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Thinking of growing paeony in pots or containers ? These pop flower make dandy container plants , but can be a little picky about their growing conditions . In this article , certified passe-partout gardener Laura Elsner shares her favorite tips for beautiful blooming peony in your container garden this time of year !

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peony container tips

paeony are one of the adult , mosteye catching bloomsin any garden . While I love them in garden , softening the landscape with their varying hues and ruffled petals . Why not bring them in nearer for you to enjoy ? Growingpeoniesin container will allow you to place them in seating areas , such as decks , patios , and verandas .

Container gardening can also be easier to manage if you live in colder hardiness zones or live in domain that are dependent to inclement weather . But how do you get your peonies to perform just as well in containers as they do when grown in garden beds ?

Whether you ’re short on garden outer space , or just want to bring this beautiful blossom close , growing paeony in containersis a moderately simple unconscious process . Keep reading for our top baksheesh to serve ensure your peony flower as prolifically in container as they do in your garden !

A red blooming peony flower that’s recently started blooming. There is green foliage in the background, and some grass. The flower blooms with a red color and a pink hue, with yellow stamens in the middle.

Know Your Hardiness Zone

I wanted to bring this up at the beginning of the tilt . While any gardener can grow a peony in a container , the lower the zone you live in the more difficult it will be to overwinter . But it is not unacceptable .

paeony are rate for as low aszone 3,up to zone 8 . The general principle for planting perennial into containers is to plant 2 zones above . So if you endure in zones 7 - 8 , peonies will over wintertime nicely in containers .

For zones 3 - 4 , you will require to do some things in decree to ensure the endurance of your paeony through the winter . Forzone 5 - 6 , you will have to provide some shelter . None of these zones are exact rule . It will bet on a few factor , like how moth-eaten the winter are in your field . Or how much immobilise and then thaw your orbit experiences .

A person holding a terra cotta flower pot. The pot has drainage rocks at the bottom. The table below it is gray, and there is a green gardening trowel on the lower left side that has not been used before.

Also thing like dope size will determine how successful your container peonies will be . more often than not address , it is easy to keep peonies in containers in zone 7 - 8 .

Pick a Proper Container

Not every container will work for peonies . You will need a large container that has some deepness to it so as to sustain its turgid rap radical . I recommend apot that is at least 2′ deep and broad . This will also help with overwintering later on .

verify any pot you choose has proper drainage . A peony will moulder if left in stick out water . Excess water must be capable to debilitate freely out the bottom of the stack . Rocks or pebbles in the bottom of a container are not enough . The container needs drainage hole(s ) in the bottom .

If you live in a zone with below block temperatures in the winter , I recommendnot using terracotta pots . When the crapper freezes solid it will exposit and can shatter the pile . I really like half whisky barrel plantation owner , great plastic planters , or ones made of fiberglass .

A close up of a woman holding potting soil over a table. She has a red bracelet on her left hand and is wearing a pink shirt with long sleeves that’s barely visible. You can see the potting medium on a piece of burlap that’s sitting on a light wooden desk. There is a plant in the background, as well as a pair of gardening gloves, pruning shears and some other gardening tools off to the side.

Use The Correct Soil Type

While peony in the garden will bear poorer soils , when planting them in container , light potting soilis well .

Peonies like decent light loose draining dirt . Starting them off in potting land will allow water to drain away from the root of the peony . In the descent I would add a bed of compost on top of the peony so that the following year all the nutrient will seep down into the pot with the spring pelting and snowmelt .

Water Evenly, But Not Too Much

Peonies need to be evenly watered , but they do not permit being in standing piddle . If you pick out a container that has adequate drainage holes and be sure to utilise a light potting dirt portmanteau , lachrymation will be easier .

Do not have your container peony dry out out . A garden paeony is much more drouth tolerant because of its large and deep strike ascendent . This provide the paeony to search deep underground for water . A container paeony is limited to what it can find within the container . The leaves will turn brown and crispy if it is forget unwatered for too long .

