Peony

[lottielady]

Hi van anyone tell me how and when to propagate a peony I have one in my garden just about to flower and I would like lots more. Thanks

[Fernw]

Peonies generally dislike being moved but sometimes plantlets may appear from the shallow roots which can be lifted without disturbing the plant itself. Or you could divide early autumn or early spring or collect seed in autumn - if black and red seeds are produced in same pod it is only the black seeds are fertile. Seeds need double cold period so you could leave them outdoors during winter and they should develop roots but shoots may not appear until after a second period of cold.
My peony disliked being moved so I learnt by my mistake there but it is now showing lots of flower buds so looking forward to seeing it really bloom this year. Hope this helps

[digthatchick]

How to Propagate Peonies

Hope this helps - This is from an American site, but it is the way I do mine ...


Propagating your own peonies can be fun!

Tree peonies are usually propagated by grafting while herbaceous and Itoh peonies are usually propagated by root division. New peonies come from seed.

Peonies do not come true from seed (the only exception being large populations of species peonies that are isolated from other peonies) so each seedling is something new.
If you wish to multiply one of your prized herbaceous peonies your only real option is to divide it, or graft it if it is a tree peony.

If you are looking to create new varieties of peonies you will need to germinate seeds to find out what has been created.



The techniques below are the ones I use on my own peonies.



Crown Division
Crown division is the technique most used to propagate herbaceous and Itoh peonies. It should be done only in the early fall. The technique is as follows:

In late August, early September cut down foliage of peony to be divided
If ground is very dry, water the plant the day before dividing
Dig plant up with a strong spade, taking as much of the root system as possible and being careful not to damage the crown
Wash soil from roots with a strong jet of water


Leave cleaned root system in the shade for several hours to soften it (this makes it less brittle and gives you more precision when cutting)
Examine the plant carefully and plan your cuts
Each division must have at least one visible crown bud to grow. It is best however to have at least 3 buds per division
With a clean, strong knife and working on a rough work bench, make your first cut through the top of the crown being careful to cut down toward the work bench and away from yourself.
If the plant has long tuberous roots it may make the process easier if the roots are trimmed back to between 6-8 inches from the crown


Continue to divide the plant until you have the desired number of divisions
The new divisions can be stored in peat moss filled bags for several days as long as they are not subject to large swings in temperature.

The new divisions should be planted out in a suitable location, ensuring that the crown buds are no more than 2 inches below ground. See page on How to Grow for detailed planting instructions (How to Grow)


Germinating Seeds
Many desirable peonies are infertile meaning that they do not produce pollen or seeds. ( F1 Hybrids in UK) Many of the large double peonies fit this class. However if these large flower buds are removed the peony will often produce small single flowers which can often produce pollen and seeds.

Growing new plants from seeds is the only way a peony breeder can develop new varieties and it's also an interesting challenge.

[Two_Sheds]

This question was on GQT yesterday.

Listen again? BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - Gardeners' Question Time, 11/06/2010

[lottielady]

Thankyou all for your help I shall give it a go when the time is right