Sleep, Creep, Leap and the peony growth cycle
Whether it’s a potted peony planted in spring or a bare root planted in fall, peonies follow a very familiar pattern in their first few years.
The industry standard for a peony root is that it has three to five “eyes” or buds on it. All the peonies we sell meet or beat this industry standard.
Year 1: You can expect one to three stems to emerge from the soil in spring. Some of the eyes from the previous fall will remain dormant under the soil.
This is what we call the “sleep” period with slow growth. The peony is focusing on establishing roots for a healthy plant rather than producing large amounts of foliage above ground. This is a good thing.
Most likely there will not be a bud or bloom produced in the first year after planting. In fact, if your brand new peony does try to bloom in that first year, we recommend snipping off the bud as soon as it forms to encourage the plant to put that energy into roots, rather than a flower.
Year 2: After a full year in the ground, the number of stems will likely double. Stems can also be stronger and taller with more leaves produced.
This is the “creep” period when the plant is slowly expanding after a year of root growth beneath the soil that can support more foliage above ground.
Many peonies, although not all, will boom in their second year after planting.
Year 3: Yay, you’ve made it to the “leap” phase of the peony when growth above ground is much more rapid. The roots are now well established to support plenty of foliage and flowers.
Almost all peonies will bloom by their third year after planting.
