Shrivelled peonies?

Question

curled leaves and black bits...any idea what I should do?

Answer 1

Peonies are prone to botrytis cinerea, a fungal disease that attacks tender end growth. I usually give my peonies a spray when I do my roses beginning in March. I use horticultural dormant oil in the winter to treat any spores left on the soil after fall clean up. Then in spring I use Baking soda/horticultural oil — Tests performed by Cornell and Auburn universities confirm this as my favorite powdery mildew & black spot control for roses. Mixed at a rate of 1-tablespoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate) and 2-tablespoon summer weight horticultural oil per gallon of water or buy Remedy®, by Bonide, a premixed version. Spray on foliage and stems weekly before the disease first appears. I usually dose two or three weeks in early spring with this but I also use other organic sprays on the roses.
The page I included suggests using Mancozeb a contact fungicide. A “broad spectrum multi-site surface protectant”. They remain on the leaf surface, acting as an exterior shield. They provide a barrier to protect against infection by fungal spores so they must be applied before infection and completely cover all surfaces. My choice of baking soda and oil does the same thing and you can use canola cooking oil if you don't want to buy the Sunspray oil.
In fall I dust all fungus prone areas with cornmeal a natural fungicide. Researchers at Texas A&M noticed that a peanut crop planted following corn didn’t suffer the usual fungus diseases. Further research showed that cornmeal contained beneficial organisms that were at least as effective as common chemical fungicides. Somehow cornmeal is able to attract a member of the Trichoderma fungus family, which is a good fungus that kills off disease causing fungi in a matter of weeks. Work 2 pounds of cornmeal into the soil for every 100 square feet. Water well to activate the fungus killing properties. One application per season is sufficient; I have never seen the botrytis again.
The other one suggested is the Thiophanate-methyl; Cleary’s 3336, Domain, Halts Systemic, Greenlight Systemic, Topsin M. This is a Class IV toxicity- fairly safe. This one works “single-site locally systemic”. This one penetrates the outer layers to reach the plants xylem so is carried up to the leaves but not down to the roots. This one acts after the plant has the disease.
Water plants well before applying any fungicide

Answer 2

Could be disease, could just be weather . Carefully cut off parts in question. Wipe cutting tool with rag soaked with bleach & water between each cut. In the fall , thoroughly ( & promptly) clean up all peony plants .