The actual amount of water system will count on a few things such as rain , weather condition , location , and container size . I would go out and check every couple of day , or even daily in real live condition . cohere your finger in the grease and see if it is dry . If it is , urine well . You ’ll eventually get the hang of the H2O motive of your peony .

A close up of water getting sprayed on some peony flowers. A person is holding a mister bottle and spraying directly on the flower head. The flower is pink, with some white petals and yellow stamen. You can see some green foliage at the base of the image.

If the paeony is really dry and when you water it the water flows out the bottom almost now , you will need to do more than just your even water modus operandi . Either water easy by putting the hose on a boring drip and permit the piss to impregnate into the soil . Or water from the bottom . Use atray or vat fulfil with waterand post the container in so it can soak the water system from the bottom .

If your peony is over irrigate the leaf will startle turning yellow and might even molder at the stems . check that the water is able-bodied to drain from your paeony . Check the soil , make certain it is equally moist , but not soggy .

A quick smell will also aid determine if the container is waterlogged . It will smell like rotted egg and not earthy gracious territory . ensure your container has drainage . Drill in extra hole if the water is n’t draining .

A flowering plant in a black pot sitting on the ground with lots of garden rocks. The foliage is dark green, and there are no flowers yet in bloom.

Also verify any tray that is sitting under the container is emptied of superfluous water . You may have to repot your peony if the pot rest soaked and waterlogged . Cut all icky roots off and use fresh potting soil .

Pick The Right Location

Peoniesrequire full sunto bloom to their fullest . They will bloom less in part sunshine , and will lay off to bloom in shade condition . Choose a placement that will receive6 hour of sun . A bit of afternoon subtlety to protect from the harshest rays of the sun will help keep the flowers intact longer .

Also prefer a location that is protect from wind and rain if possible . Peony blossoms are delicate , one harsh wind tempest or cloudburst could bankrupt the season ’s blooms .

The beauty of container peonies is that the areas you need to sit out of doors are also out of rough afternoon sun , wind , and rain . So station your containers in seat region , on deck and patios so you may enjoy the flower and the blossom can enjoy protected location .

Sarah Bernhardt peony blooms in a tall pot. There is green foliage in the background and a table with the pot. The pot is ceramic with several flowers on the pot. There is also a watering can. The flowers are arranged, and there are bout ten flowers in full bloom.

Choose The Right Variety

This is mostly a matter of personal predilection . If you wanthugepink double peony blooms , ‘ Sarah Bernhardt ’ peony are stunning . If you wantdark and spectacular prime , judge ‘ Karl Rosenfield ’ . Or if you want a frilly alien variety , ‘ Bowl of Beauty ’ is gorgeous .

My only tips forpeony variety selectionis perhaps you desire a variety that does n’t involve to be staked . A sturdy assortment like ‘ Buckeye Belle ’ is decent because you wo n’t need cages or stakes .

choose a change may also be restrain by flower coloration . Some of the most popularpeony diverseness bloom in white , yellow , red-faced , pinkish , and purple . Color should n’t be your lonesome adjudicate factor , but it ’s one that may limit the miscellany you choose .

A gardener planting some peonies wearing blue gardening gloves. The gloves are the focus of the image and are cloth blue, with white dots on the hands. The plant is in the middle as the gardener places dirt over the plant.

Another consideration is bloom time . Peony bloom are comparatively unawares - endure in our gardens . You might desire a fire of bloom in the early bounce , in which casing I recommend a Fern Leaf peony . Or you might want a later summer blossom , in which case an Itoh peony such as   ‘ Bartzella ’ is a good choice .

Plant Them Correctly

There is an artistic creation to plant a paeony . They must be planted exactly at the peak of the plant , or else they wo n’t bloom . They also do n’t care to be be active once they are install .

you may either purchase a peony plant , or you may buy a root .

For a plant : start up bydigging out a large hole in the center(or slightly to the back of the locoweed if you plan on implant something in front ) . bump off the peony from the baby’s room pot and loosen the dirt and root .

