is it true that peonies will not bloom if ants are not crawling on them.
2006-06-07 06:13:34 · 10 answers · asked by roy_alice_mills 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
4. Why are ants always on my peonies?
They are hungry!
The ants visit your peonies because the flower buds secrete a sweet substance that the ants like to eat. The good news is that the ants are not harmful to your peonies! The ants don't eat the actual plant and contrary to popular belief, the ants are not required to open the buds.
A small trick if you want to cut some of your peony flowers but don't want to bring the ants into the house… Try cutting the flowers before they open and the ants get inside. Cut the flowers when the colour is showing and the bud feels like a marshmallow. At this stage it is easy to remove the ants and the buds will open nicely for you inside within a couple of days
2006-06-07 06:18:26 · answer #1 · answered by confused 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
well I won't take a 5TH but, let me tell you what I saw this past year and draw from the past.
Starting with the past.
My Mom had a prize winning peonie garden when I was little, It had the most enormous blooms the size of my little girl face .
One day I wandered into the garden...I was covered with ants!!!, I came out screaming and crying, I was so terrified by ants on my jumper and skin and hair!
My mom cleaned my up and explained the relationship between ants and peonies!
I NEVER have aloud a peonie bush in my yard!
Well this past February my greenhouse range agreed to force flowers for the Mass. Hort. Spring Flower Show in Boston Ma.
We had some PEONIES, They eventually did open. The flowers were small and weak looking. I don't think we actually used them in the show because they were not very impressive.
My green houses are spotless, NO ANTS, NO NOTHING ACTUALLY, or I'd get fired!
This is an observation not a finite answer...But it seems pretty conclusive to me that ants and Peonies are an important friendship, even though I SHUTTER at the thought of ants!
2006-06-07 14:56:08 · answer #2 · answered by bugsie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, the ants and the peony have a symbiotic relationship.
2006-06-07 06:17:09 · answer #3 · answered by GRUMPY1LUVS2EAT 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i just received an email on this yesterday from a gardening newsletter i receive every day...it says that the big black ants and peonies go hand in hand...the ants keep off predators although i dont know what kind of predators plus they help with pollination
2006-06-07 14:45:17 · answer #4 · answered by ananimalloverinkentucky 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yup, ants help in promogating peonies, just like bees do to other flowers
2006-06-07 06:26:01 · answer #5 · answered by Jon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2006-06-07 06:17:04 · answer #6 · answered by yankee01 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I respectfully invoke my 5th amendment rights as my answer may tend to incriminate myself
2006-06-07 06:16:54 · answer #7 · answered by intresting fellow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if they WON'T bloom, but they do not hurt them for sure.
2006-06-08 14:58:27 · answer #8 · answered by bzbee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't know about that but one does seem to go with the other.
2006-06-07 06:32:20 · answer #9 · answered by ggmsixer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thank you for that information
2006-06-07 06:17:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