One stalk means they had one eye when you planted them, so they could unfortunately take up to 4 years to start flowering.

That was my assumption, but thank you for confirming it milo z. Another reason why I will NEVER buy another thing from Breck's/Gurneys/HenryFields/Michigan Bulbs/Spring Hill.

i've bought some bare root peonies and this is their second year. I do not think that mine are too deep because they are right underneath the surface. There are 3-5 stalks on each but the stalks are very thin in diameter - probably 1/8" or less - with a height of a foot or less. There are planted in full sun with 1 division per 5 gal black nursery pots. Were the divisons just too small to bloom or is it something else?

That is how my overly small ones are acting as well. They come up very thin and spindly (in comparison to the ones with buds on them, which are 3/4 inch wide). Then they stay short and stubby all season, and have very few leaves on them.

My question is, why are they in nursery pots and not planted in the ground? I was under the impression that peonies had the need for a broad root system in order to be happy.

As this is my first foray into peonies, I don't know for sure, but I'm curious if this might be impacting their ability to bloom. Prior to planting, I did do some extensive research regarding the best place for them, soil conditions, room needed per plant to deal with 15-20 years of growth without needing to divide, etc.

Thane T. (igwiz)

Most bare root peonies should be grown the first year in nursery pots. I do not expect blooms of any consequence until the third year. This year I have more bloom on my peonies than ever before. We had a colder than normal winter which I think is responsible for the greater number of buds. Everyone agrees that peonies are a long term investment but few are willing to wait. Al

Thane -
I also pot the bare-root ones for the first year so I can be in better control of watering and feeding while they are getting a new root system established. Sometimes they just need a little coddling at the beginning; this is especially important if you have very small divisions, and you note that you do have some. Once they are established in the pot and you then move them to the ground, lots of room and organic compost in the ground will see to them for decades.

Azzz -
A 5 gallon pot is too big for what sounds like a 3-5 eyed division (and very similar in some ways to putting a bare root peony directly into the ground, see note to Thane above). A three gallon is the largest you should need for that size, and it will most likely fit into a 2 gallon. Too large a soil volume that is not quickly occupied by a developing root system will retain excess water (never good) and hold too much unused fertilizer, which, if the soil does dry out, can damage the developing root system. I always put them into the smallest pot I can without breaking anything (and I have been known to do some creative bending rather than pot up a size if we're talking about just one wayward root).

- Steve

Well, consider me more enlightened than before. Al and Steve, I certainly defer to your experience. Wish I would have stumbled upon this forum in June 2005 instead of just recently.

Thane T.

Thank you all for the much needed info!