Peony Marguerite Gerrard – 1 Tuber Herbaceous

Peony Marguerite Gerrard produces medium-large, fragrant, double, ruffled light pink flowers which form on long strong stems, thus making them ideal as a cut flower. Best grown in cottage gardens, mixed borders and flower cut gardens. This is a herbaceous peony which thrives in colder climates. The colder the Winter is this usually results in better and more flowers. Position in full sun or part shade, make sure the soil is well prepared prior to planting.

Position: Full Sun – Part Shade
Height: 5-60cm
Width: 50cm
Planting Depth: 2-5cm

Preparing the soil: 
Make sure the soil is friable and has good drainage. Peonies love to be grown in humus-rich soil with lots of garden lime, the ideal soil should have a pH of 7.5-8. Adding Horticultural garden lime to the soil is usually required.

Planting Tips:
A common mistake to be made is to plant dormant Peonies roots too deep. Planting the root too deep can result in zero flowers. Prepare a hole which is only a few centimetres deep. Plant the root with the pink tips upright, these pink shoots should be no deeper than 1-2cm under the soil surface. Cover with soil gently and water it in.

Growing Tips:
All Peonies hate being disturbed once planted. It can take up to 3 years for one plant to bloom. In the first 12 months, the plant is settling into the soil and forming a strong root-network. In the second year, they produce large amounts of foliage which will die down to the soil surface in late Autumn as the plant goes into dormancy. As the foliage dies down, the decomposing foliage will feed nutrients back into the roots/tuber. In the third year, the plant is well established and will produce beautiful booms. As soon as the plant has been shifted or disturbed the 3-year process begins all over again. It is important to plant your Peonies where you want them permanently.

How to plant bulbs:
Prior to planting make sure the area in which the bulb will be planted has been prepared. If the soil is sandy adding a few bags of well-aged compost or animal manures to the soil will help condition and improve the structure of the soil. For heavy clay, add compost and clay breakers to the soil as this will make the texture more firable. If planting into pots make sure the container selected is large enough to accommodate the bulb that will be planted and the correct potting mix has been chosen. Once the soil has been prepared, check the planting depth on the back of your bulb packet and dig a hole accordingly.  Position the bulb into the hole with it sitting the correct way up. Backfill the hole with soil and gently tap down. Once planted give the bulb a deep soaking of water and wait for it to grow.

View our range of planting materials:

• Potting mix

• Fertiliser

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