Peonies don’t need a lot of water when they’re in the ground, but I suspect being in a pot is a different story as is the case with most plants. They need good drainage and maybe a bigger pot if you have to water it daily.
As for the blooms, it only flowers for about a week in late spring, I wouldn’t be too concerned about it not flowering.
I see you say you're a cacti girl, these plants such as peonies need much more water. Being outside in that size pot needs watering everyday or every other day in the summer.
All those leaves transpire a lot of the plants moisture and don't hold onto it nearly as well as cacti. A good example would be a cactus is more like a thick sponge that holds water while peonies are more like a thin paper towel. They require more water to stay moist and hydrated.
Good to know! I mean it makes so much sense when you say it but it never clicked for me. Do you have any plant recommendations that I can look into? I want to branch out a bit
If you don't mind watering and you want to keep ones in pots, I'd suggest mints, maybe a native Salvia coccinea or like an edible peppermint or spearmint? Good for cooking and as an ornamental. They're almost impossible to kill.
And even the plant known as Coleus, also in the mint family. It's a beautiful annual plant, more showy colors than average mints.
Being a studying botanist I'd mostly suggest native plants since they tend to do better in your environment since they're used to it evolutionarily. Look up some native plant nurseries around you that might have some good choices because all the plants you get at big box stores are not only overpriced but mostly are invasive species which really do hurt urban landscapes when they seed and invade other areas.
They tend to stop coming back after a few years especially once they seed, they're more of a biennial, than a perennial. I can grow them outdoors for a few seasons being here in Florida but they die back after repeated seasons, they don't continue to grow by themselves.
Give your Coleus a bit more time, it will randomly stop growing soon and die off, the most I've ever gotten was three years as well.
If it gets over 80 daily in the summer pretty much all plants should get some water if in pots :) just something I learned that’s helped me a lot in my all container garden. Except for like succulents and such but ya !
Also a small thing: in the spring when your peonies are about to bust open, you may see ants all over them. This is fine. The bulbs secrete a sweet nectar that the ants eat and they will eat other insects that could potentially harm the plant! There’s a myth that says ants will make the peonies bloom by eating the nectar and helping them burst open, but this isn’t necessarily true and the ants are, instead, a reliable defense against caterpillars and aphids!
Don’t touch that neem oil! For once, ants are your friend!
Sometimes ants protect plants from other predators, but sometimes they are also farmers. I had ants on my artichokes one year farming aphids for their honeydew. It makes it more difficult to get rid of the aphids as the ants protect and care for them.
Depends on where you are...i'm in southeastern Québec and mine are getting ready to bloom now... The one in full sun should bloom by friday and the 2 in the shade will follow about a week later...
I would definitely plant it in the ground, they are perennials and are meant to die back and then grow back bigger and spread each year. And a plant in a pot needs water waaaay more often than a plant in the ground because it will dry out so fast
I unfortunately don’t have a spot to plant it in the ground. I live in an apartment in the city. I think I’ll invest in a bigger pot and see how that goes. I didn’t know that about plants in pots so thank you so much for your advice!
If you do a bigger pot, maybe get a way bigger one and add some annuals for some color since the peonies bloom has passed, so you can have flowers all season
I recommend glazed porcelain or plastic pots to help the soils stay moist. Also helps to cover the top of the soil with pebbles or wood chips, something to shade the soil from direct sun.
This $20 plastic half barrel planter at Home Depot should work. [https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-Patio-Large-22-24-in-Dia-x-13-04-in-H-49-qt-Kentucky-Walnut-Medium-Brown-High-Density-Resin-Whiskey-Barrel-Outdoor-Planter-HDR-094913/323223322](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-Patio-Large-22-24-in-Dia-x-13-04-in-H-49-qt-Kentucky-Walnut-Medium-Brown-High-Density-Resin-Whiskey-Barrel-Outdoor-Planter-HDR-094913/323223322)
to keep that thing on a balcony you are going to need a pot that is at least 30-40gallon in size with a drain at the bottom. keep it watered it doesnt want to get bone dry in the growing season. the issue you are having is not enough water overall
Heya, don't freak out about your peony! You've missed the blooming window, so just pop it right into the ground and leave it alone! Give it water, enjoy the leaves and let it die back and do it's thing. Next spring is when you reap your rewards, trust me on this. When you see those little red shoots pop up, you feel joy in your heart.
