Can I add something to the soil to make my peony a deeper pink?

Question

I have it next to a pink bleeding heart and a large rose bush, are they part of the problem? Even though they are very prolific bloomers?

Answer 1

http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/can-peon...

thanks, Steel for the info....

now I think I know why my iris are all changing color, too!!.... never even thought about it being volunteers!!!.....

Answer 2

I don't think that you can change the color, like hydrangea's.  Good soil will insure that they will look their best.

If you want a deeper pink you'll need to plant a different peony of that color. Gorgeous flower I love them.

Additional information;

The official answer is that a peony does not change color. The original plant seeds over and no longer flowers. If you trace the newer blossoms down, you will see that those are new shoots flowering.

I have had the same experience. However, I tend not to like the official answer. I received all pink peonies from a friend. She only has her family pink peonies. No other color. Her peonies are still pink. One year suddenly each peony flower were half white. The next year, they were all white.

I like that answer that the acidity of the soil may change the color.

Answer 3

I would experiment and add several natural fertilizers. Here is the way I would do it..... It might take a year or two to figure it out . There are 3 natural organic fertilizers that I would experiment with. I suggest either experiment each year with each one so you can isolate the nutrient that works the best (and save money) or buy all 3 and apply all 3 at the same time but it might be interesting to do each seperate over a 3 year period. It would also make you an expert so you could tell others and you could recommend the right nutrient for their peonies.

1) rake in around the roots rock phosphate Rock Phosphate is sold at quality nurseries and garden centers.  All flowering plants and trees rely on phosphate (a naturally occurring mineral)  to produce flowers.  Vegetables rely on it to produce flowering based produce.  So I would try this nutrient first. Rake in one cup per plant.  I would even give it a year to be absorbed and effect the plant and see what results you will have. Regardless the results expect at the very least to have more blooms ( and probably bigger healthier blooms) the following summer.  Now would be a good time to apply it because it will get absorbed before they go dormant in the fall.

2) I would go to Home Depot or a garden center and buy  one bag of Composted Manure. This is a mega nitrogen source. I would use one bag per two or three plants. Rake in around the roots. It will take 6 months for these to show results so be patient.

3) If you wanted to do number one and number 2 and see what your results are. But the following year try adding about a quart (in volume) of pellet type of Limestone per plant. Limestone contains a lot of various nutrients including Magnesium which sometimes is that one thing they need to get the color you want.  

These are the 3 nutrients that fertilizers contain that you can buy but the problem is you will never know which one the peonies favor if you use the commercial complete fertilizers. When you naturally fertilize the natural one will stay around for 3 + years and the plant will slowly absorb the nutrient and so this is a more environmentally sound way to fertilize and in my experience natural organic is better for the plants and the environment. Good Luck!

So if you do it in 3 - 3 year steps as I suggested you can isolate the nutrient they require and know what to add in the future but if you try all 3 you will have to add all 3 each year which can help them regardless but you won't be able to isolate the main nutrient that makes them get more pink.  So you would isolate whether it is phosphate (rock phosphate) , nitrogen (composted manure) , or magnesium and other trace minerals (in limestone).