Early spring is the best time to prune a mature tree peony. The window to do this after the buds have begun to swell, and before new growth has commenced.
Prune tree peonies once the buds have begun to swell a bit. This way there is no question if a bud is alive or not.
Recommended tools are a pair of bypass pruners and a small pruning saw. Make sure they’re sharp!
Look at the plant as a whole and identify dead wood.
In other cases an entire side branch may die. Cut the entire dead side branch down to the main branch.
When pruning a branch which still has some viable buds, cut down to the nearest live bud. The cut should be positioned just above the first live bud and angled down, sloping away form the bud. This allows water to more easy drain off and results in better healing.
A good pruning cut. We do not coat the wood with any substance.
A poor pruning cut. The stub of dead wood above the bud is too long. This does not promote good healing.
After you have pruned up the upper branches, examine the base of the plant. Spindly interior growth often dies and this dead wood should be cut to the ground.
Saw large diameter stems or branches.
Finally, after all the dead wood is removed, examine the plant for small and spindly growth. If the plant is vigorous and growing well, remove these very small side branches. They are usually found in the interior of the plant. They will not flower and will only inhibit air circulation.
Lastly, remove all pruning from garden, they could potentially harbor fungal spores.
Wonderful anticipation, even to trim these beautiful yet dormant trees. Looking forward to it.
Could you please recommend a pruning system for intersectionals? Some of the growth looks pretty woody, yet it’s clear a bunch of it should come off.
Thanks.
Which USDA zone are you in? In 6 and above the woody stems will bear flowers. I would prune out any dead wood and a lot of the interior growth, leaving only a handful of strong stems. This way the plant plant will be stimulated to send up new growth.
I’m in a cool Zone 5, southern Vermont. The plant has been in for 2 years; last year I cut it down completely, and it had a spectacular year, but this year it’s quite a bit woodier.
Leave a few of the woody branches and see if the buds open. In the past it used to be that the intersectional top growth only survived in USDA zone 7. Over the past few winters we have had some overwinter here in zone 6. I have never heard of this happening in zone 5, but it could. Let me know what happens? Also which varieties are you growing?
Thank you for the info. I often wondered how to prune them. I was afraid to do it because I thought I would harm them. Some have long spindly branches or they are miss shaped making the plant look odd. They will be pruned very soon. I have a problem with mildew. I took my regular peonies out over past few years because I couldn’t get rid of the mildew problem. I left one by my tree peony and it spread to that one. Any suggestions on what product to use to cure the problem.
Make sure that your peonies are planted in a location with good sun exposure and air circulation. Applying Actinovate in the spring before any signs of Powdery Mildew appear has worked well as a preventative for us.
If spring has sprung can my taxes remain dormant?
Clearest instruction on pruning I’ve seen. Thanks, Emilie Miller
It’s my sole intersectional, a Bartzella (from Cricket Hill, au naturel!). This is a gorgeous, expansive peony, both bloom and foliage longevity. Thanks so much for your advice, I’ll let you know what happens.
What is considered mature. The tree in the picture looks small. I never knew I would have to prune the tree.
Mature is 10 years old. The plant shown in the post is about 18 years old. Different cultivars have different heights at maturity. For the most part we only prune out dead wood and ensure that air and light are able to penetrate the center of the shrub.
My tree peony has been in my garden for at least 5 years. I prune dead wood out every year and try to keep if open enough for it to get good air circulation. I did not feed it for the first few years it was in the garden but it developed no blooms. In the 3rd year I decided to fertilize it and it produced one bloom down at the lowest leafed area of the plant. It never has bloomed since then and i have fertilized it with fish emulsion in the spring every year since then, but no blooms. What can you suggest for to get it to bloom? It gets full sun from mid-morning until sundown.
Pat H.
Hi Pat,
First off I would suggest that you have your soil tested. Most state Agricultural Experiment Stations will do this for free. A basic soil test will tell you the pH, as well as levels of available potassium and phosphorus. Peonies need a a neutral to slightly basic pH (in the range of 6.5 to 7.5). Acidic soil can be made more basic by the addition of ground lime stone. If the test shows that your pH is below 6.5, apply the recommended amount of lime to raise your pH to at least 6.5. If you don’t want to get your soil tested I would suggest that you add 1 cup of lime around the plant in both the spring and fall. In addition to pH, peonies need an adequate amount of phosphorus to bloom well. Fish emulsion contains some, but if your soil is very deficient you may need to add it in a more concentrated way. For this purpose we like Bone char or Bone meal. This fertilizer can be applied in the spring. Let me know if you need any clarification on my suggestions. Best-Dan
Thanks for the info. i will start this year. I don’t know if this is true, but, I read in a local news paper that mulch should not be spread around peonies. Could this be Pat Hill’s problem. We had just put some around, read the article and removed it.
Kasha,
This year after Sandy, my shore peonies were flooded with seawater. I do see budding on the tree peonies,however, should I do anything to promote flowering.
Myrna Spiegel
Hi Myrna,
I would recommend feeding them with a low nitrogen fertilizer such a Neptune’s Harvest once green growth has commenced. Also mulch the area around the drip line of the plants to help stabilize the roots. Lastly, if its a very hot and dry summer, make sure that they are well watered. The additional stress of drought would not be good for them. Tree peonies are tough plants and I think there is a good chance that they will pull through. Best- Dan
Hi, One thing I’ve found out about my tree peonies is that some of them are making way too many buds and shoots which will likely be aborted some time in the future as opposed to fewer good shoots. Is there any way to encourage them to consolidate their energy to prevent ever having to prune out too many branches?
I have itohs and tree peonies which are basically shooting tons of sprouts as if they were herbaceous peonies.
Here’s an example. This one actually has 6 shoots emerging as a 2nd year seedling which is way too much for its own good. This is a Chinese tree peony. Perhaps I added too much nitrogen eh?
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz246/stevelau1911/Early%20signs%20of%20spring%202913/DSC03243_zps8473c4cd.jpg
Here in Central Nebraska we have been experiencing an unusually colder spring than normal. Will freezing temperatures inhibit the development of tree peony and intersectional buds? What temperature will they tolerate before the incur freeze damage and if so, should I cover the plants in the event of freezing temperatures? Thanks