Peonies are hardy plants, but they perform best in regions with cold winters. In warmer regions, peonies are at risk of not blooming if the winter is too mild. They are relatively easy to grow in pots.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Planting the Peony in a Pot
Step 1. Choose a peony of the right size for your vase
These flowers are grown mainly outdoors, but can also be grown in pots. Choose a small variety.
- Some varieties such as "Zhao Fen" (Paeonia suffruticosa "Zhao Fen" or "Zhao's Pink") can grow 90-180 cm in height and 60-120 cm in width.
- Two smaller and more suitable varieties are "Zhu Sha Pan" (Paeonia "Zhu Sha Pan" or "Cinnabar Red") which grows up to 60-75cm in height and width, and the fern-leaved peony (Paeonia tenuifolia), which only grows to 30-60cm in height and 23-40cm in width.
Step 2. Choose the right vase for your peony
Transplant it in early spring, in a container that is at least 30cm in diameter and 45-60cm high, to give the roots enough space to grow.
- Larger varieties require an even larger pot. The vase must also have several holes in the bottom.
- It must be borne in mind that these plants are poorly adapted to transplants and should already be born in containers with adequate capacity. A 20-liter jar is ideal.
Step 3. Fill the pot halfway with peat
Place the tuber on the peat and check that there is no more than 3-5 cm of soil left once the pot is filled.
Once the pot is filled, water it well
Step 4. Add compost
Before planting the bulbs it is good to add some compost to the peat to enrich it with nutrients.
- In spring it is recommended to also add a gradual release nitrogen fertilizer.
- This will keep them healthy and stimulate flowering without burning the plants, which could happen with other fertilizers.
Step 5. Plant the peony bulb on the peat with the eye of the bulb facing up
Fill the pot with peat and wet well. The bulbs must remain covered with a 3-5 cm thick layer of earth.
- If the bulb is buried deeper, it risks not blooming.
- Specimens that produce lush foliage but do not bloom should be pulled out and replanted to an appropriate depth to produce flowers.
Part 2 of 2: Necessary Care
Step 1. Light the plant
Place the pot outdoors in a protected area where it can receive at least 6-8 hours of direct light. Peonies need a lot of light to grow and bloom.
If the peony is being kept indoors, place it in front of a south or west facing window where it will receive plenty of light
Step 2. Use lamps in addition to sunlight
A lamp will be needed to supplement the sunlight. Use a 4-bulb neon with 2 full spectrum light tubes of 40 watts and 2 cool white of the same wattage.
- Place the lamp 6 inches from the top of the plants and leave it on for 12-14 hours a day.
- The lamp should be connected to a timer that turns it on at dawn and turns it off at the end of the day.
Step 3. Water the plant
You need to water when the first 2 cm of soil is dry. Distribute the water evenly over the substrate until it comes out of the holes in the bottom of the pot.
Step 4. Fertilize the peony with a houseplant fertilizer
When the stems begin to appear, start fertilizing every 4 weeks.
- Having grown in pots, our peony will need to be fertilized with home plant fertilizer, unlike garden plants.
- A water-soluble fertilizer is preferable. Fertilize after watering. Stop fertilizing after mid-summer.
Step 5. Prepare the plant for the resting period
Towards the end of the summer the watering begins to decrease. Allow the soil to dry completely before watering again to induce winter quiescence. Peonies need to rest for at least 2-3 months in the winter.
- If the peony is grown indoors, slowly reduce the number of hours of artificial light in accordance with the hours of light of the autumn days.
- If the peony is outdoors, leave it outside until the coldest frosts.
Step 6. Prune the stem and move the plant to a cool, dark place
When the leaves turn yellow and fall off, use a pair of scissors to prune the stems to ground level.
- Put the vase in a cold room. Bring it back out in the spring when the weather is warmer.
- Place it outside in a sunny spot or in front of a window and water generously.
Advice
- Peonies usually flower more once they reach maturity, in the third year of life.
- Peonies should not be watered on the top as this can cause disease.
