How to Get Rid of the White Film on Peonies

Peonies are lush flowers with full blooms that come in a variety of colors such as pink, white, purple, red and yellow. The flowers prefer rich, well-draining soil and some sunlight, but do not do well in intense heat or dry weather. If you have noticed your peonies look somewhat unhealthy, look for a white film on the surface. The substance is powdery mildew, and is best removed to keep the peonies from becoming deformed

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Plastic bag
• Pruning snips
• Fungicide

1. Pick off the leaves covered in the film and place them in a plastic bag to throw away. This works well if you catch the mildew when it is first developing, and you only have a few leaves affected. Snip the leaves back at the stalk or stem from which they are growing. Use pruning snips to make a clean cut that doesn’t tear the stem.
2. Cut down the entire plant if the mildew is covering it and threatening to spread to others. Snip it at the base of the stalk. In most cases, peonies will grow back the next year. The only thing you are doing by cutting it down is removing it for the current year.
3. Spray the peonies with a fungicide. Coat both the tops and bottoms of the leaves as well as the soil around the flowers. Apply a second application after a couple weeks to ensure the fungus is dead. Look for fungicides with triforine.