Hello All,
This is LostIndian coming atcha from Algonac, MI, with a question. How long does a peony tree stay dormant and how long does it take it to mature (that's 2 questions)? ;)
I purchased one from the infamous Burgess people (I think they are) on April 21st this year. It came in rugged looking (as did all the rest of my order except one which has not arrived as of yet) on the 23rd of May, but I planted it anyway. I also marked the height of the plant to keep abreast of its progress. NONE so far!
I followed the planting instructions sent carefully since I have never done any [real] gardening.
After several phone calls and emails to Burgess, I was told to scratch the plant about 1" above ground and if I found yellow, green or tan, the plant was still alive and in its dormant stage. This was on about June 12th. It was yellow. Today I scratched and it was green, but the plant has not grown even one silly little millimeter.
I would really appreciate a knowledgable person giving me an answer or suggestions (other than never buying from Burgess again).
Plus..I got gobs of other question to ask.
Please send your response to as well as here.
Thanks!
Peony Tree???...alive?
Peony trees are very slow to grow I think it could take 15 years to mature if not longer from what I have read. It took the first one I bought as a two year old another two years to get a bloom. It should have leaves on it if planted back in april though. I've never seen one stay dormant without leaves for any amount of time. I always soak mine at least once a week unles we have at least a half inch of rain. I'm no expert on them but do have 3 I just added one this spring but did buy the last two from a local nursery as they were much bigger than my first mail order one. I do know the amount of rain and water in late fall and early spring determines the amount of flowers you get in the spring. We had a dry fall the year before last and only had 2 flowers on the oldest one this year I watched watering and it produced 6 flowers the most in the last 6 years i've had it. Good luck
Kim
Thanks, bluektodd Kim, for your quick response. I had no idea it could take 15 years to mature.
Burgess implies that the tree should be in bloom by next year....that is if it is still alive.
I guess I will have to chalk this up to the old live and learn column.
Thanks again.
LostIndian
hi lost indian,
this is late in the summer to start a tree peony but it could well take a bit longer to show up. if you dont see any shoots dig it back up (carefully) and look ,it wont hurt it to do that... add some bone meal scratched into the soil around it if you feel like it and water it every other dayor so .. theyre used to breaking dormancy in spring rains... but blue todd is so right they are very slow to develop much wood but i have many and if you feed them and dont break any of the wood off each year it it will give you blooms the size of dinner plates! good luck
taya
Hello Greenobsessed,
Sorry I am so late acknowledging your reply to my question. I just got a flag that I had a message. You must have read my mind about digging it up. I want to plant it in another area. Of course I will so the "scratch-test" thing to see if it still has life according to Burgess.
I also thank you for your suggestion of using bonemeal. This will be my project for tomorrow. I have kept the plant well watered and I always check the soil wetness before I water [anything]. Maybe after the bonemeal treatment, my plant will start to do something other than just sit there.
Thanks again.
LostIndian