I received a peony in the Van Meuwen bumper offer pack, but would really like some advice on what to do with it. It looks quite strong and has several nice looking buds.
Does it like a lot of bio matter, and what about mulch? Should I give it a feed? The choices I have in hand are rose fertilzer, BFB, or non organic liquid feed.
the only thing I know about peonies is that they live forever
They like a rich well drained soil in full sun. Do not plant it too deeply. The point at which the new shoots begin on the rootstock should be no more than an inch below soil level.
They love a good mulch with well-rotted horse manure each year. I do ours when the leaves and flowers have died back leaving the crown. It grows like Topsy!
They don't like being moved btw
Enjoy CLx
I planted mine at the allotment last night, with help from granddaughter, and watered it in. It is in my flower, herb bed bit. Will chuck some horse manure on it later, and hope for the best. Haven't got a garden, only a back yard full of OH's junk (useful mess, he says) so the allotment for me. Anyone else got 10 bags, I suppose they will all come in useful soon.
Plant it, not too deeply, and leave it to sort itself out. Give it 12 months, and if it doesn't flower, you may have planted it too deeply.
Sorry to rain on peoples parades, but we had a lovely paeony in our last house and as it happens it did very well.
Trouble is that we never new it was there until I took the rotorvator around the whole back garden down to a depth of eight inches or so. Then after we had lay the ground dormant for a few months while I went away, the OH told me that a green lump had appeared in the garden. To our amazement it was the above plant which grew with full vigor until we left it eight years ago to new owners.
Just shows if you dig you can find gold. 8)