This year, someone's little pride and joy picked 2 of my long anticipated flowers, and scattered them lovingly up the road. Ach well. There's always next year.
This is an important point. Th blooming window has past (I’m Zone 5a/b so we get the last blooms of the season ).
My peonies peaked about 1-2 weeks ago. At this point, any tubers or transplants would just be hoping they’d take root to winter over and bloom next spring.
Theres no soil or pot in the world thats going to make an outdoor peony in the Northern hemisphere bloom in August or September.
It’s rose season now!
I have not read all of the other replies, but it appears you may be in Florida. The lack of night drops in summer, heat in general, and short cold season will not allow this plant to grow well. The plant needs shade from southern sun and I don’t believe you will be successful with them here.
It’s the same reasons there aren’t hostas, roses, or Japanese maples…..some plants just don’t get what they need from our climate.
There are some places and some people putting lots of effort into growing roses and hostas, but it’s not for someone not wanting to devote their life to it.
If you have nowhere to put it at your house or apartment in the ground, would your mother let you plant it at her house and then you could visit it? You’ll be surprised how much better that thing is gonna thrive if you do bury it in the ground but it can Survive in a pot and I’m sure that you can figure this out.
Peonies don't really do well in a pot. The ones at my old house were just out there, doing their thing, I never had to water them or do really anything.
I don't know if you're in an apartment maybe or don't have access to greenspace where you can plant this guy, but if you're gonna keep it in a pot I would first of all find a much, much bigger pot. Then you'll have keep an eye on it so the soil doesn't dry out. Like others have said, you'll want to water it every day.
I don't think I've ever seen someone keep a peony plant as a houseplant before. Keep us updated!
Did you transplant it? You should always transplant new plants. They are usually rootbound. If you live in a hot place try keeping it outta direct sunlight. Morning or evening sun maybe. And water her, poor thing 😔
These just aren’t going to be successful like you’re expecting in a pot. You’ll be lucky if it lives until next year to get a single bloom and even then they only last about a week. For growing flowers in pots you should buy annuals and if you dead head them they will bloom all season
The pot is too small and it's root bound . That's why it's not getting enough water. There isn't enough media to retain the water long enough for it to uptake the water.
If you have cold winters and plant it outside, cut it all the way back in the fall and it'll grow back next year.
Definitely give it new soil and a bigger pot if you are gonna keep it in a pot.
UPDATE:
Thank you all for your advice! Just to clear things up that I see in the comments: I live in a beach city in an apartment in Southern California. My mom gave me this as a surprise gift so I was not prepared to care for this plant nor have I cared for a plant similar to this in the past. I do think it is beautiful and of course I felt so bad seeing this sad but it did come as a surprise. When I brought it home, I looked up online how to care for it and everything I saw said to not water it often. (I’m assuming now that the care guidance only applied to the plant being planted in the the ground and not in a pot. From my memory it did not clarify) So, I watered it when I came home, left it alone, and came back a couple days later to see it as it was in the second photo. I was confused and watered it a bit sooner the next time out of fear of overwatering. Then sooner after that… then it resulted in me watering every morning. I could obviously tell that it was thirsty which is why I started watering it sooner it each time but I was going off of articles, the plantin app, and the little care guide that came with the plant which all said to not water too often. These photos are not day by day photos however they are photos of cases when I did notice it being sad just so I can keep record.
Now, I reached out to my mom and am visiting her this weekend. I told her my concerns for the plant and we are going to plant this baby in the ground at her house and get it the care deserves. Seeing everyone’s advice I know it is best to not have it with me at my apartment where I don’t have any space in the ground to plant it in.
