Contents
The reasons why peonies do not bloom are most often the mistakes of novice gardeners in the agrotechnics of planting and the subsequent care of the bushes. Plants do not form buds when placing a flower bed on poor soil and after improper pruning, however, the age of the bushes and the varietal affiliation of peonies are also of great importance. Depending on what species the plant belongs to, it can bloom at different times.
When peonies start to bloom after planting
Many novice gardeners, after planting a peony, begin to worry if it does not bloom for them the very next year, but this is not unusual. Depending on the variety, the shrub blooms for the first time only in the 2nd, or even in the 4th year of life.
So, for example, herbaceous peonies usually bloom for 2-3 years, in April-May. Tree-like varieties usually form buds 4 years after planting, in May-June. And then hybrids bloom mainly in June, but there are both earlier and later varieties. Immediately after planting, flowering should not be expected, the bushes form buds at least 2 years after being placed in open ground.
On the other hand, if the shrub was planted a long time ago, and the peonies have not bloomed for several years, this is a good reason for concern.
List of reasons why a peony does not bloom
The reasons why there are no flowers on the bushes can be very different, from improper planting to plant disease. Sometimes gardeners harm peonies themselves when they try to stimulate flowering and divide the shrub – too small divisions can stop forming buds. In order for the plant not to stop blooming, each seedling should have at least 3-4 buds. It is also not recommended to transplant too often – this procedure greatly weakens the bushes. So that they do not stop blooming, it is advisable to carry out the procedure no more than 1 time in 5 years.
Flower Age
If the peony has not bloomed for many years, it is quite possible that the shrub is simply too old and has long exhausted its strength. For most varieties, the approximate limit is 10 years, after which the bushes need to be updated – dug up, divided and planted. They do the same when thickening the crown.
Too young plants also sometimes do not bloom, despite a healthy appearance. In most cases, this is quite natural – after planting, the seedling takes 2-3 years to root, only after that the peonies bloom.
On the other hand, plants planted in autumn often begin to bloom the very next season.
During transplantation, peonies are dug up, trying not to severely damage their root system.
Weather
If peonies suddenly stop blooming, even despite their young age and good care, adverse weather conditions may be a possible reason. So, for example, the renewal buds of peonies are laid two years before flowering, and if watering the flower bed is neglected during a severe drought, it will not bloom for the next few seasons.
Prolonged rains during the budding period lead to the fact that moisture accumulates in the flowers. Ultimately, their petals darken, turn brown, and the buds remain closed without blooming. No less detrimental to peonies are sudden changes in temperature.
Poor quality planting material
Peonies bloom poorly if the flower bed was grown from low-quality planting material. On a healthy seedling, flower buds should be clearly visible, each of which has a diameter comparable to the size of the little finger. You should also pay attention to the roots – peonies will not bloom if the seedlings have too small a root system. The optimal length of the rhizome for full development is 10 cm or more.
The size of the storage roots is ideally close to the size of an average carrot. Too large processes are cut off, treating the place of the cut with ash.
A quality seedling has no cavities, rot or other physical defects.
Wrong variety selected
Of no small importance for the development of plantings is the varietal affiliation of planting material. Even with the best care, some varieties will not bloom if the plant was planted in an unsuitable climate for this variety. For this reason, heat-loving subspecies are not bred in the northern regions.
Violation of the landing rules
Peonies do not bloom if the seedling was incorrectly placed in the planting hole at one time. In no case should it be deepened; surface landing is also harmful. Ideally, from the topmost bud to the ground should be 3-5 cm on heavy loam and 6-7 cm on light sandy soil. So the seedlings will not suffer from recurrent spring frosts and dry air in the summer months.
Another common mistake is landing in a lowland. In this position, the root system of peonies is flooded with excess water, as a result of which they cease to bloom. Strong shading also does not benefit the flower bed. It is better to plant flowers under moderate sun or in openwork shade.
