Peony Care

How to care for your peonies after they arrive

Our peonies are harvested at the mature bud stage. When your flowers arrive, they will be thirsty. Protect them from excessive heat, and follow the instructions below:

1. Upon arrival, immediately remove the stems from the box. The stems may look 'tired' when you open the box. This is normal (they've had a very long trip from Alaska).
2. Prepare containers with cold water so they will quickly hydrate. Use the floral preservative included with your order, or one of your own choosing. This will prolong the vase life of your flowers.
3. Trim the stems at an angle, and remove foliage that will be beneath the water.
4. The size of most of our blooms will surprise you, so make sure there are not too many buds in each container to allow room for them to fully open.
5. Peonies drink a lot of water, so carefully monitor your flowers. Fill containers with fresh water as needed. Water should be changed every two to three days. Re-cutting the stems will also prolong vase life.
6. DO NOT store flowers with vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits off-gas ethylene, which will decrease peony vase life.

Peony care tutorial by Farmgirl Flowers

 

Decide whether you want your peonies to open slowly or quickly

• To open your buds slowly: place the containers with the flowers, immediately in the cooler.
• To open your buds quickly: remove flowers from refrigeration and monitor closely. Once your flowers are open, place them in the cooler until you are ready to use them.
• [Florist Tip] To hasten opening: gently tap the base of the bud on the green sepal petals on a hard surface. Continue to rotate until you’ve gone around the bud. This will loosen the inner petals. Remove the sepals.

What to do if you have damaged peonies