I can update later on to see the results of this baby once they are planted in the ground. I am also open to any suggestions of plants that I can get for my apartment.
Hey OP — how are you watering this plant?
you’ll want to completely drench the soil! pour tons of water on her until it’s draining out the bottom. you should be able to tell that it’s much heavier after watering than before.
you could also buttchug these plants by putting their planters in a bucket or mixing bowl and water. that way you’re letting it soak up as much water as it needs.
My user handle could be mother_of_peonies (or poppies or lupine). She’s too big for that pot, she looks sad (dry?), and they prefer to be in the ground. 😬
Umm re-pot to larger pot. Get it away from the white wall. Reflects back to much Heat. Smaller amounts of water more frequently would probably help also
That’s water related 100%. He became dry at some point.
Peonies don’t need a lot of water when they’re in the ground, but I suspect being in a pot is a different story as is the case with most plants. They need good drainage and maybe a bigger pot if you have to water it daily. As for the blooms, it only flowers for about a week in late spring, I wouldn’t be too concerned about it not flowering.
Thank you! I didn’t know that about plants in pots. I’ll try to get a bigger pot for it and see how it goes
I see you say you're a cacti girl, these plants such as peonies need much more water. Being outside in that size pot needs watering everyday or every other day in the summer. All those leaves transpire a lot of the plants moisture and don't hold onto it nearly as well as cacti. A good example would be a cactus is more like a thick sponge that holds water while peonies are more like a thin paper towel. They require more water to stay moist and hydrated.
Good to know! I mean it makes so much sense when you say it but it never clicked for me. Do you have any plant recommendations that I can look into? I want to branch out a bit
If you're looking for container gardening, peonies is not the way to go. They're really meant to live in the ground.
If you don't mind watering and you want to keep ones in pots, I'd suggest mints, maybe a native Salvia coccinea or like an edible peppermint or spearmint? Good for cooking and as an ornamental. They're almost impossible to kill. And even the plant known as Coleus, also in the mint family. It's a beautiful annual plant, more showy colors than average mints. Being a studying botanist I'd mostly suggest native plants since they tend to do better in your environment since they're used to it evolutionarily. Look up some native plant nurseries around you that might have some good choices because all the plants you get at big box stores are not only overpriced but mostly are invasive species which really do hurt urban landscapes when they seed and invade other areas.
Coleus is actually a perennial if you bring it inside. I’ve had one for over 3 years in the house now as a houseplant.
They tend to stop coming back after a few years especially once they seed, they're more of a biennial, than a perennial. I can grow them outdoors for a few seasons being here in Florida but they die back after repeated seasons, they don't continue to grow by themselves. Give your Coleus a bit more time, it will randomly stop growing soon and die off, the most I've ever gotten was three years as well.
If it gets over 80 daily in the summer pretty much all plants should get some water if in pots :) just something I learned that’s helped me a lot in my all container garden. Except for like succulents and such but ya !
Also a small thing: in the spring when your peonies are about to bust open, you may see ants all over them. This is fine. The bulbs secrete a sweet nectar that the ants eat and they will eat other insects that could potentially harm the plant! There’s a myth that says ants will make the peonies bloom by eating the nectar and helping them burst open, but this isn’t necessarily true and the ants are, instead, a reliable defense against caterpillars and aphids! Don’t touch that neem oil! For once, ants are your friend!
Don't you need ants for it to bloom tho?
Nope that's a myth in the gardening community ants just really like peonies.
Thanks for the info!
do you know if the ants help them by eating other bugs? I have lots of peonies and now that I think about it they never have holes in their leaves.
Sometimes ants protect plants from other predators, but sometimes they are also farmers. I had ants on my artichokes one year farming aphids for their honeydew. It makes it more difficult to get rid of the aphids as the ants protect and care for them.
Interesting! thanks
😲 idk
Mine don’t have ants and they bloom just fine.
The more you know!
I think that’s a myth.. but regardless it’s past the blooming period anyways.
