How to Stake Floppy Peonies in 7 Easy Steps
Peonies are among the most anticipated spring and summer blooms. But what happens when they grow so tall that they flop over? Experienced gardener and Master Naturalist Sarah Jay has 7 steps to get you stunning upright peony blooms.
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There are few flowers more magical than a peony in bloom. Seeing a brilliant mass planting of these generous flowers gives me so much joy. Caring for them isn’t difficult either. But sometimes they grow tall and need staking, and knowing the right way to stake peonies is important.
Pruning and training are aspects of growing herbaceous types that can’t be ignored, whereas tree peonies have woody stems that don’t require staking. When it comes to keeping your herbaceous peonies upright, there are lots of options.
As long as you nail down the timing and prepare for flowering, you’ll have tons of lovely cup-shaped flowers perfect for cutting or simply enjoying in your garden. Not staking them is one of the many mistakes growers can make. Here are seven steps to stake floppy peonies for gorgeous, strong-stemmed blooms.
Sarah Bernhardt Peony
TheSarah Bernhardt Peony is a stunning, classic variety that will steal the show every spring with its massive, fragrant blooms. Known for its lush, soft pink petals and delightful scent, this peony has been a favorite for over a century—and for good reason!
Step 1: Don’t Stake Them
Maybe you’re not a staking type of gardener. What if I told you not to stake your peonies at all? If this is what you want to do, opt for varieties that don’t require it. Look for single-petaled cultivars with mature heights that top out at three feet. Even better are those that reach up to or less than two feet tall.
For a reliable, deep crimson bloom, and a foliage that reaches only two feet, choose ‘Buckeye Belle’. ‘Claire de Lune’ is another short-statured option with a frilled single petal form in cream with a fuzzy yellow center. ‘Bowl of Beauty’ is an anemone type with two stacked sets of pink petals reaching eight inches wide. None of these need a stake to stand up.
Step 2: Set Them Up For Success
Say you want to grow tall peonies that will need staking. Start with your soil. If you’re planting in the ground, amend a two foot wide by two feet deep hole, breaking up large clods. Amend heavy soils with compost and peat moss or coco coir. These plants need well-draining, rich soil, and giving them that is what provides the best foundation.
The next step involves proper siting and sourcing. Give your plants a sunny location. Grow them in large containers, raised beds, or in the ground. Choose tubers from reputable sources to ensure they are disease-free and that they grow vigorously.
Plant tubers so that the eyes are a couple of inches below the soil surface. If they are planted too deeply, they won’t flower as readily. Water in new transplants and give them regular irrigation as they are getting established. Fertilize them when they reach 12 inches tall, and then immediately after flowering with an organic 5-10-5 formula.
Step 3: Choose Your Stake
You have many options when it comes to the type of support you choose. If you planted a large area with peonies, a coral is a great choice. This method involves placing stakes in the ground around the perimeter of your plantings, and then running twine around the stakes and through the center. As the plants grow, they rely on the twine to stay upright.
Even easier than a coral is single support, like a tomato cage or the Epic Gardening V-Trellis. Here, you can plant one tuber per cage or trellis. As the plants grow up, they lean on the structure. Single stakes are similar, but require that you train the peony as it grows, tying it lightly to the stake throughout its growth.
There are also supports made specifically for cultivating peonies. These come in tons of different styles, but the most adaptable are those that allow you to move circular rings up and down the central supports. With these, you can grow multiple kinds of peonies with the same kinds of support and adapt your peony cage to each kind.
Step 4: Wait for the Right Time
To prevent damage to foliage, stake your peonies just after you’ve planted your tubers in fall. If you miss this time, no problem. Pop them in just as the leaves poke through the soil surface in spring.
While some stakes are best included in the garden at planting, peonies should be several inches tall before training begins. Ideally your plant has been in the ground since fall, and has overwintered. It’s ok if you haven’t included a stake in the planting process, but ensuring one is there when they are about six inches tall is best.
Step 5: Train Your Peonies
As they grow taller, tie them to the single stake, or gently guide foliage that has escaped the supportive center of your coral, cages, or supports inward. If necessary, add another tie to single-staked plantings as they grow taller. Keep a watchful eye on your plants as they grow, ensuring they have the vertical nature you want to see in your garden.
Step 6: Make Adjustments
When you’re surveying your peony garden, you may find you need to adjust your supports. Hot weather can cause soil heaving that dislodges stakes. Look out for any disturbed supports and re-insert them in the soil as needed.
Add ties to single stakes throughout the season, and move peony support rings to provide continuous protection. Trade out rusty cages or replace those damaged in storms. If this happens, gently tie the peony bunch together, and remove the cage. Then replace it and remove the ties.
Step 7: Harvest Your Blooms
If you manage to successfully bolster your peonies, and they thrive through their first spring, you have the privilege of seeing them bloom the next spring. Then it’s time to snip them for arrangements. Wait until they are in the “marshmallow” stage, and only slightly opened.
Then snip them diagonally. Depending on the variety, this requires snipping deep within the plant, or maybe just above a leaf node. Do some research to figure out what types of cuts are best for your varieties. And deadhead those you don’t harvest, as this will prompt even more of those floriferous peonies you love.
