Should you remove your peony sidebuds?

First off, what is a side bud?

Some peonies produce one flower per stem. Other varieties have multiple buds on one stem. For these, one of those buds is the main one, the others are found lower down on the stem, typically smaller and bloom later.

Removing those secondary side buds will allow the plant to devote all its energy to the primary bud. This makes that resulting flower bigger, bolder and better than it would have been if the side buds had been left on.

As an experiment, you can try removing side buds from some of the stems and leave them on for others, even on the same plant. Compare the flowers and be sure to share your results!

In order for the plant to divert energy in time, you should remove the side buds as early as possible, preferably when they are the size of peas.

It’s your choice, more blooms or one big bloom!