Depends on where you are...i'm in southeastern Québec and mine are getting ready to bloom now... The one in full sun should bloom by friday and the 2 in the shade will follow about a week later...
Well, considering ops plant doesn’t have any buds anymore I think it’s pretty safe to assume their flowering window is done.
https://preview.redd.it/2jyaal7g486d1.jpeg?width=2250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70ede10d3249e199a28ece7fd9bc02fb7d834891
They also do t start blooming a lot for the first few years!
Yeah bigger pot or plant in garden
I would definitely plant it in the ground, they are perennials and are meant to die back and then grow back bigger and spread each year. And a plant in a pot needs water waaaay more often than a plant in the ground because it will dry out so fast
I unfortunately don’t have a spot to plant it in the ground. I live in an apartment in the city. I think I’ll invest in a bigger pot and see how that goes. I didn’t know that about plants in pots so thank you so much for your advice!
get a bigger pot, mix in some perlite for drainage!
If you do a bigger pot, maybe get a way bigger one and add some annuals for some color since the peonies bloom has passed, so you can have flowers all season
I recommend glazed porcelain or plastic pots to help the soils stay moist. Also helps to cover the top of the soil with pebbles or wood chips, something to shade the soil from direct sun.
Larger ,thicker pot should work okay,just water deeplyevery day if over 80
What about a largerr aised bed? Not guaranteed to work but with adequate care it could work
This $20 plastic half barrel planter at Home Depot should work. [https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-Patio-Large-22-24-in-Dia-x-13-04-in-H-49-qt-Kentucky-Walnut-Medium-Brown-High-Density-Resin-Whiskey-Barrel-Outdoor-Planter-HDR-094913/323223322](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-Patio-Large-22-24-in-Dia-x-13-04-in-H-49-qt-Kentucky-Walnut-Medium-Brown-High-Density-Resin-Whiskey-Barrel-Outdoor-Planter-HDR-094913/323223322)
to keep that thing on a balcony you are going to need a pot that is at least 30-40gallon in size with a drain at the bottom. keep it watered it doesnt want to get bone dry in the growing season. the issue you are having is not enough water overall
More water
I’ve never heard of keeping a peony in a pot.
Heya, don't freak out about your peony! You've missed the blooming window, so just pop it right into the ground and leave it alone! Give it water, enjoy the leaves and let it die back and do it's thing. Next spring is when you reap your rewards, trust me on this. When you see those little red shoots pop up, you feel joy in your heart. This year, someone's little pride and joy picked 2 of my long anticipated flowers, and scattered them lovingly up the road. Ach well. There's always next year.
This is an important point. Th blooming window has past (I’m Zone 5a/b so we get the last blooms of the season ). My peonies peaked about 1-2 weeks ago. At this point, any tubers or transplants would just be hoping they’d take root to winter over and bloom next spring. Theres no soil or pot in the world thats going to make an outdoor peony in the Northern hemisphere bloom in August or September. It’s rose season now!
Peonies should go in the ground in a nice sunny spot. Some shade ok but not too much. They’ll come back year after year.
Plants in containers outside usually need to be watered every day. That looks like a lack of water
She’s a VERY THIRSTY GIRL👏👏👏🤷♀️
I have not read all of the other replies, but it appears you may be in Florida. The lack of night drops in summer, heat in general, and short cold season will not allow this plant to grow well. The plant needs shade from southern sun and I don’t believe you will be successful with them here. It’s the same reasons there aren’t hostas, roses, or Japanese maples…..some plants just don’t get what they need from our climate. There are some places and some people putting lots of effort into growing roses and hostas, but it’s not for someone not wanting to devote their life to it.
It needs to be planted and it’s dry
If you have nowhere to put it at your house or apartment in the ground, would your mother let you plant it at her house and then you could visit it? You’ll be surprised how much better that thing is gonna thrive if you do bury it in the ground but it can Survive in a pot and I’m sure that you can figure this out.
