Hi - I have peonies that I moved from my old house 25 years ago and they still have not bloomed. I have 'lifted' them higher in the soil , mulched /not mulched around them, watered more/ not watered more. I'm now wondering if there's not enough sun? Should I move them to more sun ( I've held off doing this knowing they don't like to be moved) give up? fertilize? or something else?

~Anita :

Hi Anita,

If they have been there 25 years and haven't bloomed, something is desperately wrong. How much sun do they get? What type is the soil? Loam?Clay? Sandy? Acidic? Well-draining?

Do you have any photos? Are you leaving the foliage on the peonies until Fall?

Do they leaf out well? And they've NEVER bloomed in 25 years? Are you getting more stems every year? Agree with LG, that is very extreme!

I take the peonies haven't bloomed since they have been moved, right?

Going by your description it seems to me you planted them in a place where they don't get enough sunlight: full sun for at least 6 hours a day is what they need, but the more sunlight the better, and hold off cutting them to the ground (if herbaceous/Itoh) until the foliage looks really really ugly, meaning late October/early November. That is to allow them to squeeze every last tiny bit of energy before going to rest and helping them bloom the next Spring.