I noticed today that one of the peonies I planted last month has some of the pips pushing up through the dirt. Should I add more dirt or just leave them alone?

I cover all my peonies with a fluffy potting mix in order to protect them from ice or other physical damage. New peonies are recommended to be covered with an inch or so of soil plus possibly some breathable mulch to help prevent heaving unless there is dependable snow cover. I use a paint brush to sweep the excess soil away in the spring in order to give the new eyes/pips sunlight. There are a lot of peony growers on this forum so someone should be able to give you the best advice for your area.

Thanks for the tip. I think I still have some potting mix around and will recover this one. I have no idea whether we will or won't have enough snow cover this year here. Already had several hard frosts.

Jerry's is great advice. Just something to cover a bit, but in early spring to remove gently whereas to not damage new growth or affect blooming.

Here is a typical clump of mine indicating the roots and eyes want to be shallow. I have read from one of the major peony growers that peonies will seek their own level after a couple of years. More deeply planted ones probably will not bloom during this adjustment period but will do fine later. I think my shallow roots are a result of soil surface fertilizing since roots will always seek food and water.


This is how I cover mine with a very fluffy potting medium from Miracle Gro. It contains very little soil and does not pack down like soil would. Easily removed with a paint brush.

Thanks Jerry for the visual. I did put some potting mix on top but this crazy weather we are having here seems to just make them keep trying to push up.

Hmmm... I always see the red bud poking but they are never that "out in the open" and I never cover them with anything

There is no "one size fits all" in gardening. Every location and environment is unique. In my instance, we can have 80 degrees in January and 10 degrees in March. Ice storms are common. The covering of the eyes with soil or mulch slows the growing process by keeping the ground cold or frozen until the weather stabilizes. I have removed mulch at the first sign of warm weather only to have the flower buds freeze nearly 2 months later. The trick is to guess correctly when the time is right to expose the eyes to sunlight and warmth. On the other hand, my wife says I am foolish since peonies survive around graveyards and abandoned buildings with no tlc.