ( Paeonia spp . ) can be mature anywhere in Ohio , with concern only about wholesale winds which can cause heavy flowers to fall flat the stems over or dry out the peony plant if it ’s ardent and dirt are unfavorably ironic . Peonies are long - subsist and will provide eld of enjoyment , especially if you take the time to create double-dyed grow conditions .

Time of Year for Planting

Bare - rooted or freshly dug - up peony plants can be planted at two different times of the yr . Traditionally , paeony are best planted in the recent summer to early autumn which , according to Hope Weber of The Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service , is later August to mid - September statewide . This permit the roots to show in cool , moist filth before wintertime and begin a new time of year of ontogeny the following spring . instead , bunch of herbaceous peonies can be dug up in early to mid - spring just as the raw red foliage is come forth . When the dirt is workable , the entire thud of peony radical ( with soil bulk intact ) can be relocated to a new localization , matching the root ball ’s soil level to that of the unexampled plant jam .

Container-Grown Peonies

Many glasshouse sell both herbaceous and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree peonies in plastic containers . Container - grown plants can be set into the ground any sentence of year as long as the soil is not hard with frost or excessively smashed . Care is needed to preserve the unity of the root ball of plants once remove from the container and planted in the garden . If planting is done while the plant is flowering or during the heat of summertime , irrigation is need to keep the soil systematically moist ( but never soggy ) to prevent leaf abortion or premature yellowing of foliation .

Ideal Soil Conditions

Peonies require a productive , moist land that has good drain after rainwater or irrigation . The stain pH ideally is slightly acidic to impersonal ( 6.5 to 7.5 ) . place a garden bed that receives at least six hours of direct sun day by day . machinate an area 3 substructure by 3 feet in size for each peony plant by cultivating with a shovel to a astuteness of 12 to 16 inches . integrate prominent amounts of compost , well - rotted manure or fallen leaves , and other organic stuff into the soil . Peonies respond well to humous - rich soil with epicurean leaf growing and flower production .

Caveats to Planting Peonies

Herbaceous peony root look like beige to white - colored carrots , with small growing point at the top called " eyes . " These eyes must be between 1 and 2 inches below the soil airfoil . imbed them too deeply prevents production of blossom . Tree peonies typically have graft - unions on their roots . These union scar must be 4 to 5 inches below the soil surface , certainly no abstruse . Once planted , monitor the soil and append with irrigation when rain are lack so as to keep the soil evenly moist .

Plant Maintenance

Generally speak , peony plants resent root perturbation . Being long - exist plant , this is why proper soil and planting situation readiness behooves gardener . This allows herbaceous and tree peonies to reside undisturbed for three or more eld ; herbaceous peonies may be dug and separate after three or more twelvemonth growing in one localisation . Again , digging and straightaway transfer paeony is best done in Ohio from former August to early September . You may opt to cut off old flowers or the developing four - part seed heads on peonies , but never polish off greenish or yellow leaf . Only cut away amply chocolate-brown and dead leaves or any rotting plant life materials . The foliation is supplying food to the root organization – the key to goodish plants and abundant flower product in the future tense .

References

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