I support most of my peonies...

I planted this in 2014 and should have added support last year.

I added support for Paeonia 'The Mackinac Grand' last fall.

We will see how it looks next year...

I am surprised this variety needs support. Does it grow in full sun, Frank? What varieties dpn't need support for you?

Yes, Mackinac Grand is in full sun and it is quite tall.

I support almost all of my peonies. However, some of my Itohs seem to do just fine w/o any help.

My 'Mac' is fairly sturdy but I have the peony hoops (think 'disgustingly expensive') around most of mine also. The outer blooms do seem to 'list' a bit without support although in general the stems are really strong. And the blooms, while large, are not doubles. To me they have always resembled a boquet of roses. Dont know how my new ones planted last fall will do but I can see a big bill coming up for supports.

I use 54" tomato cages (~$4.50) that I cut in half. I use the larger ones for established peonies. The smaller half for new peonies (think just planted) or other perennials.

For extra large peonies use use supports made from Fram fence.

That's right. You mentioned it before. I guess I didn't think about it as I have been fighting chickweed and grass seedlings and the four legs make it difficult to weed. The single post round hoops give more access. But I think I will go with your idea this summer as I have so many new ones and no idea what they will do. Plus a liberal application of preen proactively applied should cure the problem with weeds.

Make sure you have a small bolt cutter for the tomato cages, I found it almost impossible using any other method. Easy job with the right tools, though! I like the cut down tomato cages myself.

My Mac doesn't need support unless we get torrential rains.

@ticker

do you have a photo?

Yup Liz. I was making cages from fence stuff, a little thinner than the tomato cages and finally went and bought some skookum cutters. Went through the wire like butter. Saved my poor hands.

Frank, this is the only clump shot of it I have. Sorry. I'll try to get a better one next year.

@Ticker

nice photo. Looks like that lily is providing support:)

frankrichards16 said:I use 54" tomato cages (~$4.50) that I cut in half. I use the larger ones for established peonies. The smaller half for new peonies (think just planted) or other perennials.

For extra large peonies use use supports made from Fram fence.

Frank, I have four peonies that I inherited when I purchased my house. I don't know much about how to care for them. The grow and survive in spite of my ignorance.

In the past, I have supported them with stakes. I like your tomato cage idea very much and have a few questions. I hope you don't mind.

I have three 'Festiva Maxima' peonies, one NOID pink peonie. One FM is sited under the propane tank. I can't do much about that one unless I learn how to move it. The others do need support. How high is the top rung of the support that you use on the tomato cage ?

Last week you couldn't even see my plants breaking ground. This week, they are at least a foot tall. I'd like to try the tomato cage support, but have one major concern. My summer temps are very, very hot. Will the tomato cage burn the plant ?

@RoseBlush1

once you push the tomato gage in the ground, the top rung is about 15 inches high.

the peony will completely cover (hide) the tomato cage, so there is no danger that it would burn the plant.

peonies are easy to move in the fall.

Thank you, Frank ...

Right now, my tomato cages are serving as a temporary deer fence ... I had to make it taller ... At least I know where to find them. I'll get them in place for the peonies today.

I have heard that peonies are easy to move, but getting under the propane tank is probably going to be the hardest part of the task ...

Well, how easy to move a peony is depends somewhat on how long it has been growing in that spot. When I was a teen some older gardeners gave me divisions of their peonies, but I had to dig them myself (and was happy to do so!). These were old plants, and I broke a couple of shovels in the process,

Wow! I have never seen that old peonies, Neal! In fall 2016 I received a few roots from Peony Meadows, they looked different from what I usually got from other vendors - big roots but nit many eyes. Later I realized they were from older plants. My guess is that that place is mostly for cut flowers and not so much for root sales, nut I can be mistaken.

One was in my grandmother's yard and some others were in the garden of an older lady who'd been planting flowers there for over 50 years, and those roots did look quite different from those I've purchased from vendors. They were gnarly like tree roots.

gemini_sage said:Well, how easy to move a peony is depends somewhat on how long it has been growing in that spot. When I was a teen some older gardeners gave me divisions of their peonies, but I had to dig them myself (and was happy to do so!). These were old plants, and I broke a couple of shovels in the process,

Uh oh ... Mrs. J. planted the peony that needs moving from under the propane tank. It was here when I bought my house in '04.

I can tell you this much, it's a survivor. I didn't even water it regulary or feed it for years after I bought the house. It just keeps coming back. The base is really, seriously under the propane tank. I don't know how I am even going to get under it to carve out a bit of the root system.

The others look pretty good for someone who really doesn't know much about caring for them ...

Jerry has a good method that may give you some good ideas:

https://garden.org/thread/view...