Can peonies be grown in all CLIMATE ZONES?
Since peonies require several hundred hours of cold dormancy below 40 deg. F to trigger successful bloom, they generally don’t do well south of San Francisco, CA or Birmingham, AL. (exceptions may be higher/cooler mountain areas). Q: Why don’t my peonies BLOOM? A: Give them 3 years in their location (they’ve had their chance to “sleep, creep and leap”! )…then try relocation. The following are the most likely reasons for not blooming: Planted too deep. They should be positioned no more than 1″ to 1-1/2″ from top of crown (base of buds) to top of soil in milder zones; 2″ (plus temporary winter mulch in the coldest zones) in the midwest and colder areas of the U.S. Getting less than 1/2 day of sun. Too crowded; under tree canopy/within tree or shrub root zones. Buds are being killed by late frosts and/or botrytis. Plant has been moved or divided too frequently (needs a 3-year chance at least). Fertilized excessively….too much nitrogen (all foliage/no bloom). Root has rotted and died;
