Check for peony buds before winter

After planting peonies, hopefully you’ve been watering well. Or better yet, hopefully Mother Nature has given you a nice soaking rain.

Either way, there’s one specific thing I want you to look for before you say good night to your peonies for the winter.

See that little pink bud in the photo? That’s a bud and it shouldn’t be visible.

After planting and watering the soil settles in to fill in air pockets, which is a good thing!

But that settling can leave your root planted too shallow. This photo is of a root I planted in a pot. The soil compacted and now it’s way too close to the soil surface.

So I simply added more soil on top and watered it in again.

That’s what I want you to do! Give a looksie at your newly planted peonies and make sure they are still planted deep enough. No part of the root should be above the ground.

Your ideal depth depends on your growing zone.

• Zones 3-5: About 2” below the soil surface

• Zones 6-7: About 1” below the soil surface

• Zone 8: Just barely covered with soil

If you can see part of the root above the soil surface, simply add a bit more soil on top to reach your ideal depth.

Plus don’t forget to keep watering deeply once a week or so until the ground is frozen.