Do you wish for big, really big peony flowers? Then disbudding is for you-NOT "This Bud's for You"! No, this is not a commercial for Budweiser:) Peonies have several buds, some primary and some secondary. When the plant sets many secondary buds off from the primary bud, the plant spends a great deal of energy growing more flowers; which can make the primary peony bud and resulting flowers smaller. Think quantity over quality in this case.
In the picture above there is a primary bud (the largest bud) with a side bud branching off from the from main stem of the primary bud. The secondary bud is clearly smaller than the primary bud. 
I chose to pinch this secondary bud off from the plant in order to have larger blooms. I pinched several secondary buds off from my peony plants as an experiment.
Do you see this peony above with all of its buds? It is 'Immaculee' and also grows multiple buds per stem. The peony I am showing you to demonstrate the difference in budded and disbudded peony blooms is 'Festiva Maxima' as pictured in the first picture. Most peonies form multiple buds though; which is fine but if you want larger blooms-redirect the plant's energy into fewer buds by disbudding.
Can you see how much bigger the peony flower that has been disbudded is than the one on the right? (I am holding the disbudded flower and you can clearly see the additional buds with the flower on the right where it has not been disbudded). The other two flowers in the pictures were also disbudded and are large as well. I am not sure if I'll do this all the time, but where you want a big impact or when you show your flowers, disbudding is a good thing to do. What an impact the large peonies make....
in the garden....
I will be on a Beachaven Garden Club tour and field trip today. See you all tomorrow. I hope everyone is out enjoying the gardens and spring! It sure is glorious this year!
Everyone, please head over to Dave's The Home Garden blog to find a link to vote for him in the Better Homes and Gardens Contest. He worked very hard on his arbor and did a great job and I know all of us bloggers can help him win the prize!
I chose to pinch this secondary bud off from the plant in order to have larger blooms. I pinched several secondary buds off from my peony plants as an experiment. Do you see this peony above with all of its buds? It is 'Immaculee' and also grows multiple buds per stem. The peony I am showing you to demonstrate the difference in budded and disbudded peony blooms is 'Festiva Maxima' as pictured in the first picture. Most peonies form multiple buds though; which is fine but if you want larger blooms-redirect the plant's energy into fewer buds by disbudding.Can you see how much bigger the peony flower that has been disbudded is than the one on the right? (I am holding the disbudded flower and you can clearly see the additional buds with the flower on the right where it has not been disbudded). The other two flowers in the pictures were also disbudded and are large as well. I am not sure if I'll do this all the time, but where you want a big impact or when you show your flowers, disbudding is a good thing to do. What an impact the large peonies make....
in the garden....
I will be on a Beachaven Garden Club tour and field trip today. See you all tomorrow. I hope everyone is out enjoying the gardens and spring! It sure is glorious this year!
Everyone, please head over to Dave's The Home Garden blog to find a link to vote for him in the Better Homes and Gardens Contest. He worked very hard on his arbor and did a great job and I know all of us bloggers can help him win the prize!
Good Morning, Tina! I do exactly this...disbudding, that is. Everyone asks why my peonies are so huge and this is the reason. I know alot of people would hate to lose quantity but I'd rather have quality, too! Uh-oh, the secret is out...hehehe
ReplyDeleteHi Tina .. I'm fairly new to peony .. I only have the one right now and it is rather new .. no secondary buds yet. BUT ... this is great information that I would not have known .. so thank you !
ReplyDeleteI'll be debudding ? when the time comes girl ! : )
Hi Tina~~I haven't remembered this most years...hopefully I can put this in my Tom Terrific Thinking Cap and remember it. You know, the smaller flowers don't weigh the plant down;) Gail
ReplyDeleteGreat tip on peonies Tina! I am printing this and passing it on to my Mother.
ReplyDeleteHave a great time on the tour. There is a garden tour here in east Dallas Sunday, which is usually great--but as with every weekend lately, they are prediciting rain!
Good morning all! On my way out but must say hello this morning. Storms coming.
ReplyDeleteLynn, Yup, the secret is out! At least for you readers:)
Joy, Many don't wish to sacrifice the blooms, but those big peonies can't be beat so I decided to try it finally.
Gail, Yes, maybe disbud the primary bud and leave all the smaller ones? Then not so many saggy stems. Never thought of that. Storms coming. Rain is nice:))
Ops, I had a typo and corrected. sorry for the delete...I don’t know if I could do this Tina. I have a hard enough time trying to thin the herbs and veggies out when growing from seed. I feel like I am killing something! Strange I know but something I need to work on. I did a good job of thinning out the radish and carrots but I don’t think I could pluck a bud from a flower… I will try though…
ReplyDeleteHave fun on the garden tour! Wish I were with you but I am creating yet another planter. The Saint says I am an addict to the garden. tee hee…
I should do this, but get greedy about wanting as many blooms as possible.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea. I'm going to do this! Thanks for a great post! -Jackie
ReplyDeleteI'm with Skeeter, I feel like I'm killing something. Yesterday I had a compulsive fit about raking the rocks out of the veggie bed because I felt like I was raking all the good manure off! Oay Vey..
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Tina! If you want to leav a comment on my blog use google translater, maby that makes it easier. If you use it and then clock on leaving a comment all the instuctions there will be in english to. Hope this helps! Or your abel to leave a comment at my other blog Joy of Life. Have a nice day / gittan
ReplyDeleteI have no peonies to try it on but if I did I might! Thanks for the link to the project!
