How To Care For Peony Plants In Fall For Big Blooms In The Spring

Think spring starts in April? Not for peonies (Paeonia lactiflora). Their jaw-dropping blooms begin backstage in fall, quietly prepping for the big show. Peonies are not a one-time show either. These hardy perennials can stick around for decades. Also, they are not picky. As long as you give them the right conditions, they will thrive anywhere in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 8. But here's the catch — they don't thrive on neglect, and fall is when most of us get a little lazy and overlook the care peonies still need.

There are a few things you must do in fall if you want to help your peonies thrive in the garden and produce bigger blooms in the spring. These include dividing crowded clumps for better growth and cutting back any diseased foliage to keep your peonies healthy and thriving. Also, fall is the perfect time to add new plants so they can set roots and establish themselves in the ground before the winter.

Sometimes you might ask yourself why your peony is not flowering as it should, let alone producing bigger blooms. The reason could be as simple as overcrowded growing conditions. This is especially true if you have had peonies for a while. The best time to divide peonies in your garden is in September or early October. 

Dividing overcrowded peonies gives them the space and boost they need to produce bigger spring blooms. To do this, carefully dig up the whole plant, and rinse any soil to spot the eye. Slice the roots into chunks with three to five eyes each and plant right away. Before you know it, your peony plants will bounce back and have more vigorous blooms than before. However, smaller pieces might take a year or two.

Fall is also the ideal time for pruning and to play offense against peony diseases. Snip off any parts of the plants that show signs of powdery mildew or botrytis. If your plants are healthy and disease free, they will obviously produce bigger blooms in spring. Once the flowers go dormant, you can prune your peonies by cutting the stems back to about 1 to 2 inches, staying clear of the crown. Healthy foliage can be composed, but any diseased debris should be thrown away.