How do you trip back a bush of peonies. They have grown tall and are now falling over.?

Answer 1

It's best to let it die back on its own. As long as it's green it is making and storing food in the root structures to feed it over the winter when it cannot photosynthsize its food. If you want you can trim it once maybe 1/3rd if the plant has died back because by then photosynthesis is over.

Your solution is actually next year. In the spring go to your good lawn and garden center and buy some peony hoops. There are a few different styles but they all do the same thing--hold your peony up so it won't fall over. The new hybridized peonies have such large flowers that the stems oftentimes cannot hold all the weight. The peony hoops give the plant the structure it needs to keep from falling over.

Answer 2

at the end of every year cut them back to about 6-10" from the ground. Then next spring run to the harware store or garden center and pick up a large hoop like a tomato stake hoop(they makeone for peonies with a grid in the top) put it over the peonies when you see them start to leaf out. No more out of line peonies. you can also just put the hoop there after you cut them back if your worried about forgetting.

Answer 3

Every year around this time I trim my peonies because they look so pitiful. I'm not even sure when I'm supposed to, but I get tired of looking at the dead flowers. All I do is trim them way down and only leave about 3-4 inches of stem at the bottom. I've been doing this for 13 yrs and they've always grown back good, so I guess I'm doing it right. I never even trim them back at the same time of year or exactly the same way and they always grow back. Good Luck!!!

Answer 4

The correct way I've always heard and done, is to wait until fall until the bush is done blooming and the root system has absorbed and drank as much water as it can for the late summer period (as this water is saved for the following spring to aid in regrowth) and cut back the whole plant down to about 2"-3" above ground. New shoots will always grow back in the spring.

Answer 5

Wait until the first hard frost kills the foliage. They maky look unsightly until then but they need the foliage to store nutrients for next year's growing season. Clip back to about 2 inches above the ground.

After you trim the foliage...make sure to pick up any debris. If you leave the stems laying around, you'll have a breeding ground for bacteria, fungi and buggies.

Answer 6

In the fall you are suppose to cut them back to the ground. I usually cut mine back in August.