ReplyDeleteMom- Mimi told me about the walking post back in January. I was never to watch it when I was in Texas but just read the blog and watched the video. I miss that silly dog and I hope that she isn't as old as you think she is... she still has alot of things to do in life with her Mommy. I miss her greatly! Thank you for all you have done in taking care of her for me. She is my child and I love her as such and would have not been able to join the Army without the help of you and Mimi in taking care of my children.
ReplyDeleteSince I don't have any peonies, Tina, I don't have to worry about this. But it certainly makes sense to take off the smaller buds for a larger impact. This is the time of year when I have serious peony envy:)
ReplyDeleteHi Tina! I have never done that, disbudding...I've learnt something new today, but I think I'll stick to the quantity :-)
ReplyDeleteTyra
Great advice! T.though I personally cringe a little at the term "disbudding." It reminds me of "deplaning." Verbing weirds language! :)
ReplyDeleteI'v never heard of disbudding a peony. I really can see a difference. I think I'll try this if it's not too late this year.
ReplyDeleteYour peony is beautiful. Timely post, I just moved mine last night because it was not in a good spot. I moved in it the rain, rain is forcasted today too so I hope it doesn't protest. I have a single flowered white one, they are my favorite.
ReplyDeleteGREAT advice Tina. My peonies are just getting to a size where they produce a number of blooms. For years I wouldn't have pinched any buds off just because I wanted a couple flowers. But now, I could possibly think of doing such a thing. Thanks for the great tip!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina~
ReplyDeleteI only wish I could use this technique on the peonies growing in my garden! That would be if I had any peonies in my garden...it's too hot in my region. Great tip though, I'll use it for other plants. Hope you enjoyed the garden tour!
Karrita
I did this on my Peonies and the blooms are huge. The only drawback is that you really have to support those massive flower heads with stakes. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I for one, am glad the secret is out. I have just the one to go to work on. Can't wait! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Interesting. I wish I was going with you today!!! Take pics for all of us
ReplyDeleteGood to see 'Festiva Maxima'--I long for one here.
ReplyDeleteI don't have peonies but this works with other plants as well.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll stick with smaller flowers and more of them. I'm thinking they will be less susceptible to damage - and it's less work :-)
ReplyDeletePeonies are very nice. How big does the bush (I'm guessing?) get? Those flowers are very nice and big. I'd love in the front yard! I guess they do die back in the winter :-/
ReplyDeleteHave a great time on the garden club tour!
I love them and specially I love them at THAT colour !!! liebe Grüße von Kathrin aus Bremen
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lesson. You just gave me an idea...peonies may work in my new sun bed.
ReplyDeleteHi all, Back from my field trip today. And no rain!! A good thing. Got a few new things, the biggest greatest is 'Queen of the Prairie'. I am most excited!
ReplyDeleteDP, Peonies can grow to 3-4 feet tall and wide. They are long lived and most rewarding. They will do great in the sunshine in your frontyard. I saw so many hedges of peonies today-simply love them! I'll have more on my bloom day tomorrow.
Christine, Your girl is fine. Looking for some attention as I've not walked her in a while. She is most good with going after chipmunks and squirrels. That almost-not quite-excuses her for her digging. And it is no problem with her here. I'm looking forward to you coming down.
Everyone have a great night.
Hi Tina, I sort of remember hearing my next door neighbor who grew so many peonies talk about this. It makes sense if you want the one giant flower. I think people do it for show roses too, or dahlias. Too much work for me though, since I don't pick them anyway. You are a font of information! :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
Hi Tina, Long day in the garden.
ReplyDeleteI love Peonies but can't grow them here. I guess it's too hot.
I've heard of taking some buds off a plant in order to make the flowers larger. Never tried it though.
Hope you had a lovely day. Inform us of the new plant.
Frances, Many gardeners disbud. You can do it for camelias, dahlias, roses, and many more. I've never had the heart but decided to try it. I am glad too and will continue the process I think.
ReplyDeleteLola, Yes, you are in the same spot as Darla and Karrita. Too hot in Florida. I'm surprised Skeeter has had such good luck with them in her garden. When I first moved here I though the peonies would not grow here and was sad. Then I saw them and hip hip hooray. I purchased a 'Queen of the Prairie' today and a few other plants. But to get this particular plant AND see it growing in a garden bed in siti for over three years made me ecstatic. Two other members also followed suit and bought one. I hope it does well. I've never seen it anywhere but catalogs and certainly not in any gardens here. At some point I should most likely post on it. I am realizing there is so much and not enough time so who knows when. You can Google 'Queen of the Prairie' though. It's pretty in pink;)
I don't think I could do it! lol I did get a second crop of smaller flowers last year...
ReplyDeleteTina, another great tip! This works well for lots of plants and veggies, but I often don't have the heart to do it. :)
ReplyDeleteTina, I don't grow peonies but (like Frances said), people do that to dahlias. Maybe I could do the same with camellias, I've got buds coming. your peonies look great!
ReplyDeleteSweet Bay, It is hard for sure.
ReplyDeleteBeckie, Definitely difficult for us gardeners.
Kanak, Yes, you can do it to camelias. In fact, I should do it to mine but there are so many buds it would take all day. I guess just do a few for those big blooms.
Sounds like a good idea but with so much to do and my energy level not what it was at one time, I will just let mother nature do its thing.
ReplyDelete