Bigger isn’t always better for peony roots

We live in a world where bigger is almost always better and more is more is more. But that isn’t necessarily the case for peony roots.

For expertise on this I’m introducing your to Nate Bremer, a well-known voice in the peony world.

Truth be told, the inspiration for this email is my first negative review. Here’s my response about a customer that expressed concern over the size of peony roots. It might surprise you to know that large roots don’t necessarily grow better than smaller ones.

With his permission, I’d like to share a portion of a statement from Past President and current Board Member of the American Peony Society, Nate Bremer.

"The best divisions will not be from old plants with large inactive roots, which often decay and do not produce new roots readily. Conversely, divisions from younger plants with smaller youthful roots are more likely to be vigorous growers and will establish more quickly."

Nate Bremer

Nate continues to explain with an example many growers, including us, use in our own peony fields.

If a root is quite large, growers will often drastically trim it by removing all or almost all of the root and planting only the grown tissue. This encourages the new plant to regrow fresh roots, which in the long run produces a much healthier and more robust plant.

Size also varies greatly between varieties. Some are very chunky. Others are more dainty.

Old roots have stored nutrients, but young roots are much more efficient at taking up those nutrients and water from the soil and transporting them to encourage new, healthy growth. This is the reason in a previous newsletter we talked about always dividing large peonies when you transplant them instead of simply moving the large roots mass from one place to another.

Most important is the correct proportion of roots to eyes. We’ll expand on this more in the future.

The statement above was taking from an article on peony culture and care. You can read more peony care tidbits of wisdom in that article here. I highly recommend it.

Please know, we send roots sized and trimmed to thrive in your garden space. I am always willing to answer questions or chat with you about our roots. Never hesitate to give me a call, text or email.