@lizinelizabeth Would you reiterate the fertilization you are referring to? I guess I missed it. I use azomite and a 10-10-10. I think I was supposed to use something like 5-10-10. Would superphosphate be okay for peonies?

I started using the fertilizer Karen uses after seeing the difference in her peonies planted the same year as mine, same variety. It's an organic bulb fertilizer called BulbTone, think I got that correct? I never fertilized mine before this spring so am certainly not the expert! Karen and Annette seem to have 2 different regimes going that seem to work very well for them. Would one or both of you please chime in?

Bulbtone works great, as I mentioned in another thread. When planting, this is what Adelman's says they do (use a bulb fertilizer, the package actually includes instructions for peonies ) to their newly planted peonies to get them off to a good start.

Both of the buds on Hanakisoi dried up and blew away. Oh well, next year is fine.

Mary, I use Espoma Bulbtone and azomite when I plant the peonies. If I have bonemeal on hand, I will add that to the planting hole too. Then in spring when the pips poke through the soil, I apply the bulbtone again, 1-1.5 tsp per plant. I usually apply the bulbtones to new plants and those peonies that are slow growing. Those that are too vigorous, I don't fertilize. Miss America and White Cap grow too fast for me so they get no fertilizer.

I have never tried Superphospate on peonies. Though one year I used it on gladiolus bulbs and the bulbs got huge when I dug them up in the fall.

Celia, if it is any consolation, my YaeZakura tree did the same thing. Got two promising buds that midway stopped growing and became soft. Hopefully, this would mean that we get many nice flowers next year.

That's what I'm hoping for. It was in a pot for 3 years and spent this winter in the ground. It was mild then got warm fast then snowed on. Weird.