Tips for picking perfect peonies
It’s official, the U-Pick Peony season is upon us! With the field entering the peak bloom weeks it’s time to take advantage and head home with a wonderful bouquet of your favorites. Don’t forget your camera!
How it works
When you come to the farm to pick, you’ll check in at the shop to grab a basket and some clipping shears. (You may also bring your own if you wish. If so, I will sterilize the clippers quick first to prevent the spread of disease.)
When you’re done, head back to the shop and I will wrap up the bouquet for you. Bringing a bucket of vase is also a great idea to keep them hydrated on the way home but you don’t have to. As long as you keep them in a relatively cool spot out of the direct sunlight they will travel very well.
Tips for picking peonies
Whether you’re here or at home, here’s our tips for the best peony picking techniques.
Choose stems that have flowers almost ready to bloom but not quite. We want to pick them in the “marshmallow stage” when the flowers have not yet opened but they are squishy soft like a marshmallow. A bud that’s too hard will struggle to open in a vase. A fully bloomed flower won’t last as long for you after it’s cut. Remove any leaves that sit below the water line.
Cut a long stem. One of the most common mistakes I see is that people cut very short stem. Cutting a long stem will give you flexibility when you put them in a vase. You can always trim more! I advise leaving enough stem for two sets of leaves so the plant can continue to grow in the sunshine.
If there are any ants on your flowers you can give them a gentle swich is a bucket of cool water. The ants float away and your flowers are critter-free.
When you get home, you will want to give a fresh cut the to the stem at an angle and remove another 1/2” or so just before placing in water.
Pick early in the day before the afternoon heat settles in. The flowers are most hydrated early in the day. If you can, come early.
Feed your blooms. We send you home with a packet of flower food. A little granulated sugar and a splash of vinegar will do the trick too!
Change the water in your vase daily or every other day, adding new food when you do. Giving a fresh cut to the bottom of each stem will help extend their life too.
Display your beautiful bouquet out of direct sunlight.
If you want to store your blooms in the fridge to enjoy at a later date click the button below for instructions.