How to Stake Peonies

Peonies produce beautiful large blossoms on long and slender stems that are sometimes hard to support. One heavy rain or strong wind can snap the stems or bow them to the ground, putting an end to the beautiful show these flowers put up, and ruining all your hard work and effort in growing them. Homeowners and gardeners usually tackle this problem by selecting a planting site that is sheltered from strong winds.
Staking is another way to support these heavy flower heads, and should be done early, preferably in spring before buds form. This way the foliage will grow around the stake and cover it as it supports the heavy flower heads.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Peonies
• Circular metal rings
• Stakes
• Twine or string

1. Circular metal rings, usually known as peony rings because they are specifically designed for staking these heavy blossoms, are available in a variety of sizes and heights in garden centers and nurseries. These supports come in half circles that are linked together in the form of a ring around the peony stem. This type of staking, however, is ideal for a small number of flowers, as it can get quite costly when staking an entire garden of peonies.
2. Use wooden poles, stakes, PVC pipes or bamboo sticks to support a large number of peonies in your garden. This traditional method of staking is much cheaper albeit more time consuming. You can stake individual bushes with flowers that can grow up to 3 feet tall, or stake around the flowerbed for mass planting.
3. For individual staking, insert your stakes at regular intervals around each bush to form a circle. Do not force your way into the ground, but push the stakes gently to avoid damaging the roots. Tie string or twine around the stakes at one-third and two-thirds of the stem height.
4. If you have a large number of peony flowers and want to save yourself the time and effort of staking each bush, insert stakes around the perimeter of the peony garden, spacing them 1 to 2 feet apart. Tie twine or string at one-third the stem height on one of the stakes, and pull it taut to each and every stake, keeping it at the same height. Tie another string at two-thirds of the stem height on a stake and once again pull it from stake to stake.
5. For peonies that are lined against a wall, drive stakes at both ends and at every 2 to 3 feet intervals in between. Connect all the stakes with twine at one-third and two-thirds the stem height.

Tips & Warnings

• Work carefully if staking after the buds have formed to avoid breaking them.