Don’t trim your peonies back yet!

It is a good idea to cut back and clean up peony debris in the fall.

Doing so helps to prevent and spread any fungal diseases that may have settled in over the spring and summer. But now is not quite the time. We aren’t quite there yet.

As long as the leaves of your peony plant remain green, they are using photosynthesis to soak in the sunlight and use it as nourishment. Cutting the leaves back too early in the season prevents nutrients from reaching your roots late in the season as they are storing up for the long winter ahead and beginning to form next year’s buds and flowers! Don’t rob them of that!

However, there is an exception to the rule. If your plant has been badly taken over by disease like powdery mildew, blight or botrytis that’s completely covering the plant, it’s better to cut off those leaves and dispose of them, rather than letting that fungus thrive and perhaps even spread through your garden.

Do not compost your peony foliage, which can spread disease.

When frosts begin to settle in and the green fades from the peony leaves, then it’s time to cut back your peonies just above ground level. I’ll be sure to remind you, of course.