The soil level should be about 3-4 fingers above the root bud
Violation of the rules of care
Sometimes it also happens that peonies bloom, but the buds do not have enough vitality of the plant to open up. In this case, the flower bed must be fed. In total, during the season, the shrub is fertilized 3-4 times using liquid formulations, while nitrogen is applied in large quantities in the spring. In autumn, it is impossible to feed peonies with nitrogen-containing fertilizers; during this period, the plant needs phosphorus-potassium mixtures for a successful wintering.
Also, peonies do not bloom with a lack of moisture in the soil. During a period of intense heat, the water consumption for each bush is increased from 15-20 liters to 30 liters, while the frequency of irrigation is not increased.
If peonies bloom, but the buds do not bloom, this is a sure sign that the plant is starving.
Cutting rules violation
If the peony has not bloomed for several years, despite the fact that the plant looks healthy overall, early leaf pruning may be a possible cause. This is one of the most common mistakes – many novice gardeners remove foliage in early September, which is absolutely impossible to do. Immediately after flowering, the plant begins to lay flower buds for the next season, so the leaves can only be cut in October-November.
Also, too early cutting of flowers affects the splendor of flowering. In an attempt to increase the size of the buds, gardeners cut too many flowers. It is recommended to adhere to such a scheme – 1-2 buds on each shoot.
Pests and diseases
If the leaves and shoots of peonies begin to be eaten by insects, the plants must be treated with any suitable insecticide.
To get rid of insects, the drug “Aktara” is suitable
Of the viral diseases, the greatest danger is the stretching of the shoots. Symptoms of the disease are the formation of many thin stems. It does not make sense to treat such bushes, they are dug out entirely and destroyed.
Fungal diseases of peonies are treatable. If the shrub becomes ill with gray rot, it is sprayed with “Fundazol”.
If necessary, you can replace “Fundazol” with copper sulfate
What to do if peonies do not bloom
If peonies do not bloom, you can take the following measures:
- If the rules of basic planting are violated, the situation can be corrected by transplanting a shrub to a new place, chosen taking into account all the recommendations. Peonies growing in excessively shaded areas are transplanted into partial shade, preferably on a hill, to avoid moisture stagnation.
- Bushes overfed with nitrogen, which have gained a lot of green mass, are fertilized with phosphorus and potassium, but these elements should not be abused either. In the same year, peonies are unlikely to bloom, but by the next season, it is usually possible to correct the composition of the soil.
- When the shrub is damaged by insects, the flower bed is treated with insecticides. If peonies are sick with a fungus, industrial fungicides will help restore the plant.
- If the soil in the area is too acidic, then its composition is artificially adjusted. This can be done by adding dolomite flour to the soil. Also for these purposes, you can use wood ash, slaked lime or bone meal.
- With a lack of potassium in the soil, the flower bed is fertilized with potassium sulfate – 10 g of the substance per 1 m2 is enough.
- Watering is adjusted according to local climatic conditions. In extreme heat, water consumption is increased.
Flower growers tips
To make peonies bloom more abundantly, the following recommendations will help:
- Old plants must be dug up and divided – this will ensure lush flowering. At the same time, all old and weakened roots are removed on the divisions, immersing the remaining ones in a solution with a growth stimulator. Then the individual parts are seated, placing in a new place. Additionally, before this, you can soak the roots of the seedlings in a disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate or the drug “Maxim”.
- If, during the planting of peonies, a sufficient amount of fertilizer is put on the bottom of the planting pit, you can not feed the flower bed for several years.
- In order to get the largest possible flowers on the bushes, during budding, only one bud is left on each shoot, cutting off the side ones.
- If the size of the flowers does not matter, do not cut off the extra buds – this way the shrub will retain its decorative effect longer, since the side flowers bloom later.
Conclusion
The reasons why peonies do not bloom can be very different: from errors in planting agricultural technology to unsuitable weather conditions. The age of the plant and its variety are also important, however, even if the bush does not form buds for several years, it can still be forced to bloom using a number of tricks.
