I am a great fan of Peonies. They are one of the most reliable and celebrated perennials in northern prairie gardens, and their full, voluptuous spring and early summer blossoms can swoon even the hard-hearted. However, once cut you’re likely wondering how to make these beautiful blooms last longer.
Peonies have a short flowering season and make stunning cut flowers, but if you’d like to extend the joy of Peony blossoms later in the season, or if the wedding is scheduled for a few weeks past the Peony flowering peak, it can be difficult to ensure they stay fresh and beautiful looking.
Well, there’s a way to cut and store Peony buds for later enjoyment!
In this blog, we will talk about how to harvest Peony blossoms for cut flowers, how to store Peony buds for a later flower display, and how to keep them fresh for as long as possible.
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How to Extend the Peony Flowering Season in Your Garden
Gardeners are drawn to Peonies because of their gorgeous, full blossoms that range in colour from white to tones of pink, red, yellow, coral, and purple. As a matter of fact, gardeners wait with expectancy for these perennials to flower!
Peonies are classified as early, mid, or late spring bloomers.
If the spring is warm in a zone 3-4 prairie garden, some Peonies can start flowering in early June, and later flowering varieties, like the yellow ITOH Bartzella Peony, can flower as late as mid-July.
Having varieties in each flowering season will ensure a long display of Peony colour in your garden.
Many gardeners enjoy Peonies that can last up to 10 days as cut flowers, and they love to share them with their friends.
As a rule, fully double Peony varieties hold up as fresh cut flowers longer than semi-double or single-flowered types.
Related: Choosing the Perfect Peony Variety for Your Garden
How to Harvest Peony Blossoms for Immediate Use
Harvesting Peonies is all about timing. Understanding the right time to cut them is crucial, as it can significantly extend their vase life and preserve their beauty and fragrance.
Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough on how to cut and preserve these fresh Peony flowers:
1. Always Work with Clean, Sharp Tools
Maximizing the longevity of cut flowers is all about keeping bacterial growth at bay, so start with clean tools and vases.
Wash sharp pruning shears or knives in hot, soapy water before heading out to pick Peony blossoms, and take along a squeaky clean vase with fresh, clear, cool or lukewarm water to pop the newly cut stems into.
Bleach isn’t necessary for cleaning tools or vases, but if you would prefer to use a mild bleach solution, it won’t hurt.
2. Harvest Peony Flowers First Thing in the Morning
All cut flowers last longer when they are picked at their peak of hydration and nourishment.
The best time to harvest Peony buds is early morning while the air temperatures are still cool.
3. Pick Peony Buds at the ‘Marshmallow Phase’
When Peony buds develop, they start out small and hard like a marble, but as they mature, they start to soften.
The ideal time to harvest Peonies is when they are in the bud stage as the bud casing is beginning to open, before the first petal has emerged, and when they feel soft like a marshmallow as they are gently squeezed.
• Cut Peony varieties with single blossoms tighter than you would double-flowered varieties.
• Buds can still be picked when the bud casing is open and showing the first unopened flower petals, they will open a little quicker.
Avoid picking them too early when the buds are tight and firm, as they may not fully open in the vase.
On the other hand, if you wait too long and the flowers have fully opened, they may start to shed petals quickly and lose their charm.
Picking Peonies at the soft bud stage also eliminates carrying ants into the house.
Ants are attracted to Peony flower nectar and sometimes wind up hitchhiking a ride indoors buried inside open Peony flowers, and it’s easy to spot and shoo ants off of Peony buds.
4. Cut Flower Stems at a 45º Angle
Use a clean, sharp knife or garden clippers to cut the Peony stems 25-30 cm (10-12″) below the bud at a 45º angle to maximize the available surface area for water uptake.
Sharp tools will cleanly cut and not crush the stem’s xylem and phloem tubes so they can absorb water easily.
5. Immediately Hydrate the Peony Stems
Right after cutting, place the cut Peony stems in clean, cool or lukewarm water to help hydrate the buds and keep them fresh.
Bring the water bucket or vase along with you to the garden to minimize the time between cutting and placing them in water.
6. Tips to Prolong Peony Flower Vase Life
Increasing cut flower vase life is all about bacterial containment and doing things to slow their aging.
To extend the vase life of Peony cut flowers, keep them away from direct sunlight, drafts, and ripening fruits, as these can accelerate the aging process.
Change the water every two days, re-trim the stems, and add fresh floral preservatives to keep the water clean and provide nutrients to the flowers.
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How to Hold Peony Buds to Open at a Later Date
Of all the delightful aspects of Peonies, one of the characteristics I appreciate most is that I can delay the opening of their buds by refrigerating them.
Budded Peony cut flower stems can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 weeks, sometimes even longer; if you need to hold them back for an event, special date, or just because.
However, the longer they are stored in the refrigerator, the quicker they will open and the shorter the are able to hold their petals to last as cut flowers.
1. Keep Fresh Cut Peony Stems Dry
The first step is the similar as harvesting Peony flowers for immediate use where the Peony buds are cut with clean tools at the marshmallow stage, but do not put the stems in water after you cut them but, rather, keep them dry.
2. Layer Cut Peony Stems in the Refrigerator
Layer them on dry paper towels in the refrigerator, closing the open edges so the Peonies are not open and exposed to the rest of the refrigerator to keep them from drying out.
• Avoid storing Peony buds on damp paper towels, wrapped in plastic, or in a plastic bag with dry or damp paper towels because this could encourage mold growth.
• Store them in the refrigerator with an optimal temperature of around 3-4°C (35-39°F)
• Peonies can be kept refrigerated for up 3 weeks, but I know of people who have stored them longer.
3. Trim the Peony Stems and Place Them in Cool Or Lukewarm Water
• About 2 days before you need them to open, give the stems a fresh 45º angle cut and place them in cool water to wake them up and strip off any leaves that will sit in the water to reduce bacterial growth.
• The remaining leaves above the water will look wilted, but they will hydrate.
• It’s ideal if they can be kept cool in the refrigerator to open for the first 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, arrange in vases or in bouquets as needed, place them at room temperature, and the buds will continue to open.
4. Allow the Flowers to Open Gradually
• The flowers will gradually open over 2-3 days. Enjoy them!
I recommend that you do a trial run of the storage technique before any significant event. This will give you the confidence that your Peonies will be at their best when you need them.
Savor the JoY of Fresh Cut Peonies
Keeping Peony flowers in my home is one of my favourite spring rituals. Now that I can enjoy them longer into summer by preserving Peony buds in the refrigerator, this aspect of my gardening is even more delightful. If you have any other questions about making your cut peonies last longer, reach out directly or subscribe to my newsletter!
More to Explore
- A Complete Guide on How to Grow Peonies
- Answering Your Most Asked Questions About Growing Peonies
- Eight Reasons Why Peonies Won’t Bloom
- The Best Smelling Flowers to Grow in Your Garden
- 5+ Ways to Create A Thriving and Pollinator-Safe Garden
© Sharon Wallish Murphy © Gardening with Sharon