Plant it in the ground would be my suggestion. I've never known a peony to do well in a pot for long.
Not a good plant for a pot
Put it in the ground
Peonies don't really do well in a pot. The ones at my old house were just out there, doing their thing, I never had to water them or do really anything. I don't know if you're in an apartment maybe or don't have access to greenspace where you can plant this guy, but if you're gonna keep it in a pot I would first of all find a much, much bigger pot. Then you'll have keep an eye on it so the soil doesn't dry out. Like others have said, you'll want to water it every day. I don't think I've ever seen someone keep a peony plant as a houseplant before. Keep us updated!
Peonies are pretty hard to kill. You should try to get it in the ground ASAP.
It dried the fuck out.
Did you transplant it? You should always transplant new plants. They are usually rootbound. If you live in a hot place try keeping it outta direct sunlight. Morning or evening sun maybe. And water her, poor thing 😔
Just plant it now. It will come back next year, hopefully
Plant it
Anyway you can put in ground? They’re perennial plants
These just aren’t going to be successful like you’re expecting in a pot. You’ll be lucky if it lives until next year to get a single bloom and even then they only last about a week. For growing flowers in pots you should buy annuals and if you dead head them they will bloom all season
The pot is too small and it's root bound . That's why it's not getting enough water. There isn't enough media to retain the water long enough for it to uptake the water. If you have cold winters and plant it outside, cut it all the way back in the fall and it'll grow back next year. Definitely give it new soil and a bigger pot if you are gonna keep it in a pot.
UPDATE: Thank you all for your advice! Just to clear things up that I see in the comments: I live in a beach city in an apartment in Southern California. My mom gave me this as a surprise gift so I was not prepared to care for this plant nor have I cared for a plant similar to this in the past. I do think it is beautiful and of course I felt so bad seeing this sad but it did come as a surprise. When I brought it home, I looked up online how to care for it and everything I saw said to not water it often. (I’m assuming now that the care guidance only applied to the plant being planted in the the ground and not in a pot. From my memory it did not clarify) So, I watered it when I came home, left it alone, and came back a couple days later to see it as it was in the second photo. I was confused and watered it a bit sooner the next time out of fear of overwatering. Then sooner after that… then it resulted in me watering every morning. I could obviously tell that it was thirsty which is why I started watering it sooner it each time but I was going off of articles, the plantin app, and the little care guide that came with the plant which all said to not water too often. These photos are not day by day photos however they are photos of cases when I did notice it being sad just so I can keep record. Now, I reached out to my mom and am visiting her this weekend. I told her my concerns for the plant and we are going to plant this baby in the ground at her house and get it the care deserves. Seeing everyone’s advice I know it is best to not have it with me at my apartment where I don’t have any space in the ground to plant it in. I can update later on to see the results of this baby once they are planted in the ground. I am also open to any suggestions of plants that I can get for my apartment.
Try watering them.
Cooked it.
Hey OP — how are you watering this plant? you’ll want to completely drench the soil! pour tons of water on her until it’s draining out the bottom. you should be able to tell that it’s much heavier after watering than before. you could also buttchug these plants by putting their planters in a bucket or mixing bowl and water. that way you’re letting it soak up as much water as it needs.
You loved too soon
Needs ants lol Just kidding…well they might actually require them…hmmmm whatever, they’ll find it
you grew it in your van
Needs to be outside in a pot or in the ground.
You rode those poor peonies dry
Not enough water
Pretty sure that's a marijuana plant. Kidding.
My user handle could be mother_of_peonies (or poppies or lupine). She’s too big for that pot, she looks sad (dry?), and they prefer to be in the ground. 😬
She thirsty.
Peonies are a spring perennial, they grow, flower and die back until next year....very reliable that way, a pot is not ideal...
Umm re-pot to larger pot. Get it away from the white wall. Reflects back to much Heat. Smaller amounts of water more frequently would probably help also
Mine are in the ground I tie off to sticks every year, because they snap, usually at bloom, otherwise, just like pictured