Let the peony plants flower for the first three years, but don’t harvest the stems. By letting them flower you can make sure they are true to variety and that you didn’t get a mislabeled variety by mistake. This method is also a way to make sure the plants look healthy, and that everything is going as it should.

You likely won’t see flowers the first year after planting, and just a few flowers in Year 2. The key here is to deadhead the peonies as they fade–do not allow them to set seed. A large amount of energy goes into seed production, and that energy would be better used for setting eyes and buds for next year’s growth.

Pinch the buds off the peony plants right when you see them starting to form. Some growers suggest doing this for at least 2 years after planting so that absolutely no energy is wasted in flower production and the plants can use that energy in leaf and root production, pushing the plant to mature a little faster.

The key here is to pinch the buds when they are still small–we are talking grape size if the goal is to save the plant from expending energy on a flower. If the buds have reached full size and are going to open there is no sense in removing at that point; the energy has already been expended. If you go this route, it might be worthwhile to let one bud open just to make sure it’s true to variety.

This option might receive some criticism but there is no reason why it shouldn't work. You can harvest the flowers right from Year 1 or Year 2 (whenever you see the first blooms) but the key is to not harvest any foliage.

This means you can’t cut a two foot stem, so if you grow for florists or wholesale, this option is out. If you are a farmer-florist or have a floral design side of your business, you can cut peonies with a short (3 inch) stem to use in centerpieces, low arrangements or mason jars. The foliage is the most important part of a peony plant as the leaves feed the roots through photosynthesis, so the more leaves, the more growth. This even holds true for mature peony plants - they will do their best year to year if you only cut the stem length that is required and leave as much foliage behind as possible.

No matter which method to choose for your young peony plants, it’s important to remember that the plant is developing the new eyes for next year’s growth in July and August, so that is a great time to feed the plant with a fertilizer lower in nitrogen (ie 10-20-20) and don’t forget about the water during dry spells! It’s easy to forget about peonies after their spring flowering season is over but if we want to set ourselves up for the greatest success the following season, we have to give our plants a little attention during the summer–especially during periods of drought.

Another fertilizer application in the early spring as the plants are waking up will help to give that new growth a boost. After the first hard freeze, cut the foliage off and discard it, don’t leave it on the beds and don’t compost it because that’s how we perpetuate any fungal or disease issues that might be in the peony patch. For more detailed information on planting, maintenance, and harvesting tips, see our Peony Growing Guide.