A close up of about eight seedlings in black plastic pots. The seedlings are young and recently planted in potting soil. They are just starting to bloom, less than one foot in height for each of them.

Place into the trap . Only plant it up to the crown of the plant . Do not institute gamy up the stem . see that the line of credit of the crown of the peony is only slightly below the container .

Do not tolerate the crown to be above the container line . If it is mound above the pot , water will just run off the plant . If it is sunken too far below the pot on the other hand , it leaves the plant life susceptible to crown and root bunk . Water the newly planted peony in well .

For plain ascendant : dig a hollow lay the bare root into the dirt . cut across the ‘ eyes ’ of the peony root with only an inch of grime . Again , verify the extend paeony is level with the container . Not slump or mounded above the container . These bare beginning are intimately purchased and planted in the gloam . irrigate the root in well .

A large beetle about to eat a smaller bug resting on a the petal of a peony flower. The flower is not yet blooming, and both bugs are resting on top of the flower bud that is waiting to bloom.

Stick to a Regular Maintenance Plan

The dish of container peony is they require little sustainment .

Depending on the variety , they mayneed to be staked or cage in . I think for container peonies , the two basketball hoop cages make for best . They hold the plant upright and you do n’t find the cage through the leaf .

Since you container peony will credibly be stuffy to a sitting area it is nice to not see a bunch of stakes and strand . Put the cage on the peony in the former saltation so the plant can grow through and around it and cover the batting cage .

A gardener wearing a blue latex glove is holding white pebbles of plant fertilizer that came from a brown paper bag on the ground. They are getting ready to use the fertilizer on the plant nearby that has green leaves.

After the paeony has eat up blooming , jog off the pass peak . This will ensure the free energy the industrial plant would put into cum product will go back into the plant life and become big and better next year .

Address Pests & Diseases Quickly

Peonies are relatively disease and pest free . The good way to debar gadfly is to keep your peony growing in their ideal conditions . That means having them planted at the correct depth , in scant alimental - rich stain , in full sunlight , and keep evenly moist . If you’re able to achieve these thing , pests and disease are far less likely to impress your peony .

However , that is not much service to read if you already have pests . Bug touch on pestilence such as aphids and spider speck can be control by rinse the leaves of the paeony or giving them a sharp spray with the hosepipe ( do n’t spray the frail bloom ) . Or you may use aninsecticidal soap , defecate sure to spray the bottom of the folio .

One microbe that isnot a pest to peonies are ants . Ants and peonies have a symbiotic relationship , mean they both help each other . pismire eat the sticky muggins secreted by the peony blossoms and in return the pismire protect the peony blossoms from other blossoms - eating pests . But peonies do not require ants to flower as some garden lore hint .

A number of pink flowers blooming in pots. The pots are made of white plastic, and there are about eight flowers blooming. The flowers on the left are a darker pink color, middle are lighter pink, and to the right are more of a hot pink color. All are different peony varieties.

Powdery mildew may also be a problem with your container peony . This powdery film coat the leafage of industrial plant and will stunt and may eventually toss off your peony . Apply a fungicide formulated for powdery mold ( it will say on the bottle ) .

At the death of the time of year dispose of all , or most ( depending on the size of your deal ) of the grunge and start withfresh potting soilso as to not reinfect your peony next year . Next consider the reasons for the mold .

Avoid water the leafage , especially at night . Wet folio left overnight are a breeding ground for mold . ensure your peony is get enough sunlight as well .

A gardener is using an old rusted hand trowel to remove soil from a terra cotta pot. Visible is also the base of a flowering plant that is entering fall dormancy.

Use The Correct Type of Fertilizer

I tend not to fecundate my perennials . or else I top garb my grunge with compost in the surrender . you may usecompost , ocean filth , worm castings , oraged manure . I would add this onto the container peony the same means as my garden . use a nice top stuffing that can seep down to the roots in the spring . If you did n’t get to it in pin , no worries , apply the top dressing in the leap .

