Fertilize peonies: when, how and with what?

When in bloom, peonies are a real delight in the garden. However, in order for these to return year after year, peonies must be properly fertilized.

The genus of peonies (Paeonia) currently includes 32 different species - so it's no wonder that this plant species has earned a place in so many gardens and delights garden owners with a true splendor of flowers. However, the strong, light pink flowering 'Louise Mouchelet' or the strong-growing 'Gilbert Barthelot' To keep one thing in one's garden paradise in the long term is particularly important: the right one Fertilize.

Peonies are one of the more easy-care plants, after all, their roots reach into remote nutrient stores in the surrounding soil. But the natural nutrient reserves that they find are rarely perfect. For this reason, you should give your peony fertilizer on a regular basis. Unfortunately, not every fertilizer is equally suitable for flowering plants. The dose and the time should not be random either. That's why we explain how and when to best supply a peony with nutrients.

Why should you fertilize peonies?

Nutrients are essential for plants to build up biomass, i.e. to be able to grow happily. A peony is no different. If you pay attention to the right composition and concentration of the energy messengers, you can support lush flowering and vigorous growth. Peonies are even particularly dependent on a good supply of nutrients during the growth phase dependent, because in the cold season many species of the pretty flower hibernate underground as rhizome. All the nutrients needed for new growth in spring are stored here. If the plant was not sufficiently fertilized in the previous year, this deficiency is reflected in the nutrient storage of the rhizomes. In spring, these plants then have a less optimal start to the growth phase.

Fertilizing peonies: when and how often?

When the peony sprout after the hibernation, the fertilization begins, after all, the sprout needs to be properly supported in the new year. The final fertilization will then be in July or August before your peony blooms for the last time to say goodbye to summer. You should not fertilize later, as a late shoot can no longer harden before winter.

If you use a long-term fertilizer, you only need to fertilize at the beginning and end of the fertilizing period. at mineral fertilizers you should feed your peonies in small doses every four weeks. In most cases, these only have a very short-term effect and can easily be flushed out of the soil. This not only shortens the watering interval, but also pollutes the groundwater. For this reason and because of the high risk of over-fertilization, it is advisable to use an organic fertilizer when fertilizing peonies. This also offers a long-term effect in a natural way and therefore only needs to be used twice a year.

Summary: when and how often to fertilize peonies

• The first fertilization takes place with the sprouting after the hibernation
• The last time is fertilized in July or August before the last flowering
• With a long-term fertilizer you only have to fertilize at the beginning and end of the fertilizing period
• Mineral fertilizers are applied in small doses every four weeks
• In contrast to mineral fertilizers, organic fertilizers do not harbor the risk of over-fertilization and only have to be used twice a year because of their natural long-term effect

Fertilize peonies: instructions and fertilizer recommendation

Thanks to their deep roots, peonies are fortunately not dependent on an excess of additional ones Nutrients dependent, because they use a large space of soil and stored in it Nutrient. Therefore, the dose of nutrients is also strongly dependent on the substrate in which your plant grows. Sandy soil can store fewer nutrients than loamy soil. Therefore, in this case, it is important to clean the floor with a neat Plant fertilization with compost and to improve the incorporation of loamy soil. Also, it is very beneficial to have the exact variety of peony to know. Although most varieties are quite frugal, there are also breeding masterpieces such as the fast-growing variety 'Gilbert Barthelot', which consume a little more for nutrients. In general, fast-growing strains naturally consume more nutrients than slow-growing ones.

In the case of the peony with all of the properties mentioned, a primarily organic long-term fertilizer like ours is therefore essential Plantura organic flower fertilizer recommended. Nitrogen (N) should be the least available as you don't need an unnatural growth spurt. Among other things, phosphorus (P) promotes the formation of flowers, which is what gives the peony its special status in your own garden - for this reason the largest proportion is needed here. Potassium (K) regulates the water balance, but is also responsible for root growth and the frost resistance of the plant. Therefore, in terms of proportion, it should be in second place.

Fertilize peonies organically

In the case of most peonies, you should refrain from using a mineral fertilizer because there is an oversupply of nutrients with which the plant is quickly overwhelmed. The reason for this lies in the slow growth behavior of many peonies. The slow availability of an organic flower fertilizer with a long-term effect fits perfectly with this. Ideally, this should also be of organic quality so that the soil creatures can do their work well and happily. Our primarily organic Plantura organic flower fertilizer offers exactly these qualities - and almost exclusively on the basis of plant-based raw materials. The NPK ratio of 4 - 2 - 7 promotes healthy, bushy growth, vigorous flowering and gets your plant strengthened with potassium through the winter.

Organic long-term fertilization: Application recommendation for peonies

Actually, you can't do much wrong with organic fertilizers with regard to the dosage, because even if too much ends up in the pot or bed, you don't have to worry about over-fertilization. But if you want to take care of your garden as environmentally friendly as possible, you should avoid unnecessary fertilizers. To ensure that fertilizing your peonies does not end up in unnecessary waste, we have put together a short application recommendation for ours below Plantura organic flower fertilizer ready for you. Composed almost entirely of organic ingredients, this organic fertilizer keeps peonies happy all year round when used as follows:

• Before planting 100 - 150 g/m² (well filled 0.2 liter glass) of ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer work into the top layer of soil
• Water the soil and freshly planted peony well so that the granules can dissolve well
• For maintenance fertilization in spring, you should fertilize another 80 - 120 g/m² (0.2 liter jar) per plant

Fertilize peonies with minerals

If you dare to use mineral fertilizer for the neat perennials, you should never exceed the recommended dosage. Otherwise, the high-dose nutrient suppliers will quickly become too much for the frugal peonies. Also, make sure that you blue grain and Co. only with sufficient water. Otherwise, the nutrients cannot be absorbed and, in the worst case, burns can occur in the root area. Since a mineral fertilizer quickly does more harm than good for the peony, you should rather use an organic long-term fertilizer. This is gentler on the plants and also considerably more environmentally friendly.

Fertilize peonies with home remedies

Peonies in the bed are suitable for traditional fertilization with mature compost, with manure from goats, sheep or horses or with bone meal. Work that natural fertilizer twice a year in the upper layer of soil in the root area. Covered with a fresh layer of soil, the nutrient release can then start. But peonies can also be cared for in pots with home remedies. You can simply dry your plants every four weeks Fertilize coffee grounds. This is scattered in the root area or given with the irrigation water.

Fertilize peonies in the pot

If the peony grows in a sufficiently large bucket or pot, there are a few special features to consider. First of all, shrub peonies are much better suited for the pot than the perennial varieties. This is because the latter are downright deep-rooters and will be more affected in the pot. Furthermore, the substrate of the pot should be rich in nutrients and there should be drainage at the bottom of the pot to avoid waterlogging (e.g. from broken pottery or gravel). Fertilizer additions to potted peonies should generally be applied more frequently than to outdoor varieties, as it is common It sometimes happens that the plants do not flower and you give them constant growth or flowering stimuli with the fertilizers offers.

Tip: It is much more advantageous to offer the peonies a place outdoors, as they are much more frost-resistant and blooming there.

Another important care measure is the right cut. As you at Cutting Peonies You can find out how to proceed in this article.