When To Cut Peonies And How To Store Them
Every Spring around Mother’s Day, we have a few peony plants around the yard that bloom into these beautiful soft pillowy flowers.
They are absolutely gorgeous and I love cutting them and bringing them in to display around the house. Did you know that there’s a trick to keep these beautiful flowers around for weeks longer than normal?
When To Cut Peonies
The first and most simple way is to clip the flowers early. When the bud begins to open and a little of the flower color is showing.
The bud should be a little squishy to the touch like a marshmallow.
Cut the stem and shake off any ants that might be on the outside of the bud. Most of the times at this stage, no ants have been able to get into the bud and petals.
Bring the stems inside and place in a vase or mason jar with fresh water.
How To Prep Your Peonies For Storage
When the flowers are in this stage you can also store them for future weeks.
Cut the stems when only a little of the color of the petals is showing.
Remove all of the leaves and tightly wrap in plastic wrap.
Make sure to close both ends so the entire thing (stem to bud) is completely sealed up.
Store the sealed peonies horizontally in your refrigerator for up to a month.
When you’re ready to use them, remove the plastic wrap and recut the bottom of the stem. Place the stem in room temperature water and allow the flower to acclimate. A perfect way to keep Spring going long into Summer.
For more green thumb posts check out our post on How To Revive Wilted Hydrangeas.