If you have your peonies in mixed containers with other annuals , they can be fertilized with an all purpose fertilizer ( like a 20 - 20 - 20 ) . Annuals lean to use a lot of nutrients for their large fast growing efflorescence .

Plan For Life After Seasonal Blooms

Peonies only bloom once in a garden time of year . This commonly happens inlate spring to other summer(depending on variety and amount of sun ) . After they end blooming and you trim off the seminal fluid pods there are a span thing you’re able to do .

you may enjoy the lacy foliage of the paeony . In a mixed container it will still have structure and texture in a peck . Other yearbook can take over and blossom . Try adding geranium or petunias underneath .

Another alternative is to have other tidy sum of flowers to spread out out with your paeony . you’re able to not cut down your paeony directly after it blooms . The plant still needs to get energy from the sun so it can produce big and potent the next time of year . But you could move the whole raft out of your arranging of containers ( this go great if you have a group of 3 - 5 pot ) .

A female gardener wearing a blue gardening apron and blue garden gloves is holding a potted plant near her garden. In the background you can see other plants of green foliage on the ground.

Move the container paeony into afull sun locationand carry on to water it . If you have a sprinkler organisation , set it into a garden bed so it can get irrigate is even better . Then move another container in its place . Maybe you have a pot with coneflower that will be lead off to flower .

Have a Plan For Fall

Enjoy your container peony into the fall . They turn a adorable fiery red color . Consideradding some ornamental gourd , or some mummy around them from a beautiful declivity video display .

When it is time to put your garden to bed , disregard your peony down . verify you are watering until block up . I would also put a layer of leaves or mulch on top of the container .

Have a Plan For Overwintering

Peonies are vulnerable when they are grown in pots . you may place your paeony in an unheated garage to give it some protection . If it is a very large pot and you know in zones 6 + agood bed of mulchor folio may be all it needs .

If you live in zones 3 or 4 or anywhere the land go through a lot of freeze and then thaw over the wintertime , you will call for to winter your peony in the background . Since it consume fourth dimension for a peony to plant and they do n’t care to be disturbed once planted , the upright bet is to drop the whole gage into the earth .

drudge a large hole into an empty space in the garden and subside the entire bay window into the ground . I commend using a boastful black nursery great deal . Like one a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree comes in . you may insert this liner into a more decorative pot in the summer and then take out the insert and dig it into the ground .

A close up of young pink and red shoots of peony blooms. The flowers are in a terra cotta pot and are just starting to sprout through potting soil that is rich and dark brown.

Have a Plan For Spring

Startwatering your container peony in the spring . Red shoots will start poking out . localize a batting cage around at this metre if needed so the peony can maturate around it .

If you sunk your pot into the ground for the wintertime , dig up the skunk once the ground has thawed .

Experiment With Design

Now onto the fun part . Here are a few suggestions on how you canincorporate peony into container designs .

Create a perennial garden in a very large container . Use delphinium in the back and a peony in the front . Finish it off with a creeping ground book binding such as honeyed woodruff or wooly thyme .

Combine a paeony with annuals . tot geraniums and petunias below a peony . The leafy peony will allow structure and greenery after it blossom and the annuals will keep on blooming all time of year long .

A spread of several different containers holding many different flower types. In the center are pink peonies blooming in a water can. On the ground are dahilas and petunias, both pink, red and purple. On the right there are purple flowers in a small container and in the back, there are containers filled with purple salvia plants.

Or , plant your peony alone in a container and plant other plants in containers solo and create a lovely layered grouping . For exemplar plant a peony , hydrangea , and a rise in 3 big pots and have them in a grouping .

you could append a couple of smaller pots of flower annuals into the group , like geranium or Dahlia pinnata . Groups of container work best with odd numbers . Do 3 , 5 , or 7 pots of various plants and flowers for a visually sympathetic show .

Final Thoughts