Are Ants As Beneficial To Peonies As Some Say? Not Really

You may have seen ants crawling on peony blossoms and been told that the insects are needed to help the buds open. You may have even heard that the ants are "tickling" the buds awake. As cute as this story is though, it doesn't have much basis in reality. While the ants aren't harming peonies in your garden, they also aren't required for the buds to open.

Ants tend to crawl and congregate on peony (Paeonia spp.) buds because the buds are covered in nectar, which is a delicious and sugary treat for the little bugs. Even without the ants, your peony flowers will still open, though the ants do help the flower by gobbling up thrips, other insects that feed on peony buds and damage the flowers. The best way to ensure your peonies bloom well though, isn't to cover them in ants; it's to plant them at the correct depth and provide them with plenty of sun and sufficient fertilizer.

Getting beautiful peony flowers starts with proper planting technique. Herbaceous peonies grow from tubers, and choosing the right location for those tubers and planting them correctly is essential for proper flowering. It's important to find the right spot in your garden to plant your peonies. Plant them where they receive full sun. While they may still grow foliage in more shaded locations, they're less likely to flower well. The depth at which you plant your peonies at can also determine whether you get massive blooms or just foliage. Plant the tubers so that there isn't more than 2 inches of soil covering the top of the crown.

It's also important to either grow your peonies in fertile soil, or provide them with fertilizer, as they are known to be heavy feeders. Make sure to pick a fertilizer that isn't too heavy with nitrogen though, or you may once again find yourself with plenty of leaves, but no flowers. Adding a 5-10-10 fertilizer when planting your tubers can work well. Finally, be patient with your peonies. It can take up to four years for them to mature enough to start blooming well. But thanks to their longevity, you'll be able to enjoy them for decades to come.