Hi all,

Fairly new to working with peonies. In fact, this is really my first season. I've been looking extensively as to what may be the problem but frankly...I'm a bit stumped.

I've had 2 plants since maybe April, planted in a well draining coconut husk chip/peat/perlite mix that EVERYTHING seems to just love. These two did great the first month but Plant #1 started turning south after that. It looks like I'm on the very near verge of losing it (pictures attached) - it has what appears to be leaf scorch but I've been noticing worsening and worsening purple-ish/browish discoloration on the leaves. The second plant which has been doing much better for some reason has now also developed purpling around some leaf edges.

Each plant gets about 8 hours of full sun per day and then late evening shade. I live in Massachusetts (zone 6b). We have been getting some scorching temps of high 80s/low 90s and very humid the past 3 weeks, so the leaf burn didn't necessarily shock me. This also started before this when temps were 70s/low 80s and dryer. I've tried moving plant 1 to a cooler/more shaded area, spraying with a neem oil mix, monitoring the soil hydration (which has been good, in spite of heavy rains and heavy heat that past 2 weeks. The CHC is fantastic) - all to no avail.

Think any of you would be able to take a stab at this? Thanks!

I have what is probably an odd view on peony vegetation. This is probably a bit zone dependant.

Foliage for a peony isn't especially important in terms of longevity. If you can get to August and still have green leaves, the root system is probably in good shape for pushing new stems up the following spring. This isn't to say that they are unimportant, but even the plant doesn't do much to regenerate it's foliage - it largely grows what it grows fairly early in the year, and that's it.

Because it doesn't regenerate/regrow leaves, they will, as time goes on, yellow, develop sunspots, get nibbled on, and will otherwise not look as luscious or as vibrant as it did in the spring. But the roots are growing and the core of the plant is very efficiently and very effectively becoming increasingly ready for the challenge of winter.

Regarding your photos, the leaves towards the window may look the way due to light reflected from both the glass and the light colored siding/paint. They are getting an extra dose of UV and are a bit toastier as a result. Overall, I think that your plant look fairly healthy.

If you do worry about sunburn and decide to increase the odds for your peonies, you could build some shade for the plants. I have a peony that is horribly burnt by the sun and I used 4 bamboo poles and a bit of ground cloth along with some clothespins to make an overhead canopy for the plant. You are not looking to blot out the sun - you just want to shield it during the peak of the day.

I also have had a peony that got mowed by early summer - two years in row. Yes, it didn't grow much, but it did continue to come back and is now quite healthy. Time beats up peony foliage - as long as stems aren't turning black, things are probably ok.

Top

Hello Ghost,

If you planted these in April ( from pots or bare roots? You didn't say) they look fabulous considering peonies are best planted in the Fall when they are dormant.

I agree with Top's post. You will do good to get them to Fall with any green on them at all, and try not to stress about it.

I do not see any indication of disease.

Keep us posted.

In what zone are you growing them?

Here in zone 7 that's how they look by mid-July. By mid August they look like this:

The only thing I'd do is put them in some shade as Top suggested. Peonies in the ground or in really large pots that are ESTABLISHED are full sun plants, newly planted or in smaller pots not so much as the roots can overheat and they don't have the little feeder roots to replenish the storage roots that those established plants do—double whammy on them. The fact that peonies don' regrow leaves after the bloom season just makes them look ratty for longer than most perennials, one of the down sides to growing them but yours really doesn't look bad for a spring planted root.

Thank you so much for the input, everyone! Pirl, I'm in 6b, so not so different from you. This is all very reassuring. I'll move them to/figure out a slightly shadier option. I've been told by numerous people (the nursery included) not to expect the peony to survive through the Summer because they are "impossible" to take care of, at least in pots. Figured it would be a fun challenge. I've started getting the "I told you so" looks from the girlfriend as she's been eyeing them.

These started as young-ish, slightly established plants in pots I got from a nursery. Maybe about a foot-ish to foot and a half tall, plant #1 with a few extra stems, definitely not from bulb. They've grown fairly well over the past few months. I have them in a pretty large container, expecting the larger container size to be beneficial moving forward.

One last question for everyone. In terms of keeping them in pots (I live in a city, these are on a patio - my "yard" is non-existent), I've read the peonies actually like a cold-ish winter. Coming from 6b/MA, we typically are anywhere from 0-40F (the coldest average outside of a cold wave is probably in the 15s-20s). Would you recommend keeping them outside (I would protect the pots/roots with some form of insulation) or would they be okay if I took them inside?

Peonies need 400 hours with ground temps at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. If they don't get this, they will be less likely to bloom. People in warmer climates actually take ice out to their bushes and allow the ice water melt to chill the soil.

I am growing a little more than a dozen peonies in 5 or 12 gallon grow bags. I have them out on a covered porch where they get around 6 hours of overhead light and the rest of the day in shade. They require watering about every 4 days - the bags let a lot of moisture go. In the winter, I will bring them into a garage where temps will be around 52 degrees - they'll continue to grow, but probably slower. Once it gets cold enough, I will take the bags outdoors and allow them to get around freezing and will eventually get my 400 hours done.

I am reluctant to leave the peonies outdoors in bags. I've read about peonies dying due to cold during droughts - something about the lack of moisture making them more vulnerable, I guess. Anyhow, if I can't water the bags because of the cold, then the cold temps will rob the bags of moisture and I'm worried that I will end up with a dead peony. Standing water / ice can also cause problems in bags or containers, so I just lug them back into the garage.

Top

I'm in zone 7a, Middle Tennessee, and we get a nice amount of precip during the winter months. I have three woody ( "tree") peonies one pots that I leave out the entire year. I have inverted a pot over the top during ice storms, and during high precipitation events in the winter months.

I also have three herbaceous peonies in pots that weren't what I paid for. Two look great and one looks bad. They have been in those pots for three years, with no extra attention. I'm going to use their roots for graft stock when I try to graft some woody peonies.

Top and Liz's suggestions to shelter your pots makes the most sense in your zone.

Ghost, in your zone you should be able to leave them outside all winter in a large pot. If your winters are wet just tip the pot so it doesn't stay too wet. Top is right about grow bags, wouldn't leave them out overwinter in those in your zone