When to plant Peonies
Calendar windows
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Overwinters outdoors in a temperate garden.
Practical notes
Planting depth decides everything: the eyes must sit 3–5 cm below the surface, no deeper, or it grows leaves for a decade and never flowers. Plant in autumn and then never move it — peonies live fifty years.
Knowing when to pick
Cut when the bud feels like a soft marshmallow and shows colour. Take no more than a third of the stems, and always leave leaves behind to feed the crown.
Storing the crop
Cut buds keep for weeks laid dry and flat in the fridge — take them out, recut and they open in a day.
Crop rotation
No strict rotation group — still avoid replanting into the same soil year after year.
Grows well with
Watch for
Full guide: peonies diseases and pests (2) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.